01and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

EVERYTHING IS VERIFIED.
EXCEPT THE MEDIUM
WE USE THE MOST.
Whether it’s a blue check mark on Twitter or Tiktok,
a verified caller on a phone, or a smart seal on anecommerce checkout page, “verified” users and brands
are increasingly common across most media. The actof verifying public accounts gives the general public aninstant, concrete assurance that the person or company
sending a message is the real deal. This promotes
authenticity, fosters trust, and provides an incentive forother users to go through the steps to verify their own
account so they can stand out from the generic crowd.

WHAT IS A VERIFIED MARK CERTIFICATE, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

01

WHAT IS A VERIFIED MARK CERTIFICATE, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

THE HUMBLE EMAIL
But for the oldest, most effective, and mostwidely used digital medium of all, the default haslong been anonymity. The unique identity of every
brand and person, large or small, is reduced toa letter or two.

EECCNNThe Great Barrier Reef
Australia’s great national wonder...

and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

01

CNN
The Great Barrier Reef
Australia’s great national wonder...
WHAT IS A VERIFIED MARK CERTIFICATE, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

UNTIL NOW.

01

WHAT IS DMARC?
“DMARC, which stands for “Domain-based Message
Authentication, Reporting & Conformance,” is an email
authentication policy and reporting protocol. It builds onand elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

the widely deployed SPF and DKIM protocols, adding
linkage to the author (“From:”) domain name, publishedpolicies for recipient handling of authentication failures,and reporting from receivers to senders, in order toimprove and monitor protection of the domain fromfraudulent email.”
In translation, DMARC gives security professionals moretransparency and better control to accurately identify
and then block or quarantine fraudulent emails more
quickly. It’s a smart, commonsense standard that helps
to protect both consumers and brands.

DMARC POLICY

WHAT IS A VERIFIED MARK CERTIFICATE, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

01
WHAT IS A VERIFIED MARK CERTIFICATE, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

OF SOCIAL ENGINEERINGATTACKS ARE DELIVEREDVIA EMAIL.

(source: https://enterprise.verizon.com/en-gb/resources/reports/dbir/)

01and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

EARNING THE MARKA VMC-ensconced logo will display only after the email
client verifies that your organization's BIMI record shows
DMARC enforcement, which in turns confirms you havethe tools and practices in place to help prevent phishingand spoofing attacks. The issuing Certificate authority—DigiCert—will also check your organization's logo against
your regional trademark office to make sure you're alegitimate, recognized entity, and validate the identity ofthe purchaser via a mobile notary. All of this adds up toindicate your organization has the right to display yourverfied logo.
DigiCert + BIMI + VMC = Verified EmailSection 2 – How do I get a VMC?

WHAT IS A VERIFIED MARK CERTIFICATE, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

02

GET A HEAD STARTON STANDING OUTFROM THE CROWD.

B

VMCs are brand new, meaning the earliest adoptershave an opportunity to gain a very visual advantage
over competitors. Here's how to get started.

Y

HOW DO I GET A VMC?

02

and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

01

ENFORCE DMARCDMARC enforcement requires a period of testing
to ensure your organization doesn’t start blocking
legitimate messages. The amount of time varies byorganization, but we suggest starting the process assoon as possible.

THINK YOU’RE ALREADY IN COMPLIANCE?
CHECK YOUR DOMAIN HERE:
https://domain-checker.valimail.com/dmarc

HOW DO I GET A VMC?

02and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

02

TRADEMARK YOUR LOGO
Obviously this doesn’t happen overnight, but only
trademarked logos can be displayed with a VMC.
If yours isn’t registered with a BIMI-approved
trademark office already, we suggest scheduling
an immediate meeting with your legal team.

HERE’S SOME MORE DETAILED ADVICE:
https://www.digicert.com/blog/qualify-fora-vmc-how-to-trademark-your-logo

HOW DO I GET A VMC?

02and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

03

FORMAT YOUR LOGO
Verified logos must be in the proper SVG format
to display. You’ll need an image software programand a text editor.

HERE’S HOW:
https://www.digicert.com/blog/getting-readyfor-bimi-prep-your-logo

HOW DO I GET A VMC?

and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

0204

BUY YOUR VMC FROMDIGICERT

By far the easiest step. Get started today.

BUY NOW:

https://www.digicert.com/account/signup/?product=vmc_basic

HOW DO I GET A VMC?

and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

CONTACT:BUY NOW:<contact email><link to buy flow>and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA01

VERIFIED MARK CERTIFICATES(VMCS) ARE THE FIRST-EVER MEANS
OF DISPLAYING YOUR LOGO IN THE

WHAT IS A VERIFIED MARK CERTIFICATE, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

IT’S TIME TO PUT YOURMARK ON EMAIL MARKETING
Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs)—part of a groundbreaking

INBOX OF YOUR CUSTOMERS—RIGHT

initiative in cooperation with Brand Indicators for Message

NEXT TO THE "SENDER" FIELD—EVEN

means of displaying your logo in the customer inbox,BEFORE THEY OPEN YOUR MESSAGE.

step in a series of stringent security and identityIdentification (BIMI) and email client providers—are the firstevervisible to customers even before they click. And, as the lastauthentication measures, they help deliver greater
trust and confidence in email.

01and elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© 2021 DigiCert, Inc. All rights reserved. DigiCert is a registered trademark of DigiCert, Inc. in the USA

VERIFIED EMAIL IMPROVESENGAGEMENT BY

WHAT IS A VERIFIED MARK CERTIFICATE, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

MARKETING & IT.
FRIENDS AGAIN.
And then there’s the security component. BIMI’s main
goal is to incentivize brands to become DMARC-compliant,which in turn improves email security by making
communication harder for attackers to spoof.
Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of IT departments
around the world, DMARC enforcement remains relatively
low. It’s a long process, and often is put on the backburner for shorter-term, more urgent initiatives.
The BIMI/VMC pilot seeks to change that by givingorganizations a real-world, immediate benefit.