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Security ChecksMTA-STS Policy
DNSMedium PriorityPro

MTA-STS Policy

Updated August 2026·SecScanner Team

MTA-STS (Mail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security) enforces TLS encryption for emails sent to your domain, preventing SMTP downgrade attacks.

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Why It Matters

Without MTA-STS, email in transit can be intercepted through SMTP downgrade attacks where an attacker strips TLS from mail server connections. MTA-STS ensures encryption is mandatory.

How We Check

We verify the _mta-sts DNS TXT record exists with proper v=STSv1 format, then fetch and validate the policy file at https://mta-sts.{domain}/.well-known/mta-sts.txt.

How to Fix

Add a TXT record at _mta-sts.{domain}: 'v=STSv1; id=<unique_id>'. Host the policy file at mta-sts.{domain}/.well-known/mta-sts.txt with version, mode, mx entries, and max_age.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MTA-STS Policy?

MTA-STS (Mail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security) enforces TLS encryption for emails sent to your domain, preventing SMTP downgrade attacks.

Why does MTA-STS Policy matter for website security?

Without MTA-STS, email in transit can be intercepted through SMTP downgrade attacks where an attacker strips TLS from mail server connections. MTA-STS ensures encryption is mandatory.

How do I fix MTA-STS Policy issues?

Add a TXT record at _mta-sts.{domain}: 'v=STSv1; id=<unique_id>'. Host the policy file at mta-sts.{domain}/.well-known/mta-sts.txt with version, mode, mx entries, and max_age.

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