TLS-RPT (TLS Reporting)

Complete Guide to Email Security Reporting - Providing Visibility into Email Delivery Problems

Why TLS-RPT Matters: Visibility into Email Delivery Problems

TLS-RPT provides visibility into TLS connection failures for email transmission. Without TLS-RPT, you have no visibility into email delivery problems, cannot identify security issues, and may not know when email is being intercepted.

For government agencies, TLS-RPT is critical because it works with MTA-STS to provide complete visibility into email security. TLS-RPT reports help identify misconfigurations, security issues, and email delivery problems before they impact service.

What is TLS-RPT?

TLS-RPT (TLS Reporting) is a reporting mechanism that provides visibility into TLS connection failures for email transmission. It sends aggregate reports about TLS failures to help you identify and fix email delivery problems, misconfigurations, and security issues.

Think of TLS-RPT as "reporting for email TLS"—just as DMARC provides reports on email authentication, TLS-RPT provides reports on TLS connection failures. It helps you understand what's happening with email delivery and identify issues before they cause problems.

TLS-RPT works by:

  1. DNS Configuration: Your domain publishes a DNS TXT record specifying where to send reports
  2. Failure Detection: Sending mail servers detect TLS connection failures
  3. Report Generation: Sending servers generate aggregate reports about failures
  4. Report Delivery: Reports are sent to your specified email address
  5. Analysis: You analyze reports to identify and fix issues

How TLS-RPT Works

When a mail server attempts to send email to your domain:

  1. TLS Connection Attempt: The sending server attempts to establish a TLS connection
  2. Failure Detection: If the TLS connection fails, the server records the failure
  3. Report Collection: The server collects failure information (IP address, error type, timestamp)
  4. Report Generation: Periodically (typically daily), the server generates an aggregate report
  5. DNS Lookup: The server looks up your TLS-RPT DNS record to find where to send reports
  6. Report Delivery: The server sends the report to your specified email address in JSON format
  7. Analysis: You analyze the report to identify and fix issues

TLS-RPT DNS Record Format

TLS-RPT uses a DNS TXT record at _smtp._tls.yourdomain.gov that specifies where to send reports: 

v=TLSRPTv1; rua=mailto:tls-reports@yourdomain.gov

The record contains:

  • v=TLSRPTv1: Version identifier (always starts with this)
  • rua=: Reporting URI (email address where reports are sent)

You can specify multiple email addresses by separating them with commas: 

v=TLSRPTv1; rua=mailto:tls-reports@yourdomain.gov,mailto:backup@yourdomain.gov

TLS-RPT Report Format

TLS-RPT reports are sent in JSON format and contain aggregate information about TLS connection failures. Reports typically include:

  • Report Period: Start and end timestamps for the reporting period
  • Contact Info: Contact information for the reporting organization
  • Policy: MTA-STS policy information (if applicable)
  • Results: Aggregate results showing:
    • Total connection attempts
    • Successful connections
    • Failed connections (by failure type)
    • IP addresses of sending servers
    • Failure reasons (certificate errors, protocol errors, etc.)

Why TLS-RPT is Critical for Government Agencies

For government agencies, TLS-RPT is not optional—it's critical for email security visibility. Here's why:

1. Provides Visibility into Email Delivery Problems

TLS-RPT provides visibility into TLS connection failures, helping you identify:

  • Email delivery problems
  • TLS configuration issues
  • Certificate problems
  • Network connectivity issues
  • Security threats

2. Helps Identify Misconfigurations

TLS-RPT reports help identify misconfigurations before they cause email delivery failures. You can:

  • Identify mail servers with TLS configuration issues
  • Find certificate problems
  • Detect protocol version mismatches
  • Identify cipher suite problems

3. Works with MTA-STS

TLS-RPT works with MTA-STS to provide complete email security visibility. MTA-STS enforces TLS connections, and TLS-RPT reports on failures, helping you identify and fix issues.

4. Prevents Security Issues

TLS-RPT helps prevent security issues by:

  • Identifying interception attempts
  • Detecting downgrade attacks
  • Finding compromised mail servers
  • Identifying man-in-the-middle attacks

5. Required for Complete Email Security

TLS-RPT completes the email security stack. SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MTA-STS provide protection, but TLS-RPT provides visibility. Without TLS-RPT, you have protection but no visibility into failures.

