Less Than 5% of Companies Use the Latest Email Security Standards—Are You One of Them?

Every Year, Phishing Becomes the Most Prevalent Cyberattack—Here’s How to Protect Your Business and Improve Email Deliverability

 

Email remains a critical communication tool for businesses worldwide. However, one of the biggest frustrations for companies is when important emails land in the recipient’s spam folder instead of their inbox. This not only affects business credibility but also impacts customer communication, sales, and marketing outreach. Understanding why corporate emails go to spam and implementing email authentication protocols like DMARC, DKIM, BIMI, and continuous email warm-up is essential to improving deliverability.

Phishing: The Most Prevalent Cyberattack & How to Combat It

Phishing attacks remain the most common and dangerous form of cybercrime. Cybercriminals impersonate legitimate entities to deceive recipients into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords, financial details, or business data. As phishing techniques become more sophisticated, businesses must take proactive measures to protect employees, customers, and brand integrity.

Best Practices to Prevent Phishing Attacks

  1. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

    • Require employees to use MFA for all business accounts.

    • Ensure that login credentials alone aren’t enough to access sensitive data.

  2. Implement Email Authentication Standards (DMARC, DKIM, SPF)

    • DMARC prevents email spoofing and phishing attempts by authenticating email senders.

    • DKIM adds a digital signature to verify email legitimacy.

    • SPF ensures only authorized servers can send emails on behalf of a domain.

  3. Educate Employees on Phishing Awareness

    • Conduct regular phishing simulations and training.

    • Teach staff how to recognize suspicious links, fake sender addresses, and urgent scam requests.

  4. Use AI-Powered Email Security Tools

    • Deploy email security software that uses artificial intelligence to detect and filter phishing attempts.

    • Implement real-time threat analysis to block malicious links and attachments.

  5. Establish a Zero-Trust Security Framework

    • Require verification at multiple levels before granting access to critical systems.

    • Assume all incoming emails could be a potential security threat.

  6. Use BIMI for Brand Trust and Email Verification

    • BIMI displays a verified brand logo next to authenticated emails, enhancing credibility.

    • Customers are less likely to fall for phishing attempts impersonating your business.

  7. Encourage Employees and Customers to Report Suspicious Emails

    • Create an internal reporting system for employees to flag potential phishing emails.

    • Advise customers to report fraudulent emails pretending to be from your business.

By implementing these best practices, businesses can drastically reduce phishing risks while ensuring secure email communication.

Why Corporate Emails End Up in Spam

There are several reasons why corporate emails are flagged as spam. Understanding these factors helps businesses take corrective action.

1. Lack of Email Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

Many corporate email domains lack proper authentication records, making them vulnerable to spoofing and phishing attacks. Email providers are increasingly strict about enforcing authentication, and missing these records increases the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.

2. Poor Email Reputation & Blacklisting

Email service providers (ESPs) maintain sender reputation scores based on email activity. High complaint rates, low engagement, and previous spam reports negatively impact this score, increasing the chances of emails being flagged.

3. Spammy Content & Formatting Issues

Certain words, excessive capitalization, misleading subject lines, and broken links can trigger spam filters. Additionally, improper HTML formatting in emails increases the risk of being flagged.

4. Low Engagement & High Bounce Rates

Emails with low open rates, high bounce rates, and frequent spam complaints signal to ISPs (Internet Service Providers) that the sender is not trustworthy.

5. Sending Large Volumes Without Proper Warm-Up

New email domains or those that suddenly send a large volume of emails can be flagged as spam. Email providers monitor sending patterns, and an abrupt increase in email activity without gradual warming can lead to filtering.

6. Shared IP Address with Spammy Senders

Companies using shared email servers are at risk if other senders on the same IP have poor reputations. This is why using dedicated IPs or properly vetted shared IPs is critical.

How to Fix Corporate Email Deliverability Issues

Now that we understand the reasons why emails go to spam, let’s explore proven solutions to ensure emails land in inboxes.

1. Implement DMARC, DKIM, and SPF Authentication

Proper email authentication is essential for security and deliverability. Here’s how they work:

  • SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Ensures emails are sent from authorized mail servers.

  • DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to emails, verifying authenticity.

  • DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): Tells email providers how to handle emails that fail SPF/DKIM authentication and provides reporting on email activity.

Steps to Set Up:

  1. SPF Record: Add a TXT record in your DNS settings specifying authorized mail servers.

  2. DKIM Record: Generate and add a DKIM key in your DNS settings.

  3. DMARC Policy: Create a DMARC record and configure it to monitor and enforce authentication.

2. Use BIMI for Brand Recognition & Corporate Branding

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is a powerful tool that enhances email visibility by displaying a company’s logo directly in the recipient’s inbox. Beyond improving deliverability, BIMI plays a crucial role in corporate branding, trust, and engagement.

Benefits of BIMI for Corporate Branding:

  • Enhances brand recognition by prominently displaying the company logo.

  • Increases recipient trust, reducing the chances of emails being ignored or marked as spam.

  • Improves email engagement rates, leading to higher open and response rates.

  • Differentiates your brand from competitors in crowded inboxes.

Steps to Set Up BIMI:

  1. Implement DMARC with a ‘reject’ policy.

  2. Upload a BIMI-compliant logo (SVG format).

  3. Add a BIMI TXT record to your DNS settings.

  4. Verify with your email provider (some require a Verified Mark Certificate – VMC).

By adopting BIMI, businesses reinforce their brand identity while ensuring their emails appear legitimate and professional to recipients.

Preventing corporate emails from going to spam requires a proactive approach to authentication, engagement, and warm-up strategies. Implementing DMARC, DKIM, SPF, and BIMI, continuously warming up emails, and maintaining sender reputation are essential for ensuring email deliverability.

By following these best practices, companies can significantly reduce spam filtering issues and improve communication effectiveness. Investing in proper email management today ensures long-term success in reaching the inbox, protecting brand reputation, and maximizing email marketing ROI.

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