We asked Reddit for the 5-year-old explanation of DMARC etc, Here's a near-perfect couple of lines from Reddit, the clearest explanation ever. SPF: These are the servers I will send from. If it says it's from me, but comes from somewhere else, it's likely fake. DKIM: This is my signature; if it's not on the email, it probably didn't come from my server. DMARC: If you get mail that doesn't match the above, here's what I want you to do with it.
Implementing DMARC, DKIM, and SPF is the most effective way to stop cybercriminals from sending emails that appear to come from your domain. These protocols authenticate legitimate senders and block unauthorised senders (people who have criminally impersonated you), reducing the risk of phishing, spoofing, and business email compromise (BEC)—the latter of which is a multi-billion dollar threat to organisations worldwide. Check your Domain Score
A compromised or impersonated email domain will damage your brand’s reputation. When customers receive fraudulent emails that appear to come from your business, trust evaporates. Enforcing these protocols ensures only legitimate intended communications reach your customers, safeguarding your brand image and maintaining customer confidence.
Without proper authentication, your legitimate emails are more likely to be flagged as spam or rejected by major email providers. DMARC, DKIM, and SPF validate your emails, increasing the likelihood that your messages reach recipients’ inboxes instead of being quarantined or marked as suspicious. This is vital for business communications and marketing effectiveness.
DMARC provides reporting features that give insight into who is sending emails on behalf of your domain. This visibility allows you to detect unauthorised activity quickly and fine-tune your email authentication policies, helping you maintain control over your organisation’s email ecosystem.
Many industry standards and regulatory frameworks recommend or require strong email authentication as part of their cybersecurity guidelines. Enforcing DMARC, DKIM, and SPF demonstrates a proactive security posture, helps meet compliance requirements, and aligns with recommendations from leading technology providers and security experts.
Make Sending safe for ever
When you properly install DMARC, SPF, and DKIM on your domain, you enhance your email security, reputation, and deliverability.
These protocols authenticate your outgoing emails, making it extremely difficult for attackers to send fraudulent messages that appear to come from your domain. This helps protect your organisation, clients, and partners from phishing, business email compromise (BEC), and other impersonation attacks.
Gmail and Microsoft 365 require authenticated emails. With SPF, DKIM, and DMARC running, your emails are more likely to reach Email recipients’ inboxes instead of being marked as spam or rejected. Using these protocols can see up to a 25–30% increase in deliverability rates.
When you show authorised servers sending emails on your behalf and that messages are unaltered, your domain’s reputation improves. This creates trust with recipients and email service providers, reducing the likelihood of real emails being flagged as suspicious.
DMARC provides detailed reports on email authentication activity, giving insights into who is impersonating your domain to send unauthorised emails. This visibility allows for proactive management and continuous improvement of your email security posture.
Many industries and partners now expect or require these authentication standards as part of their security policies. Implementing them demonstrates your commitment to cybersecurity best practices and regulatory compliance.
Preventing unauthorised use of your domain for spam or malicious emails safeguards your brand’s reputation, and reduces the risk of being your domain blacklisted by major email providers.
DMARC, SPF, and DKIM transform your domain into a less attractive target for cybercriminals, ensuring only genuine messages are delivered reliably, and giving you the tools to monitor and protect your email ecosystem effectively.
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