---
title: "DMARC Adoption Amongst US Education Sector | DMARC Report"
description: "DMARC works by allowing organizations to define how their email domains should be authenticated and to receive reports on how their emails are being handled by."
image: "https://dmarcreport.com/og/blog/dmarc-adoption-amongst-us-education-sector.png"
canonical: "https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-adoption-amongst-us-education-sector/"
---

Quick Answer

DMARC works by allowing organizations to define how their email domains should be authenticated and to receive reports on how their emails are being handled by other mail servers - protecting them against unauthorized \[email spoofing\](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/pune-email-spoofing-fraud-costs-automation-firm-rs-36-lakh/articleshow/95925415.cms), phishing attempts, and cybercriminals seeking to impersonate their domain.

Related: [Free DMARC Checker](/tools/dmarc-checker/) 

Share 

[ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc-adoption-amongst-us-education-sector%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=DMARC%20Adoption%20Amongst%20US%20Education%20Sector&url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc-adoption-amongst-us-education-sector%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc-adoption-amongst-us-education-sector%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc-adoption-amongst-us-education-sector%2F&title=DMARC%20Adoption%20Amongst%20US%20Education%20Sector "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=DMARC%20Adoption%20Amongst%20US%20Education%20Sector&body=Check out this article: undefined%2Fblog%2Fdmarc-adoption-amongst-us-education-sector%2F "Share via Email") 

![DMARC Adoption Amongst US Education Sector](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2022/04/dmarc-alignment-6379.jpg) 

## Try Our Free DMARC Checker

Validate your DMARC policy, check alignment settings, and verify reporting configuration.

[ Check DMARC Record → ](/tools/dmarc-checker/) 

DMARC works by allowing organizations to define how their email domains should be authenticated and to receive reports on how their emails are being handled by other **mail servers** \- protecting them against unauthorized [email spoofing](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/pune-email-spoofing-fraud-costs-automation-firm-rs-36-lakh/articleshow/95925415.cms), phishing attempts, and cybercriminals seeking to impersonate their domain.

> DMARC monitoring should be as routine as checking your inbox, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. The aggregate reports tell you exactly who sends email from your domain. If you’re not reading them, you’re flying blind on your own email security posture.

DMARC ([RFC 7489](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7489)) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible `From` header. According to Google’s February 2024 bulk sender requirements, a DMARC policy of at least `p=none` is now mandatory for any domain sending 5,000+ messages per day to Gmail users. However, despite its effectiveness, DMARC adoption in the \*\*US education sector is lagging behind other sectors, such as retail and technology. This lag in adoption leaves educational institutions vulnerable to a range of [email-based threats](https://ciosea.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/security/email-based-phishing-attacks-has-surged-464-in-2023-report/101699079), making it crucial for them to recognize the importance of DMARC implementation and enhance their email security measures.

## Low DMARC Adoption Rates in Education

The adoption of [DMARC](https://dmarcreport.com/) within the US education sector [remains alarmingly low](https://dmarcreport.com/blog/phishing-protection-why-are-so-few-using-dmarc/), leaving many institutions exposed to email-based attacks such as phishing, ransomware, and business email compromise (BEC). This blog delves into the reasons behind the low adoption rate of DMARC, the various types of \*\*email attacks plaguing the education sector, and the promising trends in DMARC adoption.

As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. [CISA BOD 18-01](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-18-01) requires p=reject for US federal domains. [PCI DSS v4.0](https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/) mandates DMARC for organizations processing payment card data as of March 2025\. Google and Yahoo require DMARC for bulk senders (5,000+ messages/day) since February 2024, and [Microsoft began rejecting](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-office-365/email-authentication-dmarc-configure) non-compliant email in May 2025\. The UK [NCSC](https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/email-security-and-anti-spoofing), Australia’s [ASD](https://www.cyber.gov.au/resources-business-and-government/essential-cyber-security/ism/cyber-security-guidelines/guidelines-email), and Canada’s [CCCS](https://www.cyber.gc.ca/en/guidance/implementation-guidance-email-domain-protection) all mandate DMARC for government domains. Cyber insurers increasingly require DMARC enforcement as an underwriting condition.

