Return Path touts tighter phishing protection

Return Path claims to block spam and phishing emails

Security firm Return Path has announced a service called Domain Assurance which it claims offers extra protection from phishing emails for service providers including Yahoo, Comcast and Cloudmark.

Domain Assurance has an audit and registry to authenticate email, and allows ISPs to block unauthenticated messages such as spam and phishing attempts.

Matt Blumberg, chairman and chief executive of Return Path, explained that the system could benefit more than 130 of the world's top ISPs.

"Phishing messages are extremely dangerous, as they often contain links that lead to malware and viruses that can access private accounts and steal valuable personal data," he said.

"These emails have a corrosive effect on brands, as consumers become wary of any email from often-spoofed domains."

Domain Assurance will provide companies like Yahoo with an audit of email streams, allowing the company to identify emails that are safe to go through.

The bad email will be blocked by the mailbox provider or ISP, and companies can be notified if they are being spammed or phished.

"We are huge proponents of DomainKeys Identified Mail and its application to protect our nearly 300 million Yahoo Mail users worldwide," said Mark Risher, Yahoo's 'spam czar' and head of product management.

"We look forward to working with companies like Return Path to help spread the adoption of domain keys technology across the industry, and reduce the number of spam and phishing threats."

Domain Assurance is currently in beta, and is expected to be launched commercially at the end of the third quarter.