Fraudulent parties are increasingly using email as a medium of scamming and phishing . To combat these cyberattacks, Google is piloting a tool that allows authentication of brand logos that will inform the user whether the email originates from a genuine sender. This will help Gmail’s nearly 2 billion users to reduce the risks of opening a malicious email, including the fear of opening an authentic one.
The tool will make use of the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) standard, which Google joined in 2019. This will be used alongside Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) technology, which prevents scammers from appropriating the email of a legitimate source. The feature works similarly to verified badges of social networks.
Organisations wanting to protect their trade mark may consider verifying their brand logo under these standards in the near future, or risk their reputation and credibility.
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