Phishing emails remain a persistent threat, often bypassing traditional defenses like spam filters and domain verification. While technical solutions exist, many users—especially non-technical ones—struggle to identify fraudulent emails. A simple, user-controlled visual cue could help bridge this gap by making legitimate emails instantly recognizable.

The Idea: Color-Coded Email Verification

One way to address this problem is by letting users assign a unique color to emails from trusted websites. During registration, users could select a color from a predefined palette (e.g., 10–12 options). This color would then appear in all emails from that website—for example, as a header, border, or background. Users would learn to associate their chosen color with legitimate emails, making it easier to spot phishing attempts. The color would be securely stored (e.g., encrypted) and not easily changeable to prevent tampering.

• For users: A quick, intuitive way to verify emails without technical knowledge.
• For businesses: Reduced fraud risk and stronger customer trust.
• For email providers: A differentiating security feature.

Implementation and Adoption

An MVP could start as a browser extension or email plugin, allowing users to set their color and tag emails from participating websites. Early adoption might involve partnerships with a few websites to integrate the feature natively—for example, adding color selection during signup and modifying email templates. Over time, collaboration with major email clients (e.g., Gmail, Outlook) could enable broader adoption.

To address accessibility, colors could be paired with symbols or patterns for colorblind users. If users forget their color, recovery options like security questions or backup emails could help. Monetization might involve licensing the feature to businesses, offering enterprise customization, or partnering with email providers to bundle it as a security add-on.

Comparison with Existing Solutions

Unlike DMARC (which validates sender domains invisibly) or email client warnings (which rely on automated detection), this approach puts control in the user’s hands. It complements existing security measures by adding a visual layer that doesn’t require technical expertise. While 2FA codes verify authentication, this system provides continuous legitimacy checks for every email.

If widely adopted, the method could become a low-cost, high-impact standard for email security—leveraging network effects as more websites participate.