DigiCert Acquires Valimail, Forging a New Frontier in Email Security and Digital Trust
In a significant development for the cybersecurity landscape, digital trust leader DigiCert has announced its acquisition of Valimail, a top provider of email authentication and anti-impersonation solutions. This strategic move signals a major consolidation in the digital security market, aiming to provide organizations with a unified platform for managing trust across their web and email presence.
This acquisition directly addresses one of the most persistent and damaging threats facing businesses today: email-based cyberattacks. Phishing, business email compromise (BEC), and brand impersonation continue to be the primary vectors for security breaches, costing organizations billions annually. By integrating Valimail’s expertise, DigiCert is poised to tackle this challenge head-on.
Why This Acquisition is a Game-Changer for Digital Trust
The synergy between the two companies is clear. DigiCert is a global authority in Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and TLS/SSL certificates, the technologies that secure websites and encrypt data in transit. Valimail is a recognized leader in DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance), the gold standard for authenticating email and preventing domain spoofing.
This strategic move combines DigiCert’s leadership in digital trust and PKI with Valimail’s top-tier DMARC and email authentication technology. The result is a comprehensive digital trust solution that covers a company’s primary online channels—its websites and its email communications. For businesses, this means the potential for a single, integrated platform to manage and secure their entire digital identity.
Understanding the Power of DMARC
At the heart of this acquisition is the critical importance of DMARC. For those unfamiliar, DMARC is an email authentication protocol that gives domain owners control over who is allowed to send emails on their behalf. When properly configured, it effectively stops cybercriminals from spoofing a company’s domain to send fraudulent emails to customers, partners, and employees.
Implementing a robust DMARC policy provides three core benefits:
- Blocks Phishing and Brand Impersonation: DMARC is the most effective tool for preventing unauthorized use of your domain in phishing attacks, protecting your brand’s reputation and your customers’ security.
- Improves Email Deliverability: Mailbox providers like Google and Microsoft favor authenticated email. A properly configured DMARC policy increases the likelihood that your legitimate marketing and transactional emails will land in the inbox, not the spam folder.
- Provides Critical Visibility: DMARC generates reports that give organizations complete visibility into who is sending email from their domain, including legitimate third-party services and malicious actors.
Furthermore, a strong DMARC policy is a prerequisite for Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), an emerging standard that allows companies to display their official logo next to authenticated emails in the recipient’s inbox, further enhancing brand trust and recognition.
What This Means For Your Business’s Security
The integration of Valimail’s services into DigiCert’s portfolio underscores a crucial trend: digital trust is no longer a siloed effort. A secure website is not enough if your email domain can be easily impersonated. This acquisition is a clear signal that the market is demanding unified, holistic security solutions.
Here are actionable security steps your organization should consider in light of this industry shift:
- Audit Your Email Authentication Now: If you haven’t implemented DMARC, now is the time. Start by deploying a policy in reporting mode (
p=none) to gain visibility into your email ecosystem without impacting mail flow. - Move Towards Enforcement: The ultimate goal of DMARC is to reach an enforcement policy of
p=quarantineorp=reject. This is the step that actively blocks fraudulent emails. Working with a dedicated service can automate and simplify this complex process. - Consolidate Your Digital Trust Strategy: Evaluate your current security vendors. Consider the benefits of a unified platform that manages both your web certificates and your email authentication. This can streamline management, reduce complexity, and provide a more comprehensive view of your security posture.
- Prioritize Brand Protection: Frame DMARC not just as an IT project, but as a core component of your brand protection strategy. Preventing domain impersonation is as important as protecting your trademarks.
The combination of DigiCert and Valimail is set to create a powerhouse in digital trust, making it easier for organizations of all sizes to secure their online presence. As cyber threats evolve, a proactive and unified approach to security is no longer just an advantage—it’s a necessity.
Source: https://datacenternews.asia/story/digicert-acquires-valimail-in-move-to-tap-usd-4b-dmarc-market
