Gmail enhances email security with general availability of BIMI

BIMI adds another layer of security to Gmail by requiring strong authentication and verification of logos before they're displayed in the Gmail avatar slot, increasing confidence in the source of emails.

Last year, Google announced a pilot for Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), a new email standard that lets you add a brand logo to authenticated messages sent from your domain. Now, the company has announced the general availability of the new BIMI support across Gmail.

BIMI adds another layer of security to Gmail by requiring strong authentication and verification of logos before they're displayed in the Gmail avatar slot, increasing confidence in the source of emails.

Organizations that authenticate their emails using Sender Policy Framework (SPF) or Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) and deploy Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) can provide their validated trademarked logos to Google via a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). BIMI leverages Mark Verifying Authorities, like Certification Authorities, to verify logo ownership and provide proof of verification in a VMC.

Once these authenticated emails pass Google's other anti-abuse checks, Gmail will start displaying the logo in the existing avatar slot (pictured below) in the Gmail UI.

Gif Credit: Google

BIMI is starting by supporting the validation of trademarked logos since they are a common target of impersonation. At present, Entrust and DigiCert support BIMI as Certification Authorities, and in the future, the BIMI working group expects this list of supporting validation authorities to expand further, Google wrote in a blog post.

Gmail’s general support of BIMI is rolling out to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.

Gmail's support of BIMI is a win for email authentication, brand trust, and consumers alike. BIMI gives organizations the opportunity to provide their customers with a more immersive email experience, strengthening email sender authentication across the entire email ecosystem.

Seth Blank, Chair of the AuthIndicators Working Group

To take advantage of BIMI for your outgoing emails to Gmail and other platforms, make sure that your organization has adopted DMARC, and that your logo is validated with a VMC, issued by a Certification Authority such as Entrust or DigiCert.