![What is dmarc](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2023/10/what-is-dmarc-7596.jpg) 

A [Campus Technology report](https://campustechnology.com/articles/2023/03/09/report-says-most-higher-ed-domains-not-protecting-email-security-fully.aspx) revealed a startling statistic: only 152 out of the US’ 1,930 .edu domains and 3.3% of worldwide .edu domains have implemented a “reject” [DMARC policy](https://dmarcreport.com/dmarc-policy/), which is the highest level of email security. This \*\*low adoption rate is particularly concerning because educational institutions are attractive targets for phishing attacks.

## Challenges in DMARC Adoption

Several factors contribute to the low DMARC adoption rate within the US [education sector](https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/366550896/Ransomware-attacks-on-education-sector-spike-in-August). First, many \*\*educational institutions remain unaware of DMARC and its security benefits. This lack of awareness hinders their ability to take proactive measures to protect their email systems .

Second, \*\*implementing DMARC can be a complex process, demanding continuous management, which can strain IT departments already juggling multiple responsibilities. \_Educational institutions should make email security a top priority and dedicate resources to educating their staff, ensuring the successful [DMARC implementation](https://dmarcreport.com/what-is-dmarc/). In this regard, DMARC solution providers, like DMARCReport, can serve as invaluable assets to enhance their [email security](https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-email-security-matters-and-how-to-get-it-right/) measures.

![DMARC Latest Statistics 412x1024](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2023/11/DMARC-Latest-Statistics-412x1024.jpg) 

## Types of Attacks Targeting Educational Institutions

\*\*Educational institutions face a range of significant cyber threats: most significantly, ransomware, the risks associated with [Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks](https://dmarcreport.com/blog/business-email-compromise-bec-scams-take-new-dimension-with-multi-stage-attacks/), and the disruptive impact of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks .

## Ransomware:

In a typical [ransomware attack](https://www.wired.com/story/trickbot-conti-sanctions-indictments/) on **higher education institutions**, hackers often target these establishments because they store a vast amount of valuable data. _This data includes confidential student records, sensitive research findings, and other critical systems that are essential for the institution’s operations_.

A [report](https://www.thestatesman.com/education/why-colleges-are-being-targeted-with-ransomware-attacks-1503024186.html) published by The Statesman revealed that nearly half of educational institutions worldwide were targeted by ransomware attacks in 2020\. Of those attacks, 58% resulted in cybercriminals encrypting the institutions’ data , \*\*causing significant disruptions and financial losses.

## Business Email Compromise (BEC) Attacks:

\*\*Threat actors often employ [BEC tactics](https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/monthly-issues/security-technology/archive/2022/october/The-Evolving-Tactics-of-BEC-Attacks/) to target educational organizations: [28% of spear-phishing attacks](https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/cybercriminals-aim-bec-attacks-at-education-industry) on educational institutions were aimed at conducting business email compromise scams.

![Dmarc report](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2023/10/dmarc-report-2.jpg) 

BEC attacks have the potential to cause severe consequences, including data breaches, where \*\*sensitive information is exposed, and [financial fraud](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-08-21/money-scams-deepfakes-ai-will-drive-10-trillion-in-financial-fraud-and-crime), which can result in substantial monetary losses. The combination of sophisticated social engineering and deceptive tactics makes BEC a significant threat in the realm of email-based attacks against educational organizations.

## DDoS Attacks:

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks pose a significant threat to the \*\*digital infrastructure of educational institutions. In a recent incident during the Ukraine-Russia war, [cyber attackers](https://www.securityweek.com/hackers-join-in-on-israel-hamas-war-with-disruptive-cyberattacks/) targeted Ukrainian educational institutions with over [100,000 DDoS attacks](https://cyware.com/news/pro-russian-hacktivists-attributed-to-the-surge-in-ddos-attacks-in-q2-b0712b92) on 30 websites hosted by WordPress within 24 hours, disrupting online operations and services.

