Sectigo, a global provider of automated Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) and digital certificates, has expanded its offerings with Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) and Common Mark Certificates (CMCs) for enterprise customers. These solutions enable organizations to display their verified brand logo directly within email inboxes, enhancing the visual recognition of authenticated communications.
Initially introduced through its website last year, Sectigo is now strategically expanding these VMC and CMC solutions to integrate full certificate management capabilities through the Sectigo Certificate Manager. This expansion aims to meet enterprise-level requirements for managing digital certificates.
The initiative addresses the growing challenges posed by phishing, spoofing, and brand impersonation. Enterprises are under increasing pressure to bolster email authentication protocols and visually demonstrate trust to their customers, partners, and employees. VMCs and CMCs respond to this need by facilitating logo display through the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) standard, which is supported by major inbox providers such as Gmail, Apple Mail, and Yahoo.
Dena Bauckman, senior vice president of product at Sectigo, stated, “Email remains one of the most powerful yet vulnerable channels for customer engagement. With VMCs and CMCs, we’re giving enterprises a way to turn backend authentication, such as DMARC, into a visible trust signal that protects brands, reassures recipients, and drives stronger engagement in the inbox.”
Through this expanded offering, enterprises can select the certificate type that best aligns with their specific brand, legal, and regional compliance needs. Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) are designed for trademarked brands, allowing them to display verified logos and qualify for Gmail’s blue checkmark in supported inboxes. This reinforces both security and brand authority. Common Mark Certificates (CMCs), conversely, extend inbox logo display functionality to organizations that do not possess registered trademarks, providing a quicker route to visual brand recognition and fostering email trust.
Beyond strengthening email security, the integration of visual brand indicators in email inboxes can contribute to improved marketing performance. This includes potential benefits such as higher open rates, enhanced brand recall, and increased purchase intent, as visual verification helps email recipients more easily distinguish legitimate messages from fraudulent ones. The availability of both certificate types offers enterprises the flexibility to scale their inbox branding and protection strategies across various brands, regions, and domains.
