OSHcozaretina250

DMARC AND EMAIL DELIVERABILITY

Why is DMARC Crucial To Your Company’s Cybersecurity Stack?

The short answer is that it keeps your emails safe and secure by making sure that the messages you receive are actually from the domain they claim to be from.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is the unsung hero of your company's cyber defence team. It adds an extra layer of security to your email communications, making it harder for cybercriminals to impersonate your brand and trick your employees, customers and suppliers into giving away sensitive information.

Let's face it, spam, phishing, spear phishing, whaling and keylogging scams are everywhere. And they're becoming more sophisticated by the day. DMARC makes it much harder for these crooks to use your company's domain name in their schemes, giving you peace of mind.

*** Did you know??? ***

If someone you’re dealing with sends you an email that lands in your spam folder, they don’t just have an email deliverability problem, YOU have a security risk!!!

This is often a red flag that they have not implemented DMARC on their domain and you are at risk of believing emails are from them when they’re from hackers.

    DMARC isn't just a one-trick pony.

    It also gives you the power to monitor and receive reports on all emails sent from your domains. This means you can quickly identify any security issues or suspicious activity and take action to fix them before they become a problem

    Industry standard and regulatory requirements.

    email compliance and regulations 1
    With privacy laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI Act) and more, companies need to have solid plans in place for securing data and preventing breaches. And guess what's the main point of entry for cyberattacks? You got it, email. Which is why email security plays such an important role in complying with these laws.

    Another reason why DMARC is so crucial to your company's cybersecurity stack is that it keeps your email communications in line with industry standards and best practices. This is especially important if you're subject to regulatory requirements like PCI DSS or HIPAA. By implementing DMARC, you show that you take email security seriously and that you're doing everything you can to protect your customers' information.

    Many insurance companies require DMARC for cybersecurity coverage.

    Cyber criminals pose a real financial and reputational risk to companies. In order to mitigate their risk, many companies look to insurance firms to help them cover their exposure.

    DMARC implementation for email security is so globally acknowledged as an important security protocol, that it is often a factor in determining cyber insurance coverage.

    In short, DMARC is the ultimate cybersecurity wingman for your company.

    It helps prevent phishing attacks, gives you the ability to monitor your email communications, and ensures that you're always in compliance with industry standards. By adding DMARC to your cybersecurity lineup, you're taking a proactive step to protect your company and your customers.
    Don't leave your email security to chance! Make sure you have DMARC on your team by contacting us today for effective, efficient implementation!

    How does DMARC Work?

    Not sure of your compliance status? Check here.

    DMARC Graphs showing Compliant vs non compliant vs threat and unknown senders
    With cybercriminals getting smarter every day, it's important to have a multi-layered approach to keeping your data safe. By using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, you'll be able to secure your mail servers and domains like a pro.

    Set your inbox to lock with DMARC.

    Although DMARC is a crucial part of any email security strategy, before you go ahead and set it up, it's important to understand how it can impact your email delivery. Because if it's not done right, it can cause more harm than good.

    DMARC is an open-source standard, that ties together SPF and DKIM standards for email, to provide a strong layer of protection for your domains and mail servers.

    You may have heard of SPF (Sender Policy Framework), which has been around since 1997 and hit the mainstream in 2007 when Hotmail announced they would enforce SPF records for incoming mail.

    And then there's DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail), which uses cryptographic authentication to validate the domain name associated with a message. Basically, it's like a tamper-evident seal on an envelope, using public and private keys to make sure the email is legit.

    Wondering who's sending emails using your domain name?

    It's time for a DMARC checkup.

    The level of effort required to get your DMARC aligned with SPF and DKIM depends on the size of your company and how complex your email setup is.

    Some key questions to ask include: How many domains do you own? Are all your domains currently in use? And, which mail servers should be authorized to send emails on your behalf?
    Monitor DMARC and where the senders are
    ProTip: Remember external email senders like MailChimp, Sendinblue, SMTP2Go etc.
    DMARC Reports in Excel Format
    If you're feeling DIY, you can also try a free DMARC XML to Human Converter to see what your reports are trying to tell you.

    Ready to take control of the emails being sent from your domain?

    The first step is to set up a DMARC policy with a p=none setting. Simply publish this DMARC record as a TXT record in your DNS. Easy peasy!

