Paul O’Brien
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SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: How Email Authentication Actually Works

Email authentication relies on SPF, DKIM, and DMARC — a set of interlocking systems — but most people misunderstand what they really do, and what they don’t protect.

Email Authentication
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: How Email Authentication Actually Works

Your Email Address Is Still Your Weakest Privacy Link

Privacy rarely fails through dramatic hacks. It erodes quietly as the same email address is reused across accounts, services, and years of digital life — turning a simple inbox into an identity anchor.

Email
Your Email Address Is Still Your Weakest Privacy Link

Why Spam Isn’t Disappearing — It’s Just Changing Shape

Spam hasn’t disappeared — it has adapted. From mass junk to quiet impersonation, modern spam blends into routine digital life.

SPAM
Why Spam Isn’t Disappearing — It’s Just Changing Shape

What “Zero-Access” Really Means (And Why Email Providers Use It)

Zero-access architecture changes who can read your email by design. This piece explains what it really means, how it differs from standard encryption, and why the trade-offs matter long term.

Email Security
What “Zero-Access” Really Means (And Why Email Providers Use It)

Why Using Your Own Domain for Email Makes Sense

Email addresses tend to outlive the services behind them. This piece explores why using your own domain for email reduces lock-in, ages better than free inboxes, and gives you long-term control over an identity most people never think to own.

Email Providers
Why Using Your Own Domain for Email Makes Sense

Free vs Paid Email: What You’re Really Paying With

Free email feels effortless, but the real cost often shows up later. This piece explores the hidden trade-offs between free and paid email — from incentives and lock-in to control, privacy, and long-term trust.

Email Providers
Free vs Paid Email: What You’re Really Paying With

It’s Not If Your Email Provider Gets Hacked — It’s When

Email breaches are inevitable. What matters isn’t whether your provider gets hacked — it’s how much damage is done when it happens.

Security and Privacy
It’s Not If Your Email Provider Gets Hacked — It’s When

Why Some Marketing Emails Only Offer an Unsubscribe Link

Why many marketing emails force a binary choice — and how unsubscribe-only design mismatches what subscribers actually want.

Email
Why Some Marketing Emails Only Offer an Unsubscribe Link

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