Email server basics and terminology
Here's a comprehensive guide to email server basics and terminology:
Email Server Components
- Mail Transfer Agent (MTA): responsible for transferring emails between servers. Examples include Postfix, Sendmail, and Exim.
- Mail Delivery Agent (MDA): responsible for delivering emails to the recipient's mailbox. Examples include Procmail and Maildrop.
- Mail User Agent (MUA): responsible for sending and receiving emails using a user interface. Examples include Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Gmail.
Email Server Terminology
- SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol): a protocol used for sending and receiving emails between email servers.
- POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3): a protocol used for retrieving emails from a mail server to a client.
- IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol): a protocol used for retrieving and managing emails on a mail server.
- MX Record: a DNS record that specifies the mail server responsible for receiving emails for a domain.
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): a protocol used to prevent spam by verifying the authenticity of email senders.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): a protocol used to verify the authenticity of email senders by signing emails with a digital signature.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): a protocol used to prevent email spoofing by verifying the authenticity of email senders and reporting suspicious activity.
- Email Queue: a list of emails waiting to be processed by the email server.
- Email Relay: a process where an email server forwards emails to another email server.
- Email Forwarding: a process where an email server forwards emails to another email address.
Email Server Configuration
- Mailbox: a storage location for emails on an email server.
- User Account: a unique account on an email server, associated with a specific email address.
- Password: a secret code used to authenticate a user account on an email server.
- Authentication: the process of verifying a user's identity on an email server.
- Encryption: the process of securing emails using algorithms to protect their contents.
- Firewall: a network security system that controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.
Email Server Security
- Spam Filtering: a process used to detect and block spam emails.
- Virus Scanning: a process used to detect and remove malware from emails.
- Blacklisting: a process used to block emails from known spam senders.
- Whitelisting: a process used to allow emails from known trusted senders.
- Two-Factor Authentication: a process used to add an extra layer of security to user authentication by requiring a second form of verification, such as a code sent to a mobile device.
This is not an exhaustive list, but it covers the basics and terminology you need to understand to work with email servers.