Sectigo Launches Email Logo Verification Certificates to Combat Phishing — Full Details
What are Email Logo Verification Certificates?
- ELVCs enable verified logos to appear next to a sender’s email address in recipients’ inboxes.
- Works across popular email clients, including Gmail, Outlook, and mobile email apps.
- Purpose: visually signal authenticity and distinguish legitimate emails from phishing attempts.
Key features include:
- Display company logos with verified sender identity
- Compatible with DMARC, SPF, and DKIM email authentication standards
- Helps reduce brand impersonation and phishing risk
Why Sectigo launched this
Phishing attacks remain a top cybersecurity threat:
- 90%+ of cyber breaches start with a phishing email
- Attackers frequently impersonate legitimate brands to trick recipients
- Organizations face reputational and financial damage from fraudulent emails
Sectigo positions ELVCs as a proactive way to reinforce brand trust while alerting recipients to legitimate communications.
How it works
- Organization purchases a Sectigo ELVC.
- Certificate links the company logo with verified sending domain.
- Emails sent from the certified domain display the company logo in the inbox.
- Users can visually confirm authenticity before opening messages.
This system works alongside existing anti-phishing measures, like spam filters, DMARC, SPF, and DKIM authentication.
Benefits
- For organizations:
- Strengthens brand visibility and credibility
- Reduces impersonation risk
- Enhances customer trust in email communications
- For recipients:
- Quick visual verification of legitimate senders
- Less likely to fall victim to phishing scams
- For cybersecurity teams:
- Adds an extra layer of email authentication
- Complements existing email security solutions
Industry context
- Google and Microsoft already highlight verified logos in Gmail and Outlook.
- Sectigo’s ELVC aims to make this capability accessible to organizations of all sizes, not just large enterprises.
- Phishing and email impersonation attacks are rising globally, prompting demand for visual authentication tools.
Expert commentary
- Analysts note that logo verification enhances trust perception in email marketing and corporate communications.
- ELVCs are part of a broader trend of visual identity verification in cybersecurity.
- Combined with traditional email authentication, ELVCs can significantly reduce successful phishing attacks targeting employees and customers.
Key Takeaway
Sectigo’s Email Logo Verification Certificates are designed to:
Make emails more trustworthy, help recipients quickly identify legitimate senders, and reduce phishing threats by linking verified brand logos to authenticated emails.
For businesses, this is a practical, visible layer of protection to enhance cybersecurity posture while promoting brand con
Sectigo Email Logo Verification Certificates — Case Studies and Commentary
The launch of Sectigo’s Email Logo Verification Certificates (ELVCs) represents a proactive strategy to combat phishing by linking verified brand logos to authenticated emails. Below are illustrative case studies and expert commentary showing how this technology can protect organizations and users.
Case Studies
1) Financial institutions targeting phishing attacks
Situation
Banks and fintech companies are frequent phishing targets:
- Fraudsters impersonate official domains to request login credentials
- Customers often struggle to distinguish real vs. fake emails
Implementation
- ELVCs display verified bank logos in Gmail, Outlook, and mobile inboxes
- Authenticated via DMARC, SPF, and DKIM standards
Outcome:
- Customers quickly recognize legitimate emails
- Reduction in successful phishing attempts and credential theft
- Enhanced trust and engagement in digital communications
Lesson: Visual verification complements existing authentication protocols and increases customer confidence.
2) E-commerce companies reducing email fraud
Situation
Large e-commerce platforms face impersonation:
- Fake discount or order confirmation emails tricking users
- Brand reputation at risk
Implementation
- Sectigo ELVC applied to transactional emails
- Verified logos appear in recipients’ inboxes
Outcome:
- Customers can easily identify legitimate messages
- Decreased click-throughs on fraudulent links
- Reinforced perception of professional and secure communication
Lesson: Email logo verification helps protect both brand and end-users.
3) Mid-sized businesses improving internal security
Situation
Employees often fall victim to spear-phishing attacks:
- Emails appear to come from internal departments
- Internal credentials or financial approvals targeted
Implementation
- ELVC applied to all internal corporate emails
- Employees visually verify sender authenticity before acting
Outcome:
- Reduced successful phishing attempts internally
- Increased awareness of email security practices
- Simplified IT team monitoring of high-risk emails
Lesson: Visual authentication is effective for both external and internal communications.
Expert Commentary
1) Enhancing trust perception
- Verified logos in inboxes increase confidence in email authenticity
- Recipients make faster decisions on whether an email is legitimate
2) Complementing traditional email security
- Works alongside DMARC, SPF, DKIM, spam filters, and anti-phishing tools
- Adds a visible, intuitive verification layer
3) Industry adoption trend
- Major email clients like Gmail and Outlook already support logo verification
- Sectigo makes this capability more accessible to organizations of all sizes, not just large enterprises
4) Deterrence of phishing campaigns
- By visibly marking legitimate emails, attackers’ ability to impersonate brands is reduced
- Reduces click-throughs on malicious links and limits credential theft
Key Takeaway
Sectigo’s ELVCs are more than a branding tool:
They provide a visible, verified signal of authenticity, enhancing trust for email recipients, protecting against phishing, and complementing existing cybersecurity measures.
This approach demonstrates that visual identity verification can be a simple yet highly effective addition to a company’s email security strategy, benefiting both external customers and internal users.
fidence in email communications.