## Rising DMARC Adoption

While the low DMARC adoption rates are concerning, there is some positive news. In recent years, there has been a \*\*noticeable increase in DMARC adoption across the education sector. A report from 2018 highlighted that [nearly 90% of top US higher education institutions](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306005357/en/Report-Finds-Almost-90-Percent-of-Top-US-Higher-Education-Institutions-Fail-to-Protect-Students-and-Faculty-from-Phishing-Attacks) failed to protect their students and faculty from phishing attacks.

In comparison, [58% of the country’s .edu domains](https://thejournal.com/articles/2023/03/09/dmarc-study-warns-of-widespread-vulnerabilities-in-education-email-security.aspx) having adopted the DMARC standard in 2023 is definitely a promising start. However, effectively implementing \*\*DMARC security policies to flag, report, and remove outbound phishing emails remains an ongoing effort, reflecting a step in the right direction for improved email security within the education sector.

Only [7.8% of institutions](https://campustechnology.com/articles/2023/03/09/report-says-most-higher-ed-domains-not-protecting-email-security-fully.aspx#:~:text=edu%20e%2Dmail%20domains%2C%20which,remove%20outbound%20phishing%20e%2Dmails) have implemented DMARC to automatically “reject” emails impersonating their domain. This leaves users vulnerable to phishing emails and creates a \*\*substantial risk of ransomware attacks, fraud, and [data breaches](https://thehackernews.com/2023/08/kroll-suffers-data-breach-employee.html).

With the education and research sector seeing a [44% increase](https://thejournal.com/articles/2023/03/09/dmarc-study-warns-of-widespread-vulnerabilities-in-education-email-security.aspx) in cyberattacks globally in the first six months of 2022 and email-delivered attacks comprising 89% of all “in the wild” cyberattacks during that period, it’s imperative for educational institutions to fortify their email security infrastructure and practices to \*\*safeguard sensitive data and ensure uninterrupted operations.

## Conclusion

In conclusion, \*\*strengthening email security in the US education sector is an urgent need. The low [DMARC adoption](https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-adoption-amongst-uk-banks/) rates are a cause for concern, considering the sector’s vulnerability to various email-based attacks.

_To address this issue, educational institutions must prioritize DMARC adoption, increase awareness of its benefits, and allocate the necessary resources to enhance their email security_. The recent increase in DMARC adoption is a promising sign, but there is still much work to be done to protect [sensitive data](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/students-psychological-reports-abuse-allegations-leaked-ransomware-hac-rcna79414) and \*\*prevent disruptive attacks in the education sector.

## Sources

- [CISA Binding Operational Directive 18-01](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-18-01)
- [Microsoft Outlook DMARC Enforcement May 2025](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-office-365/email-authentication-dmarc-configure) (2025)
- [PCI DSS v4.0 - DMARC Requirement](https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/) (2025)
- [RFC 7489 - Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC)](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7489)

## Topics

[ DMARC ](/tags/dmarc/)[ email security ](/tags/email-security/) 

![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg) 

[ Brad Slavin ](/authors/brad-slavin/) 

General Manager

Founder and General Manager of DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead for DMARC Report's 2,000+ customer base.

[LinkedIn Profile →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin) 

## Take control of your DMARC reports

Turn raw XML into actionable dashboards. Start free - no credit card required.

[Start Free Trial](https://app.dmarcreport.com/) [Check Your DMARC Record](/tools/dmarc-checker/) 

## Related Articles

[  Foundational 8m  10 Critical Learnings From Verizon’s 2021 DBIR - A DMARCReport Perspective  Nov 25, 2025 ](/blog/10-critical-learnings-from-verizons-2021-dbir-a-dmarcreport-perspective/)[  Foundational 12m  10 DNS Blacklist Insights That Improve Email Security And Deliverability Fast  Nov 14, 2025 ](/blog/10-dns-blacklist-insights-to-improve-email-security-and-deliverability/)[  Foundational 12m  10 Email Spoofing Detection Tools That Dramatically Improve Brand Protection  Nov 11, 2025 ](/blog/10-email-spoofing-detection-tools-that-dramatically-improve-brand-protection/)[  Foundational 12m  10 Reasons SPF Filtering Is Critical For Email Security  Nov 19, 2025 ](/blog/10-reasons-spf-filtering-is-critical-for-email-security/)