    Ready to decode all the DMARC reports flooding your inbox?

    A couple of days after setting up your DMARC policy, you'll receive all sorts of data in XML format - and trust us, it's a lot!

    But don't worry, there are a couple of ways to make sense of it all.:

    You could set up your own DMARC monitoring server.

    Or work with a third-party SaaS DMARC pro who knows the ins and outs of processing these reports and presenting the info in an easily digestible way, like us!

    Locking Down Your DMARC Policy

    Taking your DMARC to the Next Level: p=quarantine.

    The timeline for this step varies based on your company's size and email infrastructure, but expect anywhere from one week to several months to make the switch from p=none to p=quarantine.

    In quarantine mode, any incoming email from an unauthorized sender will be redirected to the recipient's spam folder. This is the enforcement stage where real action is taken against rogue senders.
    ProTip: It's crucial to make sure your DKIM and SPF records are accurately set up, or legitimate emails could fail the authentication test and get flagged as spam. Hint: that's not good for your company, or brand's, reputation!
    *** Warning *** The quarantine policy is no joke - treat it just as seriously as the reject policy!

    Taking it to the Max: p=reject

    Once you're confident in your SPF and DKIM alignment, it's time to step up to p=reject.

    With this policy, malicious emails will be stopped in their tracks and never make it to the recipient's inbox or spam folder. Protecting your recipients from dangerous attachments and malicious links.
    *** Warning *** Be careful - if your alignment is off, legitimate emails will be blocked too. That's why it's essential to have a monitoring system in place. A misstep here could hurt your ability to communicate with leads, customers, and suppliers.

    If your DMARC has moved to p=reject and you are not monitoring properly, this could be a blackhole.

    Don't Go it Alone

    Partnering with a company specializing in email deliverability will save you time, headaches, and potential harm to your brand.

    At OSH.co.za we work closely with you to make sure that you get to the p=reject DMARC policy as quickly as possible, for the level of complexity of your company’s architecture.

    Reaching DMARC enforcement may require a dedicated team to implement changes, from figuring out what services you are running to updating DNS settings.

    We have access to fully automated systems that provides you visibility and control over your email ecosystems. Easily identifying mail servers and mail services allows us to get your domains to enforcement in record time.

    Due to this automation, we can work with a single staff member of yours on a part-time basis to get the DMARC policy implemented and maintained, which means that there is very little draw down on your human resources.

    Fill in the form on this page, to get a free 14 day trial to see what is happening on your domain.
    OSH.co.za expertly guides you through the complexities of DMARC enforcement to protect your email reputation. Contact us now for personalized advice and deployment assistance.

    OSH.co.za Clients

    90+

    Completed Projects

    98%

    of clients emails hit the inbox

    10 000 000+

    Emails sent and monitored per month

    Frequently asked questions

    Can DMARC policies be updated?

    Yes, DMARC policies can be updated at any time by updating the DMARC record in the domain’s DNS.

    Is there a limit on the number of DKIM keys for a single domain?

    No, there is no limit on the number of DKIM keys for a single domain, but it is recommended to have at least one key per mail server.

    Can multiple SPF records be used for a single domain?

    No, only one SPF record can be used for a single domain.

    What happens if DMARC fails in email delivery?

    If an email fails DMARC authentication, it may be marked as spam or rejected by the recipient’s email server, depending on the DMARC policy. This can result in decreased email deliverability and visibility.

    What are the potential drawbacks or limitations of DMARC?

    One potential drawback of DMARC is that it can be difficult to implement correctly. There is also a risk that legitimate messages may be blocked or rejected if your DMARC policy is set too strict.

    What is the difference between DMARC, SPF, and DKIM?

    SPF verifies the legitimacy of the sender’s domain, DKIM verifies the authenticity of the email content and where it came from, and DMARC sets a policy for email receivers on how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks.

    Can DMARC be used to prevent phishing?

    Yes, DMARC can be used as a tool to prevent phishing by making it more difficult for attackers to use a domain's name in a fraudulent manner.

    Is DMARC mandatory for all domains?

    No, DMARC is not mandatory for all domains, but it is highly recommended as a best practice for email security and deliverability.
    Copyright © 2001 - 2024 Outsource House [OSH.co.za] | All Rights Reserved
    Website development powered by Doiing.Digital | Training produced by Taming.Tech
    Privacy Policy