To Protect Against Phishing, Google has begun to implement the Email Authentication Protocol.

Brief:

• According to a press release, Google has begun rolling out Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) into Gmail inboxes. The anti-phishing framework, of which Google is a co-developer, was initially announced last July in a Google blog post.
• BIMI is an email authentication protocol that allows organizations to authenticate their identity to email recipients by including logos in their emails. Verification steps involve implementing Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) and obtaining a BIMI certificate for brands.
• Google adds a large pool of email addresses to platforms that already support the framework, such as Yahoo and Fastmail, by implementing BIMI. The change might help marketers in their fight against phishing scams, that cause consumer distrust and thwart email marketing.

Insight:

The implementation of BIMI by Google is an attempt to protect Gmail users against email phishing scams. Phishing is when a bad actor disguises their email to look like it came from a well-known brand, tricking recipients into opening it and exposing them to privacy risks. Any official email sent by a brand, on the other hand, will display beside the business’s verified logo, indicating to recipients that the email is legitimate.

To join the BIMI framework, brands have to go through a multistep procedure that includes implementing DMARC to ensure email and logo validation and obtaining a BIMI certificate — also known as a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) — to confirm rights to use logo images. The AuthIndicators Working Group, which includes Google, Fastmail, Verizon Media, and others, is working to turn BIMI into a standard method.

For marketers, Google’s launch of BIMI could mean a more secure environment for reaching out to customers via email on mobile and desktop platforms. According to the announcement, the BIMI framework resulted in a total 10% increase in the engagement at Yahoo Mail, which is owned by Verizon Media. According to an annual analysis by Litmus, Gmail is the second most popular email client behind Apple’s iPhone app, with over 30% market share. Gmail, if combined with other BIMI-supporting clients like Yahoo Mail and Fastmail, could soon provide a path for businesses to regain customer trust and help rectify what has become a problematic marketing channel.

According to an Osterman Research survey quoted by IT pro, phishing scams have expanded across all brand categories, with 84 % of U.S. organizations reporting a phishing or ransomware attack in the last year. According to the report, the shift to remote work during the pandemic has exacerbated these issues, and affected customers have become highly distrustful of brands.

Other companies are attempting to establish a more secure email platform. The Hide My Email feature in Apple’s iOS 15 update, which is expected later this year, randomizes a user’s email address when registering with an app or website. Marketers may be forced to create valuable incentives to encourage users to opt-in to sharing their personal data as a result of the security update. As third-party cookies become outdated, brands will increasingly rely on first-party information gathered via email to drive their targeted marketing efforts.