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/images/dmarcreport-logo.png"},"description":"DMARC reporting and email authentication management. Monitor aggregate and forensic DMARC reports, analyze authentication results, and enforce DMARC policies across all your domains.","parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://github.com/duocircle"],"subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]},"sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://x.com/duocirclellc","https://www.g2.com/products/dmarc-report/reviews","https://github.com/duocircle","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.trustradius.com/products/duocircle/reviews"],"aggregateRating":{"@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":"4.8","reviewCount":"470","bestRating":"5","worstRating":"1","url":"https://www.g2.com/products/dmarc-report/reviews"},"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/support/"},"knowsAbout":["DMARC","DMARC Reporting","DMARC Aggregate Reports","DMARC Forensic Reports","Sender Policy Framework","DKIM","Email Authentication","Email Security","DNS Management","Email Deliverability"]}
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebSite","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com","description":"DMARC reporting and email authentication management. Monitor aggregate and forensic DMARC reports, analyze authentication results, and enforce DMARC policies across all your domains.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/images/dmarcreport-logo.png"},"description":"DMARC reporting and email authentication management. Monitor aggregate and forensic DMARC reports, analyze authentication results, and enforce DMARC policies across all your domains.","parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://github.com/duocircle"],"subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]}}}
```

```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"DMARC Adoption Amongst US Education Sector","description":"DMARC works by allowing organizations to define how their email domains should be authenticated and to receive reports on how their emails are being handled by.","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-adoption-amongst-us-education-sector/","datePublished":"2023-10-16T10:34:04.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-16T15:53:43.000Z","dateCreated":"2023-10-16T10:34:04.000Z","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://dmarcreport.com/authors/brad-slavin/#person","name":"Brad Slavin","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/authors/brad-slavin/","jobTitle":"General Manager","description":"Brad Slavin is the founder and General Manager of DuoCircle, the company behind DMARC Report, AutoSPF, Phish Protection, and Mailhop. He founded DuoCircle in 2014 and has led the company's growth to 2,000+ customers across its email security product family. Brad's focus is product strategy, customer relationships, and the commercial and compliance side of email authentication (DPAs, SLAs, enterprise procurement).","image":"https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg","knowsAbout":["Email Security Strategy","SaaS Product Management","Enterprise Compliance","Customer Success","Email Deliverability Business"],"worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin"]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/images/dmarcreport-logo.png"},"description":"DMARC reporting and email authentication management. Monitor aggregate and forensic DMARC reports, analyze authentication results, and enforce DMARC policies across all your domains.","parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://github.com/duocircle"],"subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]},"sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://x.com/duocirclellc","https://www.g2.com/products/dmarc-report/reviews","https://github.com/duocircle","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.trustradius.com/products/duocircle/reviews"],"aggregateRating":{"@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":"4.8","reviewCount":"470","bestRating":"5","worstRating":"1","url":"https://www.g2.com/products/dmarc-report/reviews"},"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","url":"https://dmarcreport.com/support/"},"knowsAbout":["DMARC","DMARC Reporting","DMARC Aggregate Reports","DMARC Forensic Reports","Sender Policy Framework","DKIM","Email Authentication","Email Security","DNS Management","Email Deliverability"]},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-adoption-amongst-us-education-sector/"},"articleSection":"foundational","keywords":"DMARC, email security","wordCount":903,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2022/04/dmarc-alignment-6379.jpg","caption":"DMARC Adoption Amongst US Education Sector","width":900,"height":600},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".answer-block","h1"]}}]
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://dmarcreport.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https://dmarcreport.com/blog/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Foundational","item":"https://dmarcreport.com/foundational/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"DMARC Adoption Amongst US Education Sector","item":"https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-adoption-amongst-us-education-sector/"}]}
```