DMARC or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance is an email authentication protocol that helps email domain owners to protect their domain from unauthorized use, commonly known as email spoofing. DMARC is designed to provide visibility and control over all emails that use your domain name. This includes both legitimate and unauthorized emails.
Common DMARC Mistakes to Avoid
While DMARC is an excellent tool to secure your email domain, many organizations make common mistakes when configuring it. Let’s take a look at some of the most common mistakes people make when configuring DMARC and how to avoid them:
Not publishing a DMARC record: Some organizations do not publish any DMARC record or do not make it accessible to the public. This makes it difficult for email receivers to identify which emails are legitimate and which ones are fraudulent. Make sure to create and publish a DMARC record for your domain.
Not setting up DMARC correctly: Another common mistake is not configuring DMARC correctly. This can happen when the configuration parameters are not set up correctly, or there is a typo in the configuration. Make sure to double-check the DMARC configuration parameters to ensure they are set up correctly.
Not using the correct DMARC policy: DMARC allows users to select how email receivers should handle messages that fail DMARC authentication criteria. Users can choose between three DMARC policies: None, Quarantine, and Reject. Choosing the wrong DMARC policy can lead to legitimate emails being rejected or phishing emails being delivered. Make sure to choose the correct DMARC policy.
Soft Fail policy: The DMARC “p=none” policy is a soft fail policy, which means that it does not reject or quarantine any emails. Instead, the DMARC report is sent to the domain owner, indicating which emails passed and which ones failed DMARC authentication. Some organizations fail to monitor their DMARC report, leading to missed opportunities to identify and stop fraudulent email attacks. Make sure to monitor the DMARC report regularly.
Not Including Subdomains in DMARC: DMARC records do not inherit any configuration from their parent domain. This means that you must publish a separate DMARC record for each subdomain. The DMARC configuration for a top-level domain does not apply to any of its subdomains. To protect your subdomains from abuse, include them in the DMARC record.
The Benefits of Configuring DMARC Correctly
DMARC provides an easy solution to protect your domain from unauthorized use. With the correct DMARC configuration, it is possible to:
Prevent email-based fraud: DMARC helps prevent email-based fraud such as phishing, spoofing, and spamming. It ensures that emails sent on behalf of your domain are legitimate.
Protect Your Reputation: DMARC prevents attackers from using your domain name to send fraudulent emails, protecting your brand reputation and improving email deliverability.
Improve Email Deliverability: DMARC allows email receivers to identify and stop unauthorized use of your domain name. This improves email deliverability by ensuring legitimate emails are received by your clients.
Gain Insight into Your Email Traffic: DMARC provides visibility into all emails that use your domain name, including legitimate ones and fraudulent ones. This allows you to identify and stop unauthorized use of your domain name before it damages your brand reputation.
Conclusion
Configuring DMARC correctly is crucial to protect your domain from unauthorized use and gain visibility into your email traffic. By avoiding the common mistakes listed above, you can ensure that your DMARC configuration is correct and optimized to protect your brand reputation and improve email deliverability. Remember to monitor your DMARC report regularly to take action against fraudulent emails and protect your domain name from abuse. We constantly strive to offer a complete educational journey. Visit this thoughtfully chosen external site to uncover supplementary details on the topic. dmarc record https://www.tangent.Com/solutions/security-compliance/dmarc.
Access the related posts to supplement your reading and deepen your knowledge: