Protect your emails & brand reputation

Welcome back to Know IT All. Ever wondered how to keep your company's email domain safe from scammers? Well, let us introduce you to DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance). It's a security measure that tells email providers how to handle messages that don’t come from your company, helping to prevent phishing attacks and email fraud.

What is DMARC?

DMARC is like a security guard for your emails. It ensures that emails from your domain are legitimate, protecting your business and customers from phishing. It works alongside SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) to verify email authenticity. If an email fails these checks, DMARC decides whether to allow it, send it to spam, or reject it.

Even if your business doesn't send thousands of emails daily, DMARC is still beneficial. It covers all kinds of emails, like automatic replies and order confirmations, making your email communication more secure and protecting your company's reputation.

How does DMARC work?

DMARC confirms that emails are from an authorised source. Here’s a simple breakdown:

• SPF check: Ensures that the email is sent from a trusted server.
• DKIM check: Ensures that the email content remains unchanged and confirms that the message was sent by the authorised owner of the domain.
• DMARC policy: Based on the above checks, DMARC decides what to do with the email - whether to let it through, quarantine it, or reject it.

DMARC policies include:

• None: Monitor email activity only.
• Quarantine: Send suspicious emails to spam or junk.
• Reject: Block fraudulent emails entirely.

Why DMARC is critical: Risks of not implementing it

Without DMARC, your email system is an attractive target for attackers. Here are some risks:

• Phishing and fraudulent emails: Your domain can be easily imitated by fraudsters, leading to financial loss and harming your reputation.
• Brand damage: Fraudulent emails erode customer trust, damaging your brand’s reputation.
• Poor email deliverability: Legitimate emails might end up in spam folders, affecting your email marketing and customer service interactions.
• Compliance failures: Not implementing DMARC can lead to compliance issues with regulations like GDPR and PCI DSS.
• Increased vulnerability to cyberattacks: Your email system becomes more attractive to attackers.

Benefits of Implementing DMARC

The benefits of DMARC far outweigh the risks of not using it. Here are some key advantages:

• Protects your brand’s reputation: Stops fraudsters from sending fake emails using your company’s name.
• Improves email deliverability: Ensures your genuine emails reach inboxes instead of getting lost in spam folders.
• Reduces phishing and fraud: Blocks unauthorised senders from using your domain.
• Provides visibility and insight: Offers detailed reports to monitor your email traffic and spot any suspicious activity.

Upcoming regulations and compliance deadlines

With growing cybersecurity threats, major email providers like Google and Yahoo now require stricter email authentication standards. From February 2024, emails without proper verification may be blocked or rejected. New regulations effective March 2025 will mandate businesses handling card payments to enhance email security with DMARC to combat phishing.

Here’s how to prepare:

• Review your current email security practices and identify gaps.
• Set up DMARC policies to start monitoring email traffic and improve email security.
• Regularly review DMARC reports to stay on top of potential threats.
• Educate your team on the importance of email security and DMARC implementation.
• Work closely with email service providers to ensure seamless DMARC integration.

Protect your business with DMARC

DMARC is essential for securing your business and maintaining customer trust. With the March 2025 deadline approaching, now is the time to act. Implementing DMARC protects your brand, boosts email delivery, and lowers the risk of email fraud.

Our Managed DMARC service fully supports email security and DMARC compliance. Using Sendmarc’s technology, it meets modern business needs by using DMARC standards along with SPF and DKIM. This authenticates and enforces email policies, prevents impersonation attacks, and helps meet PCI DSS v4.0 standards for online payments.

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