Short Actionable Tips On Email Related Problems Customers Face

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 : Common Email Problems And How To Resolve Them

• Unable to send or receive emails
• Unable to send emails but able to receive them
• Unable to receive emails but able to send them
• Some emails go missing at times
• Disk quota error
• ‘Undeliverable messages’ error even without sending an email
• Receiving duplicate emails consistently

Chapter 2 : Common SPF Issues

• What is the SPF 10-lookup limit?
• The human-readable ‘From’ address
• Why do SPF validation errors take place?
• How to fix broken SPF?
• Understanding’ Warning – SPF Validation Failed’ messages
• The meaning of ‘Error – SPF Validation Failed – Mode Normal.’
• SPF Check Failed – Gmail and Office 365
• How to deal with SPF hard fail?

Chapter 3 : Monitoring Email Flow For Clients

• How to check email flow?
• How to monitor emails in MS Outlook?
• Message tracking in Office 365

Chapter 4 : Tenant Migration Issues And Resolution

• How to perform tenant migration for clients?
• Non-determination of the scope of migration
• Forgetting the basics
• Neglecting data integrity
• Insufficient planning for co-existence
• Lack of effective user communication
• Excessive reliance on native tools
• The absence of an effective Plan B

Chapter 5 : Spam Filtering Problems

• Common things that trigger spam filters
• How to prevent getting caught in spam filters?
• How to enhance spam filter settings?

Chapter 6: How To Secure And Authenticate Customers’ Emails

• The need for email authentication
• Ensure successful delivery of the emails to the respective clients
• Use consistent mail sender addresses
• Authenticate IP addresses with SPF
• Configure DKIM signatures for messages
• Protect the domain with DMARC authentication
• Prepare for BIMI
• The role of SPF and DKIM in email authentication

Chapter 7 : Uncommon Email Problems And Solutions

• What do malicious actors do with email addresses?
• How to know if an email account is hacked
• Can two different people have the same email address?
• How to remove an IP from the Gmail blacklist?

Chapter 8 : The Importance Of DMARC And DKIM And Ensuring Their Proper Functioning

• Understanding the concepts of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
• Difference between DKIM and DMARC
• Important Functions – Tips to implement authentication protocols properly

Chapter 9 : Is DMARC Reporting Required For MSPs To Have Happy Customers? – Myths About DMARC Debunked

• Five myths about DMARC debunked
  • Deploying DMARC is easy
  • DMARC prevents all kinds of email attacks
  • Establishing a record of DMARC means it is protected
  • DMARC is only needed for domains sending mails
  • DMARC is all you need
• What does the DMARC report tell?
• The purpose of a DMARC record
• Analyzing a DMARC report
• Is DMARC reporting necessary?

 

Conclusion

Individuals and organizations alike can encounter several problems with their email infrastructure. Besides, cyber adversaries also use email channels to push their malicious intentions, such as phishing users off their PII (Personally Identifiable Information). Hence, users must keep abreast of the latest happenings in the sector of email security; it is all the more important for MSPs to adopt best practices pertaining to email security, as they carry the responsibility of keeping their customers’ privacy intact and data secured.

As discussed in this ebook, it is essential to know about email authentication protocols to prevent your and your customers’ email addresses from being used by cyber adversaries for spoofing and sending phishing emails. Besides protecting your and your clients’ network systems, it also helps enhance your brand reputation, thereby also helping you expand your customer base!

 

References

Bignames. Common Email Problems.

https://www.bignames.co.uk/client/index.php?rp=/knowledgebase/37/Common-email-problems.html    

Valimail. (2016, January 12). Two Common Problems With SPF You’re Probably Overlooking. 

https://www.valimail.com/blog/two-common-problems-with-spf-youre-probably-overlooking/#:~:text=However%2C%20SPF%20has%20some%20built,even%20though%20they%20should%20pass

DuoCircle. Understanding And Troubleshooting SPF Validation Failed Errors.

https://www.duocircle.com/content/spf-validation-failed 

Microsoft Build. (2016, December 15). How Microsoft 365 Uses Sender Policy Framework (SPF) To Prevent Spoofing?

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/office-365-security/how-office-365-uses-spf-to-prevent-spoofing?view=o365-worldwide#:~:text=Indicates%20hard%20fail.,you%20use%20always%20this%20qualifier.

Martin9700. (2017, September 05). How To: Test Email Flow Using SMTP Commands. Spiceworks.

https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/11-test-email-flow-using-smtp-commands

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https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-and-request-read-receipts-and-delivery-notifications-a34bf70a-4c2c-4461-b2a1-12e4a7a92141

Adam. (2017, November 16). Message Tracking In Office 365. Microsoft 365 And Exchange Admin’s Blog. CodeTwo.

https://www.codetwo.com/admins-blog/message-tracking-office-365/

Slavin, B. (2020, November 11). Learn About The Prevalent Issues Faced During Office 365 Tenant-To-Tenant Migration So That You Can Make It A Hassle-Free Process For Your Organization. DuoCircle.

https://www.duocircle.com/email-migration/learn-about-the-prevalent-issues-faced-during-office-365-tenant-to-tenant-migration-so-that-you-can-make-it-a-hassle-free-process-for-your-organization#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20major%20issues,could%20create%20trouble%20during%20migration 

Constant Contact. Common Things That Trigger Spam Filters. (2020, September 17).

https://knowledgebase.constantcontact.com/articles/KnowledgeBase/5649-common-phrases-that-trigger-spam-filters?lang=en_US#

Petrovic, J. 28 Tips To Avoid Spam Filters When Doing Email Marketing. Web Engage.

https://webengage.com/blog/how-to-avoid-spam-filters-when-sending-emails/ 

How Can I Change My Spam Filter Settings? Inbox.

http://www.inbox.com/faq_email.aspx?id=725 

Boyd W. (2021, February 22). How To Authenticate Your Email In 5 Steps? SendGrid.

https://sendgrid.com/blog/how-to-authenticate-your-email-in-5-steps/

Crafford L. (2020, November 3). Why Do Hackers Want Your Email Address? LastPass.

https://blog.lastpass.com/2020/11/why-do-hackers-want-your-email-address/

Bull Guard. How To Tell If Your Email Account Has Been Hacked – And Remedial Action You Can Take.

https://www.bullguard.com/community/educational/security/how-to-tell-if-your-email-account-has-been-hacked.aspx

Huckaby J. (2019, August 19). How To Remove Your IP From Gmail’s Blacklist? Rackaid.

https://www.rackaid.com/blog/gmail-blacklist-removal/   

Understanding SPF, DKIM and DMARC. (2019, April 9). Smarter Tools.

https://www.smartertools.com/blog/2019/04/09-understanding-spf-dkim-dmarc#:~:text=Put%20simply%2C%20SPF%2C%20DKIM%20and,truly%20authorized%20to%20send%20email.&text=These%20antispam%20measures%20are%20becoming,all%20mail%20services%20and%20servers

DMARC Record Wizard. Extracted from Dmarcian.

https://dmarcian.com/dmarc-record-wizard/

Create a DKIM TXT Record. Extracted from

https://docs.rackspace.com/support/how-to/create-a-dkim-txt-record

Rideout, J. (2019, September 16). 5 Big Myths About DMARC Debunked. Agari.

https://www.agari.com/email-security-blog/5-dmarc-myths/ 

DMARC Reports. Google Workspace Admin Help.

https://support.google.com/a/answer/10032472?hl=en