vDKIM1

vDKIM1 is a data type used in the DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) standard. DKIM is an email authentication method designed to detect email spoofing. It allows a receiving mail server to check that an email, claimed to be from a specific domain, was indeed authorized by the owner of that domain. vDKIM1 specifically refers to the version of the DKIM signature record found within DNS (Domain Name System) TXT records.

When an email is sent, the sender's mail server generates a DKIM-Signature header. This signature is a cryptographic hash of parts of the email, encrypted using the sender's private key. The public key required to decrypt this signature is published in a TXT record in the DNS for the sender's domain. The vDKIM1 identifier within this TXT record indicates that the record contains a DKIM version 1 signature record.

Receiving mail servers can query the sender's domain's DNS for the public key. If the public key exists and the signature verifies correctly, it provides a strong indication that the email has not been tampered with in transit and originates from the claimed domain. The "v=" tag within the DKIM DNS record is used to specify the version of the DKIM specification being used, with "vDKIM1" being the most common and indicating compliance with the original DKIM specification. Other tags within the TXT record, such as 's=' (selector) and 'd=' (domain), are crucial for the verification process.