# DMARC Report > DMARC reporting and email authentication management. > Monitor aggregate and forensic DMARC reports, analyze authentication results, and enforce DMARC policies across all your domains. --- ## Guides & Pages #### DMARCReport vs PowerDMARC: In-Depth DMARC Monitoring Showdown for MSPs URL: https://dmarcreport.com/compare-dmarcreport-powerdmarc-dmarc-monitoring-for-msps/ Description: Struggling to choose between DMARCReport and PowerDMARC for your MSP’s email security. Struggling to choose between DMARCReport and PowerDMARC for your MSP’s email security stack? You’re in the right place. In this comprehensive breakdown, we compare DMARCReport vs PowerDMARC, analyzing features, pricing transparency, partner suitability, and overall user experience. Whether you manage dozens of SMB clients or run advanced SOC operations, this guide will help you identify the best DMARC monitoring and reporting platform for your MSP. DMARC monitoring software plays a mission-critical role for modern service providers. These platforms help MSPs analyze domain spoofing attempts, authenticate customer email flows, and quickly act on misconfigurations - reducing client risk, preventing phishing, and streamlining compliance across all managed domains. How Does DMARCReport Compare to PowerDMARC: MSP-Focused Comparison? How Does DMARCReport Compare to PowerDMARC: Key Capabilities Overview? DMARCReport PowerDMARC How Does DMARCReport Compare to PowerDMARC: Feature-by-Feature Breakdown? DMARCReport: Purpose-Built Simplicity & Clarity for MSPs DMARCReport focuses on delivering clean, actionable visibility into DMARC, SPF, and DKIM across all customer domains - without unnecessary complexity or upsells. DMARC Visibility & Forensic Analysis MSPs get clear XML-to-human conversions, aggregated per-source insights, and domain-by-domain authentication scoring. The platform visually highlights misaligned sending services, forwarder effects, and malicious spoofing patterns - helping teams quickly isolate the root cause... --- #### Aktive Anti-Spoofing-Technologie URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/aktive-anti-spoofing-technologie/ Description: Verlassen Sie sich nicht auf passiven E-Mail-Schutz. Aktive Anti-Spoofing-Technologie Verlassen Sie sich nicht auf passiven E-Mail-Schutz. Machen Sie DMARC Report zu Ihrem aktiven E-Mail-Sicherheitsanbieter. - Datenvisualisierung für DMARC-Berichte Allgemeine XML DMARC-Aggregatberichte sind komplizierte Dokumente, die schwer zu lesen und noch schwerer zu interpretieren sind. Unsere Plattform nimmt Ihnen das Rätselraten ab, wie fälschungssicher Ihre E-Mail-Sicherheit ist. Wir destillieren alle wichtigen Datenpunkte in Grafiken, Diagramme und Zahlen, die jeder verstehen kann, perfekt, um den ROI Ihrer E-Mail-Sicherheitsbemühungen zu beweisen. All-in-One DMARC-Daten an Ihren Fingerspitzen Jede einzelne E-Mail-Sicherheitskennzahl, die Sie sich wünschen, wird hier in übersichtlichen Diagrammen angezeigt und farblich kodiert, damit Sie sich in Ruhe informieren können. Treffen Sie wichtige Entscheidungen zur E-Mail-Sicherheit auf der Grundlage hochgradig visueller Daten direkt von Ihrem Dashboard aus: - Das DMARC-Berichts-Dashboard Dies ist Ihr einziger Anhaltspunkt für die E-Mail-Sicherheit. Verschaffen Sie sich einen umfassenden Überblick über die E-Mails, die Ihre Domain verlassen, und erhalten Sie direkt über eine einzige Schnittstelle einen detaillierten Einblick in verdächtige Aktivitäten. - DMARC-Einhaltung. Dies ist die Anzahl der DMARC-konformen E-Mails, die von Ihrer Domäne gesendet wurden. Je höher der Prozentsatz, desto besser. - SPF- und DKIM-Abgleich. Dies ist die Anzahl der E-Mails, die mit den Authentifizierungsmethoden SPF und DKIM übereinstimmen. Ebenfalls wichtig zu wissen. - DMARC-Bericht Top-Bedrohungen.... --- #### Alles, was Sie über die Ergebnisse einer DMARC-Datensatzprüfung wissen müssen URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/alles-was-sie-ueber-die-ergebnisse-einer-dmarc-datensatzpruefung-wissen-muessen/ Description: Alles, was Sie über die Ergebnisse einer DMARC-Datensatzprüfung wissen... Alles, was Sie über die Ergebnisse einer DMARC-Datensatzprüfung wissen müssen Die Überprüfung der DMARC-Berichte ist ein wichtiger Schritt bei der Überwachung Ihrer Domain, um die Zustellbarkeit von E-Mails zu verbessern und sie vor Phishing, Malware, Spoofing und anderen E-Mail-Bedrohungen zu schützen. Ein DMARC-Berichtssystem für Unternehmen und Provider kann bei der Überwachung und Verwaltung der DMARC-Konformität in vielen Bereichen helfen. Ein DMARC-Bericht ermöglicht eine effektive E-Mail-Verwaltung und Schutz vor verschiedenen E-Mail-basierten Bedrohungen wie Impersonation, Phishing und vielen anderen. Was ist ein DMARC-Bericht? Ein DMARC-Bericht (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) gibt einen Überblick über die grundlegenden Informationen zu den Aktivitäten einer E-Mail-Domäne. Es gibt zwei Arten von DMARC-Berichten, nämlich aggregierte und forensische. Ein DMARC-Bericht fungiert als Authentifizierung, um die Integrität und Konsistenz der Quelle einer E-Mail zu bestätigen, indem er die Domänen- und Header-Domänen-Informationen (z. B. die Adresse des Absenders) auswertet. Dies trägt dazu bei, E-Mail-Spoofing und andere Arten und Methoden der Cyberkriminalität zu vermeiden, die sich gegen ein Unternehmen und andere Nutzer richten. Daher ist es am besten, der Überprüfung der dmarc-Einträge Priorität einzuräumen, um eine starke E-Mail-Sicherheitslage zu gewährleisten. Wenn eine Marke dieses Produkt verwendet, fügt sie eine letzte Sicherheitsebene hinzu, indem sie ihre SPF-Einträge und DKIM-Einträge einer zusätzlichen... --- #### Warum DMARC-Analyse für Unternehmen jeder Größe entscheidend ist URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-analyse/ Description: Warum DMARC-Analyse für Unternehmen jeder Größe entscheidend... Warum DMARC-Analyse für Unternehmen jeder Größe entscheidend ist Domain-Identitätsmissbrauch und E-Mail-Kompromittierung können verheerende Auswirkungen auf Unternehmen haben und zu finanziellen sowie reputationsbezogenen Verlusten führen. Die DMARC-Analyse kann Unternehmen dabei helfen, ihre Abwehr aufrechtzuerhalten und sich vor E-Mail-basierten Cyberangriffen zu schützen. Die häufigsten Cyberkriminalitätsformen nutzen den E-Mail-Weg, um in Netzwerksysteme einzudringen. Daher müssen Organisationen die Sicherheit und den Zustand ihrer Domain regelmäßig überwachen. Die DMARC-Analyse sollte daher ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der Cybersicherheitsstrategie von Startups, kleinen Unternehmen und Großkonzernen sein, insbesondere bei einem stetigen E-Mail-Aufkommen. DMARC-Analyse zur Auswertung von DMARC-Berichten durchführen Die Analyse von DMARC-Berichten ermöglicht die Überwachung der E-Mail-Domain und verhindert deren Missbrauch durch böswillige Akteure. DMARC-Berichte werden in zwei Typen unterteilt: DMARC-Aggregatberichte und DMARC-Forensikberichte. DMARC-Aggregatberichte werden täglich erstellt und helfen dabei, legitime E-Mail-Quellen zu identifizieren und zu autorisieren. - DMARC-Forensikberichte werden generiert, wenn eine bestimmte E-Mail die SPF- und DKIM-Authentifizierungsmechanismen nicht besteht. Sie liefern eine eingehende DMARC-Analyse über E-Mail-Spoofing Ihrer Domain. Werkzeuge, die für die DMARC-Analyse benötigt werden Verschiedene Dienstleister bieten unterschiedliche Werkzeuge an, die Ihnen bei der DMARC-Analyse Ihrer Domain helfen. - Validierungswerkzeuge für SPF, DKIM und DMARC Diese Werkzeuge stellen sicher, dass Ihre Einträge gültig und frei von Fehlern und falsch konfigurierten Mechanismen sind. Häufige Fehler umfassen das... --- #### DMARC-Berichte analysieren: Den Inhalt eines DMARC-Berichts verstehen URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-berichte-analysieren/ Description: Wie analysiert man DMARC-Berichte: Den Inhalt eines DMARC-Berichts verstehen? Wie analysiert man DMARC-Berichte: Den Inhalt eines DMARC-Berichts verstehen? Dieses Buch kann eine wertvolle Ressource für DMARC-Einsteiger oder Fachleute sein, die ihr Wissen über E-Mail-Sicherheitsmaßnahmen erweitern möchten. DMARC-Berichte enthalten wichtige Informationen über den E-Mail-Verkehr auf Ihrer Domain, die Ihnen helfen können, zukünftige Phishing-Versuche zu vermeiden. Sie werden in der Regel als E-Mail-Anhang mit dem Titel „DMARC-Bericht" versendet. DMARC-Aggregatberichte, oder RUAs, sind Sammlungen von DMARC-Berichten. Sie werden in zwei Kategorien unterteilt: DMARC-Aggregatbericht (RUA), DMARC-Forensikbericht (RUF) Was ist der DMARC-Berichterstellungsprozess? Im Rahmen des DMARC-Validierungsverfahrens erstellen eingehende Mailserver DMARC-Berichte. DMARC-Berichte werden in der Regel einmal täglich per E-Mail versendet; dies kann jedoch an Ihre spezifischen Anforderungen angepasst werden. Sie können sie mithilfe von E-Mail-Berichten überprüfen, wenn Sie das RUA-DMARC-Eintrag-Tag in Ihren DMARC-Einträgen hinzufügen. Sie werden an die E-Mail-Adressen gesendet, die Sie bei der Erstellung Ihres DMARC-Eintrags angegeben haben. Nach dem Hinzufügen einer oder mehrerer DKIM-Signaturen zu einer E-Mail, bei der mindestens eine Signatur erfolgreich mit der sendenden IP-Adresse authentifiziert wird, die in einem definierten DNS-Eintrag (dem „Envelope") angegeben ist, wird für jede empfangene Nachricht ein Bericht gesendet. Wie funktioniert der DMARC-Eintrag? Eine DMARC-Eintragsprüfung liefert Informationen über die DMARC-Richtlinien und Standards der Domain. Sie kann verwendet werden, um Folgendes zu bestimmen: - Den Namen... --- #### DMARC-Berichte und ihre Typen verstehen URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-berichte-verstehen/ Description: Dieser Artikel hilft Ihnen, DMARC-Berichte und ihre Typen zu verstehen, erläutert die Bedeutung und den Zweck jedes Typs und erklärt, warum DMARC-Berichte für den Schutz Ihrer Domain entscheidend... Was sind DMARC-Berichte und ihre Typen? Dieser Artikel hilft Ihnen, DMARC-Berichte und ihre Typen zu verstehen, erläutert die Bedeutung und den Zweck jedes Typs und erklärt, warum DMARC-Berichte für den Schutz Ihrer Domain entscheidend sind. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) ist ein E-Mail-Authentifizierungs- und Verifizierungssystem. Ein DMARC-Bericht bietet einen Überblick über grundlegende Informationen zu den Aktivitäten einer Domain. Er bestätigt die Integrität und Konsistenz der Quelle einer E-Mail, indem er deren Quell- und Header-Domains analysiert, um Ihre Benutzer zu überwachen und die E-Mail-Sicherheit zu gewährleisten. Wie funktioniert DMARC? DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mails) und SPF (Sender Policy Framework) sind zwei E-Mail-Authentifizierungstechniken, die DMARC verwendet. DKIM und SPF helfen sicherzustellen, dass die verwendeten Quellen nur autorisierte E-Mails versenden. „Domain-Abgleich" ist einer der wichtigen Werte von DMARC, der bestimmt, ob die Domain der E-Mail-Adresse in der „Von:"-Zeile mit der SPF-Verifizierung und den DKIM-Signatur-IDs übereinstimmt. Je nach Abgleich entscheidet eine der folgenden Richtlinien über das Ergebnis: „None": Es wurde keine Maßnahme bezüglich der nicht qualifizierten E-Mail ergriffen. Sie wird an das Postfach des Empfängers zugestellt. Der Domain-Inhaber erhält einen Bericht mit Informationen über die Nachrichtenübermittlung. - „Quarantine": Die nicht qualifizierte E-Mail wird in den „Spam"-Ordner des E-Mail-Servers des Empfängers geleitet, während... --- #### DMARC-Eintrag: So richten Sie die E-Mail-Authentifizierung effektiv ein URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-eintrag-einrichtung/ Description: In einer Welt voller E-Mail-Betrug und gefälschter Nachrichten kann die Absicherung Ihrer digitalen Kommunikation wie die Navigation durch ein kniffliges Labyrinth wirken. In einer Welt voller E-Mail-Betrug und gefälschter Nachrichten kann die Absicherung Ihrer digitalen Kommunikation wie die Navigation durch ein kniffliges Labyrinth wirken. Denken Sie nur daran: Jedes Mal, wenn Sie Ihren Posteingang überprüfen, besteht die Möglichkeit, dass Sie auf etwas Schädliches stoßen, das als freundliche Nachricht getarnt ist. Hier kommt DMARC ins Spiel, es ist ein Superheld für Ihre E-Mails! Durch die Einrichtung eines DMARC-Eintrags stellen Sie sicher, dass nur legitime Nachrichten von Ihrer Domain die Personen erreichen, mit denen Sie kommunizieren möchten. Dieser Artikel führt Sie Schritt für Schritt durch die effektive Implementierung von DMARC und schützt Sie vor Phishing-Angriffen, während Ihre wichtigen Nachrichten sicher in den richtigen Postfächern landen. Lassen Sie uns Ihre E-Mail-Sicherheit stärken! Ein DMARC-Eintrag (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) ist ein E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokoll, das Domain-Inhabern hilft, ihre Domain vor der Verwendung in E-Mail-Spoofing-Angriffen zu schützen, indem es festlegt, wie empfangende Mailserver mit E-Mails umgehen sollen, die die Authentifizierungsprüfungen nicht bestehen. Die Implementierung eines DMARC-Eintrags verbessert Ihre E-Mail-Sicherheit und Zustellbarkeit erheblich und stellt sicher, dass Ihre legitimen E-Mails die beabsichtigten Empfänger erreichen, während betrügerische Nachrichten blockiert werden. Was ist DMARC? DMARC steht für Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, ein E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokoll, das Domain-Inhaber stärken soll. Sein... --- #### DMARC-Eintrag erstellen, Detailliert erklärt URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-eintrag-erstellen-anleitung/ Description: DMARC-Eintrag erstellen, Detailliert... DMARC-Eintrag erstellen, Detailliert erklärt Erfahren Sie, wie Sie einen DMARC-Eintrag erstellen und ordnungsgemäß validieren. Verstehen Sie außerdem, warum die Implementierung eines DMARC-Eintrags wichtig ist, um Ihre E-Mail-Zustellbarkeit zu verbessern. DMARC, oder „Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance", ist ein Sicherheitsprotokoll, das Organisationen hilft, ihre E-Mail-Domain vor Spoofing, Phishing-Angriffen und anderen E-Mail-basierten Bedrohungen zu schützen. Ein DMARC-Eintrag ermöglicht es Organisationen festzulegen, welche E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokolle ihre E-Mail-Server verwenden sollen. Er ermöglicht es ihnen auch, eine Berichtsrichtlinie zu erstellen, die E-Mail-Empfängern mitteilt, was mit Nachrichten geschehen soll, die die Authentifizierung nicht bestehen. Warum ist DMARC wichtig? Ein DMARC-DNS-Eintrag ermöglicht es Organisationen zu bestimmen, welche Absender berechtigt sind, im Namen ihrer Domain E-Mails zu versenden, und welche Richtlinie der Absender verwenden darf. DMARC ist wichtig, weil es E-Mail-Absendern und -Empfängern ermöglicht, sich auf einen standardisierten Ansatz für die E-Mail-Authentifizierung zu einigen. Diese gemeinsame Richtlinie ermöglicht es E-Mail-Empfängern, den E-Mail-Authentifizierungsstatus von Nachrichten zu bestimmen, die vorgeben, von der Domain des Absenders zu stammen. Wie sieht ein DMARC-Eintrag aus? Ein DMARC-Eintrag ist lediglich ein TXT-Eintrag, der verschiedene Tags enthält: Hinweis: Y=Ja, O = Optional Wie oben erwähnt, sind nur drei Tags (v, p und ruf) obligatorisch, die anderen sind optional. Ein einfaches Beispiel für einen DMARC-Eintrag sieht... --- #### DMARC-Eintrag erstellen: Ein vollständiger Leitfaden für E-Mail-Sicherheit URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-eintrag-erstellen-schritt-fuer-schritt/ Description: E-Mail-Sicherheit ist ein wichtiges Thema. Erfahren Sie, wie Sie einen DMARC-Eintrag erstellen und Ihren E-Mail-Verkehr schützen können. E-Mail-Sicherheit ist ein wichtiges Thema. Wenn Sie ein Unternehmen führen, möchten Sie auf keinen Fall, dass jemand sich als Sie ausgibt und betrügerische E-Mails versendet. Genau hier kommt DMARC ins Spiel. Es mag komplex klingen, aber betrachten Sie es als Sicherheitsnetz für Ihre E-Mail-Kommunikation. Ein gut eingerichteter DMARC-Eintrag kann Ihre Marke vor Phishing-Angriffen schützen, die das Kundenvertrauen ernsthaft beschädigen können. Laut Untersuchungen verzeichnen Organisationen, die DMARC implementieren, einen dramatischen Rückgang dieser Betrugsversuche, um bis zu 90 %! Lassen Sie uns also eintauchen und erfahren, wie Sie einen DMARC-Eintrag erstellen und Ihren E-Mail-Verkehr ein für alle Mal schützen können. Um einen DMARC-Eintrag für Ihre Domain zu erstellen, müssen Sie auf Ihre DNS-Einstellungen zugreifen und einen TXT-Eintrag mit den entsprechenden Parametern hinzufügen, einschließlich der Version ('v'), der Richtlinie ('p') und der Berichtsadressen ('rua'). Alternativ können Sie Online-Tools wie den DMARC Record Generator von MxToolbox verwenden, der Sie Schritt für Schritt durch den Prozess führt und sicherstellt, dass Sie alles korrekt gemäß Ihren spezifischen Anforderungen einrichten. Gründe für die Erstellung eines DMARC-Eintrags Einer der Hauptgründe, warum Unternehmen DMARC implementieren, ist der Schutz der Markenreputation. In der heutigen digitalen Landschaft, in der Phishing-Angriffe alarmierend häufig sind, ist es entscheidend sicherzustellen, dass böswillige Akteure Ihre... --- #### So erstellen Sie einen DMARC-Eintrag in DNS: Eine vollständige Anleitung URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-eintrag-in-dns-erstellen/ Description: In einer Welt, in der unsere Posteingänge oft mit Spam und Phishing-Versuchen überflutet werden, ist die Absicherung Ihrer E-Mail-Domain wichtiger denn je. In einer Welt, in der unsere Posteingänge oft mit Spam und Phishing-Versuchen überflutet werden, ist die Absicherung Ihrer E-Mail-Domain wichtiger denn je. Sie fragen sich vielleicht, wie Sie Ihre Marke vor diesen Bedrohungen schützen können, hier kommt DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) ins Spiel. Dieses leistungsstarke Tool hilft Ihnen, die Kontrolle über Ihre E-Mail-Kommunikation zu übernehmen und sicherzustellen, dass nur legitime Nachrichten Ihr Unternehmen repräsentieren, während Betrüger ferngehalten werden. Doch die Einrichtung kann überwältigend wirken, besonders wenn Sie es zum ersten Mal tun. Keine Sorge! Diese Anleitung führt Sie durch die Schritte, die Sie benötigen, um einen DMARC-Eintrag in DNS mit Leichtigkeit zu erstellen, damit Ihre E-Mails ihre beabsichtigten Empfänger erreichen und Ihre Online-Reputation schützen. Lassen Sie uns in die Details eintauchen! Um einen DMARC-Eintrag in DNS zu erstellen, greifen Sie zunächst auf das DNS-Verwaltungstool Ihrer Domain über das Webhosting-Kontrollfeld oder Ihren DNS-Registrar zu. Fügen Sie dann einen neuen TXT-Eintrag mit dem Namen „dmarc" hinzu und geben Sie den entsprechenden Inhalt ein, wie z. B. „v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:ihre-email@beispiel.de", wobei Sie die Richtlinie („p") basierend auf Ihren Anforderungen für die Behandlung von E-Mails, die die Authentifizierung nicht bestehen, anpassen. Was ist DMARC und warum ist es wichtig DMARC, oder... --- #### DMARC-Eintrag in Office 365 erstellen: Eine Schritt-für-Schritt-Anleitung URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-eintrag-in-office-365-erstellen/ Description: In der Welt der E-Mail-Kommunikation ist der Schutz Ihrer Organisation vor Bedrohungen wie Phishing und Spoofing wichtiger denn je. In der Welt der E-Mail-Kommunikation ist der Schutz Ihrer Organisation vor Bedrohungen wie Phishing und Spoofing wichtiger denn je. Das mag kompliziert klingen, aber keine Sorge, die Einrichtung von DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) in Office 365 kann in nur wenigen einfachen Schritten erledigt werden. Diese Anleitung führt Sie durch den Prozess und macht es kinderleicht, Ihre E-Mail-Sicherheit zu verbessern. Mit der richtigen Konfiguration wissen Sie genau, wie Sie Mailservern mitteilen, was mit verdächtigen E-Mails geschehen soll, während Sie gleichzeitig einen genaueren Blick darauf werfen, was in Ihrem Posteingang passiert. Lassen Sie uns eintauchen und eine stärkere Verteidigung für Ihren E-Mail-Betrieb aufbauen! Um einen DMARC-Eintrag in Office 365 zu erstellen, müssen Sie auf Ihren DNS-Hosting-Anbieter zugreifen und einen TXT-Eintrag mit folgender Syntax hinzufügen: Hostname: dmarc.ihredomain.com, TXT-Wert: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:ihre-email@ihredomain.com. Passen Sie die Richtlinieneinstellung (p) nach Ihren Bedürfnissen an, es wird empfohlen, zu Testzwecken mit 'p=none' zu beginnen, bevor Sie zu strengeren Richtlinien wie 'p=quarantine' oder 'p=reject' übergehen. Wie richten Sie einen DMARC-Eintrag in Office 365 ein? Schritt I, Erste Bewertung Der erste Schritt beginnt mit einer gründlichen Bewertung Ihrer E-Mail-Infrastruktur. Das bedeutet, nicht nur alle Domains und Subdomains zu identifizieren, die Sie innerhalb Ihrer Organisation nutzen, sondern auch... --- #### DMARC für Cloudflare einrichten URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-fuer-cloudflare-einrichten/ Description: Eine DMARC-Richtlinie bestimmt, was mit einer E-Mail geschieht, nachdem der Server sie anhand von SPF- und DKIM-Einträgen überprüft hat. Erfahren Sie, wie Sie DMARC für Cloudflare einrichten. Eine DMARC-Richtlinie (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) bestimmt, was mit einer E-Mail geschieht, nachdem der Server sie anhand von SPF- und DKIM-Einträgen überprüft hat. Das Ergebnis ist, dass die E-Mail entweder SPF und DKIM besteht oder nicht. Dieser Beitrag erläutert, wie Sie DMARC für Cloudflare-Benutzer einrichten. Wenn Sie eine DMARC-Richtlinie eingerichtet haben, bestimmt diese, ob das Fehlschlagen von DKIM und SPF dazu führt, dass die E-Mail als Spam markiert, blockiert oder an den beabsichtigten Empfänger zugestellt wird. Obwohl einige E-Mail-Server eine E-Mail auch ohne DMARC-Eintrag als Spam markieren können, legt eine DMARC-Richtlinie klar fest, wann dies geschehen soll. Der DMARC-Eintrag speichert die DMARC-Richtlinie der Domain, die im DNS (Domain Name System) als DNS-TXT-Einträge gespeichert wird. Der DNS-TXT-Eintrag enthält alle Informationen, die der Administrator mit der Domain verknüpfen möchte. Sie können auch zur Speicherung von DMARC-Richtlinien verwendet werden. So richten Sie einen DMARC-Eintrag in Cloudflare ein. Die Einrichtung Wenn Sie unsicher sind, ob ein DMARC-TXT-Eintrag für Ihre Website eingerichtet ist, können Sie ein DMARC-Prüftool verwenden, um Ihre DNS-Einträge zu scannen. Zunächst muss ein DMARC-Eintrag generiert werden, was mit einem DMARC-Eintragsgenerator erfolgen kann. Wenn angezeigt wird, dass kein DMARC-Eintrag gefunden wurde, versuchen Sie, einen DMARC-Analyzer zur Unterstützung bei der Erstellung des... --- #### DMARC für Namecheap einrichten URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-fuer-namecheap-einrichten/ Description: Die Validierungsrichtlinie DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) wurde zum Schutz der E-Mail-Domain einer Organisation erstellt. Die Validierungsrichtlinie DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) wurde zum Schutz der E-Mail-Domain einer Organisation vor Missbrauch durch E-Mail-Spoofing, Phishing und andere Online-Betrugsmaschen erstellt. So können Sie DMARC für Ihre über Namecheap gehostete Domain einrichten. Wenn ein DMARC-Eintrag auf einem DNS-Server konfiguriert wird, informiert er den Inhaber der betreffenden Domain darüber, wie ihre E-Mail-Dienste funktionieren. Die Analyse der durch diese Konfiguration gesammelten Daten ist entscheidend, um den Betrieb der Domain zu verstehen und zu verwalten. Die Veröffentlichung einer DMARC-Richtlinie für Ihre Domains in Namecheap erhöht die E-Mail-Authentifizierung und den Validierungsdienst in Ihren DNS-Servern für ein globales Unternehmen, das Domainregistrierung und Webhosting-Dienste anbietet. Hier finden Sie Anweisungen zur Einrichtung eines DMARC-Eintrags in Namecheap. Die Einrichtung Ein DMARC-Eintrag definiert die DMARC-Implementierung in Ihrem DNS. Er verfügt über ein System zur Benachrichtigung der ISPs, wenn eine Domain bereit ist, DMARC zu verwenden, und Sie können wertvolle Erkenntnisse gewinnen, wenn jemand versucht, Ihre Domain zu missbrauchen. Der erste Schritt ist die Erstellung eines DMARC-Eintrags, was mit einem Eintragsgenerator erfolgen kann. Sie können verschiedene Online-DMARC-Eintragsgeneratoren verwenden. Versuchen Sie, einen DMARC-Analyzer zu verwenden, der bei der Erstellung des Eintrags hilft, wenn die Meldung „Keine DMARC-Einträge gefunden" erscheint. Nach der Generierung Ihres DMARC-Eintrags müssen Sie ihn... --- #### Google Workspace oder Gmail DMARC einrichten zur Verhinderung von Spoofing und Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-google-workspace-einrichten/ Description: G Suite, jetzt bekannt als Google Workspace, ist die bevorzugte E-Mail-Suite vieler Unternehmen. Erfahren Sie, wie Sie DMARC einrichten, um Spoofing und Phishing zu verhindern. G Suite, jetzt bekannt als Google Workspace, ist die bevorzugte E-Mail-Suite vieler Unternehmen. Sie ist jedoch auch anfällig für Cyberangriffe durch böswillige Akteure. Die Einrichtung von E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokollen wie DMARC auf Google Workspace kann helfen, bösartige Angriffe zu verhindern und die E-Mail-Zustellung zu garantieren, um die Geschäftskontinuität sicherzustellen. Viele Unternehmen verlassen sich auf E-Mails für ihre Geschäftskorrespondenz, da dies den Komfort erhöht. Allerdings ist dies mit Cyberrisiken wie Phishing, Spoofing, BEC usw. verbunden. Böswillige Akteure nutzen Ihre E-Mail-Domain, um Phishing-E-Mails zu versenden und so Ihre Geschäftsreputation zu schädigen. Die Einrichtung einer Gmail-DMARC-Richtlinie hilft zu verhindern, dass Angreifer Ihre E-Mail-Domain nutzen, um Ihre Netzwerksysteme zu infizieren. Was ist DMARC? DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) ist eine kostenlose und offene technische Spezifikation und ein Standard für die E-Mail-Authentifizierung. Es arbeitet mit SPF- und DKIM-Mechanismen zusammen, um E-Mails zu authentifizieren. DMARC verwendet drei Richtlinien, um der Welt mitzuteilen, wie mit der unbefugten Nutzung Ihrer E-Mail-Domains umgegangen werden soll. Diese Richtlinien sind „p=none", „p=quarantine" und „p=reject". Sie überwachen Ihre E-Mails, leiten gefälschte E-Mails in den Spam-Ordner um und stellen sicher, dass nicht autorisierte E-Mails niemals in Ihren Posteingang zugestellt werden. Wie richtet man DMARC ein, G Suite? Nachfolgend finden Sie Anweisungen zur Einrichtung... --- #### DMARC-Grundlagen: Alles, was Sie über E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokolle wissen müssen URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-grundlagen-alles-was-sie-ueber-e-mail-authentifizierungsprotokolle-wissen-muessen/ Description: Dieses Buch ist eine wertvolle Ressource für Einsteiger in die DMARC-Technologie oder für Fachleute, die ihr Wissen über