IMAP Mail Protocol

This page provides information on the IMAP Mail Protocol detected by the Netify DPI engine. The protocol operates on TCP port 143, an officially registered port assigned by the IANA.

Protocol Description

The Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) protocol is used by e-mail clients to synchronize mail from a remote server. The more secure IMAPS protocol is more widely deployed, but IMAP is still in use.

Please see the protocol catalog page for information on other protocols detected by Netify DPI.

Protocol Details

ID
4
Full Name
Internet Message Access Protocol
Abbreviation
IMAP
Category Tag
mail
Category
Mail
Home Page
IMAP Mail
Introduced
Version 2.88

Protocol Ports - RFC

TCP 143
Internet Message Access Protocol

Best Practices

IMAP can be both encrypted (via STARTTLS) and unencrypted, so there is a risk that usernames and passwords are sent across the network in an insecure manner. You might want to consider using the alternative IMAPS protocol to guarantee encryption.

Related Protocols

Review the Mail category suite below, or explore the complete protocol catalog.