What Can Go Wrong Without TLS-RPT?

The consequences of operating without TLS-RPT are severe:

No Visibility into Failures

Without TLS-RPT, you have no visibility into TLS connection failures. You cannot identify:

  • Email delivery problems
  • TLS configuration issues
  • Certificate problems
  • Security threats

Cannot Identify Misconfigurations

Without TLS-RPT, you cannot identify misconfigurations before they cause email delivery failures. Issues may go unnoticed until they cause problems.

Security Issues May Go Undetected

Without TLS-RPT, security issues may go undetected. Interception attempts, downgrade attacks, and compromised mail servers may not be identified.

How to Implement TLS-RPT

Implementing TLS-RPT is straightforward:

Step 1: Choose Report Email Address

Choose an email address where TLS-RPT reports will be sent. This should be:

  • Monitored regularly
  • Capable of receiving JSON reports
  • Secure (reports may contain sensitive information)

Step 2: Create DNS Record

Create a DNS TXT record at _smtp._tls.yourdomain.gov with: 

v=TLSRPTv1; rua=mailto:tls-reports@yourdomain.gov

Replace tls-reports@yourdomain.gov with your chosen email address.

Step 3: Monitor Reports

Monitor TLS-RPT reports regularly to:

  • Identify TLS connection failures
  • Find configuration issues
  • Detect security threats
  • Fix problems before they cause email delivery failures

Step 4: Analyze and Fix Issues

Analyze TLS-RPT reports to identify and fix issues:

  • Review failure types and frequencies
  • Identify problematic IP addresses
  • Fix TLS configuration issues
  • Update certificates if needed
  • Investigate security threats

Common TLS-RPT Implementation Issues

Several common issues can cause TLS-RPT problems:

1. Missing or Incorrect DNS Record

If the DNS record is missing or incorrect, sending servers cannot find where to send reports.

Solution: Ensure the DNS record is properly published at _smtp._tls.yourdomain.gov with correct format.

2. Email Address Not Monitored

If the report email address is not monitored, you won't receive or see TLS-RPT reports.

Solution: Ensure the email address is monitored regularly and reports are processed.

3. Not Analyzing Reports

If you don't analyze TLS-RPT reports, you won't identify or fix issues.

Solution: Regularly analyze reports to identify and fix issues.

TLS-RPT and MTA-STS Integration

TLS-RPT works best with MTA-STS. MTA-STS enforces TLS connections, and TLS-RPT reports on failures. Together, they provide:

  • Enforcement: MTA-STS enforces TLS connections
  • Visibility: TLS-RPT reports on failures
  • Protection: Complete email security coverage

Important: Use TLS-RPT with MTA-STS for complete email security. MTA-STS without TLS-RPT provides protection but no visibility into failures.

How YesGov Ensures TLS-RPT is Properly Configured

YesGov handles all aspects of TLS-RPT implementation and management for government agencies:

  • Complete Setup: We create DNS records and configure report email addresses
  • Monitoring: We monitor TLS-RPT reports to identify and fix issues
  • Analysis: We analyze reports to identify configuration issues and security threats
  • Integration: We ensure TLS-RPT works with MTA-STS for complete email security
  • Documentation: All TLS-RPT configuration and reports are documented for compliance and insurance purposes

How YesGov Ensures Complete TLS-RPT Protection

At YesGov, we don't just check if TLS-RPT is configured—we perform comprehensive validation of your entire TLS-RPT setup:

  • DNS Record Configuration: We publish TLS-RPT DNS records with proper formatting
  • Report Endpoint Setup: We configure secure report endpoints for receiving TLS reports
  • Report Collection: We collect and process TLS reports from receiving mail servers
  • Report Analysis: We analyze reports to identify configuration issues and security threats
  • Alert Configuration: We set up alerts for critical TLS connection failures
  • Ongoing Monitoring: We continuously monitor TLS-RPT reports and connection status
  • Integration: We ensure TLS-RPT works with MTA-STS for complete email security

When you host with YesGov, TLS-RPT is properly configured, continuously monitored, and automatically maintained. We handle report collection, analysis, and alerting so you have visibility into email delivery problems. This is one of our comprehensive security checks that ensures your agency meets and exceeds federal, state, and industry standards.

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← MTA-STS (Mail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security) HTTP Security Headers & security.txt →

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