Summary
The appearance of a blue badge and BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) logo in an email from a known brand like Apple Support can be both reassuring and, paradoxically, a source of confusion. While these visual indicators are designed to enhance trust and verify sender identity, concerns arise when users encounter such emails and suspect phishing. This summary explores the various perspectives on the legitimacy of these emails, emphasizing the importance of robust email authentication and user vigilance.
Key findings
- BIMI's purpose: BIMI is designed to display verified brand logos in the inbox, building trust and helping users identify legitimate senders. It relies on strong email authentication protocols.
- User confusion: Despite BIMI's intent, the presence of a blue badge or logo can still lead to uncertainty, especially if other elements of the email seem suspicious or if prior experiences with phishing have occurred.
- Authentication dependency: BIMI requires senders to implement strong authentication measures like DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) with a policy of enforcement (quarantine or reject).
Key considerations
- Verifying legitimacy: Always check email headers for proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and verify the sender's domain. The presence of a logo does not replace these fundamental checks.
- Phishing vigilance: Scammers constantly evolve their tactics. Even with advanced authentication, vigilance is necessary. Be wary of unexpected emails, urgent requests, or suspicious links. Learn more about how to get a blue checkmark and what it entails.
- Importance of DMARC: Proper DMARC implementation is crucial for preventing domain spoofing, which is a common phishing tactic. Explore how DMARC, SPF, and DKIM work together.
- Apple's email practices: Familiarize yourself with Apple's official communication channels and common practices for support emails. You can also review Apple's email authentication requirements.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often encounter user confusion regarding email legitimacy, particularly when visual cues like BIMI logos or blue badges are present. Their experiences highlight the ongoing challenge of educating users about email security, even as authentication standards improve. Many marketers emphasize that while visual indicators are helpful, they are not foolproof and should always be cross-referenced with other security checks.
Key opinions
- Initial assessment: Many marketers, upon first glance, perceive emails with a blue badge and BIMI logo as legitimate, especially if they are expecting communication from that brand.
- Trust in indicators: There's a general belief among marketers that these indicators increase user trust and open rates, making it more likely for users to interact with the email.
- Impact of spoofing: If a phishing email somehow manages to display these trusted indicators, it could significantly undermine user confidence in security measures and legitimate brand communications.
Key considerations
- Header analysis: Marketers frequently advise checking email headers to confirm legitimacy, as visual cues alone can be misleading. This is a foundational step in email forensics.
- Education gap: There's a recognized need to educate the broader user base that a blue badge or logo, while helpful, doesn't automatically mean an email is legitimate if other signs point to phishing. This relates to understanding BIMI's benefits and requirements.
- Brand reputation: Brands must ensure their email authentication is meticulously set up to protect their reputation and customer trust. An example of this is BIMI increasing brand affinity in the inbox.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks indicates that they received the email themselves and did not see anything wrong with it. They consider it to be a legitimate communication from Apple Support. This suggests a perceived level of trust in emails that display these visual indicators.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks confirms that the email is legitimate. This quick assessment points to the effectiveness of the blue badge and BIMI logo in conveying authenticity to recipients, leading to a direct conclusion of validity.
What the experts say
Experts in email deliverability and security offer nuanced perspectives on the legitimacy of emails featuring a blue badge and BIMI logo. While acknowledging the robust authentication underlying these indicators, they consistently advise recipients to perform additional checks. Their insights underscore that while BIMI makes spoofing harder, it doesn't eliminate the need for careful scrutiny, especially when dealing with sensitive communications.
Key opinions
- General legitimacy: Experts generally concur that emails displaying a BIMI logo and blue badge are legitimate, as these elements require strong sender authentication.
- Layered security: The blue badge adds a layer of visual trust, complementing the underlying authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
- Trust but verify: While impressive, the presence of these indicators does not negate the need for recipients to remain cautious and apply standard security practices.
Key considerations
- Raw header inspection: Always check the raw email headers for comprehensive authentication details. This is the most reliable way to confirm legitimacy beyond visual cues. This practice is detailed in discussions around DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.
- Understanding BIMI: Understanding the technical requirements and purpose of BIMI helps discern its role in email security. For more details, see Google's explanation of BIMI security.
- Adoption and limitations: While BIMI is gaining traction, not all senders use it, and not all mailbox providers fully support it. Users should not solely rely on its presence as the only indicator of legitimacy. Information on BIMI support across providers can be helpful.
Expert view
Expert Marcel Beckers from Email Geeks states unequivocally that the email is legitimate. This immediate affirmation suggests a high level of confidence in the underlying authentication mechanisms that enable the display of the blue badge and BIMI logo.
Expert view
Expert Emailkarma from Email Geeks advises that it never hurts to check the raw headers of an email, noting that it only takes a couple of moments. This highlights the expert consensus that while visual indicators are useful, technical verification through headers is the most robust method for confirming legitimacy.
What the documentation says
Official documentation from various sources clarifies the technical aspects and purpose of BIMI and related email authentication protocols. These documents consistently emphasize that the blue badge and BIMI logo are tied to stringent security requirements, including robust DMARC policies and Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs). The intent is to provide a visual assurance of authenticity to users, making it harder for phishing attempts to succeed.
Key findings
- BIMI's foundation: BIMI relies on DMARC, SPF, and DKIM to verify the sender's domain and authenticate the email content, ensuring the email is truly from the claimed sender.
- Logo requirements: The brand logo used for BIMI must be registered with a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) from an accredited certificate authority, adding another layer of trust.
- User experience: Mailbox providers display the verified logo and often a blue checkmark, indicating to the recipient that the sender's identity has been authenticated.
Key considerations
- Strong DMARC policy: For BIMI to display, the sending domain must have a DMARC policy set to at least 'quarantine' (p=quarantine) or 'reject' (p=reject). This prevents unauthorized use of the domain. Learn about simple DMARC examples.
- SVG format: The logo itself must be in a specific SVG Tiny PS format, ensuring it's secure and properly rendered across various email clients. Guidance on validating your BIMI SVG is essential.
- Industry standard: BIMI is becoming an industry standard for visual brand authentication in email, as highlighted by various email service providers and security organizations. Read more about BIMI as a DNS TXT record.
Technical article
Documentation from SSL2BUY specifies that BIMI mandates the logo to be in SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (PS) format. This ensures the logo is lightweight, static, and secure, preventing malicious code or dynamic content that could be exploited in phishing attempts.
Technical article
Documentation from Klaviyo Help Center explains that BIMI leverages DNS settings to authenticate a brand's visual identity. This means that the logo displayed is directly linked to the sender's domain, making it difficult for unauthorized parties to use it.
Related resources
14 resources
Related pages
What are common questions and answers about BIMI email authentication?
What are Apple's requirements for email authentication and domain registration?
How do I display my logo in email inboxes, particularly Gmail, and what are the BIMI requirements?
What are the benefits and requirements of BIMI for email deliverability and branding?
How do I implement a blue check mark on Gmail with BIMI and VMC?
A simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM
A guide to BIMI accredited certificate providers
A guide to validating your BIMI SVG and certificate
Which email clients actually support BIMI?
Why Your Emails Are Going to Spam in 2024 and How to Fix It
