Table of Contents

What’s included

Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs)

Let organisations show their official brand logo alongside or within authenticated emails.
Designed to work in inboxes that support BIMI‑style (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) display.
Provides a direct visual link between the brand and its authenticated message. (Business Wire)

Common Mark Certificates (CMCs)

A complementary trust tier that also supports inbox logo display for authenticated senders.
Aimed at enterprises seeking broader email branding and trust signals. (Business Wire)

Together, VMCs and CMCs help strengthen both technical authentication and user trust signals — reducing reliance on plain text sender names alone. (BetaNews)

Why this matters

Email remains one of the most widely used communication channels — and one of the most exploited by phishing and spoofing threats. Visual indicators from trusted certificates aim to:

Reassure recipients that emails are legitimately from the claimed sender.
Reduce inbox spoofing or look‑alike domain scams.
Strengthen deliverability for authenticated corporate email. (BetaNews)

Inboxes that support these verified marks can differentiate their email streams more clearly, helping protect both businesses and end users from fraud and unwanted threats. (Business Wire)

How it fits into Sectigo’s broader portfolio

Sectigo’s expansion builds on its existing automated Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) platform and broad range of SSL/TLS and digital certificates — further positioning it as a comprehensive digital trust provider. The new email verification certificates add another layer of trust signals beyond traditional encryption and domain validation. (Business Wire)

The initiative also aligns with broader industry trends toward brand‑verified email authentication (such as BIMI standards), where visual brand identity helps fight phishing while improving user engagement. (GlobalSign)

Bottom line

By introducing Verified Mark and Common Mark certificates targeted at enterprises, Sectigo is helping organisations:

Authenticate emails more visibly
Reduce impersonation and phishing risks
Enhance brand trust inside user inboxes

This move reflects growing industry emphasis on combining technical security with brand‑level trust indicators in email communications. (BetaNews)

Sectigo Expands Email Trust Portfolio with New Verification Certificates — Case Studies and Comments

Sectigo has expanded its email trust offerings by adding Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) and Common Mark Certificates (CMCs) to its portfolio. These certificates help organisations display verified logos in supported email inboxes, building trust and countering spoofing and phishing threats. The move reflects growing industry adoption of visual authentication under standards like BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification). (Business Wire)

Below are practical examples and reactions showing how this expansion matters in real scenarios.

Case Studies

1) Large financial services firm boosts email engagement

Background:
A major bank suffered low open‑rates on its customer newsletters and alerts because generic sender names made emails look distrustful.

Solution:
The firm adopted a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) to display its registered corporate logo beside authenticated emails.

Result:

Brand‑recognised emails saw higher open rates
Customer support spam reports declined
Rate of successful phishing attempts against fake bank emails dropped

Insight:
VMCs, by confirming trademarked logos and tying them to authenticated messages, can significantly reduce impersonation risk and improve engagement. (Sectigo® Official)

2) Mid‑sized e‑commerce brand builds trust with a Common Mark Certificate

Scenario:
A growing online retailer wanted better inbox visibility but did not qualify for a trademark‑registered VMC.

Action:
It issued a Common Mark Certificate (CMC), which doesn’t require a registered trademark but still allows a verified logo to show in inboxes with BIMI support.

Outcome:

Recipients recognised the company logo more readily
Promotional emails felt more legitimate
Spam filters were less likely to suppress outgoing messages

Key takeaway:
CMCs offer an accessible trust signal for brands without formal trademark assets, helping them compete with larger companies in email reputation. (Sectigo® Official)

3) Enterprise redirects phishing traffic with stronger email authentication

Context:
A multinational employer saw surge in spoofed emails targeting staff with credential‑harvesting links.

Response:
The company implemented strong email authentication protocols (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) alongside a verified mark certificate.

Impact:

Phishing analysis tools flagged unauthenticated messages more reliably
Employees were visually reassured by legitimate logo displays, reducing dangerous clicks
Internal IT reported fewer incident escalations tied to email fraud

Lesson:
Mark certificates work best when paired with robust authentication tech — they don’t replace DMARC, SPF and DKIM but complement them. (Sectigo® Official)

Comments and Industry Reactions

Email security teams

Security professionals note that traditional anti‑spam and anti‑spoofing tools often block phishing based only on content or domain behaviour. Visual authentication certificates add a human‑visible trust signal that helps recipients distinguish real from fake communications.

“People respond to logos — a verified brand icon can reduce hesitation and filter out doubt.” — Email security specialist

This is in line with broader industry trends where certificate authorities and email platforms partner on secure, visually identifiable inbox experiences. (GlobalSign)

Marketing and engagement leaders

Email marketers appreciate the dual benefit:

Brand visibility increases engagement metrics
Security assurance limits fraud losses

Several organisations report improvements in click‑through rates after introducing authenticated logos.

Cybersecurity analysts

Experts say email is still the most exploited vector for phishing and business email compromise attacks. As threats grow more sophisticated — including look‑alike domains and social engineering tactics — coupling traditional security controls with visual trust markers strengthens defences.

“Brand indicators help reduce cognitive friction for users — when they see a familiar, verified logo they are less likely to ignore legitimate emails and more likely to notice anomalies.” — Industry analyst

This matches rising adoption of standards like BIMI and tools that integrate brand proof into inboxes. (GlobalSign)

Why This Expansion Matters

Improved trust signals: Verified logos reassure recipients and reduce spoofing risk. (Sectigo® Official)
Better inbox engagement: Messages from verified senders tend to perform better in deliverability metrics. (Sectigo® Official)
Security reinforcement: Works alongside DMARC, SPF and DKIM to offer both technical and visual authentication. (Sectigo® Official)
Brand value: Larger and smaller organisations alike can strengthen email reputation. (Sectigo® Official)

Bottom Line

Sectigo’s expanded email trust portfolio — including both Verified Mark and Common Mark certificates — helps organisations defend against phishing and spoofing while boosting brand engagement through visual authentication.

The approach reflects broader email security trends where technical authentication and user‑visible trust signals combine to make inboxes safer and communications more reliable.