The blog post discusses the centralization of the internet, specifically focusing on email services.
- Many domain owners used to run their own mail servers but now rely on third-party email service providers due to the challenges of combating spam and managing increasing traffic.
- Popular email service providers include Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Apple, Yandex, GMX, Proofpoint, Barracuda, Sophos, and Trustwave.
- The author conducted a study by analyzing gTLD zone files and performing DNS lookups to identify mail server FQDNs.
- The study focuses on generic second-level domains and does not include country-code TLDs.
- The distribution of mail servers varies in different ccTLD zones.
Takeaways:
- The centralization of email services is evident, with major providers like Google and Microsoft handling a significant portion of personal and business email.
- Many domains do not have proper MX records or IP addresses for receiving mail, indicating potential configuration issues.
- It's important to consider the dominance of certain email service providers and their implications for privacy, security, and control over personal data.