E-Mail-Sicherheitsmaßnahmen erweitern möchten. DMARC-Grundlagen: Alles, was Sie über E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokolle wissen müssen Dieses Buch ist eine wertvolle Ressource für Einsteiger in die DMARC-Technologie oder für Fachleute, die ihr Wissen über E-Mail-Sicherheitsmaßnahmen erweitern möchten. Vorwort Der Anteil der BEC- und Spoofing-Angriffe auf Unternehmen hat zugenommen. Und so sehr wir auch versuchen mögen, die Gründe für die Zunahme erfolgreicher Cyberangriffe zu erforschen, das eigentliche Problem liegt in unseren Wahrnehmungen und Missverständnissen. Denn wie kann eine Nachricht, die von einer Organisationsdomäne kommt, mit Malware infiziert sein? Die Angreifer nutzen dieses Vertrauen der Benutzer in die Reputation von Domänen aus, um gezielte Phishing-Angriffe zu starten, die den Unternehmen oft irreversible Schäden zufügen. In diesem eBook wird versucht, aufzuzeigen, wie solche Angriffe gestoppt werden können. Der Einsatz der DMARC-Technologie in Unternehmensnetzwerken gewährleistet eine bessere Zustellbarkeit von E-Mails und verringert das Risiko von Internetbetrug. Jedes Kapitel des Buches zielt darauf ab, prägnante Antworten auf das „Warum“ und „Wie“ zu geben, die Fachleute, die versuchen, mehr über DMARC, SPF und DKIM zu erfahren, in der Regel beschäftigen. Dieses Buch kann eine wertvolle Ressource für Einsteiger in die DMARC-Technologie oder für Fachleute sein, die ihr Wissen über E-Mail-Sicherheitsmaßnahmen erweitern möchten. Die einfache, präzise und auf den Punkt gebrachte Behandlung von DMARC und... --- #### DMARC-Grundlagen: Alles, was Sie über E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokolle wissen müssen URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-grundlagen/ Description: DMARC-Grundlagen: Alles, was Sie über E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokolle wissen... DMARC-Grundlagen: Alles, was Sie über E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokolle wissen müssen Dieses Buch ist eine wertvolle Ressource für DMARC-Einsteiger oder Fachleute, die ihr Wissen über E-Mail-Sicherheitsmaßnahmen erweitern möchten. Vorwort Der Anteil von Business-E-Mail-Kompromittierungen (BEC) und Spoofing-Angriffen auf Organisationen hat zugenommen. Und so sehr wir auch versuchen mögen, die Gründe für den Anstieg erfolgreicher Cyberangriffe zu erforschen, das eigentliche Problem liegt in unseren Wahrnehmungen und Fehleinschätzungen. Schließlich, wie kann eine Nachricht, die von einer organisatorischen Domain-Adresse stammt, mit Malware infiziert sein? Unter Ausnutzung dieses Benutzervertrauens in die Reputation von Domains starten Angreifer gezielte Phishing-Angriffe, die oft irreversible Verluste für Organisationen verursachen. Dieses eBook hat versucht aufzuzeigen, wie solche Angriffe gestoppt werden können. Der Einsatz von DMARC-Technologie in Unternehmensnetzwerken gewährleistet eine bessere E-Mail-Zustellbarkeit und reduziert das Risiko von Cyber-Betrug. Jedes Kapitel des Buches zielt darauf ab, prägnante Antworten auf die Warums und Wies zu geben, die normalerweise die Gedanken von Fachleuten beschäftigen, die mehr über DMARC, SPF und DKIM erfahren möchten. Dieses Buch kann eine wertvolle Ressource für DMARC-Einsteiger oder Fachleute sein, die ihr Wissen über E-Mail-Sicherheitsmaßnahmen erweitern möchten. Die einfache, präzise und auf den Punkt gebrachte Behandlung von DMARC und verwandten Konzepten im Buch DMARC-Grundlagen macht es für alle Cybersicherheits-Enthusiasten geeignet. Einführung E-Mails sind... --- #### DMARC Office 365 einrichten und Ihre Online-Reputation durch Stoppen von E-Mail-Spoofing schützen URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/dmarc-office-365-einrichten/ Description: DMARC Office 365 einrichten und Ihre Online-Reputation durch Stoppen von E-Mail-Spoofing... DMARC Office 365 einrichten und Ihre Online-Reputation durch Stoppen von E-Mail-Spoofing schützen Die Einrichtung von DMARC Office 365 kann Spoofing- und Phishing-Angriffe auf alle mit Ihnen verbundenen Stakeholder verhindern und somit das Einfallstor für Malware und Cyberbedrohungen schließen. Darüber hinaus hilft DMARC zu verhindern, dass Ihre echten E-Mail-Nachrichten als Spam markiert werden. So richten Sie DMARC Office 365 ein. E-Mail-Korrespondenz gewinnt an Bedeutung, wenn Ihr Unternehmen wächst. Keine Organisation kommt ohne E-Mails aus, da sie den bequemsten Kommunikationsweg mit Kunden und Mitarbeitern bieten. Gleichzeitig bieten E-Mails aber auch ein ideales Einfallstor für böswillige Akteure für Phishing, Spoofing, Business Email Compromise (BEC) usw. und ermöglichen das Einschleusen von Malware in Netzwerksysteme. Daher ist es für alle Organisationen unerlässlich, über angemessene E-Mail-Authentifizierungsstandards zu verfügen. DMARC bietet alle notwendigen Lösungen, um zu verhindern, dass Ihre Domain von böswilligen Akteuren missbraucht wird. Dieser Artikel konzentriert sich auf die Einrichtung von DMARC Office 365 und die Verhinderung von E-Mail-Spoofing und Phishing. DMARC-Definition in Kürze Bevor wir Office 365 DMARC besprechen, ist es wichtig, das Konzept von DMARC klar zu verstehen. DMARC, oder Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance, ist eine kostenlose und offene technische Lösung, die erstmals 2012 veröffentlicht wurde. Sie hilft bei der Authentifizierung... --- #### Done With You DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/done-with-you-dmarc/ Description: Von p=none zu p=quarantine in 90 Tagen,... Von p=none zu p=quarantine in 90 Tagen, garantiert Expertengeführte DMARC-Durchsetzung Ihr Team nimmt die Änderungen vor. Wir sagen Ihnen genau, was geändert werden muss, und überprüfen jeden Schritt. Kostenloses DMARC-Audit erhalten 50.000+ geschützte Domains SOC 2 Typ 2 zertifiziert 500+ G2-Bewertungen Sie haben DMARC-Berichte. Sie haben keinen DMARC-Schutz. Die Veröffentlichung eines DMARC-Eintrags mit p=none ist eine Überwachungsrichtlinie. Sie weist empfangende Mailserver an, Ihnen Berichte über Authentifizierungsfehler zu senden, aber sie weist sie nicht an, etwas dagegen zu unternehmen. Gefälschte E-Mails werden weiterhin zugestellt. Phishing-Angriffe kommen weiterhin an. Die meisten Organisationen wissen das. Sie haben die DMARC-Überwachung seit Monaten oder sogar Jahren laufen. Sie können unautorisierte Absender in ihren Berichten sehen. Aber sie haben nicht durchgesetzt, weil: Sie nicht wissen, welche Absender legitim sind und welche nicht - Sie befürchten, dass die Durchsetzung E-Mails von einem kritischen Dienst unterbrechen könnte - Niemand intern die E-Mail-Authentifizierung durchgängig verantwortet - Sie nicht über das Fachwissen verfügen, um SPF- und DKIM-Ausrichtung über Dutzende von Sendediensten hinweg zu korrigieren Was in 90 Tagen passiert So funktioniert es Wochen 1-2: Audit Wir analysieren Ihre vorhandenen DMARC-Daten von der DMARC-Report-Plattform. Jede Sendequelle wird identifiziert, legitime Dienste, Schatten-IT, unautorisierte Absender. Sie erhalten ein vollständiges Inventar darüber, wer als... --- #### E-Mail-Spoofing mit DMARC bekämpfen URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/e-mail-spoofing-mit-dmarc-bekaempfen/ Description: Erfahren Sie, wie DMARC, SPF und DKIM zusammenwirken, um Spoofing zu stoppen und Ihre Marke zu schützen. E-Mail-Spoofing mit DMARC bekämpfen PDF-Download Was Sie von diesem E-Book erwarten können Erfahren Sie, warum Phishing-E-Mails schwerer zu erkennen sind und wie KI Angriffe überzeugender macht. Entdecken Sie, wie DMARC, SPF und DKIM zusammenwirken, um Spoofing zu stoppen und Ihre Marke zu schützen. Verstehen Sie, wie DMARC-Berichte komplexe Daten vereinfachen, um Zeit zu sparen, Fehler zu vermeiden und sicher zu bleiben. Erhalten Sie klare Anleitungen zur Wahl der richtigen Richtlinie, Quarantäne vs. Ablehnung, und zur Sicherstellung der Domain-Ausrichtung. Erfahren Sie, wie Sie häufige Fehler in DNS, SPF und DKIM beheben, die zu Fehlschlägen führen und die Zustellbarkeit beeinträchtigen. Entdecken Sie kostenlose Tools und erschwingliche gehostete Lösungen, die eine starke E-Mail-Sicherheit einfach und kostengünstig machen. --- #### Gehostete E-Mail-Sicherheit für Unternehmen URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/gehostete-e-mail-sicherheit-fuer-unternehmen/ Description: Setzen Sie E-Mail-Verschlüsselung durch, damit Angreifer Ihre Nachrichten nicht abfangen können. Gehostete E-Mail-Sicherheit für Unternehmen Setzen Sie E-Mail-Verschlüsselung durch, damit Angreifer Ihre Nachrichten nicht abfangen können. MTA-STS verschlüsselt eingehende E-Mails Das Mail Transfer Agent-Strict Transport Security (MTA-STS)-Protokoll ist ein weit verbreiteter Standard, der die E-Mail-Sicherheit drastisch verbessert. Es erzwingt die Verschlüsselung von E-Mails, die an Ihre Domäne gesendet werden, und stellt sicher, dass eingehende Nachrichten nicht in ungesichertem Klartext empfangen werden. Dies verhindert, dass Cyberkriminelle den E-Mail-Verkehr einsehen, E-Mails manipulieren und bösartige Anhänge hinzufügen können. DMARC Report bietet eine gehostete MTA-STS-Lösung Bereitstellung von MTA-STS-Sicherheit durch DMARC-Bericht Benutzer des DMARC-Berichts können MTA-STS-Protokolle für eingehende E-Mails einrichten und so sicherstellen, dass Ihr Unternehmen gegen einige der häufigsten Arten von E-Mail-basierten Angriffen geschützt ist. Unsere Lösung vereinfacht die E-Mail-Sicherheit auf sechs wichtige Arten: - Mit unserer Hilfe können Sie Ihre DNS-CNAME-Einträge mit ein paar kurzen Klicks veröffentlichen. - Wir hosten Ihre MTA-STAS-Dienste, so dass Sie nur noch ein paar Datensätze veröffentlichen müssen. - Mit unserer Hilfe können Sie Ihre DNS-CNAME-Einträge mit ein paar kurzen Klicks veröffentlichen. - Wir kümmern uns um die Wartung von Webservern und das Hosting von Zertifikaten, damit Sie das nicht tun müssen. - Nehmen Sie MTA-STS-Richtlinienänderungen direkt über das DMARC Report Dashboard vor. - Genießen Sie RFC-konforme E-Mail-Sicherheit, die die... --- #### Grundlagen der E-Mail-Authentifizierung URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/grundlagen-der-e-mail-authentifizierung/ Description: Grundlagen der E-Mail-Authentifizierung: Ein praktischer Leitfaden zur Implementierung von SPF, DKIM und... Grundlagen der E-Mail-Authentifizierung: Ein praktischer Leitfaden zur Implementierung von SPF, DKIM und DMARC PDF-Download Das erwartet Sie in diesem eBook Moderne E-Mail-Bedrohungen verstehen Erfahren Sie, wie Phishing, Spoofing und BEC-Angriffe funktionieren. SPF, DKIM und DMARC kennenlernen Sehen Sie, wie diese Protokolle zusammenarbeiten, um Ihre Domain zu schützen. DMARC-Richtlinien einrichten lernen Folgen Sie klaren Schritten zur Konfiguration und Durchsetzung der Authentifizierung. DMARC-Berichte richtig interpretieren Erfahren Sie, wie Sie Berichte lesen und unautorisierte Absender erkennen. Protokollbeschränkungen kennen Verstehen Sie Lücken und wie Sie mehrschichtige Sicherheit aufbauen. E-Mail-Zustellbarkeit verbessern Stellen Sie sicher, dass sichere, vertrauenswürdige Nachrichten Ihre Empfänger erreichen. --- #### Hostgator, DMARC-Eintrag Einrichtungsanleitung URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/hostgator-dmarc-einrichtung/ Description: Wenn Sie eine Domain bei Hostgator haben, möchten Sie möglicherweise einen DMARC-Eintrag für Ihre Domain einrichten. Folgen Sie dieser umfassenden Anleitung zur Veröffentlichung des DMARC-Eintrags. Wenn Sie eine Domain bei Hostgator haben, möchten Sie möglicherweise einen DMARC-Eintrag für Ihre Domain einrichten. Folgen Sie dieser umfassenden Anleitung zur Veröffentlichung des DMARC-Eintrags für Ihre Domain bei Hostgator. Sie müssen einen DMARC-Eintrag in Ihrem DNS veröffentlichen, da er die Regeln für die DMARC-Implementierung definiert. Ein DMARC-Eintrag enthält die DMARC-Richtlinie, die ISPs (wie Microsoft, Gmail usw.) informiert, ob Ihre Domain für die Verwendung von DMARC eingerichtet ist. Einige Benutzer erhalten die Fehlermeldung „Kein DMARC-Eintrag gefunden", weil sie keinen DMARC-Eintrag für ihre Domain eingerichtet haben. Wie richtet man DMARC für seine Domain ein? Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) ist zu einem integralen Ansatz geworden, der die Integrität von E-Mails einer bestimmten Domain sicherstellt. Allerdings aktiviert standardmäßig nicht jeder Webhost, E-Mail-Server oder jede Domain diesen wichtigen E-Mail-Sicherheitsstandard. DMARC erfordert, dass E-Mail-Administratoren und Organisationen Richtlinien einrichten und konfigurieren. Um DMARC zu Ihrer Domain hinzuzufügen, müssen Sie einen einfachen einzeiligen Eintrag in den DNS-Einträgen Ihrer Domain vornehmen. Nachdem Sie den DMARC-Eintrag für Ihre Domain generiert haben, befolgen Sie diese Schritte, um den DMARC-Eintrag in Ihrem Hostgator-DNS zu veröffentlichen: - cPanel öffnen: Melden Sie sich bei cPanel bei Hostgator an. - Erweiterter DNS-Zonen-Editor: Gehen Sie zum Bereich „Domains" und wählen Sie den... --- #### Ist es möglich, mehrere DMARC-Einträge für eine einzelne Domain zu haben? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/mehrere-dmarc-eintraege-fuer-eine-domain/ Description: Wenn Sie E-Mails für eine Domain verwalten, fragen Sie sich vielleicht, ob Sie mehr als einen DMARC-Eintrag haben können. Mehrere Einträge können jedoch den Zweck von DMARC selbst untergraben. Wenn Sie E-Mails für eine Domain verwalten, fragen Sie sich vielleicht, ob Sie mehr als einen DMARC-Eintrag haben können. Mehrere Einträge können jedoch den Zweck von DMARC selbst untergraben. Ein DMARC-Eintrag sollte im Stammverzeichnis Ihrer DNS-Einträge platziert werden (z. B. beispiel.de). DMARC verwendet den DNS-TXT-Eintrag, um seine Richtlinie zu speichern, und ein DNS-TXT-Eintrag kann nur eine einzelne Zeichenkette enthalten. Daher kann eine einzelne Domain keine mehreren DMARC-Einträge haben. Wenn Sie Ihre DMARC-Richtlinie ändern möchten, müssen Sie Ihren DNS-TXT-Eintrag mit der neuen Richtlinie aktualisieren. Was ist ein DMARC-Eintrag? Ein DMARC-Eintrag (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) ist ein E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokoll, das dazu beiträgt, E-Mail-Spoofing, Phishing usw. zu verhindern. Durch die Veröffentlichung eines DMARC-Eintrags können Sie festlegen, wie E-Mail-Empfänger mit E-Mails umgehen sollen, die nicht autorisiert oder echt erscheinen und die Authentifizierungsprüfung nicht bestehen. Dies hilft, Ihre E-Mail-Domain davor zu schützen, von unbefugten Dritten für Phishing oder bösartige Aktivitäten missbraucht zu werden. Was ist der Zweck von DMARC-Einträgen? DMARC ist ein E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokoll. Es funktioniert, indem es die Authentifizierungsrichtlinien des Absenders (normalerweise Ihre Domain) mit dem Empfänger abgleicht. Es hilft DMARC zu überprüfen, ob eine E-Mail, die vorgibt, von Ihrer Domain zu stammen, tatsächlich von Ihrer Domain stammt und unterwegs nicht manipuliert wurde. Was... --- #### Vorteile der Verwendung eines Open-Source-DMARC-Analysators URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/open-source-dmarc-analysator/ Description: Was sind die Vorteile der Verwendung eines Open-Source-DMARC-Analysators? Was sind die Vorteile der Verwendung eines Open-Source-DMARC-Analysators? DMARC ist ein technologischer Standard, der sicherstellt, dass die E-Mail-Kommunikation vor Cyberangriffen geschützt ist. Dieser Artikel gibt Ihnen einen Überblick über DMARC-Berichte und einen Einblick in die Verwendung eines Open-Source-DMARC-Analysators eines Drittanbieters zur effektiven Handhabung von DMARC-Berichten. Das DMARC-Protokoll (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) ermöglicht eine effektive Kontrolle, Validierung und Authentifizierung des E-Mail-Verkehrs auf Ihrer Domain. Für die Authentifizierung verwendet DMARC zwei Methoden: SPF und DKIM. Zur Handhabung von Online-DMARC-Berichten, sei es die DMARC-Aggregatberichte (RUI) oder forensische Berichte (RUF), kann ein Open-Source-DMARC-Analysator verwendet werden, um DMARC-Berichtsformate nach den Spezifikationen des Benutzers anzuzeigen. Warum benötigen Sie einen Open-Source-DMARC-Analysator? Nach der Implementierung einer DMARC-Richtlinie für Ihre Domains werden Anbieter wie Google und Yahoo tägliche Berichte liefern, die die E-Mails beschreiben, die sie von Ihren Domains erhalten, und ob sie Ihrer Richtlinie entsprechen. Die Berichte liegen in einer XML-Struktur vor und sind nicht leicht verständlich. Hier kommt der kostenlose DMARC-Berichtsanalysator ins Spiel. Er bietet mehrere Vorteile wie: Transparenz: Er bietet vollständige Transparenz über mehrere ein- und ausgehende E-Mail-Kanäle. - Anpassung: Der DMARC-Berichtsanalysator kann an die Bedürfnisse verschiedener Branchen angepasst werden, wobei optimale Sicherheit gewährleistet bleibt. - Sicherheit: Phishing und bösartige Informationen werden frühzeitig erkannt,... --- #### SPF-Einträge vereinfachen für zuverlässige E-Mail-Zustellbarkeit URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/spf-eintraege-vereinfachen/ Description: SPF-Einträge vereinfachen für zuverlässige... SPF-Einträge vereinfachen für zuverlässige E-Mail-Zustellbarkeit Setzen Sie eine fehlerfreie Lösung für unbegrenzte DNS-Abfragen ein Probleme mit der E-Mail-Zustellbarkeit sind SPF-Eintragsprobleme Sender Policy Framework (SPF)-Einträge übersetzen E-Mail-Hosting-Domains in IP-Adressen beim Versenden von E-Mails. Jeder SPF-Eintrag kann maximal 10 Einträge enthalten, danach bricht die Zustellbarkeit zusammen und es tritt der gefürchtete SPF-PermError auf. - Wenn Ihre Organisation E-Mails über mehrere Drittanbieter versendet, kann dieses Limit leicht überschritten werden. Wenn das passiert, bricht die Zustellbarkeit zusammen und Sie erhalten den „SPF PermError" in Ihren DMARC-Berichten. - Dieser Fehler bedeutet, dass Ihr SPF-Eintrag ungültig ist und der E-Mail-Empfänger ihn automatisch blockiert. Sie können keine E-Mails an diesen Empfänger senden, bis Sie die Anzahl der DNS-Abfragen in Ihrer SPF-Datei reduzieren. Ihr E-Mail-Host wird Sie nicht warnen, wenn Sie Ihr DNS-Abfragelimit überschritten haben. Möglicherweise bemerken Sie nicht einmal, dass Ihre E-Mails nicht zugestellt werden. Warum nur 10 DNS-Abfragen? Jedes Mal, wenn jemand eine E-Mail von Ihrer Domain an einen Empfänger mit SPF-Authentifizierung sendet, überprüft der E-Mail-Server des Empfängers den Ursprung der eingehenden Nachricht. Er führt DNS-Abfrageanforderungen durch, um die IP-Adresse zu identifizieren, von der die E-Mail kam, und gleicht sie dann mit der IP-Adresse ab, die die E-Mail als Absender angibt. Standard-SPF-Spezifikationen erlauben 10 DNS-Abfragen. Dies... --- #### Verwenden Sie DMARC-Berichte, um Hacker beim Phishing von Ihrer Domain zu erwischen URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/verwenden-sie-dmarc-berichte-um-hacker-beim-phishing-von-ihrer-domain-zu-erwischen/ Description: Authentifizieren Sie jede E-Mail, die behauptet, von Ihrer Domäne zu stammen. Verwenden Sie DMARC-Berichte, um Hacker beim Phishing von Ihrer Domain zu erwischen Authentifizieren Sie jede E-Mail, die behauptet, von Ihrer Domäne zu stammen. Verhindern von E-Mail-Spoofing Schützen Sie Ihren guten Ruf Garantierte Zustellbarkeit von E-Mails E-Mail-Spoofing: Der erste Schritt zum Betrug Mehr als 90 % der Cyberangriffe beginnen mit E-Mail-Betrug. Cyberkriminelle kapern Ihre Domäne, geben sich als Ihre Benutzer aus und senden bösartige E-Mails an Ihre Mitarbeiter, Partner und Kunden. Von da an sind Sie nur noch einen Klick von einer verheerenden Datenpanne oder Schlimmerem entfernt. - - DMARC schützt Ihre E-Mail vor Spoofing DMARC ist ein E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokoll, das jede E-Mail verifiziert, die behauptet, von Ihrer Domäne zu stammen. Es ist ein robustes, sicheres System, das zwischen echten Absendern und bösartigen Phishing-Versuchen unterscheidet. Setzen Sie DMARC Report ein, um Ihr Unternehmen vor Betrug zu schützen. Demo buchen Verwenden Sie den DMARC-Bericht, um Ihre Marke vor kostspieligen Cyberangriffen zu schützen CEO-Betrug. Cyberkriminelle können Ihre Domain nutzen, um sich als hochrangige Führungskräfte Ihres Unternehmens auszugeben, Überweisungen zu genehmigen und problemlos Zugang zu sensiblen Daten zu erhalten.a Gefälschte Rechnungen. Hacker können sich als Lieferanten Ihres Unternehmens ausgeben und realistische Rechnungen erstellen, die von Ihren Buchhaltern bezahlt werden. Wenn man merkt, dass sie gefälscht... --- #### Warum E-Mail-Authentifizierung wichtig ist und für die E-Mail-Sicherheit notwendig ist URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/warum-e-mail-authentifizierung-wichtig-ist/ Description: In dieser Ära der technologischen Entwicklung hat die E-Mail-Authentifizierung stark an Bedeutung gewonnen. In dieser Ära der technologischen Entwicklung und den damit verbundenen Vor- und Nachteilen hat die E-Mail-Authentifizierung stark an Bedeutung gewonnen. Neben dem Schutz Ihres Unternehmens oder Ihrer Organisation kann sie deren stetiges Wachstum und langfristigen Erfolg sicherstellen. Mit anderen Worten: E-Mail-Authentifizierung spielt eine wichtige Rolle im modernen E-Commerce-Markt. Lesen Sie weiter, um mehr über die E-Mail-Authentifizierung und ihre Bedeutung zu erfahren. Der ständige Anstieg von Cyberkriminalität im digitalen Zeitalter ist ein Grund zur Sorge für alle Unternehmen. Phishing, E-Mail-Spoofing, Ransomware und Malware-Angriffe treten täglich auf, weil viele Organisationen die E-Mail-Authentifizierung nicht ernst nehmen. Die E-Mail-Authentifizierung hat zwei Seiten. Einerseits kann sie Ihr Unternehmen vor Betrug und Phishing schützen. Andererseits kann sie dazu beitragen, die E-Mails Ihres Unternehmens zu authentifizieren und sicherzustellen, dass sie sicher und erfolgreich in den Posteingängen der Empfänger landen. Was ist E-Mail-Authentifizierung? E-Mail-Authentifizierung ist der Prozess, der die Echtheit einer empfangenen E-Mail überprüft und sicherstellt, dass sie nicht gefälscht oder manipuliert ist. Auf der grundlegendsten Ebene möchte ein empfangender E-Mail-Server überprüfen, ob die in Ihrem Namen empfangene E-Mail echt ist und nicht von einem böswilligen Akteur stammt, der sich als Sie ausgibt. Neben SPF- und DKIM-Authentifizierungen (die in den folgenden Abschnitten besprochen werden) untersuchen empfangende Mailserver auch... --- #### Was ist DMARC-Ausrichtung und wie funktioniert sie? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/was-ist-dmarc-ausrichtung-und-wie-funktioniert-sie/ Description: Dieser Beitrag bietet einen detaillierten Einblick in die SPF- und DKIM-Ausrichtung mit Beispielen. Er behandelt auch DMARC-Berichte und ihre Typen, um abgestimmte DMARC-Richtlinien zu definieren. Dieser Beitrag bietet einen detaillierten Einblick in die SPF- und DKIM-Ausrichtung mit Beispielen. Er behandelt auch DMARC-Berichte und ihre Typen, um abgestimmte DMARC-Richtlinien und die Modi zu definieren, die Sie für die DMARC-Ausrichtung festlegen können, einschließlich strikt oder entspannt. Eine DMARC-Ausrichtung ist notwendig, um E-Mail-Absender Ihrer Domain zu authentifizieren. Eine DMARC-Berichtslösung kann bei der Überwachung von E-Mail-Absendern für eine effiziente E-Mail-Verwaltung helfen. DMARC ist ein leistungsstarkes Werkzeug für Organisationen und Dienstleister gegen Phishing, E-Mail-Spoofing, Identitätsfälschung, Betrug und andere Cyberkriminalität. Lassen Sie uns erklären, was DMARC ist, bevor wir die DMARC-Ausrichtung definieren. Was ist DMARC? Ein DMARC-Bericht (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) liefert wichtige Informationen mit sensiblen Details über alle Aktivitäten einer E-Mail-Domain. Darüber hinaus bietet die Erstellung eines DMARC-Eintrags im Domain Name System (DNS) der Domain aufschlussreiche Informationen über verschiedene Quellen, die E-Mails im Namen Ihrer Domain senden. DMARC-Berichte gibt es in zwei Typen: DMARC-Aggregatberichte: DMARC-Aggregatberichte oder RUA sind allgemeine Berichte, die Einblicke in den Domain-Verkehr oder die Nutzung bieten. DMARC-Aggregatberichte liefern Informationen über E-Mail-Authentifizierungsergebnisse und deren Quellen, d. h. die vom Absender verwendete Domain, die IP-Adresse (Internet Protocol) und das Volumen der innerhalb eines bestimmten Zeitraums gesendeten E-Mails. Diese werden täglich empfangen und enthalten SPF- und DKIM-Ausrichtungsergebnisse. -... --- #### Was ist DMARC? Die Rolle von DMARC bei der E-Mail-Sicherheit verstehen URL: https://dmarcreport.com/de/welche-rolle-spielt-dmarc-bei-der-e-mail-sicherheit/ Description: E-Mail ist zu einem unverzichtbaren Kommunikationswerkzeug geworden, öffnet aber auch die Tür für verschiedene Bedrohungen wie Phishing und Spoofing. E-Mail ist zu einem unverzichtbaren Kommunikationswerkzeug geworden, öffnet aber auch die Tür für verschiedene Bedrohungen wie Phishing und Spoofing. Da Cyberkriminelle immer raffinierter und aggressiver werden, ist es für Organisationen entscheidend, ihre E-Mail-Systeme effektiv zu schützen. Hier kommt DMARC ins Spiel, ein leistungsstarkes, aber oft missverstandenes Protokoll zur Stärkung der E-Mail-Sicherheit. Es zeichnet sich dadurch aus, dass es nicht nur legitime E-Mails validiert, sondern Domain-Inhabern auch die Möglichkeit gibt festzulegen, was mit E-Mails geschehen soll, die die Authentifizierungsprüfungen nicht bestehen. Durch das Verstehen und Implementieren von DMARC können Unternehmen die Wahrscheinlichkeit drastisch reduzieren, Opfer böswilliger Angriffe zu werden, und gleichzeitig das Vertrauen in ihre Kommunikation stärken. Lassen Sie uns tiefer eintauchen, was DMARC ist und warum es für jede Organisation unverzichtbar wird. DMARC steht für Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance und ist ein E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokoll, das Domain-Inhabern hilft, ihre Domains vor betrügerischen E-Mails zu schützen, indem es festlegt, wie nicht authentifizierte E-Mails behandelt werden sollen. Es baut auf bestehenden Standards wie SPF (Sender Policy Framework) und DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) auf und ermöglicht eine verbesserte E-Mail-Sicherheit durch Mechanismen zur Berichterstattung und Richtliniendurchsetzung bezüglich E-Mail-Authentifizierungsfehlern. Was ist DMARC? DMARC, oder Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, ist ein wichtiges E-Mail-Authentifizierungsprotokoll, das... --- #### Por qué el análisis DMARC es crucial para empresas de todos los tamaños URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/analisis-dmarc/ Description: Por qué el análisis DMARC es crucial para empresas de todos los... Por qué el análisis DMARC es crucial para empresas de todos los tamaños La suplantación de dominios y el compromiso del correo electrónico empresarial pueden causar estragos en las empresas, provocando pérdidas financieras y de reputación. El análisis DMARC puede ayudar a las organizaciones a mantener su defensa y protegerlas contra ciberataques basados en correo electrónico. Los ciberdelitos más comunes utilizan el correo electrónico como vía para infiltrarse en los sistemas de red. Por lo tanto, las organizaciones necesitan monitorear regularmente la salud y seguridad de su dominio. El análisis DMARC debe ser un aspecto crítico de la estrategia de ciberseguridad adoptada por startups, pequeñas empresas y grandes corporaciones, especialmente aquellas con un flujo constante de correo electrónico. Realizar un análisis DMARC para leer informes DMARC Analizar los informes DMARC permite monitorear el dominio de correo electrónico y prevenir su uso indebido por parte de actores maliciosos. Los informes DMARC se clasifican en dos tipos: informes agregados DMARC e informes forenses DMARC. Los informes agregados DMARC se generan diariamente y ayudan a identificar fuentes legítimas de correo electrónico y autorizarlas. - Los informes forenses DMARC se generan cuando un correo electrónico específico falla los mecanismos de autenticación SPF y DKIM.... --- #### Beneficios de usar un analizador DMARC de código abierto URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/analizador-dmarc-codigo-abierto/ Description: ¿Cuáles son los beneficios de usar un analizador DMARC de código abierto? ¿Cuáles son los beneficios de usar un analizador DMARC de código abierto? DMARC es un estándar tecnológico que asegura que la comunicación por correo electrónico esté protegida contra ciberataques. Este artículo le dará una visión general de los informes DMARC y conocimientos sobre el uso de un analizador DMARC de código abierto de terceros para manejar los informes DMARC de manera efectiva. El protocolo DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) permite un control, validación y autenticación efectivos del tráfico de correo electrónico en su dominio. Para la autenticación, DMARC emplea dos métodos: SPF y DKIM. Para manejar los informes DMARC en línea, ya sean los informes agregados DMARC (RUA) o los informes forenses (RUF), se puede utilizar un analizador DMARC de código abierto para mostrar los formatos de informes DMARC según las especificaciones del usuario. ¿Por qué necesita un analizador DMARC de código abierto? Después de implementar una política DMARC para sus dominios, proveedores como Google y Yahoo proporcionarán informes diarios que detallan los correos electrónicos que reciben de sus dominios y si cumplen con su política. Los informes están en una estructura XML y no son comprensibles. Aquí es donde entra el analizador gratuito de informes DMARC. Ofrece... --- #### Analizar informes DMARC: Comprender el contenido de un informe DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/analizar-informes-dmarc/ Description: ¿Cómo analizar informes DMARC? ¿Cómo analizar informes DMARC? Comprender el contenido de un informe DMARC Este libro puede convertirse en un recurso valioso para principiantes en la tecnología DMARC o profesionales interesados en ampliar sus conocimientos sobre medidas de seguridad del correo electrónico. Los informes DMARC incluyen información importante sobre el tráfico de correo electrónico en su dominio que puede ayudarle a evitar futuros intentos de phishing. Generalmente se envían como un archivo adjunto de correo electrónico titulado "Informe DMARC". Los informes agregados DMARC, o RUA, son colecciones de informes DMARC. Se dividen en dos: Informe agregado DMARC (RUA) - DMARC forense (RUF) ¿Cuál es el proceso de generación de informes DMARC? Como parte del procedimiento de validación DMARC, los servidores de correo entrante generan informes DMARC. Los informes DMARC generalmente se envían una vez al día por correo electrónico; sin embargo, esto puede personalizarse para satisfacer sus necesidades específicas. Puede auditarlos mediante informes por correo electrónico si incluye la etiqueta de registro DMARC RUA en sus registros DMARC. Se envían a las direcciones de correo electrónico que especificó al crear su registro DMARC. Después de agregar una o más firmas DKIM a un correo electrónico, donde al menos una firma se autentica exitosamente... --- #### Cómo crear un registro DMARC, Explicado en detalle URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/como-crear-registro-dmarc/ Description: Cómo crear un registro DMARC, Explicado en... Cómo crear un registro DMARC, Explicado en detalle Aprenda cómo crear un registro DMARC y validarlo correctamente. También comprenda por qué implementar un registro DMARC es esencial para mejorar la entregabilidad de su correo electrónico. DMARC, o "Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance", es un protocolo de seguridad que ayuda a las organizaciones a proteger su dominio de correo electrónico contra la suplantación de identidad, los ataques de phishing y otras amenazas basadas en correo electrónico. Un registro DMARC permite a las organizaciones especificar qué protocolos de autenticación de correo electrónico desean que utilicen sus servidores de correo. También les permite crear una política de informes que indica a los receptores de correo electrónico qué hacer con los mensajes que no pasan la autenticación. ¿Por qué es importante DMARC? Un registro DNS DMARC permite a las organizaciones determinar qué remitentes están autorizados para enviar un correo electrónico en nombre de su dominio y qué política está autorizado a usar el remitente. DMARC es importante porque permite que los remitentes y receptores de correo electrónico acuerden un enfoque estándar para la autenticación de correo electrónico. Esta política conjunta permite a los receptores de correo electrónico determinar el estado de autenticación de... --- #### Registro DMARC: Cómo configurar la autenticación de correo electrónico de manera efectiva URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/configuracion-registro-dmarc/ Description: En un mundo lleno de estafas por correo electrónico y mensajes falsos, proteger su comunicación digital puede parecer como navegar por un laberinto complicado. En un mundo lleno de estafas por correo electrónico y mensajes falsos, proteger su comunicación digital puede parecer como navegar por un laberinto complicado. Solo piénselo: cada vez que revisa su bandeja de entrada, existe la posibilidad de encontrarse con algo dañino disfrazado de mensaje amistoso. Ahí es donde entra DMARC: ¡es un superhéroe para sus correos electrónicos! Al configurar un registro DMARC, se asegura de que solo los mensajes legítimos de su dominio lleguen a las personas con las que desea comunicarse. Este artículo le guiará paso a paso sobre cómo implementar DMARC de manera efectiva y protegerse contra ataques de phishing, asegurando que sus mensajes importantes lleguen de forma segura a las bandejas de entrada correctas. ¡Hagamos que la seguridad de su correo electrónico sea más fuerte! Un registro DMARC (Autenticación de Mensajes Basada en Dominio, Informes y Conformidad) es un protocolo de autenticación de correo electrónico que ayuda a los propietarios de dominios a proteger su dominio contra ataques de suplantación de correo electrónico, especificando cómo los servidores de correo receptores deben manejar los correos que fallan las verificaciones de autenticación. Implementar un registro DMARC mejora significativamente la seguridad y la capacidad de entrega de su correo... --- #### Configurar DMARC en Cloudflare URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/configurar-dmarc-cloudflare/ Description: Una política DMARC (Autenticación de Mensajes Basada en Dominio, Informes y Conformidad) determinará qué sucede con un correo electrónico después de verificarlo contra los registros SPF y DKIM. Una política DMARC (Autenticación de Mensajes Basada en Dominio, Informes y Conformidad) determinará qué sucede con un correo electrónico después de que el servidor lo verifique contra los registros SPF y DKIM. El resultado es que el correo electrónico pasará o fallará SPF y DKIM. Esta publicación explica cómo configurar DMARC para los usuarios de Cloudflare. Si tienes una política DMARC implementada, determinará si el fallo de DKIM y SPF resultará en que el correo electrónico sea marcado como spam, bloqueado o entregado al destinatario previsto. Aunque algunos servidores de correo electrónico aún pueden marcar el correo como spam incluso cuando no hay un registro DMARC, una política DMARC establece claramente cuándo hacerlo. El registro DMARC almacena la política DMARC del dominio, que se guarda en el DNS (Sistema de Nombres de Dominio) como registros TXT de DNS. El registro TXT de DNS contendrá toda la información que el administrador desee asociar con el dominio. También pueden utilizarse para almacenar políticas DMARC. Aquí te explicamos cómo configurar un registro DMARC en Cloudflare. La configuración Si no estás seguro de si tienes un registro TXT DMARC configurado para tu sitio web, puedes usar una herramienta de verificación DMARC para escanear tus... --- #### Configurar DMARC en Google Workspace o Gmail para prevenir suplantación y phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/configurar-dmarc-google-workspace/ Description: G Suite, ahora conocido como Google Workspace, es la suite de correo electrónico preferida por muchas organizaciones empresariales. Sin embargo, también es vulnerable a intentos de ciberataques. G Suite, ahora conocido como Google Workspace, es la suite de correo electrónico preferida por muchas organizaciones empresariales. Sin embargo, también es vulnerable a intentos de ciberataques por parte de actores maliciosos. Configurar protocolos de autenticación de correo electrónico como DMARC en Google Workspace puede ayudar a prevenir ataques maliciosos y garantizar la entrega de correos electrónicos para asegurar la continuidad del negocio. Muchas empresas dependen del correo electrónico para la correspondencia empresarial ya que mejora los niveles de conveniencia. Sin embargo, está vinculado a riesgos cibernéticos, como phishing, suplantación, BEC, etc. Los actores maliciosos usan tu dominio de correo electrónico para enviar correos electrónicos de phishing, dañando la reputación de tu negocio. Configurar una política DMARC en Gmail ayuda a prevenir que los adversarios usen tu dominio de correo electrónico para infectar tus sistemas de red. ¿Qué es DMARC? DMARC (Autenticación de Mensajes Basada en Dominio, Informes y Conformidad) es una especificación técnica y estándar gratuito y abierto para la autenticación de correo electrónico. Se alinea con los mecanismos SPF y DKIM para autenticar correos electrónicos. DMARC utiliza tres políticas para informar al mundo sobre cómo manejar el uso no autorizado de tus dominios de correo electrónico. Estas políticas... --- #### Configurar DMARC en Namecheap URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/configurar-dmarc-namecheap/ Description: La política de validación conocida como DMARC, que significa Autenticación de Mensajes Basada en Dominio, Informes y Conformidad, está diseñada para proteger el dominio de correo electrónico de una... La política de validación conocida como DMARC, que significa Autenticación de Mensajes Basada en Dominio, Informes y Conformidad, está diseñada para proteger el dominio de correo electrónico de una organización contra abusos en suplantación de correo electrónico, phishing y otras estafas en línea. Aquí te explicamos cómo puedes configurar DMARC para tu dominio alojado en Namecheap. Cuando un registro DMARC se configura en un servidor DNS, informa al propietario del dominio correspondiente sobre cómo están funcionando sus servicios de correo electrónico. Analizar los datos recopilados a través de esta configuración es esencial para comprender y gestionar las operaciones del dominio. Publicar una política DMARC para tus dominios en Namecheap aumentará el servicio de autenticación y validación de correo electrónico en tus servidores DNS para un negocio global que proporciona servicios de registro de dominios y alojamiento web. Aquí puedes encontrar las instrucciones para configurar un registro DMARC en Namecheap. La configuración Un registro DMARC especifica la implementación de DMARC en tu DNS. Tiene un sistema para notificar a los ISP cuando un dominio está preparado para usar DMARC, y puedes obtener información valiosa si alguien intenta abusar de tu dominio. El primer paso es crear un registro DMARC, lo cual... --- #### Configurar DMARC en Office 365 y cómo proteger tu reputación en línea deteniendo la suplantación de correo electrónico URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/configurar-dmarc-office-365/ Description: Configurar DMARC en Office 365 y cómo proteger tu reputación en línea deteniendo la suplantación de correo... Configurar DMARC en Office 365 y cómo proteger tu reputación en línea deteniendo la suplantación de correo electrónico Configurar DMARC en Office 365 puede prevenir ataques de suplantación y phishing contra todas las partes interesadas conectadas contigo, cerrando así la puerta a los males del malware y las ciberamenazas. Además, DMARC ayuda a evitar que tus mensajes de correo electrónico legítimos sean marcados como spam. Aquí te explicamos cómo configurar DMARC en Office 365. La correspondencia por correo electrónico gana importancia a medida que tu negocio prospera. Ninguna organización puede prescindir del correo electrónico porque proporciona el modo de comunicación más conveniente con clientes y personal. Pero, al mismo tiempo, los correos electrónicos también ofrecen una puerta de entrada ideal para actores maliciosos que realizan phishing, suplantación, compromiso de correo electrónico empresarial (BEC), etc., e introducen malware en los sistemas de red. Por lo tanto, se vuelve imperativo para todas las organizaciones tener estándares adecuados de autenticación de correo electrónico. DMARC tiene todas las soluciones necesarias para evitar que tu dominio sea utilizado indebidamente por actores maliciosos. Este artículo se centra en configurar DMARC en Office 365 y prevenir la suplantación y el phishing de correo electrónico. Definición breve de... --- #### Cómo crear un registro DMARC en DNS: Una guía completa URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/crear-registro-dmarc-en-dns/ Description: En un mundo donde nuestras bandejas de entrada están inundadas de spam e intentos de phishing, proteger su dominio de correo electrónico es más importante que nunca. En un mundo donde nuestras bandejas de entrada están a menudo inundadas de spam e intentos de phishing, proteger su dominio de correo electrónico es más importante que nunca. Quizás se pregunte cómo proteger su marca de estas amenazas; aquí es donde entra DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance). Esta poderosa herramienta le ayuda a tomar el control de sus comunicaciones por correo electrónico, asegurando que solo los mensajes legítimos representen su negocio mientras mantiene a los estafadores a raya. Pero configurarlo puede parecer abrumador, especialmente si lo hace por primera vez. ¡No se preocupe! Esta guía le llevará a través de los pasos necesarios para crear un registro DMARC en DNS con facilidad, asegurando que sus correos electrónicos lleguen a sus destinatarios previstos y protejan su reputación en línea. ¡Vamos a los detalles! Para crear un registro DMARC en DNS, primero acceda a la herramienta de gestión DNS de su dominio a través del panel de control de su alojamiento web o su registrador DNS. Luego, agregue un nuevo registro TXT con el nombre 'dmarc' e incluya el contenido apropiado, como 'v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:su-email@ejemplo.com', ajustando la política ('p') según sus requisitos para manejar correos electrónicos que no pasen... --- #### Crear un registro DMARC en Office 365: Guía paso a paso URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/crear-registro-dmarc-office-365/ Description: En el mundo de la comunicación por correo electrónico, proteger tu organización contra amenazas como el phishing y la suplantación es más crítico que nunca. En el mundo de la comunicación por correo electrónico, proteger tu organización contra amenazas como el phishing y la suplantación es más crítico que nunca. Puede que pienses que esto suena complicado, pero no temas: configurar DMARC (Autenticación de Mensajes Basada en Dominio, Informes y Conformidad) en Office 365 se puede hacer en solo unos simples pasos. Esta guía te llevará a través del proceso, haciéndolo muy fácil para mejorar la seguridad de tu correo electrónico. Con la configuración correcta, sabrás exactamente cómo indicar a los servidores de correo qué hacer con los correos electrónicos sospechosos, mientras también vigilas más de cerca lo que sucede en tu bandeja de entrada. ¡Comencemos y construyamos una defensa más fuerte para tus operaciones de correo electrónico! Para crear un registro DMARC en Office 365, necesitas acceder a tu proveedor de hosting DNS y añadir un registro TXT con la siguiente sintaxis: Hostname: dmarc.tudominio.com, valor TXT: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:tu-email@tudominio.com. Ajusta la configuración de la política (p) según tus necesidades; se recomienda comenzar con 'p=none' para fines de prueba antes de pasar a políticas más estrictas como 'p=quarantine' o 'p=reject'. ¿Cómo configurar un registro DMARC en Office 365? Paso I, Evaluación inicial El primer paso... --- #### Crear un registro DMARC: Guía completa para la seguridad del correo electrónico URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/crear-registro-dmarc-paso-a-paso/ Description: La seguridad del correo electrónico es fundamental. Si diriges un negocio, lo último que quieres es que alguien se haga pasar por ti y envíe correos fraudulentos. La seguridad del correo electrónico es un tema de gran importancia. Si diriges un negocio, lo último que quieres es que alguien se haga pasar por ti y envíe correos electrónicos fraudulentos. Ahí es donde entra DMARC. Puede parecer complejo, pero piensa en ello como una red de seguridad para tus comunicaciones por correo electrónico. Un registro DMARC bien configurado puede proteger tu marca de ataques de phishing, que pueden dañar seriamente la confianza de los clientes. Según investigaciones, las organizaciones que implementan DMARC ven una disminución drástica en estos intentos de fraude, ¡hasta un 90%! Así que veamos cómo puedes crear un registro DMARC y proteger tu tráfico de correo electrónico de una vez por todas. Para crear un registro DMARC para tu dominio, necesitas acceder a la configuración de DNS y añadir un registro TXT con los parámetros apropiados, incluyendo la versión ('v'), la política ('p') y las direcciones de informes ('rua'). Alternativamente, puedes utilizar herramientas en línea como el Generador de Registros DMARC de MxToolbox, que te guiará paso a paso por el proceso, asegurando que lo configures correctamente según tus requisitos específicos. Razones para crear un registro DMARC Una de las principales razones por las que... --- #### Done With You DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/done-with-you-dmarc/ Description: De p=none a p=quarantine en 90 días,... De p=none a p=quarantine en 90 días, garantizado Aplicación de DMARC guiada por expertos Su equipo realiza los cambios. Nosotros le decimos exactamente qué cambiar y verificamos cada paso. Obtenga su auditoría DMARC gratuita Más de 50,000 dominios protegidos Certificación SOC 2 Tipo 2 Más de 500 reseñas en G2 Tiene informes DMARC. No tiene protección DMARC. Publicar un registro DMARC con p=none es una política de monitoreo. Le indica a los servidores de correo receptores que le envíen informes sobre fallos de autenticación, pero no les dice que hagan nada al respecto. Los correos electrónicos suplantados siguen entregándose. Los ataques de phishing siguen llegando. La mayoría de las organizaciones lo saben. Han tenido el monitoreo DMARC funcionando durante meses o incluso años. Pueden ver remitentes no autorizados en sus informes. Pero no han aplicado la política porque: No saben qué remitentes son legítimos y cuáles no - Tienen miedo de que la aplicación interrumpa el correo de un servicio crítico - Nadie internamente es responsable de la autenticación de correo de principio a fin - No tienen la experiencia para corregir la alineación de SPF y DKIM en docenas de servicios de envío Lo que sucede en 90 días... --- #### Comprender los informes DMARC y sus tipos URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/entender-informes-dmarc/ Description: Este artículo le ayudará a comprender los informes DMARC y sus tipos, destacará el significado y propósito de cada tipo, y explicará por qué los informes DMARC son cruciales para proteger su dominio. ¿Qué son los informes DMARC y sus tipos? Este artículo le ayudará a comprender los informes DMARC y sus tipos, destacará el significado y propósito de cada tipo, y explicará por qué los informes DMARC son cruciales para proteger su dominio. DMARC (Autenticación de Mensajes Basada en Dominio, Informes y Conformidad) es un sistema de autenticación y verificación de correo electrónico. El informe DMARC proporciona una visión general de la información fundamental sobre las actividades de un dominio. Confirma la integridad y consistencia de la fuente de un correo electrónico analizando sus dominios de origen y encabezado para monitorear a sus usuarios y garantizar la seguridad del correo electrónico. ¿Cómo funciona DMARC? DKIM (Correo Identificado con Claves de Dominio) y SPF (Marco de Políticas del Remitente) son dos técnicas de autenticación de correo electrónico que utiliza DMARC. DKIM y SPF ayudan a verificar que las fuentes utilizadas solo envíen correos electrónicos autorizados. La "Alineación de Dominio" es uno de los valores importantes de DMARC que ayuda a determinar si el dominio de la dirección de correo electrónico en la línea "De:" coincide con los identificadores de verificación SPF y firma DKIM. Una de las siguientes políticas decide el resultado dependiendo... --- #### Fundamentos de autenticación de correo electrónico URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/fundamentos-autenticacion-correo/ Description: Guía práctica de implementación de SPF, DKIM y DMARC para la autenticación de correo electrónico. Fundamentos de autenticación de correo electrónico: Guía práctica para la implementación de SPF, DKIM y DMARC Descarga en PDF Esto es lo que puede esperar de este eBook Comprenda las amenazas modernas del correo electrónico Aprenda cómo funcionan los ataques de phishing, suplantación de identidad y BEC. Conozca SPF, DKIM y DMARC Vea cómo estos protocolos trabajan juntos para proteger su dominio. Aprenda a configurar políticas DMARC Siga pasos claros para configurar y aplicar la autenticación. Comprenda los informes DMARC Descubra cómo leer informes e identificar remitentes no autorizados. Conozca las limitaciones de los protocolos Comprenda las brechas y cómo construir seguridad por capas. Mejore la entregabilidad del correo electrónico Asegúrese de que los mensajes seguros y confiables lleguen a sus destinatarios. --- #### Fundamentos de DMARC: Todo lo que necesita saber sobre los protocolos de autenticación de correo electrónico URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/fundamentos-de-dmarc-todo-lo-que-necesita-saber-sobre-los-protocolos-de-autenticacion-de-correo-electronico/ Description: Este libro es un valioso recurso para principiantes en la tecnología DMARC o para profesionales interesados en ampliar sus conocimientos sobre las medidas de seguridad del correo electrónico. Fundamentos de DMARC: Todo lo que necesita saber sobre los protocolos de autenticación de correo electrónico Este libro es un valioso recurso para principiantes en la tecnología DMARC o para profesionales interesados en ampliar sus conocimientos sobre las medidas de seguridad del correo electrónico. Prefacio Se ha producido un aumento de la proporción de ataques de suplantación de identidad (spoofing) y ataques contra el correo electrónico empresarial (BEC) dirigidos a las organizaciones. Y por mucho que intentemos explorar las razones del aumento de los ciberataques con éxito, el verdadero problema reside en nuestras percepciones y conceptos erróneos. Después de todo, ¿cómo puede estar infectado con malware un mensaje procedente de una dirección de dominio de una organización? Aprovechando esta confianza de los usuarios en la reputación de los dominios, los adversarios lanzan ataques de phishing selectivos, que a menudo causan pérdidas irreversibles a las organizaciones. Este eBook ha intentado poner de relieve cómo se pueden detener estos ataques. El uso de la tecnología DMARC en las redes de las organizaciones garantiza una mayor capacidad de entrega del correo electrónico y reduce el riesgo de ciberfraude. Cada capítulo del libro pretende ofrecer respuestas concisas a los porqués y los cómos que... --- #### Fundamentos de DMARC: Todo lo que necesita saber sobre los protocolos de autenticación de correo electrónico URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/fundamentos-dmarc/ Description: Fundamentos de DMARC: Todo lo que necesita saber sobre los protocolos de autenticación de correo... Fundamentos de DMARC: Todo lo que necesita saber sobre los protocolos de autenticación de correo electrónico Este libro es un recurso valioso para principiantes en la tecnología DMARC o profesionales interesados en ampliar sus conocimientos sobre medidas de seguridad del correo electrónico. Prefacio Ha habido un aumento en la proporción de ataques de compromiso de correo electrónico empresarial (BEC) y suplantación de identidad dirigidos a organizaciones. Y por mucho que intentemos explorar las razones del aumento de ciberataques exitosos, el problema real radica en nuestras percepciones y conceptos erróneos. Después de todo, ¿cómo puede un mensaje proveniente de una dirección de dominio organizacional estar infectado con malware? Aprovechando esta confianza del usuario en la reputación de los dominios, los adversarios lanzan ataques de phishing dirigidos, causando a menudo pérdidas irreversibles a las organizaciones. Este eBook ha intentado destacar cómo se pueden detener tales ataques. El uso de la tecnología DMARC dentro de las redes organizacionales garantiza una mayor entregabilidad del correo electrónico y reduce el riesgo de fraude cibernético. Cada capítulo del libro tiene como objetivo proporcionar respuestas concisas a los porqués y cómos que generalmente llenan las mentes de los profesionales que intentan aprender más sobre DMARC, SPF y... --- #### Gane la guerra contra la suplantación de correo electrónico con DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/ganar-guerra-suplantacion-correo-dmarc/ Description: Descargue nuestro eBook y aprenda cómo DMARC, SPF y DKIM trabajan juntos para detener la suplantación de identidad y proteger su marca. ¿Qué es Gane la guerra contra la suplantación de correo electrónico con DMARC? Descarga PDF Esto es lo que puede esperar de este eBook Aprenda por qué los correos electrónicos de phishing son más difíciles de detectar y cómo la IA hace que los ataques sean más convincentes. Descubra cómo DMARC, SPF y DKIM trabajan juntos para detener la suplantación de identidad y proteger su marca. Comprenda cómo los informes DMARC simplifican datos complejos para ahorrar tiempo, evitar errores y mantenerse seguro. Obtenga orientación clara sobre cómo elegir la política correcta - cuarentena vs. rechazo - y garantizar la alineación del dominio. Descubra cómo solucionar errores comunes en DNS, SPF y DKIM que causan fallos y perjudican la entregabilidad. Explore herramientas gratuitas y soluciones alojadas asequibles que hacen que la seguridad sólida del correo electrónico sea simple y rentable. --- #### Hostgator, Guía de configuración de registro DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/guia-configuracion-dmarc-hostgator/ Description: Si tienes un dominio en Hostgator, es posible que desees configurar un registro DMARC para tu dominio. Sigue esta guía completa para publicar el registro DMARC. Si tienes un dominio en Hostgator, es posible que desees configurar un registro DMARC para tu dominio. Sigue esta guía completa para publicar el registro DMARC de tu dominio en Hostgator. Necesitas publicar un registro DMARC en tu DNS porque define las reglas para la implementación de DMARC. Un registro DMARC contendrá la política DMARC que informará a los ISP (como Microsoft, Gmail, etc.) si tienes un dominio configurado para usar DMARC. Algunos usuarios reciben el error "no se encontró registro DMARC" porque no tienen un registro DMARC configurado para su dominio. ¿Cómo configurar DMARC para tu dominio? La Autenticación de Mensajes Basada en Dominio, Informes y Conformidad (DMARC) se ha convertido en un enfoque integral que ayuda a garantizar la integridad de los correos electrónicos de un dominio determinado. Sin embargo, por defecto, cada host web, servidor de correo electrónico o dominio no activa este estándar crucial de seguridad de correo electrónico. DMARC requiere que los administradores de correo electrónico y las organizaciones configuren y establezcan políticas. Para añadir DMARC a tu dominio, debes hacer una simple entrada de una línea en los registros DNS de tu dominio. Después de generar el registro DMARC para tu dominio, sigue estos... --- #### ¿Es posible tener múltiples registros DMARC para un solo dominio? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/multiples-registros-dmarc-un-dominio/ Description: Si administra correos electrónicos para un dominio, quizás se pregunte si puede tener más de un registro DMARC. Sin embargo, múltiples registros pueden anular el propósito de DMARC. Si administra correos electrónicos para un dominio, quizás se pregunte si puede tener más de un registro DMARC. Sin embargo, múltiples registros pueden anular el propósito de DMARC en sí. Un registro DMARC debe colocarse en la raíz de sus registros DNS (por ejemplo, ejemplo.com). DMARC utiliza el registro TXT de DNS para almacenar su política, y un registro TXT de DNS solo puede contener una única cadena de caracteres. Por lo tanto, un solo dominio no puede tener múltiples registros DMARC. Si desea cambiar su política DMARC, debe actualizar su registro TXT de DNS con la nueva política. ¿Qué es un registro DMARC? Un registro DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) es un protocolo de autenticación de correo electrónico que ayuda a prevenir la suplantación de correo electrónico, el phishing, etc. Al publicar un registro DMARC, puede especificar cómo los receptores de correo electrónico deben manejar los correos que no parecen autorizados o genuinos y no pasan la verificación de autenticación. Ayuda a proteger su dominio de correo electrónico de ser utilizado para actividades de phishing o maliciosas por entidades no autorizadas. ¿Cuál es el propósito de los registros DMARC? DMARC es un protocolo de autenticación de correo... --- #### Por qué importa la autenticación de correo electrónico y es necesaria para garantizar la seguridad del email URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/por-que-importa-autenticacion-correo/ Description: En esta era de desarrollo tecnológico, la autenticación de correo electrónico ha cobrado gran importancia. En esta era de desarrollo tecnológico y los beneficios y desventajas que conlleva, la autenticación de correo electrónico ha cobrado gran importancia. Además de proteger su negocio u organización, puede garantizar su crecimiento constante y éxito a largo plazo. En otras palabras, la autenticación de correo electrónico desempeña un papel fundamental en el mercado moderno de comercio electrónico. Siga leyendo para conocer más sobre la autenticación de correo electrónico y su importancia. El aumento constante de los delitos cibernéticos en la era digital es motivo de preocupación para todas las empresas y organizaciones. El phishing, la suplantación de correo electrónico, el ransomware y los ataques de malware ocurren a diario porque muchas organizaciones no toman en serio la autenticación de correo electrónico. La autenticación de correo electrónico tiene dos facetas. Por un lado, puede proteger su negocio del fraude y el phishing. Y por otro lado, puede ayudar a autenticar los correos electrónicos de su negocio u organización y garantizar que lleguen de manera segura y exitosa a las bandejas de entrada de los destinatarios. ¿Qué es la autenticación de correo electrónico? La autenticación de correo electrónico es el proceso que verifica la autenticidad de un correo electrónico recibido, asegurando... --- #### ¿Qué es la alineación DMARC y cómo funciona? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/que-es-alineacion-dmarc/ Description: Este artículo proporciona una mirada en profundidad a la alineación SPF y DKIM con ejemplos. También analiza los informes DMARC y sus tipos para ayudar a definir políticas DMARC alineadas. Este artículo proporciona una mirada en profundidad a la alineación SPF y DKIM con ejemplos. También analiza los informes DMARC y sus tipos para ayudar a definir políticas DMARC alineadas y los modos que puede especificar para la alineación DMARC, incluyendo estricto o relajado. La alineación DMARC es necesaria para autenticar a los remitentes de correo electrónico de su dominio. Una solución de informes DMARC puede ayudar a monitorear los remitentes de correo electrónico para una administración eficiente del correo. DMARC es una herramienta poderosa para organizaciones y proveedores de servicios contra el phishing, la suplantación de correo electrónico, la suplantación de identidad, el fraude y otros ciberdelitos. Expliquemos qué es DMARC antes de definir la alineación DMARC. ¿Qué es DMARC? DMARC (Autenticación de Mensajes Basada en Dominio, Informes y Conformidad) es un informe que proporciona información esencial con detalles sensibles sobre todas las actividades de un dominio de correo electrónico. Además, crear una entrada DMARC en el Sistema de Nombres de Dominio (DNS) del dominio proporciona información valiosa sobre diversas fuentes que envían correos electrónicos en nombre de su dominio. Los informes DMARC son de dos tipos, incluyendo: Informes agregados DMARC: Los informes agregados DMARC o RUA son informes... --- #### ¿Qué es DMARC? Comprender su rol en la seguridad del correo electrónico URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/rol-dmarc-seguridad-correo/ Description: El correo electrónico se ha convertido en una herramienta esencial para la comunicación, pero también abre la puerta a diversas amenazas como el phishing y la suplantación de identidad. El correo electrónico se ha convertido en una herramienta esencial para la comunicación, pero también abre la puerta a diversas amenazas como el phishing y la suplantación de identidad. Con los ciberdelincuentes volviéndose más inteligentes y agresivos, es crucial que las organizaciones protejan sus sistemas de correo electrónico de manera efectiva. Aquí es donde entra DMARC, un protocolo poderoso aunque a menudo incomprendido, diseñado para reforzar la seguridad del correo electrónico. Se destaca no solo por validar correos legítimos, sino también por proporcionar a los propietarios de dominios la capacidad de especificar qué debe suceder con los correos que fallan las verificaciones de autenticación. Al comprender e implementar DMARC, las empresas pueden reducir drásticamente las posibilidades de ser víctimas de ataques maliciosos mientras mejoran la confianza en sus comunicaciones. Profundicemos en qué es DMARC y por qué se está convirtiendo en algo imprescindible para toda organización. DMARC, que significa Autenticación de Mensajes Basada en Dominio, Informes y Conformidad, es un protocolo de autenticación de correo electrónico que ayuda a los propietarios de dominios a proteger sus dominios contra correos fraudulentos especificando cómo se deben manejar los correos no autenticados. Se basa en estándares existentes como SPF (Marco de Políticas del... --- #### Seguridad del correo electrónico alojado para empresas URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/seguridad-del-correo-electronico-alojado-para-empresas/ Description: Aplique el cifrado del correo electrónico para que los atacantes no puedan interceptar sus mensajes. Seguridad del correo electrónico alojado para empresas Aplique el cifrado del correo electrónico para que los atacantes no puedan interceptar sus mensajes. MTA-STS cifra el correo electrónico entrante El protocolo Mail Transfer Agent-Strict Transport Security (MTA-STS) es un estándar muy extendido que mejora drásticamente la seguridad del correo electrónico. Funciona reforzando el cifrado de los correos electrónicos enviados a su dominio, garantizando que los mensajes entrantes no se reciban en texto claro no seguro. Esto impide que los ciberdelincuentes vean el tráfico de correo electrónico, lo manipulen y añadan archivos adjuntos maliciosos. DMARC Report ofrece una solución MTA-STS alojada Despliegue de seguridad MTA-STS a través de DMARC Report Los usuarios de DMARC Report pueden establecer protocolos MTA-STS para los correos electrónicos entrantes, lo que garantiza que su organización esté protegida contra algunos de los tipos más frecuentes de ataques basados en el correo electrónico. Nuestra solución facilita la seguridad del correo electrónico de seis formas fundamentales: - Con nuestra ayuda, puede publicar sus registros DNS CNAME con unos pocos clics. - Alojamos sus servicios MTA-STAS, por lo que todo lo que tiene que hacer es publicar unos cuantos registros. - Con nuestra ayuda, puede publicar sus registros DNS CNAME con... --- #### Simplificar registros SPF para garantizar la entregabilidad del correo electrónico URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/simplificar-registros-spf/ Description: Simplificar registros SPF para garantizar la entregabilidad del correo... Simplificar registros SPF para garantizar la entregabilidad del correo electrónico Implemente una solución libre de errores para consultas DNS ilimitadas Los problemas de entregabilidad de correo son problemas de registros SPF Los registros del Sender Policy Framework (SPF) traducen los dominios de alojamiento de correo electrónico en direcciones IP al enviar correos. Cada registro SPF solo puede contener un máximo de 10 registros; después de eso, la entregabilidad se interrumpe y causa el temido problema SPF PermError. - Si su organización envía correos electrónicos desde múltiples proveedores de terceros, puede exceder fácilmente este límite. Cuando eso sucede, la entregabilidad falla y comienza a recibir el "SPF PermError" en sus informes DMARC. - Este error significa que su registro SPF no es válido, por lo que el receptor de correo lo bloquea automáticamente. No podrá enviar correos electrónicos a ese receptor hasta que reduzca el número de consultas DNS en su archivo SPF. Su proveedor de correo electrónico no le avisará cuando haya excedido su límite de consultas DNS. Es posible que ni siquiera note que sus correos electrónicos no se están entregando. ¿Por qué solo 10 consultas DNS? Cada vez que alguien envía un correo electrónico desde su dominio a... --- #### Tecnología antispoofing activa URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/tecnologia-antispoofing-activa/ Description: No confíe en la protección pasiva del correo electrónico. Tecnología antispoofing activa No confíe en la protección pasiva del correo electrónico. Convierta DMARC Report en su proveedor de seguridad de correo electrónico activo. - Visualización de datos para informes DMARC Los informes agregados XML DMARC genéricos son documentos complicados, difíciles de leer y aún más difíciles de interpretar. Nuestra plataforma elimina las conjeturas a la hora de determinar el grado de seguridad de su correo electrónico. Destilamos todos los puntos clave de los datos en gráficos, tablas y números que cualquiera puede entender, perfectos para demostrar la rentabilidad de sus esfuerzos de seguridad del correo electrónico. Todos los datos DMARC al alcance de su mano Todas y cada una de las métricas de seguridad del correo electrónico que pueda necesitar están aquí, mostradas en gráficos fáciles de leer y codificadas por colores para su disfrute. Tome decisiones importantes sobre la seguridad del correo electrónico basándose en datos muy visuales directamente desde su panel de control: - El panel de informes DMARC Este es su único punto de verdad para la seguridad del correo electrónico. Consiga una visibilidad total de los correos electrónicos que salen de su dominio y obtenga información detallada sobre las actividades sospechosas directamente a través de... --- #### Todo lo que necesita saber sobre los resultados de una comprobación de registros DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/todo-lo-que-necesita-saber-sobre-los-resultados-de-una-comprobacion-de-registros-dmarc/ Description: Todo lo que necesita saber sobre los resultados de una comprobación de registros... Todo lo que necesita saber sobre los resultados de una comprobación de registros DMARC La comprobación de los informes DMARC es un paso crucial en la supervisión de su dominio para mejorar la entregabilidad del correo electrónico y la protección contra phishing, malware, spoofing y otras amenazas transmitidas por correo electrónico. Un sistema de informes DMARC para empresas y proveedores puede ayudar en la supervisión y gestión del cumplimiento de DMARC en muchos dominios. Un informe DMARC permite la gestión eficaz del correo electrónico y la protección contra diferentes amenazas basadas en el correo electrónico, como la suplantación de identidad, el phishing y muchas otras. ¿Qué es un informe DMARC? Un informe DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) ofrece un resumen de información básica sobre las actividades de un dominio de correo electrónico. Existen dos tipos de informes DMARC: agregados y forenses. Un informe DMARC actúa como autenticación para confirmar la integridad y coherencia del origen de un correo electrónico mediante la evaluación de la información de sus dominios y cabeceras (por ejemplo, la dirección del remitente). Esto ayuda a evitar la suplantación del correo electrónico y otros modos y métodos de ciberdelincuencia dirigidos a una empresa y a... --- #### Utilice los informes DMARC para detectar a los piratas informáticos que suplantan su dominio URL: https://dmarcreport.com/es/utilice-los-informes-dmarc-para-detectar-a-los-piratas-informaticos-que-suplantan-su-dominio/ Description: Autentique todos los correos electrónicos que afirmen proceder de su dominio. Utilice los informes DMARC para detectar a los piratas informáticos que suplantan su dominio Autentique todos los correos electrónicos que afirmen proceder de su dominio. Evitar la suplantación de identidad en el correo electrónico Proteja su reputación Garantizar la entregabilidad del correo electrónico Suplantación de identidad por correo electrónico: El primer paso hacia el fraude Más del 90% de los ciberataques comienzan con un fraude por correo electrónico. Los ciberdelincuentes secuestran su dominio y se hacen pasar por sus usuarios, enviando correos electrónicos maliciosos a sus empleados, socios y clientes. A partir de ahí, está a un solo clic de una violación de datos devastadora o algo peor. - - DMARC protege su correo electrónico contra la suplantación de identidad DMARC es un protocolo de autenticación de correo electrónico que verifica todos los mensajes que dicen proceder de su dominio. Es un sistema robusto y seguro que distingue entre remitentes auténticos e intentos de phishing malintencionados. Implemente DMARC Report para proteger su organización contra el fraude. Reservar una demostración Utilice el informe DMARC para proteger su marca contra costosos ciberataques Fraude al CEO. Los ciberdelincuentes pueden utilizar su dominio para hacerse pasar por altos ejecutivos de su empresa, aprobar transferencias... --- #### Plans & Pricing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/plans-pricing-new/ Description: Legacy DMARC Report pricing page retained for internal review. - SMBs & Enterprises - Managed Service Providers SMBs & EnterprisesMSPs - - - - - - - DMARC Report is an Award Winning DMARC Monitoring & Management Solution DMARC Report is the leading solution for over 5000+ businesses who rely on DMARC Report daily to monitor and manage domains for DMARC compliance. --- #### Plans & Pricing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/pricing/ Description: DMARC Report is an Award Winning DMARC Monitoring & Management... - SMBs & Enterprises - Managed Service Providers SMBs & EnterprisesMSPs - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - DMARC Report is an Award Winning DMARC Monitoring & Management Solution DMARC Report is the leading solution for over 5000+ businesses who rely on DMARC Report daily to monitor and manage domains for DMARC compliance. --- ## Blog ### Foundational #### Is It Safe To Unsubscribe From Spam Emails? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/is-it-safe-to-unsubscribe-from-spam-emails/ Description: Learn when it’s safe to unsubscribe from spam emails, the risks of malicious links, and how to protect your inbox from phishing attacks and email scams. Whether it is safe to unsubscribe depends on who sent the email. If you signed up for the newsletter yourself, unsubscribing is safe. If the message came from a sender you do not recognize, leave the unsubscribe link alone. This article covers both sides of that link: how a recipient can tell a real opt-out from a trap, and how a sending domain's own configuration determines how easy that trap is to build in the first place. Why Unsubscribe Links Exist In the US, a sender may not send commercial email to a recipient more than ten business days after receiving an opt-out request. Google and Yahoo add their own requirements for bulk senders, meaning those that send more than 5,000 messages per day must support one-click unsubscribe and honor requests within two days. This is why Gmail sometimes displays an Unsubscribe link next to the sender's name. Spammers typically do not follow these rules, so an unsubscribe link in their messages cannot be trusted. Why Clicking Unsubscribe on Spam Can Backfire Clicking can signal to the sender that your address is active and monitored, which makes it more valuable for future spam campaigns and for resale. The size of... --- #### How To Configure SMTP2GO SPF: Setup, Configuration, And Best Practices URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-configure-smtp2go-spf-setup-configuration-and-best-practices/ Description: Learn how to configure SMTP2GO SPF records, verify email authentication, avoid common setup errors, and improve email deliverability with best practices. Configuring SMTP2GO email authentication correctly helps receiving mail servers verify messages sent through your domain. SMTP2GO typically handles SPF and DKIM when you verify your sender domain and publish the three CNAME records provided in your account. In this guide, you’ll learn how to configure these records, verify authentication, troubleshoot common issues, and understand how SPF, DKIM, and DMARC work together. What SMTP2GO SPF Is and Why It Matters for Email Deliverability SMTP2GO SPF configuration is the process of authorizing SMTP2GO to send email on behalf of your sender domain. SPF, or Sender Policy Framework, is an email authentication standard that allows receiving email servers to check whether a sending mail server is permitted to send messages for a domain. A properly configured SPF record helps mailbox providers such as Google, Yahoo, and Gmail distinguish legitimate mail from forged messages. When SMTP2GO sends email for your domain, the receiving server performs an SPF check against your domain’s DNS. If SMTP2GO is included as one of the authorized sending servers, the result should be an SPF pass. If not, the message may produce an SPF fail, be routed to spam filtering, or be rejected depending on your DMARC policy enforcement. SPF... --- #### What Is Barrel Phishing? How It Works And How To Prevent It URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-barrel-phishing-how-it-works-prevention-strategies-guide/ Description: Learn what barrel phishing is, how these multi-stage attacks work, common warning signs, and proven ways to prevent phishing and protect sensitive information. Barrel phishing refers to a phishing tactic in which attackers use an innocent-looking email to establish contact before sending a malicious message. This approach may lead to credential theft, financial fraud, or data breaches. Understanding how this tactic works and recognizing its warning signs can help individuals and organizations strengthen their email security. In this guide, we explain how barrel phishing works, explore common examples, and share practical ways to reduce the risk of these attacks. What Is Barrel Phishing? Definition and Key Characteristics Barrel phishing refers to a phishing tactic in which an attacker sends an apparently harmless email to establish contact before following up with a malicious request. The second message may contain a suspicious link, malicious attachment, fraudulent payment instruction, or request for sensitive information. This approach uses social engineering to make a later message seem more trustworthy. In many cases, the first message contains no malware, no suspicious link, and no obvious red flags. It may look like a routine business inquiry, a vendor introduction, a scheduling note, or a simple “Are you available?” message. Because the initial email appears benign, users may reply, and email security tools may not flag it. Once the recipient engages,... --- #### What Is A Tailgating Attack? How Social Engineering Enables Unauthorized Access URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-tailgating-attack-social-engineering-enables-unauthorized-access/ Description: Learn what a tailgating attack is, how social engineering enables unauthorized access, common tactics attackers use, and practical ways to prevent them. A tailgating attack is a form of social engineering in which unauthorized individuals gain access to restricted areas by following authorized personnel through secure entry points. Instead of exploiting software vulnerabilities, attackers take advantage of human behavior, trust, and everyday courtesy to bypass physical security controls. While tailgating begins as a physical security issue, it can quickly lead to cybersecurity risks such as data theft, credential compromise, and unauthorized access to sensitive systems. Understanding how these attacks work helps organizations strengthen access controls, improve employee awareness, and reduce the risk of security breaches. What Tailgating Means in Cybersecurity and Physical Security A tailgating attack occurs when unauthorized individuals gain entry to a building, office, data center, or other restricted environment by closely following someone who is legitimately allowed inside. In physical security, this often means slipping through a locked door, turnstile, elevator lobby, parking gate, or badge-controlled entry point before it closes. In cybersecurity, the impact extends beyond the doorway: once inside, unauthorized individuals may access workstations, network ports, confidential documents, server rooms, or employee devices. Tailgating is closely related to piggybacking, though there is a subtle difference. Piggybacking often implies that an authorized person knowingly allows someone else to... --- #### How Do I Perform A BIMI Lookup And Check My BIMI Record? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-perform-bimi-lookup-and-check-your-bimi-record/ Description: Learn how to perform a BIMI lookup, check your BIMI record, verify DNS settings, and troubleshoot issues affecting your brand logo display in email. To perform a BIMI lookup, query the DNS TXT record at selector.bimi.yourdomain.com, usually default.bimi.yourdomain.com. Check for a valid v=BIMI1 record with the appropriate l= logo URL and, when required by the mailbox provider, an a= certificate URL. You should also verify DMARC enforcement and that the linked assets are accessible and valid. BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) lets mailbox providers display your verified brand logo next to authenticated email, but it only works when your domain is DMARC-enforced and your BIMI record, logo SVG, and (for most providers) VMC are valid and reachable. The lookup itself is a simple DNS TXT query; the work is in validating syntax, assets, and policy so providers accept and show your logo. Below we go a click deeper with exact CLI commands, what to inspect in responses, how to validate tag-value pairs and provider requirements, how VMC changes outcomes, and how to diagnose failures. Each step is paired with how DMARCReport monitors, validates, and alerts on regressions so your BIMI stays healthy in production. Step-by-Step BIMI Lookup and What to Inspect (dig/host/nslookup) BIMI records live under selector.bimi.domain, where selector defaults to default unless overridden per-message via a BIMI-Selector header. - Linux/macOS (dig) -... --- #### Fake School Email Scams: How To Spot Phishing And Impersonation URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/fake-school-email-scams-how-to-spot-phishing-and-impersonation/ Description: Learn how fake school email scams use phishing and impersonation to deceive parents, students, and staff into sharing information or taking risky actions. Fake school email scams are increasingly targeting students, parents, teachers, and school staff through deceptive messages that impersonate trusted educational institutions. These phishing emails often use urgent account alerts, fake login links, scholarship offers, or payment requests to steal personal information and credentials. Understanding how to identify suspicious sender addresses, verify links, and recognize common warning signs can help protect your school accounts and sensitive information from email fraud and impersonation. What Fake School Email Scams Are and Why They’re Increasing A fake school email is a fraudulent message designed to look like it came from a school, college, university, teacher, administrator, financial aid office, or student account. These scams are increasing because education communities rely heavily on email for assignments, tuition notices, login alerts, event updates, account verification, and access to online services. Attackers know that a student email or staff email often carries trust. A message that appears to come from a US university, US college, community college, or college IT department may persuade students, parents, and employees to click before thinking. Scammers also exploit the authority associated with a .edu email address, even though a real .edu email address should only be issued by an accredited educational... --- #### How to Add a DKIM Record in Namecheap: Complete Setup Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-add-dkim-record-in-namecheap-complete-setup-guide/ Description: Learn how to add a DKIM record in Namecheap, configure TXT or CNAME records, avoid common errors, and verify your email authentication setup. DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is an email authentication mechanism that allows receiving mail servers to verify that an email was authorized by the sending domain and that important parts of the message have not been altered while in transit. To enable DKIM for your domain, you need to publish the appropriate DKIM information in your domain's DNS. If your DNS is managed through Namecheap, you can add the required DKIM record directly from its DNS management interface. This guide explains how to prepare a DKIM record and publish it in Namecheap step by step. What Is a DKIM Record? A DKIM record contains the public information that receiving mail servers use to validate DKIM signatures attached to outgoing messages. When an email is sent, the sending mail system signs the message with a private DKIM key. The corresponding public key is published in DNS. The recipient's mail server uses the DKIM selector included in the email's signature to locate the correct DNS record. A DKIM record is normally published beneath a hostname similar to: selector.domainkey.example.com Here, selector identifies the DKIM key, while example.com represents your domain. Depending on your email provider, DKIM may be published as either a TXT record... --- #### How To Configure InfusionMail SPF Records For Your Domain URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-configure-infusionmail-spf-records-for-your-domain/ Description: Learn how to configure InfusionMail SPF records, authorize legitimate senders, prevent SPF errors, and improve email authentication and deliverability. Configuring an InfusionMail SPF record is one of the most important steps in improving email authentication for messages sent through Infusionsoft, now known as Keap. When you authorize Keap to send email on behalf of your domain, mailbox providers such as Google Mail, Microsoft, and Yahoo can better distinguish legitimate email sending from email spoofing, spam emails, and unauthorized mail server activity. What SPF Records Are and Why They Matter for InfusionMail Deliverability SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework, an authentication protocol that tells receiving mail servers which systems are allowed to send email for your domain. In practical terms, an SPF record is a DNS TXT record published in your domain’s DNS settings. For InfusionMail, the key authorization mechanism is typically: include:infusionmail.com This SPF tells mailbox providers that InfusionMail is approved to send messages for your domain through Keap or Infusionsoft. When your SPF setup is correct, receiving servers can confirm that an Email Broadcast, Email Blasts, automation sequence, or campaign message coming from Keap is authorized. If your SPF setup is missing or misconfigured, you may see lower email deliverability, increased email bounces, spam placement, or mail blocks. How SPF Works with Keap, Infusionsoft, and InfusionMail Keap uses... --- #### How to Configure DKIM for Simplelists URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-configure-dkim-for-simplelists/ Description: Learn how to configure DKIM for Simplelists, publish the correct DNS record, verify authentication, and improve email security with SPF and DMARC. DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is an important email authentication method that helps verify that messages sent from your domain are legitimate and have not been modified during delivery. When you use Simplelists to distribute email, configuring DKIM can strengthen authentication and help receiving mail servers recognize your messages as authorized communications. The setup requires you to obtain the DKIM information provided by Simplelists and publish the corresponding public key in your domain's DNS. Once the DNS record is available, Simplelists can use it to authenticate outgoing messages. Getting Your DKIM Information from Simplelists Before adding anything to your DNS, sign in to your Simplelists account and locate the domain configuration area. Follow these steps: 1. Sign in to your Simplelists account. 2. Open General Settings. 3. Go to the Domains section. 4. Select the domain you want to configure. 5. Locate the DKIM information displayed for the domain. 6. Copy the DKIM hostname and public-key value provided by Simplelists. The DKIM details are specific to your account and domain, so use the values displayed in your Simplelists dashboard rather than creating a record from a generic example. If your organization sends email through its own mail infrastructure instead of Simplelists,... --- #### Why Use A CNAME Lookup Tool For DNS And Email Authentication? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-use-cname-lookup-tool-for-dns-and-email-authentication/ Description: Discover why a CNAME lookup tool simplifies DNS management, verifies records, and supports accurate email authentication for secure, reliable email delivery. Use a CNAME lookup tool for DNS and email authentication because it verifies DKIM/SPF/DMARC delegations, surfaces misconfigurations (chains, apex violations, conflicts), validates third‑party sender setup, enables automation and continuous monitoring, and strengthens security against hijacks and expirations—capabilities DMARCReport delivers end‑to‑end. Context and Background A CNAME (Canonical Name) record aliases one DNS name to another. In email authentication, CNAMEs are widely used to delegate control of specific subdomains or selectors to third‑party senders—most commonly for DKIM public key hosting, custom return‑paths (bounce handling), and sending domain infrastructure. Because email authentication hinges on precise DNS state, an error in a single CNAME can silently break DKIM/DMARC alignment, increase spam folder placement, and erode domain reputation. A dedicated CNAME lookup tool can go beyond basic DNS utilities by helping administrators trace CNAME resolution, identify configuration issues such as record conflicts or inappropriate CNAME placement, and investigate how DNS configurations relate to email authentication. This can make it easier to understand whether a CNAME configuration may be contributing to DKIM, SPF, or DMARC-related issues. With DMARCReport, administrators can use DNS and DMARC reporting information to investigate email authentication issues, review authentication results, and identify DNS configurations that may require further attention. CNAME-related DNS issues... --- #### How To Set Up DKIM For Your Domain In The IONOS Control Panel URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-set-up-dkim-for-your-domain-in-ionos/ Description: Learn how to set up DKIM in the IONOS Control Panel to authenticate emails, improve deliverability, and protect your domain from spoofing. To set up DKIM for your domain in the IONOS Control Panel, confirm you own the domain and have the right email/DNS setup, generate or retrieve a DKIM public key and selector from your mail system, then add a TXT record named selector.domainkey.yourdomain in IONOS (Domains & SSL DNS) with the value v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=YOURPUBLICKEY, save, wait for propagation, and verify signing on an outbound test email. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a cryptographic signature to outbound emails that mailbox providers validate using a DNS-published public key; in IONOS, you accomplish this by publishing a correctly formatted TXT or CNAME (for certain third parties) under the domainkey namespace. When configured correctly and combined with SPF and DMARC, DKIM improves deliverability, thwarts spoofing, and enables DMARC alignment to move you toward a quarantine or reject policy. While the mechanics of adding a TXT record are straightforward, success depends on several details: ensuring the domain is on IONOS nameservers (or publishing externally if not), choosing a robust key length (2048-bit where possible), naming selectors consistently, handling TXT string length/quoting correctly, and testing header-level signatures end to end. DMARCReport streamlines this journey by detecting misalignment, tracking key age/rotation, and visualizing pass/fail rates from... --- #### What Is An Invalid Domain Name? Causes And How To Fix It URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-invalid-domain-name-causes-and-how-to-fix/ Description: Learn what an invalid domain name is, discover common causes, and explore simple ways to fix domain errors and keep your website accessible. An invalid domain name can prevent websites, applications, and email systems from recognizing or using a domain correctly. It may result from incorrect formatting, a nonexistent domain, DNS issues, or an invalid domain extension. In email, these problems can also affect address validation and authentication. In this guide, we’ll explain what an invalid domain name means, the common causes behind it, and the practical steps you can take to identify and fix the issue. What Does “Invalid Domain Name” Mean? An invalid domain name is a domain that cannot be accepted, resolved, registered, or used because it fails a technical rule, points to a nonexistent domain, uses a reserved domain, or does not match expected domain syntax. In simple terms, a system sees the domain name and decides it is not a valid domain for the task being performed. This can happen in browsers, web forms, hosting panels, payment pages, account systems, and email forms. For example, if a user enters name@domain.com as an email address, a form may check whether the domain portion after @ is properly formatted. If it is not, the form may show an error message such as “invalid domain,” “invalid address,” or “please enter a... --- #### How To Perform A Scam Email Lookup And Verify A Suspicious Message URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-perform-scam-email-lookup-and-verify-suspicious-messages/ Description: Learn how to perform a scam email lookup, verify suspicious messages, spot red flags, and protect your inbox from phishing and email fraud. To perform a scam email lookup and verify a suspicious message, isolate it in a safe environment, extract and analyze full headers to identify the true sending IP and mail servers, validate SPF/DKIM/DMARC alignment, run sender domains/IPs/URLs/attachments through reputation and sandbox tools without execution, check for spoofing or compromise patterns, document and automate findings where possible, and then block/report/remediate—ideally centralizing evidence and authentication telemetry with DMARCReport. Scam email verification is a layered process—no single indicator (not even a “Passed SPF”) is definitive—so the safest approach combines technical header forensics, DNS-based authentication checks, reputation intelligence, and controlled detonation of links/files. You’re trying to answer two questions: “Who really sent this?” and “Is the content or delivery path malicious?” While consumer inboxes hide much of this, you can access ground truth via full headers and DNS. Think of DMARCReport as the evidence hub and signal amplifier: it turns raw DMARC aggregate and forensic reports into actionable maps of who is allowed to send as a domain, where misaligned mail originates, and when suspicious spikes occur—so every manual lookup you do can be anchored in verified authentication telemetry and historical patterns. Step 1: Safe Manual Header Analysis and Authentication Checks Use this section... --- #### SPF Record Qualtrics: How To Set Up And Configure SPF For Qualtrics URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/spf-record-qualtrics-how-to-set-up-and-configure-email/ Description: Learn how to set up and configure an SPF record for Qualtrics to improve email authentication, prevent spoofing, and enhance email deliverability. Qualtrics enables organizations to send survey invitations, notifications, and other communications from their own domains. To help ensure these emails are trusted and reach recipients’ inboxes, configuring the correct SPF record is an important part of email authentication. An SPF record identifies the authorized servers that can send emails on behalf of your domain and helps reduce spoofing and delivery issues. In this guide, we’ll explain how to set up and configure an SPF record for Qualtrics and how SPF works alongside DKIM and DMARC to improve email security and deliverability. Why SPF Matters for Qualtrics Email Deliverability As organizations increasingly rely on digital communication, ensuring optimal email deliverability for Qualtrics survey invitations, collaboration emails, and project notifications becomes critical. The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record is a foundational email authentication protocol that helps verify which mail servers have authority to send emails on behalf of your domain. Without a correctly configured SPF record, legitimate emails sent by Qualtrics on your behalf may be blocked or routed to spam by major email providers such as Google (Gmail) and Yahoo. This has a direct impact on Customer Experience and Employee Experience initiatives, especially when using custom FROM addresses in Qualtrics. SPF... --- #### How Can I Get Started Testing My DMARC Reports With A Reader Without Altering My DNS Records? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-start-testing-dmarc-reports-with-reader-without-altering-dns/ Description: Test your DMARC reports safely with a reader, without changing DNS records, and gain valuable insights into email authentication and security. You can get started testing your DMARC reports without altering DNS by generating realistic synthetic RUA XML files, packaging them as gzipped email attachments, and importing them directly into DMARCReport via file upload, a monitored mailbox, or the DMARCReport API, while applying strict parsing, normalization, and security controls to validate your reader’s behavior. DMARC aggregate (RUA) reports are machine-readable XML summaries receivers send to the domain owner about SPF/DKIM alignment outcomes across sending IPs. When you’re not ready to publish rua mailto: URIs in DNS—or want to test privately—you can still exercise your reader by feeding it authentic-looking reports with varied receivers, IPs, alignments, and dispositions. The key is to replicate the core schema, sender-specific quirks, gzip packaging, and the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) attachment envelope. DMARCReport is designed for this mode of evaluation. It offers a Sandbox that accepts uploads, an IMAP-based mailbox collector, and a simple REST API you can point at generated files. It also includes robust XML namespace handling, gzip validation, receiver normalization, deduplication, and safe parsing defaults. Below is a step-by-step playbook that lets you test end-to-end without any DNS changes. Generate realistic DMARC RUA XML without DNS changes Required XML structure and example... --- #### How To Use A Nameserver Lookup To Troubleshoot DMARC Issues URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-use-a-nameserver-lookup-to-troubleshoot-dmarc-issues/ Description: A nameserver lookup helps identify DNS misconfigurations, missing records, and propagation issues that can cause DMARC failures and email delivery problems. To troubleshoot DMARC issues with a nameserver lookup, directly query the authoritative nameservers for the domain’s dmarc. TXT record, verify correct NS and glue delegation, bypass recursive caches, check DNSSEC status and SOA/TTL/serials, validate TXT formatting (including parent inheritance and absence of CNAME/wildcards conflicts), and then automate continuous checks and alerts with DMARCReport. Context and Background Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) depends entirely on DNS: the policy you publish at dmarc.yourdomain.com tells receivers how to enforce and report on authentication outcomes. When DMARC “breaks,” the root cause is often DNS-related—wrong TXT formatting, misdelegated nameservers, stale caches, DNSSEC errors, or propagation delays. A disciplined nameserver lookup flow lets you see what receivers see and isolate whether the problem is in your policy or your DNS plumbing. A nameserver lookup means querying the specific authoritative servers for your domain rather than relying on your local or public recursive resolver. This technique eliminates cache ambiguity, exposes delegation problems, and reveals DNSSEC signatures and serial mismatches that can mask recent DMARC changes. DMARCReport operationalizes this approach by automating authoritative checks, caching comparisons, DNSSEC validation, and alerting—so you find and fix misconfigurations before they impact deliverability or suppress aggregate reports. DNS-related problems can... --- #### Best Software Testing Tools for Modern Development Teams URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-software-testing-tools-for-modern-development-teams/ Description: Explore the best software testing tools to improve QA, automate testing, boost coverage, and help modern development teams deliver reliable, bug-free software. Your test suite is green, your CI pipeline is passing, and then a bug slips into production that your automated tests completely missed. That's the reality many QA teams face when they haven't picked the right software testing tools for how they actually work. Keeping up with evolving tech stacks, avoiding flaky test suites, and getting enough test coverage without killing your release velocity are genuinely hard problems. After reviewing dozens of platforms across real use cases and enterprise deployments, this guide breaks down the five tools worth your time. The vetting process for this list Every option here was assessed using publicly available information pulled from official product pages, user reviews, case studies, and industry directories. The evaluation focused on tools with documented results in real QA environments, not just impressive feature lists. Only platforms with a track record of performing in production-grade testing were included. → See the full research breakdown - Functionize - Best for enterprise QA automation and intelligent test automation - BrowserStack - Best for cross-browser and cross-device testing at scale - Applitools - Best for enterprise visual and functional testing automation - mabl - Best for enterprise QA automation and intelligent test maintenance -... --- #### DMARC Record Example: What Should A Valid DMARC Record Look Like? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-record-example-what-should-valid-dmarc-record-look-like/ Description: Learn what a valid DMARC record looks like, explore real examples, understand key tags, and strengthen your domain’s email authentication and security. A valid DMARC record is a DNS TXT record published at dmarc.yourdomain.com that begins with v=DMARC1; and includes at least a policy (p=none|quarantine|reject), for example: v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@dmarcreport.com; ruf=mailto:forensics@dmarcreport.com; adkim=s; aspf=s; pct=100; fo=1; sp=quarantine; ri=86400. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) ties together SPF and DKIM to protect the visible From: domain, instructing receivers how to treat messages that fail authentication and alignment. A valid record must live under the special dmarc host, be syntactically correct, and specify a policy; everything else is optional but recommended for real-world operations. The most effective DMARC deployments combine a staged rollout, disciplined SPF/DKIM alignment, and continuous report feedback loops. DMARCReport operationalizes this loop by collecting aggregate reports (rua), surfacing misaligned senders, recommending record changes, and guiding you from p=none monitoring to full p=reject enforcement with confidence. Minimal Valid DMARC Syntax and Clear Examples A DMARC record is a single TXT entry at dmarc.example.com containing semicolon-delimited key=value tags. Only v and p are strictly required, but reporting and alignment tags are foundational for success. Syntax Basics - Must begin with: v=DMARC1 - Required: p=none|quarantine|reject - Optional (commonly used): rua, ruf, adkim, aspf, fo, sp, pct, ri, rf - Default behaviors if omitted: -... --- #### What Is ADSP? Understanding Author Domain Signing Practices in DKIM URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-adsp-understanding-author-domain-signing-practices-in-dkim/ Description: Learn what ADSP is, how Author Domain Signing Practices works with DKIM, its policies and limitations, and why DMARC is more relevant today. Email authentication relies on several standards that help receiving mail servers determine whether a message is legitimate. One of the technologies associated with DKIM is Author Domain Signing Practices (ADSP). It was designed to allow a domain owner to publish information about how messages sent from that domain should be signed. Although ADSP is no longer the primary choice for modern email authentication, understanding how it works provides useful background on the development of email security protocols and explains why newer standards such as DMARC have become more widely adopted. Key Takeaways - ADSP, or Author Domain Signing Practices, was created as an extension to DKIM. - It allows a domain to indicate whether messages using that domain are expected to carry DKIM signatures. - The visible From: address identifies the author domain used when evaluating the message. - ADSP supports three signing policies: unknown, all, and discardable. - An ADSP policy can be published through a dedicated TXT record in DNS. - ADSP has important limitations, which is one reason DMARC has become the preferred approach for enforcing modern email authentication policies. What Is ADSP? Author Domain Signing Practices is an extension associated with DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM). Its... --- #### How To Use An SPF Wizard To Create And Validate An SPF Record URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-use-spf-wizard-create-validate-your-spf-record/ Description: Learn how to use an SPF wizard to create, validate, and optimize your SPF record for stronger email authentication and better deliverability. Use an SPF wizard by inventorying all your sending sources, entering their IPs and domains, selecting the right mechanisms (a, mx, ip4, ip6, include, exists; avoid ptr), validating syntax and the 10-DNS-lookup limit, publishing the generated TXT record at your root (or delegated) domain, and then testing plus monitoring results with DMARCReport to iterate from all to -all safely. Context and background Sender Policy Framework (SPF) tells receiving mail servers which hosts are authorized to send for your domain, reducing spoofing and improving deliverability. An SPF “wizard” streamlines this by asking you for your mail sources, composing a standards-compliant record, and validating common pitfalls before you publish. In practice, the hardest SPF problems aren’t syntax—they’re inventory discipline, DNS lookup limits, and change control across many third-party platforms. This is where DMARCReport’s SPF Wizard and monitoring close the loop: it helps you collect authoritative inputs, composes an efficient record, validates for errors and lookup budgets, and then observes real-world outcomes via DMARC reports so you can tighten policy with confidence. Step-by-step inputs an SPF wizard requires (and how to collect them correctly) A high-quality SPF wizard needs precise, verified inputs. Before you start, assemble this checklist: - Core domain and scope... --- #### When Was Email Invented? How Email Became A Global Communication Tool URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/when-was-email-invented-how-email-became-global-communication/ Description: Learn when email was invented, how it evolved, and the key milestones that made email a global communication tool. Email has evolved from simple messages exchanged between networked computers into a global communication system that carries business correspondence, financial transactions, account notifications, and sensitive information. As email became more widespread, new challenges such as spam, spoofing, phishing, and sender impersonation emerged, leading to the development of authentication technologies such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. The Short Answer: When Email Was Invented and Who Created It Email, in the modern networked sense, was invented in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson, an engineer working on ARPANET-related projects. His email invention combined two existing ideas: local computer-based messaging and file transfer across a network. By adapting SNDMSG, a local mail program, and CPYNET, a File Transfer Protocol-style file-copying tool, Tomlinson created a way to send mail messages between different computers. The broader history of email is more complex. Before Tomlinson’s breakthrough, researchers at MIT and elsewhere had already developed electronic mail-like features on time-sharing systems. These early email systems allowed users on the same machine to leave messages for one another, often by appending text to shared files or a mailbox file. However, Tomlinson’s key contribution was network mail: electronic mail sent from one computer to another over ARPANET. His most famous design... --- #### WHOIS Verification and ICANN Rules: What Happens After You Register a Domain URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/whois-verification-icann-rules-domain-security-and-email-protection/ Description: Learn how WHOIS verification works, understand ICANN domain rules, and discover essential steps to keep your domain secure, active, and protected. Registering a domain name is an important first step toward establishing a website, online business, or digital identity. However, purchasing a domain does not mean the process ends there. Domain owners must complete certain verification steps, maintain accurate registration information, and follow policies established by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). One of the most important requirements is WHOIS verification. Shortly after registering a domain, your registrar may ask you to confirm the contact information associated with the registration. Failing to complete this process can result in domain suspension and disruption to websites, email accounts, and other services connected to the domain. Understanding what WHOIS verification involves, why ICANN requires accurate information, and how to protect your domain can help you avoid unnecessary interruptions. Key Points to Remember - Complete any required domain verification as soon as you receive the registrar's notification. - Make sure your registration contact information is accurate and accessible. - Keep your email address, telephone number, and other relevant details updated. - Ignoring verification or compliance requests can result in domain suspension. - WHOIS privacy services can reduce public exposure of personal information where supported. - Enable security features such as two-factor authentication... --- #### How To Recall Email In Yahoo: What To Do If You Send A Sensitive Email By Mistake URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-recall-yahoo-email-after-accidentally-sending-sensitive-information/ Description: Learn how to handle a sensitive Yahoo email sent by mistake, including recall options, quick actions, and steps to protect your information. Accidentally sending a sensitive email can be stressful, especially when it contains private information, confidential documents, or an attachment meant for someone else. If you use Yahoo Mail, it’s important to know that there is no true recall feature that can remove a delivered email from the recipient’s inbox. However, acting quickly can still help minimize the risk. In this guide, we’ll explain what you can do after sending a sensitive email by mistake and how to protect your information. Can You Recall an Email in Yahoo? The Short Answer and Why Yahoo Mail Doesn’t Offer True Recall If you are trying to recall an email in Yahoo Mail, the short answer is that Yahoo Mail does not offer a true post-delivery recall feature that can remove a message from the recipient’s inbox. Unlike some Microsoft Outlook environments, where recall may work under specific conditions, Yahoo Mail cannot reliably retract an email after it has been delivered. This means there is no guaranteed way to recall Yahoo email once Yahoo has already processed and delivered it. You may see references to undo send, an unsend feature, or an undo feature in email apps, but these tools usually work by delaying... --- #### What Happens When Google Workspace MX Records Are Incorrect? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-happens-when-google-workspace-mx-records-are-incorrect/ Description: Learn how incorrect Google Workspace MX records can cause email delivery failures, missed messages, bounces, and routing issues—and how to fix them. If your Google Workspace MX records are incorrect, inbound email to your domain may be delayed, deferred, bounced, or misrouted to the wrong server. In some cases, messages may be lost if an unintended mail server accepts them. Incorrect MX records can also create security and deliverability risks until the DNS configuration is corrected and the changes have propagated. Google Workspace routes all inbound mail based on DNS MX records, so even a small mistake—like a typo in a hostname or a wrong priority value—can halt or degrade delivery. Mail exchangers on the internet look up your domain’s MX, attempt delivery to the highest‑priority target, and will retry or give up based on DNS resolution and SMTP responses. When MX is wrong, senders either can’t find your server (NXDOMAIN), connect to the wrong system (old provider or a hijacked host), or follow suboptimal priorities that cause timeouts, greylisting, and unexpected filtering. Practically, recovery depends on how quickly you identify the issue, fix DNS, and let TTLs expire. With best practices (low TTL during changes, proper validation, and monitoring), organizations can reduce mean time to detect (MTTD) from hours to minutes. DMARCReport helps here by continuously monitoring your DNS posture (MX,... --- #### How to Secure Business Communications on Public Wi-Fi URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-secure-business-communications-on-public-wi-fi/ Description: Protect sensitive business communications on public Wi-Fi with practical security strategies that reduce cyber risks, data breaches, and unauthorized access. Introduction Working from a café, airport lounge, hotel or coworking space has become normal for many businesses. Employees can answer emails, join meetings, send documents and stay in touch with colleagues without being tied to an office. The convenience is obvious, but public Wi-Fi also creates additional security concerns. A network that is open to dozens of unknown users is very different from a company's protected office connection. If an employee handles sensitive business information over an unsecured connection, passwords, messages or files could potentially be exposed. For businesses with remote or traveling employees, knowing how to use public Wi-Fi safely is therefore an important part of everyday cybersecurity. Why Public Wi-Fi Can Be Risky The biggest problem with public Wi-Fi is that users usually have little control over how the network is configured. They may know the network name and password, but they don't necessarily know who manages the equipment or whether it has been properly secured. There is also a risk of connecting to a fake hotspot. An attacker can create a network with a name that looks similar to the legitimate one. Once a device connects, the attacker may attempt to redirect users to fraudulent websites or... --- #### Spam Google Calendar: How Attackers Use Fake Calendar Invites For Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/spam-google-calendar-fake-calendar-invites-used-for-phishing-attacks/ Description: Learn how attackers exploit spam Google Calendar invites for phishing, tricking users into clicking malicious links and exposing sensitive information. Google Calendar spam is becoming a common phishing tactic that uses fake event invitations to trick users into clicking malicious links, sharing sensitive information, or contacting fraudulent support numbers. Attackers make these invites look like legitimate meetings, payment alerts, delivery notices, or security warnings. Understanding how fake calendar invitations work—and knowing the warning signs—can help users avoid scams and protect their accounts and personal information. What Is Google Calendar Spam? Google Calendar spam is the abuse of Google Calendar event invitations to place suspicious or unwanted events on someone’s calendar. Instead of sending only a typical phishing email, malicious senders use event invitations, calendar notifications, and event details to pressure users into clicking links, calling fake support numbers, or visiting fraudulent websites. This type of calendar spam often appears as a meeting, prize alert, invoice reminder, crypto promotion, delivery notice, or security warning. In many cases, the spam calendar invite includes alarming language such as “Your account is compromised,” “Payment failed,” or “Claim your reward.” The goal is to make the event look legitimate enough that the recipient will open it, inspect the event details, and follow a malicious link. Google Calendar is widely used across personal, Workplace, School, and... --- #### Web.com SPF and DKIM Configuration: A Complete Setup Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/web-com-spf-and-dkim-configuration-a-complete-setup-guide/ Description: Learn how to configure Web.com SPF and understand DKIM, DMARC alignment, DNS setup, common mistakes, and troubleshooting for reliable email authentication. Setting up email authentication is an important step toward protecting your domain and improving the reliability of messages sent through Web.com. Proper authentication helps receiving mail servers determine whether your messages are coming from an authorized source and reduces the chances of legitimate emails being treated as suspicious. Web.com provides domain registration, website hosting, email services, and other online solutions. If you use Web.com for business email, configuring the appropriate DNS records is an important part of establishing a secure email environment. This guide explains how to configure SPF for Web.com, what to know about DKIM support, and how these authentication methods work with DMARC. What Are SPF and DKIM? SPF and DKIM are email authentication mechanisms that help receiving servers verify the legitimacy of messages. SPF Sender Policy Framework (SPF) uses a DNS TXT record to identify the mail servers that are permitted to send messages on behalf of your domain. When a receiving server gets an email, it can compare the sending server's IP address against the servers authorized by your SPF record. For Web.com email, the SPF configuration uses the following include mechanism: include:spf.cloudus.oxcs.net If you are creating a dedicated SPF record for Web.com, the complete value... --- #### Famous Phishing Attacks: The Biggest Data Breaches Explained URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/famous-phishing-attacks-the-biggest-data-breaches-explained/ Description: Explore famous phishing attacks, major data breaches, and the costly lessons they reveal about protecting sensitive data from cyber threats. Phishing attacks are among the most common and dangerous forms of cybercrime, often targeting people rather than technology. By using fake emails, websites, messages, and social engineering, attackers can steal login credentials, financial information, and sensitive company data. Some phishing campaigns have grown into major data breaches, affecting millions of users and exposing organizations to financial and reputational damage. In this article, we explore some of the most famous phishing attacks and the key lessons they provide for improving cybersecurity. What Makes Phishing Attacks So Dangerous? A phishing attack is dangerous because it targets the human layer of digital security. Instead of breaking encryption or defeating firewalls directly, cyber criminals manipulate people into handing over login credentials, approving payments, opening malicious attachments, or visiting a fake website designed to steal personal information. Modern phishing emails often look polished, timely, and convincing. They may copy branding from financial institutions, technology companies, social media platforms, or government agencies. A single email scam can trigger password theft, credentials theft, identity theft, bank fraud, malware infection, or a full-scale data breach involving confidential data and company data. The Role of Social Engineering At the center of most famous phishing attacks is social engineering. Attackers... --- #### SPF Record Syntax Explained: Understanding SPF Structure, Components, and Best Practices URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/spf-record-syntax-explained-understanding-structure-components-best-practices-guide/ Description: Learn SPF record syntax, mechanisms, qualifiers, and best practices to build accurate SPF records that improve email authentication and deliverability. Email remains one of the most widely used communication channels for businesses, but it is also a favorite target for cybercriminals. Attackers frequently impersonate trusted domains to deliver phishing emails, spread malware, or commit business email compromise (BEC). To combat these threats, organizations rely on email authentication standards such as Sender Policy Framework (SPF). SPF allows domain owners to define which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of their domain. When receiving mail servers verify an incoming message against an SPF record, they can determine whether the email originated from an approved source. This helps reduce domain spoofing, strengthens email security, and supports improved email deliverability. In this guide, we'll explore SPF record syntax, explain every major component, discuss common mechanisms and qualifiers, review practical examples, and share best practices for creating reliable SPF records. What Is an SPF Record? An SPF record is a DNS TXT record that identifies the mail servers authorized to send email using your domain name. Rather than relying on guesswork, receiving mail servers consult this DNS record whenever they receive an email claiming to originate from your domain. If the sending server matches one of the authorized sources listed in the... --- #### Email Header Outlook: How To View Email Headers In Outlook URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-header-outlook-how-to-view-email-headers-in-outlook/ Description: Learn how to view email headers in Outlook to trace message routes, verify authentication, troubleshoot delivery issues, and detect suspicious emails. An email header is the technical record attached to every email message as it moves from sender to recipient. In Outlook, the visible message shows the sender, recipient, subject line, date, and body, but the full internet message headers reveal much more: routing paths, mail server timestamps, DMARC, authentication clues, content format, and unique identifiers. These internet message headers are useful in Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, Outlook.com, and the New Outlook because they help determine where a message came from, which email servers handled it, and whether the message may be suspicious. Microsoft preserves this header information so administrators, security teams, and advanced users can investigate delivery problems, spam, spoofing, and phishing. Email header vs visible message details The normal message details you see in the Reading Pane are simplified. They typically include the From field, the sender's address, the recipient, the subject line, and perhaps a carbon copy or blind carbon copy indicator if you were included in the Bcc field. The complete email header, however, includes fields such as Return-Path, Message-ID, Thread-Index, MIME-Version, Content-Type, and sometimes X-OriginalArrivalTime. In practical terms, when you view message details, you see what Outlook presents... --- #### What Is Baiting in Cybersecurity? Understanding the Attack, Common Examples, and How to Stay Protected URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-baiting-in-cybersecurity-attack-examples-protection-prevention-guide/ Description: Learn what baiting in cybersecurity is, explore real-world examples, identify warning signs, and discover practical tips to prevent social engineering attacks. Cybercriminals rely on more than sophisticated malware and hacking tools to compromise organizations. Many successful attacks begin by exploiting human curiosity, trust, or the desire to gain something valuable. One social engineering tactic that continues to deceive both individuals and businesses is baiting. Unlike phishing attacks that typically rely on convincing emails, baiting lures victims with something appealing, such as free software, exclusive content, or abandoned storage devices. Once the victim interacts with the bait, attackers gain an opportunity to install malware, steal credentials, or compromise sensitive data. Understanding how baiting attacks work is essential for maintaining strong cybersecurity. This guide explains the different forms of baiting, real-world examples, warning signs, and practical strategies that can help reduce the risk of becoming a victim. What Is Baiting? Baiting is a type of social engineering attack designed to entice people into performing actions that compromise their security. Instead of forcing entry into a system, attackers encourage victims to voluntarily interact with malicious content by offering something they find valuable or interesting. The "bait" may be: - Free software downloads - Gift cards or promotional offers - Movies or music - USB flash drives - External hard drives - Fake software updates... --- #### Best Antispam Tools to Stop Unwanted Email Messages URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-antispam-tools-to-stop-unwanted-email-messages/ Description: Discover the best antispam tools to block unwanted emails, reduce phishing threats, and keep your inbox secure, organized, and clutter-free. Spam emails, phishing attacks, and unwanted messages can reduce productivity and expose users to serious security risks. Whether you're protecting a personal inbox, a business email system, a website, or an online community, choosing the right antispam tool is essential. Modern antispam solutions go beyond basic spam filtering by detecting phishing attempts, blocking malware, preventing spoofing, and reducing false positives. In this guide, we'll explore the top better antispam tools, the key features to look for, and best practices for keeping your inboxes, websites, and online platforms secure from unwanted messages. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC strengthen antispam protection by authenticating legitimate email senders and blocking domain spoofing. If you haven't already, create a DMARC record to lock down your domain against impersonation. As a first step, create DMARC record coverage for your domain to stop spoofers from impersonating you. What Makes a Better Antispam Tool: Key Features to Look For Multi-layer spam filtering and phishing defense A better antispam tool should do more than block obvious spam. The strongest anti-spam platforms combine spam filtering, phishing detection, malware scanning, sender authentication, and content filtering to stop threats before they reach Users. In business environments such as Microsoft 365, Office 365, Exchange... --- #### Multiple SPF Records: Can One Domain Have More Than One? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/multiple-spf-records-can-one-domain-have-more-than-one/ Description: Learn whether one domain can have multiple SPF records, how they cause errors, and the right way to combine authorized email senders. If you've found multiple SPF records for your domain, you're not alone. It's a common DNS configuration mistake that can lead to SPF PermError, email authentication failures, and reduced email deliverability. While different email providers often ask you to add their own SPF records, a domain should only have one valid SPF record for each hostname. In this guide, we'll explain whether a domain can have multiple SPF records, why having more than one causes problems, how it affects SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and the correct way to merge multiple SPF records into a single, valid policy. What SPF Records Are and Why They Matter for Email Authentication Sender Policy Framework, or SPF, is an email authentication protocol that helps receiving mail servers verify whether an email server is authorized to send messages for a domain. An SPF record is published as a DNS TXT record in the domain’s DNS zone, and it defines the domain’s approved sending infrastructure. In practical terms, SPF protects the Return-path address—also called the envelope sender—from unauthorized use. When a message arrives, the recipient server performs an SPF check by comparing the sending IP address against the domain’s published SPF policy. If the sender matches... --- #### What Is A DNS Authorization Record And Why Might My Domain Need One? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dns-authorization-record-and-why-domain-needs-one/ Description: Understand DNS authorization records, why domains may need them, and how they help verify ownership and support secure certificate issuance. A DNS authorization record is a DNS entry—most often a TXT or CNAME record—used to prove you control a domain to a relying party (like a certificate authority, email provider, or cloud platform), and your domain may need one to securely enable SSL/TLS issuance, email authentication, and service verification with automation and auditability. Context and background When a service needs to trust operations tied to your domain—issuing a certificate, accepting email on your behalf, or granting API access—it must confirm domain ownership or authorization. DNS is the global, canonical registry for that authority. By placing a specific value at a prescribed DNS name (for example, acme-challenge.example.com), you furnish cryptographic or time-bound proof that you control the domain. Beyond one-off verifications, DNS-based authorization enables repeatable, secure workflows: automated certificate renewal (via ACME/DNS-01), delegated verification for CI/CD, and robust email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). This is where DMARCReport adds ongoing value: you can monitor these critical DNS records, catch misconfigurations before they break issuance or email flows, and enforce rotation and least-privilege practices across teams and providers. In an internal analysis across 1,200 zones monitored over 90 days, we observed three drivers of authorization failures: 29% due to TXT/CNAME format errors, 24%... --- #### What Is A Computer Worm? How It Spreads And How To Stop It URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-type-of-malware-self-replicates-between-computers-computer-worm/ Description: Learn what a computer worm is, how it self-replicates between computers, spreads across networks, and the best ways to detect, prevent, and stop worm attacks. A computer worm is the type of malware that self-replicates and spreads automatically from one computer to another without requiring user interaction or attaching itself to a host file. By exploiting software vulnerabilities, network connections, or removable devices, worms can infect large numbers of systems in a short time, leading to data loss, network disruption, and even ransomware attacks. In this guide, you'll learn what a computer worm is, how it spreads, how it differs from other types of malware, and the best practices to detect, prevent, and remove worm infections. What Is a Computer Worm? The Self-Replicating Malware That Spreads Between Computers A computer worm is a type of malware—a malicious program specifically designed to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems. What sets a computer worm apart is its unique ability to be a self-replicating and autonomously propagating entity. Unlike a traditional virus, a computer worm does not require user action, a specific host file, or manual execution to begin infecting systems and spreading across networks. A typical computer worm functions as a standalone program that often exploits software vulnerabilities, network protocols, or operating system vulnerabilities to move from one device to another. This replication occurs... --- #### What Is a Trojan Virus? How It Works, Common Types, and Ways to Stay Protected URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/trojan-virus-guide-how-it-works-types-and-protection-strategies/ Description: Learn what a Trojan virus is, how it works, common types, warning signs, and practical tips to prevent malware infections and protect your devices online. Cybercriminals use many different techniques to compromise computers and steal sensitive information. Among the most deceptive threats is the Trojan, a type of malware that disguises itself as legitimate software to trick users into installing it. Unlike viruses that spread by infecting other files, Trojans rely on social engineering and user interaction to infiltrate devices. Understanding how Trojans operate can help individuals and organizations recognize suspicious activity, avoid infections, and strengthen their overall cybersecurity posture. What Is a Trojan? A Trojan, often called a Trojan horse, is malicious software designed to appear safe or useful while secretly performing harmful actions after installation. The name comes from the ancient Greek story of the Trojan Horse, where attackers gained access to a fortified city by hiding inside what appeared to be a harmless gift. Modern Trojans follow the same principle. They disguise themselves as trusted applications, software updates, email attachments, games, or downloadable files. Once a user opens or installs the file, the malware begins executing its hidden functions. How Does a Trojan Work? A Trojan attack generally follows several stages. 1. Disguising the Malware Attackers package malicious code inside software that appears legitimate. The file may imitate: - Free software -... --- #### IPS Definition: What Is IPS, Its Types, And How It Works URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ips-definition-what-is-ips-types-and-how-it-works/ Description: Learn the IPS definition, how an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) works, its main types, key features, and why it is essential for network security. An Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) is a network security solution that monitors traffic, detects cyber threats, and automatically blocks malicious activity before it can harm systems or data. In this guide, you'll learn the IPS definition, how it works, the different types of IPS, and why it plays a vital role in modern cybersecurity. IPS Definition: What Does Intrusion Prevention System Mean? Within the evolving landscape of computer security and cybersecurity, the acronym IPS stands for Intrusion Prevention System. According to the official definition provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and its Computer Security Resource Center (CSRC), an IPS is a network security technology designed to identify and automatically prevent malicious or unauthorized activities within IT environments. This crucial security & privacy device acts as a gatekeeper, blocking potentially harmful traffic as part of an organization’s overall security architecture. In the glossary of key security terms maintained by the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) within NIST, intrusion prevention system is defined as a real-time security solution that not only detects but also actively responds to network threats. To locate an authoritative dictionary entry for IPS, resources such as the Merriam-Webster dictionary and the NIST CSRC Glossary provide... --- #### Why Is My DMARC Record Invalid? Common Syntax Errors Explained URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-is-my-dmarc-record-invalid-common-syntax-errors-explained/ Description: Learn why your DMARC record is invalid, discover common syntax errors, and fix misconfigurations to improve email authentication and prevent spoofing. Your DMARC record is usually invalid because of one or more of these issues: missing or misordered required tags (v=DMARC1 must be first and p=none/quarantine/reject must exist), misspelled or duplicated tags/values, broken syntax (missing semicolons, stray quotes, extra spaces), DNS provider quirks (TXT length splitting, automatic quoting, or a CNAME at dmarc), multiple TXT record at dmarc, malformed or unverified rua/ruf URIs, out-of-range tag values, or transient DNS/propagation/DNSSEC errors. DMARC is a text-based policy published at dmarc.yourdomain.tld that tells receivers how to handle messages purporting to be from you and where to send reports. Because DMARC is parsed by machines linearly, tiny mistakes—like a single extra quote, a comma in place of a semicolon, or a value outside permitted ranges—can render the whole record invalid, causing receivers to ignore your policy and reporting instructions. The fastest path to fixing “invalid DMARC” is to validate the record’s tags and syntax, confirm correct DNS publication (one TXT at dmarc), ensure your rua/ruf mailto: URIs are authorized, and verify alignment with SPF/DKIM. DMARCReport automates this end to end: it lint-checks your record for syntax and provider pitfalls, verifies reporting destinations, tests alignment on live traffic, and alerts you to errors before mailbox providers... --- #### Display Name Spoofing: Your Name On Emails You Didn't Send URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/emails-sent-with-my-name-display-name-spoofing-prevention-guide/ Description: Emails sent with your name but a different email? Learn what email display name spoofing is, how it works, and how to prevent it. If someone tells you they received an email with your name but a different email address, it can be alarming. In many cases, this is not a sign that your email account has been hacked but rather a common scam known as email display name spoofing. Scammers can make messages appear to come from a trusted person simply by using their name while sending the email from a different address. In this guide, you'll learn what display name spoofing is, how it works, how to tell the difference between spoofing and a compromised account, and the steps you can take to protect yourself and your contacts. What It Means When Emails Use Your Name but a Different Email Address If people are receiving emails that show your name but not your actual email address, you are likely dealing with email display name spoofing. In this type of spoofing, the sender name appears to be yours, but the underlying email address belongs to someone else—or to a completely fake email account. For example, a recipient might see: From: Jane Smith Even though “Jane Smith” is your name, the front address is not your real email address. This is different from someone... --- #### DNS TXT Lookup Tool For Checking DNS TXT Records URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dns-txt-lookup-tool-for-checking-dns-txt-records/ Description: Check DNS TXT records instantly with our DNS TXT Lookup Tool. Verify SPF, DKIM, DMARC, domain verification, and other TXT records with ease. A DNS TXT Lookup Tool is a simple utility used to retrieve and verify TXT records associated with a domain name. These TXT records are stored in the Domain Name System (DNS) and often contain important information such as email authentication settings (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC), domain ownership verification codes, and security policies. By performing a DNS TXT lookup, administrators can quickly confirm whether the correct TXT records are published and visible on the public DNS, helping ensure proper email delivery, secure domain configuration, and successful third-party service verification. What DNS TXT Records Are and Why They Matter A TXT record is a DNS record type used to publish plain text information in the Domain Name System. Although it is often called a text record, it is not merely informational; many modern internet services rely on a TXT record to validate a domain name, authenticate email, and connect third-party services. DNS TXT records commonly store SPF, DKIM, and DMARC policies that help authenticate email, prevent spoofing, and improve email deliverability. A DNS TXT lookup helps retrieve these values from DNS so administrators can confirm that the correct record value is visible publicly. TXT records as flexible DNS data Unlike an... --- #### What Is A Virus Link And How To Stay Safe From A Virus Link Online URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-virus-link-and-how-to-stay-safe/ Description: Learn what a virus link is, how it spreads malware, common warning signs, and practical tips to stay safe from malicious links online. A virus link is a deceptive or dangerous hyperlink that leads users to malware, credential theft, a fake website, or another malicious site. Attackers use these links in emails, texts, social media posts, ads, search results, and compromised websites to trigger a phishing attack, steal data, or push a harmful download. Because a dangerous URL can look ordinary, using a trusted link checker, URL scanner, and modern antivirus is essential for everyday online security. What Is a Virus Link? Definition, Common Forms, and How It Works A virus link is any URL designed to expose you to harm. It may open a malicious site, redirect you through several domains, start a file download, or impersonate a trusted brand through a fake website. Not every dangerous link immediately installs a “virus” in the traditional sense; many deliver spyware, ransomware, a Trojan, adware, or scripts that support botnets. Common Forms of a Virus Link A virus link can appear as: - A malicious link in a phishing email claiming to be from Google, Microsoft, a bank, or a delivery company. - A scam text with a shortened URL urging you to “verify your account.” - A social media message offering a giveaway... --- #### What Happens If I Open Spam Email? Risks, Safety Tips & What You Should Know URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-happens-if-i-open-spam-email-risks-safety-tips/ Description: Learn what happens if you open a spam email, the real risks involved, common myths, and practical safety tips to protect your inbox and personal data. Opening a spam email is usually not dangerous by itself, especially on modern email services like Gmail or Outlook. However, risks appear when you interact with the message—such as clicking links, downloading attachments, or entering personal information. Spam emails are often used for phishing, malware distribution, and tracking users to confirm active email addresses. While most are filtered automatically, some still reach your inbox. Understanding what happens when you open spam and how to respond safely can help you avoid scams, protect your data, and keep your accounts secure. What Happens When You Open a Spam Email? Opening a spam email is not always an immediate disaster, but it can expose you to risk depending on how your email client handles images, scripts, attachments, and links. In modern services like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail, simply viewing a message is usually safer than it was years ago because major providers use sandboxing, spam filters, and security scanning. Still, the danger of opening spam is real when the message contains tracking pixels, phishing links, or a malicious attachment. Opening vs. Interacting With the Message If you only open spam emails and do nothing else, the main risk is usually... --- #### What Is a Honey Trap Scam? How It Works and How to Stay Safe URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-honey-trap-scam-how-it-works-stay-safe/ Description: Learn what a honey trap scam is, how scammers manipulate victims, warning signs to watch for, and practical tips to protect yourself online. Online scams have evolved alongside social media, messaging apps, and dating platforms. One of the more manipulative forms of cyber fraud is the “honey trap” scam. This type of scheme relies on emotional manipulation rather than technical hacking, making it particularly effective against unsuspecting users. At its core, a honey trap scam involves deception built around attraction, trust, and emotional engagement. Victims are slowly drawn into a false relationship or connection that ultimately leads to exploitation. Understanding the Honey Trap Scam A honey trap scam is a form of social engineering where a fraudster creates a fake identity—often appearing attractive, friendly, or emotionally appealing—to build a relationship with a target. The scammer’s goal is not genuine connection but manipulation. Over time, they may try to: - Gain access to personal or financial information - Convince the victim to send money or gifts - Extract sensitive photos or private content - Use emotional leverage for blackmail These scams commonly appear on dating apps, social media platforms, messaging services, and even email conversations. When these scams arrive by email, DMARC tools can help confirm whether a message truly comes from the domain it claims. How Honey Trap Scams Typically Unfold While each... --- #### What Is _domainconnect? Understanding The Domain Connect Protocol URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-domainconnect-understanding-the-domain-connect-protocol/ Description: Learn what Domain Connect is, how the Domain Connect protocol works, and how it simplifies DNS configuration for websites, email, and third-party services. The domainconnect record is a special DNS entry used by the Domain Connect protocol, an open standard designed to simplify DNS configuration. It allows websites, email providers, and other online services to automatically discover which company manages a domain’s DNS settings and guide users through an approved setup process. Instead of manually adding DNS records such as CNAME, TXT, or MX entries, users can authorize changes through their DNS provider, making domain configuration faster, easier, and less prone to errors. Understanding domainconnect helps domain owners troubleshoot DNS settings and determine whether the record is necessary for their current hosting or service setup. What domainconnect Is and Why It Appears in DNS domainconnect is a special DNS entry used by the Domain Connect protocol to help a Service Provider discover which DNS Provider manages a domain’s DNS settings. In practical terms, it often appears as a CNAME record with the record name domainconnect, pointing to a provider-specific hostname such as connect.domains.google.com. For example, a domain name using Google Domains or domains.google.com may include a domainconnect CNAME record that points to connect.domains.google.com. This does not usually host a website or affect normal browsing. Instead, it acts as a reference that helps an... --- #### How Phishing Attacks Target the Education Sector and How to Prevent Them URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-phishing-attacks-target-the-education-sector-how-to-prevent-them/ Description: Learn how phishing attacks target schools and universities, the risks they pose, and the best strategies to prevent data breaches and cyber threats. A phishing email sent during exam week does not need to look perfect. It only needs to arrive when someone is busy, worried, or distracted. That timing makes education an appealing target. Schools and universities depend on email, cloud platforms, shared documents, and learning management systems every day. One deceptive message can expose student records, payroll details, research, or administrator credentials. It may also open the door to account takeover, fraud, or ransomware. Understanding how phishing attacks target the education sector helps institutions lower risk without disrupting teaching. Strong prevention combines secure technology, clear procedures, and practical awareness. Why Schools and Universities Attract Phishing Campaigns Educational networks serve students, teachers, researchers, contractors, parents, and temporary staff. New accounts appear each term, while old access is not always removed promptly. Users also have very different levels of digital confidence. A first-year student, visiting lecturer, and finance officer may respond differently to the same suspicious message. Microsoft’s education guidance highlights this varied population and the difficulty of training every learner. It recommends systematic anti-phishing and anti-spoofing protection, particularly for younger users. Valuable Information Across Connected Systems Education databases hold more than grades and coursework. They may contain addresses, birth dates, health information,... --- #### Can A Free DMARC Analyzer Help Identify Unauthorized Email Senders? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/can-a-free-dmarc-analyzer-help-identify-unauthorized-email-senders/ Description: A free DMARC analyzer helps identify unauthorized email senders by revealing spoofing attempts, authentication failures, and unapproved sources. Yes—when correctly configured, a free DMARC analyzer can reliably identify unauthorized email senders by consolidating DMARC aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) reports, surfacing SPF/DKIM alignment failures, and highlighting sending sources and IPs outside your authorized infrastructure. It can also support email automation by streamlining report monitoring, alerts, and security workflows, though deep forensics and advanced automation often require paid tools. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) relies on SPF and DKIM authentication and includes reporting that lets domain owners see who is sending mail “as” their domain. A free analyzer translates raw, XML-based DMARC feedback into human-readable dashboards, exposing sources, IPs, authentication outcomes, and volume trends that indicate spoofing and unauthorized relay. A free DMARC report analyzer turns those XML files into a clear view of every source sending mail as your domain. The key is a rigorous DNS setup—DMARC, SPF, and DKIM—paired with RUA/RUF endpoints, so that useful telemetry reaches the analyzer. DMARCReport streamlines this process for teams without large security budgets. It provides a no-cost path to ingest DMARC aggregate reports, parses alignment results, maps IPs to ASNs and geographies, and flags anomalies such as high SPF fail rates or unsigned traffic by volume. While the free... --- #### Why Do Email Providers Check DMARC DNS Records And What Risks Exist If I Do Not Set One? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-email-providers-check-dmarc-dns-records-risks-no-setup/ Description: Email providers use DMARC DNS to verify sender authenticity and block spoofing. Without it, emails risk phishing, spoofing, and spam rejection. Email providers check DMARC DNS records to verify that messages claiming to be from your domain align with authenticated SPF/DKIM identities so they can safely accept, quarantine, or reject spoofed mail, and if you don’t publish DMARC you risk immediate spoofing/phishing abuse of your brand, declining deliverability, loss of visibility into who is sending as you, and long‑term reputation and legal exposure—risks that compound if you publish a misconfigured or overly strict policy. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a policy and reporting layer that sits on top of SPF and DKIM, telling receivers how to handle messages that fail authentication and whether the identities used for SPF/DKIM “align” with your visible From: header. Without DMARC, providers have no authoritative instruction from your domain about how to treat failures, and you receive no aggregate visibility into who is using (or abusing) your domain across the global mail stream. Because DMARC explicitly binds the human‑visible From: domain to cryptographic (DKIM) or path‑based (SPF) identities, it shuts the most common spoofing vector—display‑name and domain impersonation—and allows receivers to apply consistent enforcement. With DMARCReport, organizations gain end‑to‑end support: inventorying senders, validating DNS records, parsing aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) reports, simulating... --- #### What Is A DNS Forwarder? How It Works, Benefits, And Types URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-dns-forwarder-how-it-works-benefits-types/ Description: Learn what a DNS forwarder is, how it works, its key benefits, and the different types used to improve DNS performance and network efficiency. A DNS forwarder is a DNS server that forwards domain name queries to another DNS server instead of resolving them directly. It helps improve DNS performance, reduce external traffic, strengthen security, and simplify network management in both small and enterprise environments. By efficiently routing DNS requests, DNS forwarders play an important role in faster and more reliable internet and intranet name resolution. Understanding how a DNS forwarder works, its different types, and its key benefits can help organizations optimize their DNS infrastructure and enhance overall network efficiency. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC strengthen email security by verifying sender authenticity, preventing spoofing, and improving email deliverability. For a deeper breakdown of how each protocol contributes, see SPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained. You can create DMARC record entries in DNS to protect your domain from spoofing. What Is a DNS Forwarder? Definition and Role in DNS Resolution A DNS forwarder is a designated DNS server configured to handle DNS queries on behalf of other DNS servers or clients. Instead of resolving every query directly, a DNS forwarder receives queries—typically for external domains—and forwards them to another DNS server for resolution. The forwarding process can dramatically improve resolution efficiency, simplify DNS namespace management, and... --- #### What Is DTLS? How DTLS Is Used In Cybersecurity URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dtls-how-dtls-is-used-in-cybersecurity/ Description: Learn what DTLS is, how it secures UDP-based communications, and why DTLS is important for protecting data in modern cybersecurity environments. DTLS, or Datagram Transport Layer Security, is a security protocol designed to protect data transmitted over unreliable networks such as UDP connections. It works similarly to TLS but is specifically adapted for real-time communication applications like VoIP, video streaming, online gaming, and IoT devices where speed and low latency are important. In cybersecurity, DTLS helps ensure data privacy, authentication, and integrity by encrypting information and preventing interception, tampering, or spoofing attacks during transmission. DTLS Explained: Definition, Purpose, and How It Relates to TLS Datagram Transport Layer Security, commonly abbreviated as DTLS, is a security-focused communications protocol designed to protect datagram-based traffic. In practical terms, Datagram Transport Layer Security brings the confidentiality, integrity, and authentication features of Transport Layer Security to applications that use UDP, the User Datagram Protocol, instead of TCP. DTLS exists because traditional TLS was built for a stream-oriented transport model. Transport Layer Security assumes that data arrives in order, without loss or duplication, because TCP provides reliable transport underneath it. UDP, by contrast, is a datagram protocol: each network packet is handled independently, and packets may be lost, duplicated, or delivered out of order. That makes standard TLS unsuitable for many UDP-based applications. Datagram Transport Layer Security... --- #### What Is A Microsoft Header Analyzer And How To Use It URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-microsoft-header-analyzer-and-how-to-use-it/ Description: Learn what a Microsoft Header Analyzer is, how it helps decode email headers, and how to use it to troubleshoot delivery issues and improve email security. A Microsoft Header Analyzer is a specialized tool that helps you examine email message headers to understand how a message was sent, routed, and authenticated. It breaks down complex technical data—such as IP addresses, timestamps, and authentication results like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—into a readable format. By using a Microsoft Header Analyzer, you can quickly identify delivery issues, detect spoofing attempts, and improve overall email security. What the Microsoft Header Analyzer (Message Header Analyzer) Does and Why It Matters A Microsoft message header analyzer is a specialized header tool that takes raw internet message headers from an email and converts them into human readable, structured insights. Whether you’re an admin safeguarding Microsoft 365 or a help-desk analyst investigating a suspicious from address, a reliable email header analyzer helps you analyze headers, parse headers, and visualize the route a message took through mail transfer agents (MTAs). Because email headers conform to RFC822 (historic RFC 822) conventions, the data is present but dense; a header parser makes that data actionable. Key capabilities of a message header analyzer - Parse email headers to surface hop delays, server timestamps, and the Received chain. - Highlight Authentication-Results (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), ARC details, and anti-spam results... --- #### What Is Reverse DNS And How Do Reverse DNS Records Work? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-reverse-dns-and-how-reverse-dns-records-work/ Description: Learn what Reverse DNS is, how reverse DNS records work, and why they matter for email security, server verification, and spam prevention. Reverse DNS (rDNS) is a crucial part of the Domain Name System that maps an IP address back to its associated hostname. Unlike forward DNS, which converts domain names into IP addresses, reverse DNS helps verify server identities, improve email deliverability, strengthen network security, and simplify troubleshooting. In this guide, you’ll learn how reverse DNS records work, what PTR records are, how reverse DNS lookups function, and why proper rDNS configuration is essential for modern internet infrastructure and email authentication. What Reverse DNS Is and How It Differs From Forward DNS The Domain Name System (DNS) is fundamental to how the internet functions, acting as a digital phonebook by translating human-readable hostnames into numerical IP addresses via a process known as forward DNS. When users enter a website URL—like www.example.com—a DNS lookup is performed to resolve this hostname into its associated IP address so the client can connect to the intended server. However, the reverse process also exists: reverse DNS (rDNS). While forward DNS maps a hostname to an IP address using records such as the A record (for IPv4) or AAAA record (for IPv6), reverse DNS maps an IP address back to its corresponding hostname. This procedure is known... --- #### SMS Spoofing Explained: Definition, Examples, And Security Risks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/sms-spoofing-explained-definition-examples-and-security-risks/ Description: SMS spoofing is a cyberattack where scammers fake sender IDs in text messages to steal data, spread malware, or commit fraud. SMS spoofing is a growing cyber threat that allows attackers to disguise text messages so they appear to come from trusted companies, banks, government agencies, or personal contacts. These spoofed messages are commonly used in scams, smishing attacks, identity theft, and financial fraud. Understanding how sms spoofing works, the techniques attackers use, and the risks it creates is essential for protecting personal data, customer trust, and business security. What Is SMS Spoofing? A Clear Definition SMS spoofing is the manipulation of the sender ID shown on a recipient’s mobile phone when a short message service text is delivered. Instead of displaying the real originating mobile number, the message may appear to come from a bank, delivery company, government agency, colleague, executive, or another trusted source. In legitimate communications, businesses often use a branded sender ID—such as a company name in alphanumeric text—for transactional SMS, account alerts, and promotional SMS. However, in sms spoofing, a fraudster abuses this capability to disguise the origin of a text and make a spoofed message look authentic. The core risk is impersonation. A scammer can pretend to be PayPal, United Bank, Google, a mobile operator, or a well-known brand to trick customers, employees, vendors, or... --- #### Instructure Ransom Breach, Pwn2Own Zero-Days, MiniPlasma Exploit Exposed URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/instructure-ransom-breach-pwn2own-zero-days-miniplasma-exploit-exposed/ Description: Stay updated with the latest cybersecurity news, data breaches, ransomware attacks, zero-days, vulnerabilities, and global cyber threat intelligence. This past week was one of the most action-packed in recent cybersecurity memory. A landmark educational data breach reached a shocking resolution, Microsoft's Exchange Server came under active real-world exploitation, researchers pocketed over a million dollars exposing zero-days in enterprise software and AI tools, and a researcher publicly dropped a Windows exploit that gives SYSTEM-level access on fully patched machines — all in the span of just seven days. Here's the full breakdown. Instructure Pays ShinyHunters Ransom to Contain the Largest Educational Data Breach on Record The most significant story of the week reached a pivotal moment when Canvas LMS operator Instructure confirmed it had reached an agreement with the ShinyHunters ransomware group and that the compromised data was destroyed. The breach, which originally began in late April 2026, is now considered the largest educational security breach on record due to its unprecedented global scale, affecting 8,809 universities, educational ministries, and other institutions worldwide. ShinyHunters claimed to have stolen roughly 275 million records tied to students, teachers, and staff. The compromised data reportedly included names, email addresses, and student ID numbers. Adding legal pressure, on May 13, 2026, a proposed class action lawsuit was filed against Instructure in the United... --- #### Microsoft Account Security Alert Email: Common Scams And Safety Tips URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/microsoft-account-security-alert-email-common-scams-and-safety-tips/ Description: Protect yourself from Microsoft account security alert email scams. Learn common phishing signs, safety tips, and how to secure your account fast. A Microsoft account security alert email is an email notification Microsoft may send when it detects important account activity, such as an unusual sign-in, password change, recovery info update, or risky sign-in attempt. These alerts are designed to help protect account security across services such as Outlook, Microsoft 365, OneDrive, OneNote, Microsoft Teams, Xbox, Windows, Microsoft Store, Microsoft Rewards, Azure, Dynamics 365, and even devices such as Surface, HoloLens, Surface Hub, PC Accessories, and PC Gaming systems. Why Microsoft Sends Security Alerts Microsoft may send a security notification when its systems detect suspicious activity, especially if someone tries to access your Microsoft account from a new location, browser, device, or app. Unusual Sign-In Alerts An unusual sign-in alert email commonly appears when Microsoft detects a recent sign-in that does not match your normal sign-in activity. For example, an Outlook sign-in from another country, a public computer, or an unfamiliar mobile device may trigger a security alert. Account Activity Changes You may also receive an email notification when account activity includes a password reset, changes to security settings, new recovery information, or a request to restore account access. These messages are meant to help you keep your account secure before an... --- #### What Is DNS Authentication and Why Does It Matter? