MTA-STS (Mail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security) is an email security protocol that ensures emails sent to your domain are delivered over a secure, encrypted TLS connection. It protects against man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks by forcing sending mail servers to use encryption when delivering emails to your domain.

Several third-party service providers can help host MTA-STS policies to ensure accurate deployment and seamless management. But how to pick the best one? We have compiled a list of top MTA-STS providers in the market that provide dependable hosting, automation, and reporting tools to help protect your domain.

Key takeaways:

  • MTA-STS addresses critical SMTP security issues, protects against man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, and enforces encryption during email transit.
  • Manual MTA-STS implementation can be challenging for those without technical expertise.
  • Hosted solutions simplify deployment and management, eliminating the need to handle technical complexities yourself.
  • Major MTA-STS providers include PowerDMARC, Mailhardener, URIports, and OnDMARC.
  • The right solution for you will depend on your budget, technical requirements, and overall security goals.

Why Is MTA-STS Important?

MTA-STS implementation can bring you a range of security enhancements, including:

Enforcement of SMTP Security

By guaranteeing that emails are only sent to servers that implement TLS encryption, MTA-STS reduces some SMTP vulnerabilities. In order to prevent unsafe fallback, the message will not be transmitted if the recipient server does not support encryption or displays an invalid certificate.

Safe and Reliable Email Transport

With MTA-STS in place, your emails will be transmitted over secure TLS. This will ensure your communications are properly secured and out of the hands of malicious actors during SMTP delivery. 

Enforcement of TLS Encryption

Encryption is required during SMTP transmission when both the sender and recipient domains enable MTA-STS. This makes transit more secure by stopping communications from being sent over degraded connections or plaintext. 

Encouraged by Major ESPs 

Many major email service providers support MTA-STS, including Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. As part of Gmail’s 2024 email security requirements, MTA-STS and TLS-RPT are now mandatory for bulk email senders. Non-compliance may result in reduced deliverability, increased risk of spam complaints, and erosion of sender reputation. 

What to Look for in an MTA-STS Provider?

Here are some factors you should keep in m ind when deciding between top MTA-STS providers.

Hosted Service

Some providers offer an MTA-STS validator, but do not provide hosted services. A hosted service will help you streamline the process of setting up and maintaining secure email policies, so you don’t have to do it manually. They will also help with auto-updating policy enforcement, maintaining TLS certificates, and monitoring for issues. This reduces the risk of manual errors while also eliminating security gaps. 

Human-readable TLS Reports

Raw TLS reports in JSON format can be difficult to work with, especially for non-technical users. Ensure the provider you choose turns such complex, technical files into human-friendly information. These reports will provide you with the necessary, comprehensive information on every transit session and deliverability issues.

Affordable Pricing

Not every MTA-STS hosted service will suit your pocket. The right solution needs to meet your budgetary constraints without compromising your intended outcome. 

Responsive Support

When configuring MTA-STS, technical problems may arise from time to time. It’s essential to collaborate with a provider who offers responsive and professional customer care that can resolve your issues without delay.

Scalability

An MTA-STS provider might suit your needs today, but it could fall short as your business grows. To avoid outgrowing your solution, evaluate its scalability upfront and choose one that can support your long-term growth and evolving security needs.

Top MTA-STS Service Providers in the Market

Here are five of the best MTA-STS providers to choose from: 

1. PowerDMARC

PowerDMARC, a leading email authentication and domain security platform, is a top MTA-STS provider in the market. PowerDMARC’s hosted MTA-STS service provides a hassle-free set-up experience while also taking care of policy hosting, certificate maintenance, and reporting. 

Key Benefits

  • Helps deploy MTA-STS without technical expertise or manual intervention
  • Provides an instant MTA-STS validation tool
  • Manages policy web server hosting 
  • Takes care of TLS certificate maintenance
  • Supports the most recent TLS standards
  • Complies with RFC guidelines
  • Permits direct policy updates via dashboard (you don’t have to revisit DNS every time you need to make changes)
  • Offers real human support
  • Available for a 15-day free trial

2.Mailhardener

Mailhardener’s hosted MTA-STS service covers automated renewals, policy hosting, and certificate management. Additionally, when policy changes take place, the service immediately updates the ID value. The Mailhardener dashboard allows users to set up and change their MTA-STS rules without the need for technical tools or manual DNS record editing.

Key Benefits

  • You can still use Mailhardener to compile and process your SMTP TLS reports if you wish to self-host MTA-STS
  • Mailhardener’s hosted MTA-STS supports the latest TLS standards and is RFC-compliant
  • Handles the web server and certificate hosting and upkeep
  • Mailhardener customers can access their hosted MTA-STS right away.

3. URIports

To prevent frequent MTA-STS configuration issues, URIports offers a hosted MTA-STS service that automates the policy generation process. Several subscription tiers feature URIports’ hosted MTA-STS at no extra cost. The service handles the HTTPS certificates and assists you in achieving error-free DNS settings. 

Key Benefits

  • Offers a free checker that you can use to validate your MTA-STS record
  • It consistently checks and validates your policy and email configurations 
  • Simply add two CNAME records to your domain’s DNS, and URIports will take care of publishing an RFC-compliant MTA-STS policy record for you 
  • Included at no extra charge in their Himalaya, Mountain, Pebble Plus, and Stone subscriptions
  • Offer a 1-month free trial

4. OnDMARC 

Red Sift OnDMARC’s MTA-STS service handles SSL certificate renewals and everything else related to setting up and maintaining your MTA-STS record. It also helps you spot suspicious behavior early through thorough TLS reports. With the use of these reports, which provide information on email delivery volume and encryption status, you can safeguard your incoming emails by implementing MTA-STS enforce mode.

Key Benefits

  • OnDMARC has a solid reputation in the industry
  • OnDMARC’s Investigate tool lets you evaluate your email sending service in real time, in a matter of seconds, and determine whether your MTA-STS is configured appropriately
  • With the help of their service, you can get specific information and insights into the factors that contribute to a domain’s success or failure (such as a missing or expired certificate)
  • Offers a 14-day free trial with access to all its features

FAQs

What is MTA-STS?

The MTA-STS email authentication enforces TLS encryption for inbound email delivery to a domain.

I just need MTA-STS record validation. Are there companies that offer this?

In addition to the ones presented above, Skysnag, Thexyz, dmarcian, and MxToolbox also offer such validation services.

Can I set up and host MTA-STS without third-party providers?

While it’s technically possible to configure MTA-STS on your own, it’s not recommended, especially if you lack the required technical expertise. For convenience, accuracy, and peace of mind, consider using a hosted MTA-STS service that simplifies deployment and management.

Which MTA-STS provider should I choose?

PowerDMARC, OnDMARC, URIports, and Mailhardener are the best MTA-STS providers in the market. Which of these providers is good for you depends on your unique needs and objectives. 

What should my decision-making criteria be?

User-friendliness, rapid support, variety of features, and pricing are some factors you should consider. 

Summing Up 

A key reason why MTA-STS implementation is so low is that correctly setting up and maintaining MTA-STS is quite difficult. Fortunately, a number of providers now offer hosted MTA-STS solutions with integrated MTA-STS checkers, making it simpler to deploy the protocol and confidently validate your configuration.

Don’t let the complexity of the MTA-STS setup discourage you from implementing this important protocol. Benefit from enhanced security with the help of hosted services today!