Joint initiative for better email security
The Email Security Year 2025 is a joint initiative by BSI, eco and bitkom, aiming to make email communication in Germany measurably, noticeably and demonstrably more secure. The initiative has three categories: Gold status goes to companies that commit to implementing Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC), as recommended in BSI's technical guidelines. Silver goes to providers that implement or plan to implement Mail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security (MTA-STS). Supporters are organisations that actively promote the campaign to customers, members or the public.
Top security standards protecting digital identities
mailbox.org meets the strictest requirements for gold status through full implementation of DNSSEC. This technology protects users from DNS attacks and ensures emails genuinely come from the stated servers. The company also uses security protocols recommended by BSI: DMARC, DKIM, DANE, SPF and TLS, as defined in technical guidelines TR-03108 "Secure Email Transport" and TR-03182 "Email Authentication".
What this means for users: Fraudsters find it much harder to send fake emails using trusted senders' names. These technologies prevent criminals from misusing email addresses for phishing attacks. All emails are also transmitted with encryption, so they cannot be read or tampered with during transit – vital protection for users' digital identities.
Industry leader embraces shared responsibility
"We're delighted that BSI has recognised our work," says Peer Heinlein, CEO of Heinlein Group. "We've been implementing these security standards at mailbox.org as standard practice for many years. We particularly welcome the official confirmation of our long-standing commitment to the highest security standards. Our customers can rely on us to protect their digital identity reliably. The Email Security Year also shows that IT security is a task for society as a whole – and we're happy to take responsibility and lead the way."
BSI President Claudia Plattner emphasises the importance of these joint efforts: "We can only make email traffic in Germany more secure by working together. The Email Security Year brings together expertise, resources and responsibility. The broad support from business sends a strong signal that digital security is understood as a shared task for society."
Transparency through email checker
The award is part of the Hall of Fame, officially launched on 22 August 2025. Users can now check their email provider's security standards using BSI's new email checker. The tool transparently shows which security measures a provider implements and helps consumers make informed decisions.
