How to set up email authentication
Email authentication is essential to prevent phishing, identity spoofing, and other types of cyberattacks that could compromise the security of your email.
In this tutorial, we will guide you through a few simple steps to configure and manage the security of your emails using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
- Authentication configuration
- SPF configuration
- DKIM configuration
- DMARC configuration
- Reset SPF/DMARC record to default settings
Implementing these authentication measures will not only strengthen the security of your email, but will also ensure that recipient third parties correctly receive and recognize your messages. Proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration is essential to establish trust in your electronic communications, helping to prevent identity spoofing and ensuring that your emails legitimately reach their recipients.
Below, we will continue detailing each step so that you can easily follow the process and strengthen your email protection.
First of all, log in to your cdmon control panel and go to the hosting management that you want to configure. From there, you must go to email management and access “Email authentication”:
When accessing it, first of all, you will be able to see the DNS status of the domain you are configuring. Our control panel will detect whether you have the DNS servers with us or with another provider. The only implication of this is that you must configure the records that will be shown later in the corresponding DNS panel
If you have the domain DNS server configured with cdmon, the panel displays the following notification, indicating that Automatic configuration:
On the other hand, if you have the domain DNS server configured with a provider other than cdmon, meaning an external DNS server, the panel will display the following notification:
If the domain is in another cdmon user account while you are configuring the DNS for this hosting, meaning that one user manages the hosting and another manages the domain, the following message will be displayed indicating that the DNS records must be created manually.
At the bottom, you can find the authentication configuration, where the different records you can configure are displayed: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
IMPORTANT: If when accessing this section you see that the records are marked in green, this means that they are already active (Status: Correct). No specific action is required; the records have already been created and are performing their protection function for the email service.
You can use this window as a validator for these records. If these records appear with a different status (Status: Incorrect/Warning) we suggest following the instructions shown below to activate each of them:
The SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is an authorization list for your emails. It tells mail servers who is allowed to send messages on your behalf, which prevents identity spoofing.
One of the reasons why this SPF record appears in red (Status: Incorrect) is that no previous configuration has been made. Remember that cdmon configured it between January 8 and 20, 2024 for all customers who have DNS with us. To start the SPF activation process, you must enable the “Advanced options” located in the upper-right part of the box:
When enabling advanced options, the panel will show the DNS record that must be created to activate SPF. You must copy the text shown in “Recommended value” and manually create a record in the domain DNS management:
Next, access the zone records management for your domain. By clicking this link, you can access our help article about How the static DNS panel works.
Once you are inside your domain DNS panel, you must create a new DNS record with the following configuration:
- Record type: TXT/SPF
- TTL value: 900
- Host/Redirect: @ The domain
- Value: v=spf1 include:_spf.srv.cat ~all
Below, we attach an image showing which data to enter in our control panel for its configuration; you must replicate the data in your domain:
IMPORTANT: If your DNS server is external to cdmon, you must create this record in your respective DNS panel; the data to enter is exactly the same
Once you have created the DNS record and the change has propagated, you can access the Email authentication window again and it should display Status: Correct indicating that the DNS record is detected without problems:
DKIM is a digital signature for your emails. It allows recipients to verify that the message has not been altered since it was sent, which also prevents email fraud.
Currently, all cdmon hostings have DKIM enabled (.srv.cat). This is a generic cdmon domain and is valid for authenticating your emails.
DMARC is a security supervisor for your emails. This protocol uses SPF and DKIM to ensure that the messages you receive are legitimate. It also defines what to do with email addresses that do not have these security protocols active on their respective mail servers.
One of the reasons why this DMARC record appears in red (Status: Incorrect) is that no previous configuration has been made. Remember that cdmon configured it between January 8 and 20, 2024 for all customers who have DNS with us. To start the DMARC activation process, you must enable the “Advanced options” located in the upper-right part of the box:
When enabling advanced options, the panel will show the DNS record that must be created to activate DMARC. You must copy the text shown in “Recommended value” and manually create a record in the domain DNS management:
Next, access the zone records management for your domain. By clicking this link, you can access our help article about How the static DNS panel works.
Once you are inside your domain DNS panel, you must create a new DNS record with the following configuration:
- Record type: TXT/SPF
- TTL value: 900
- Host/Redirect: A specific subdomain -> _dmarc
- Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; aspf=s; adkim=r
Below, we attach an image showing which data to enter in our control panel for its configuration; you must replicate the data in your domain:
IMPORTANT: If your DNS server is external to cdmon, you must create this record in your respective DNS panel; the data to enter is exactly the same
Once you have created the DNS record and the change has propagated, you can access the Email authentication window again and it should display Status: Correct indicating that the DNS record is detected without problems:
Only if the domain has automatic configuration of the DNS (the user manages the DNS records and the domain points to the cdmon server) will you be able to reset the SPF and DMARC record value directly from our control panel. This function is useful for those who need to revert custom changes to the configuration recommended by our service. Here we show you how you can use this functionality:
To reset the current SPF and DMARC record, click on the "Advanced options" of the corresponding record, and in the box for of the Current SPF value or Current DMARC value, an icon appears in the shape of a circular arrow, located on the far right:
Reset SPF record:
Reset DMARC record:
Before proceeding with the reset, the panel asks you for one final confirmation; click "Accept" to continue.
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