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dns-authentication-and-why-does-it-matter/ Description: DNS authentication verifies legitimate senders and helps prevent phishing, spoofing, and spam. DNS authentication plays a major role in securing online communication. It helps confirm that internet traffic, emails, and domain-related requests are legitimate instead of fraudulent. As cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations increasingly rely on DNS authentication methods to reduce spoofing, phishing, and unauthorized access attempts. Without proper authentication, attackers can impersonate websites, manipulate email messages, and redirect users to harmful destinations. DNS authentication adds a layer of trust that helps businesses protect their domains, improve email reliability, and strengthen cybersecurity defenses. Understanding DNS Authentication DNS authentication refers to the process of validating DNS-based records and configurations to ensure that systems communicating over the internet are genuine and authorized. The Domain Name System acts like the internet’s directory by translating domain names into IP addresses. Authentication mechanisms built around DNS help verify whether requests, servers, and emails originate from trusted sources. This process is especially important for email communication because many cyberattacks depend on forged sender identities. DNS authentication protocols help receiving servers determine whether incoming emails are actually sent from approved systems. Why DNS Authentication Is Important Organizations that do not secure their DNS infrastructure face several risks, including phishing attacks, email spoofing, malware distribution, and domain impersonation. DNS... --- #### DMARC Aggregate Reports Explained: The Complete Guide to RUA Reports URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-aggregate-reports-complete-guide/ Description: Everything you need to know about DMARC aggregate reports (RUA). How to read them, what the XML fields mean, common issues, and how to turn raw data into actionable insights using DMARC Report. DMARC aggregate reports (RUA) are XML files sent by receiving mail servers that show authentication results for every message claiming to come from your domain. They include the source IP, SPF and DKIM results, alignment status, and the policy applied. Without these reports, you have no visibility into who is sending email as your domain or whether your authentication is working correctly. This guide covers everything about DMARC aggregate reports: what they contain, how to read the raw XML, what the common issues are, how to use them for enforcement decisions, and how DMARC Report turns raw data into an actionable dashboard. Whether you are reading your first report or managing reports across hundreds of domains, this is the reference you need. The first thing people realize when they start getting aggregate reports is how many services are sending email as their domain, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Marketing tools, CRM platforms, ticketing systems, legacy applications -- they all surface in the reports. The ones that fail authentication are the ones you need to fix before enforcing your DMARC policy. What Are DMARC Aggregate Reports? DMARC aggregate reports are defined in RFC 7489 Section 7.2. When you publish... --- #### DMARC for Gmail and Google Workspace: The Complete Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-gmail-google-workspace-complete-guide/ Description: Complete guide to configuring DMARC, SPF, and DKIM for Gmail and Google Workspace. Covers Google's sender requirements, admin console setup, troubleshooting, and ongoing monitoring. To set up DMARC for Gmail and Google Workspace, configure SPF with include:spf.google.com, enable DKIM signing in the Google Admin console, and publish a DMARC TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain.com. Google has enforced DMARC for bulk senders (5,000+ daily messages to Gmail users) since February 2024. If you send from a Google Workspace domain, proper email authentication is mandatory for reliable delivery. This hub guide consolidates everything you need to know about DMARC, SPF, and DKIM in the Google ecosystem. Whether you are a Google Workspace administrator configuring authentication for the first time, a bulk sender trying to meet Google's requirements, or an IT professional troubleshooting delivery issues, start here. For a primer on how the protocol works, see our overview of DMARC authentication. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter. You need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Google's Email Authentication Requirements Since February 2024, Google's sender guidelines require... --- #### DMARC for Office 365: The Complete Guide to Microsoft 365 Email Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-office-365-complete-guide/ Description: Complete guide to configuring DMARC, SPF, and DKIM for Microsoft 365 (Office 365). Covers Microsoft's enforcement rules, Exchange Online setup, troubleshooting, and ongoing monitoring. To set up DMARC for Microsoft 365 (Office 365), you need three DNS records: an SPF record with include:spf.protection.outlook.com, DKIM signing enabled via the Microsoft 365 Defender admin center, and a DMARC TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain.com. Microsoft began enforcing DMARC for bulk senders in May 2025, following Google and Yahoo's February 2024 mandate. If you run Exchange Online with a custom domain, proper email authentication is no longer optional. This hub guide brings together everything you need to configure, troubleshoot, and maintain DMARC for Microsoft 365. Whether you are an Exchange administrator deploying DMARC for the first time, an MSP managing client tenants, or an IT professional investigating delivery failures, this is your starting point. If you need to first understand DMARC at a conceptual level, start there and come back. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement -- our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. Microsoft's DMARC Enforcement Timeline Microsoft announced DMARC enforcement for Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, and Live.com in May 2025. The key... --- #### DMARC Policy Guide: The Complete Journey from None to Quarantine to Reject URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-policy-none-quarantine-reject-guide/ Description: The complete guide to DMARC policy progression. Covers p=none monitoring, p=quarantine enforcement, and p=reject full protection, with timelines, decision criteria, and common mistakes at each stage. The DMARC policy tag (p=) tells receiving mail servers what to do with messages that fail DMARC authentication. The three values are p=none (monitor only), p=quarantine (route to spam), and p=reject (block entirely). This single tag is the enforcement mechanism that makes DMARC effective. Without it progressing beyond none, your domain has visibility into spoofing but no protection against it. Our reference on the DMARC policy tag covers each value in detail. This guide covers the complete enforcement journey: when to use each policy, how long to stay at each stage, what data to collect before moving forward, and the common mistakes that cause organizations to roll back. Whether you are managing a single domain or hundreds across an MSP portfolio, the fundamentals of policy progression are the same. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement -- our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. Understanding DMARC Policy Per RFC 7489, the DMARC policy applies to messages that fail BOTH SPF alignment and DKIM alignment.... --- #### DMARC Setup Complete Guide: From Zero to Full Protection URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-setup-complete-guide/ Description: The definitive guide to setting up DMARC from scratch. Covers DNS record creation, SPF and DKIM prerequisites, policy progression from p=none to p=reject, and ongoing monitoring with DMARC Report. Setting up DMARC requires three steps: configure SPF and DKIM for your domain, publish a DMARC TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain.com, and monitor aggregate reports before moving to enforcement. DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by checking that the domain in the visible From header aligns with the domain authenticated by SPF or DKIM. Without DMARC, failed authentication has no consequence and attackers can freely spoof your domain. This guide walks you through the entire process, from understanding what DMARC does to publishing your first record, reading your first reports, and progressing through policy enforcement. Whether you are configuring DMARC for a single domain or rolling it out across hundreds, the fundamentals are the same. If you just need the record itself, you can build a DMARC record online in a minute. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter. You need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. Why DMARC Is No Longer Optional As of... --- #### What Is a DNS Server and How Does It Work as Your Internet Gateway? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-dns-server-and-how-works-internet-gateway/ Description: A DNS server translates domain names to IP addresses in milliseconds. Learn how recursive and authoritative DNS work, plus DNSSEC, DoH, and troubleshooting. A DNS (Domain Name System) server translates human-readable domain names into the numeric IP addresses that computers use to route traffic across the internet. When you type a website URL into your browser, a DNS server finds the correct IP address and connects you to the right destination, typically in under 50 milliseconds. According to Cloudflare's 2024 resolver performance data, the median DNS lookup time is 11ms on their 1.1.1.1 service, demonstrating just how fast this critical infrastructure operates. DNS is often called your internet gateway because it makes browsing fast, seamless, and user-friendly without requiring you to memorize complex numbers. Understanding DNS is essential for email security as well. Every DMARC, SPF, and DKIM record is published as a DNS TXT record, meaning DNS reliability directly impacts your email authentication posture. A misconfigured DNS server can silently break DMARC reporting, SPF lookups, and DKIM verification. If you're new to these protocols, our guide on SPF vs DKIM vs DMARC explains how they differ and work together. What Is a DNS Server and Why Does It Exist? How Does DNS Provide Human-Friendly Addressing for a Machine-Driven Network? The Domain Name System exists to translate human-readable names into routable numbers. When... --- #### What privacy and data retention concerns should I consider with a DMARC analyzer? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-privacy-data-retention-concerns-to-consider-with-dmarc-analyzer/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. You should consider that a DMARC analyzer processes personal and sensitive data (IP addresses, domains, sender/recipient identifiers, message headers, and sometimes message samples), so you must define per‑type retention limits, apply anonymization/pseudonymization, choose a hosting model with appropriate control, enforce encryption/RBAC/audit logging, comply with GDPR/CCPA and sector rules (including cross‑border transfers and data subject rights), negotiate vendor retention/deletion terms (including backups), plan for hard‑to‑purge artifacts, lock down forensic/AFRF content, and implement tiered, automated retention aligned to trend analysis, incident forensics, legal holds, and SIEM needs - capabilities that DMARCReport is designed to support through configurable retention, redaction, access controls, and auditability. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email... --- #### DMARC for Small Business: Why Every SMB Needs DMARC in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-for-small-business-why-smbs-need-dmarc-2026/ Description: Small businesses are the #1 target for email spoofing and phishing. DMARC protection starts at $0/month (free monitoring) and takes 5 minutes to set up. \\Small businesses are disproportionately targeted by email spoofing and phishing because attackers know they typically have no DMARC protection. A single BEC (Business Email Compromise) attack can cost an SMB tens of thousands of dollars - and without DMARC, anyone can send email that appears to come from your domain. If you are new to this, start with what is DMARC. DMARC monitoring starts at $0/month. DMARC Report's Core plan is free (10,000 reports, 1 domain, 30 days history). Setup takes 5 minutes. There is no cost barrier. Why Do Small Businesses Need DMARC? 1. \\Your email won't reach inboxes without it. Google (Feb 2024), Yahoo (Feb 2024), and Microsoft (May 2025) now enforce DMARC for bulk senders. If you send newsletters, marketing emails, or even transactional emails in volume, DMARC is required for inbox delivery. DMARC is now required by CISA BOD 18-01 (US federal), PCI DSS v4.0 (payment processors), Google/Yahoo/Microsoft (bulk senders), and government agencies in the UK, Australia, and Canada. 1. \\Attackers target SMBs specifically. Large enterprises have security teams and DMARC enforcement. SMBs typically don't - which makes them easier targets for domain spoofing. 2. \\A single BEC attack can be devastating. According to the FBI's... --- #### ipconfig /flushdns: Clear DNS Cache on Windows, Mac & Linux URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-use-ipconfig-flushdns-to-flush-dns-windows-mac-linux-browsers/ Description: Run ipconfig /flushdns on Windows, sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder on macOS, or systemd-resolve --flush-caches on Linux to clear the DNS cache and fix stale lookups. Flushing your DNS cache is one of the quickest ways to fix common internet issues like outdated website data, connection errors, or incorrect IP resolution. The Domain Name System stores temporary records to speed up browsing, but these cached entries can sometimes become stale or corrupted. In this guide, you’ll learn how to use ipconfig /flushdns on Windows and clear DNS cache on Mac, Linux, and popular browsers to ensure your system fetches fresh and accurate data. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Why and when to flush your DNS cache The Domain Name System translates a hostname (like example.com) to an IP address so your device can reach the correct server. To speed lookups, your operating system%20is,output%20devices%20and%20file%20storage.) and browsers keep a DNS cache containing recent resource data with a TTL (time to live). While this cache accelerates browsing... --- #### Why DMARC Fails: Complete Troubleshooting Guide (2026) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-dmarc-fails-troubleshooting-guide-2026/ Description: DMARC fails when both SPF and DKIM fail to align with the From header. DMARC fails when an email from your domain fails BOTH SPF alignment and DKIM alignment with the From header. If either one passes and aligns, DMARC passes - the failure means neither authentication method could verify the sender as authorized. This is either a legitimate sender that's misconfigured, or an actual spoofing attempt. Per RFC 7489, DMARC evaluates alignment, not just authentication. SPF can PASS while DMARC still FAILS because the SPF-verified domain doesn't match the From header. This is the most common source of confusion. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. The 5 Most Common Causes of DMARC Failure 1. Unauthorized Third-Party Senders Symptoms: DMARC reports show failures from IPs you don't recognize, or from services you use but haven't authorized. Your DMARC RUA reports are usually where these unrecognized sources first surface. Cause: You added a new CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot), newsletter tool (Mailchimp, SendGrid), or support desk (Zendesk, Freshdesk) that sends... --- #### How To Identify A Fake Email: Red Flags To Watch Out For URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-identify-fake-email-red-flags-you-should-watch/ Description: How To Identify A Fake Email: Red Flags To Watch Out For from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. In today’s digital world, email remains one of the most common ways scammers try to trick people. From fake account alerts to too-good-to-be-true offers, a fake email can look surprisingly convincing at first glance. Cybercriminals often imitate trusted brands and use clever tactics to create a sense of urgency or fear, hoping you’ll act before thinking twice. Knowing how to identify a fake email is essential for protecting your personal information and online accounts. By understanding the key red flags - both psychological and technical - you can quickly spot suspicious messages and avoid falling victim to phishing attacks.... --- #### Microsoft DMARC Requirements (May 2025): What You Need to Know URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/microsoft-outlook-dmarc-requirements-may-2025/ Description: Microsoft began enforcing DMARC, SPF, and DKIM for high-volume senders to Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, and Live.com from May 5, 2025. Non-compliant email is routed to junk, then rejected. Microsoft began enforcing DMARC, SPF, and DKIM for high-volume senders (5,000+ daily emails to Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, and Live.com) from May 5, 2025. Non-compliant email is initially routed to the Junk folder, with outright rejection following. This matches Google's and Yahoo's February 2024 enforcement - the three largest email providers now all require authentication. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Per Microsoft's official announcement, the requirements are: SPF must pass, DKIM must pass, DMARC record published with at least p=none, and DMARC alignment with either SPF or DKIM. What Are the Specific Requirements? | Requirement | Detail | |---|---| | SPF | Must pass for the sending domain | | DKIM | Must pass with valid signature | | DMARC | Record published at dmarc.yourdomain.com with at least p=none | | DMARC alignment | Either SPF or DKIM must align with the From domain | | Applies to | Senders of 5,000+ daily messages to Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, Live.com... --- #### VMC or CMC: Which is more fitting for BIMI URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/vmc-or-cmc-which-is-more-fitting-for-bimi/ Description: BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays a brand's verified logo next to authenticated emails in supporting clients. BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays a brand's verified logo next to authenticated emails in supporting clients. BIMI requires a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject - p=none is not sufficient. If you haven't already, create your DMARC record and reach enforcement before moving to BIMI. Getting your logo to show in the inbox is no longer just a bonus. It is becoming an important way to build trust through emails and make your brand easy to recognize. When people see a familiar logo, they are more likely to open and trust the message. But once you decide to use BIMI, you face a key question: which certificate should you choose? 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. This choice is not always simple. Every business is at a different stage. Some are well-established and ready for stricter verification, while others are still growing and need something faster and easier to set up. You also need to think about your goals, timelines, and how... --- #### How can I perform a DMARC lookup to check my domain's email authentication status? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-perform-dmarc-lookup-check-domain-email-authentication-status/ Description: How can I perform a DMARC lookup to check my domain's email authentication status? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. You can check your domain’s DMARC status by querying the DNS TXT record at dmarc.your-domain (using dig, nslookup, or host - or an online checker), verifying it contains v=DMARC1 with a suitable policy (p=none|quarantine|reject) and related tags (rua, ruf, aspf, adkim, sp, pct, ri), and then confirming SPF/DKIM alignment on actual messages and in aggregate reports. ▶ Skip the command line: the free DMARC Checker looks up and validates any domain's DMARC record instantly — policy, alignment, and reporting tags in one view. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication,... --- #### Steakhouse Financial Attacked, Indian Infrastructure Targeted, MEA Shipment Scams URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/steakhouse-financial-attacked-indian-infrastructure-targeted-mea-shipment-scams/ Description: Steakhouse Financial Attacked, Indian Infrastructure Targeted, MEA Shipment Scams from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Here are the top 4 cyber incidents from last week that every cyber enthusiast must be aware of. Steakhouse Financial , a crypto platform, was targeted by threat actors. A steep spike in cybersecurity threats against critical infrastructure systems in India is evident. The MEA region is experiencing a rise in fake shipment tracking scams. Meanwhile, the global healthcare industry is on the radar of cybercrooks and is looking forward to the deployment of stringent rules. Steakhouse Financial targeted by threat actors! One of the popular crypto platforms, Steakhouse Financial, fell prey to a phishing attack on March 30. They informed the users about the cyber mishap. It was a phishing attack that successfully targeted the... --- #### What are the best practices to follow when generating a DMARC record for a high-volume mailer? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-practices-for-generating-dmarc-records-for-high-volume-mailers/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The best practices for generating a DMARC record for a high-volume mailer are to publish a standards-compliant TXT at dmarc.yourdomain with v=DMARC1; p=none (then ramp to quarantine and reject via pct), use relaxed alignment initially (aspf=r; adkim=r), set rua to a monitored mailbox or aggregator, be conservative with ruf (fo=1 or fo=d:s only if you can handle PII), set ri=86400, maintain a short DNS TTL during rollout (300-3600s) and longer later (1-24h), and coordinate SPF/DKIM, subdomain policy (sp=), and third-party sender authorization while monitoring and adjusting with a reporting platform like DMARCReport. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. Context and background DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting &... --- #### Free DMARC Report Analyzer: Best Tools to Parse XML Reports in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/free-dmarc-report-analyzer-xml-parser-2026/ Description: Compare the best free DMARC report analyzers for parsing aggregate XML reports: DMARC Report, MxToolbox, dmarcian XML converter, Zoho Toolkit, EasyDMARC, PowerDMARC, GlockApps, and parsedmarc (open... The best free DMARC report analyzer depends on your scale: for automated ongoing monitoring, use DMARC Report (free tier, 1 domain, 10K reports). For one-off XML parsing, MxToolbox or dmarcian's XML converter are fastest. For self-hosted, parsedmarc with Elasticsearch is the open-source standard. ▶ Try it free — no signup: the DMARC Report Analyzer parses your aggregate XML right in the browser and shows every sender's SPF, DKIM, and DMARC pass/fail at a glance. From an operations standpoint, the difference between a domain with DMARC monitoring and one without is visibility, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see organizations discover unauthorized senders they didn't know existed within 48 hours of enabling DMARC reporting. That visibility alone justifies the setup time. DMARC aggregate reports (RFC 7489) arrive as XML files that are unreadable without parsing. Every domain with a rua= tag in its DMARC record receives these daily from Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and other receivers. An analyzer turns the raw XML into human-readable insights. A hosted DMARC analyzer does this ingestion for you and keeps a running history. Full disclosure: this page is published by DMARC Report. 1. DMARC Report (dmarcreport.com) DMARC Report - automated DMARC report ingestion with... --- #### What Is Baiting in Cybersecurity? Techniques, Real Examples, and Protection Strategies URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-baiting-in-cybersecurity-techniques-examples-protection-strategies-guide/ Description: What Is Baiting in Cybersecurity? Techniques, Real Examples, and Protection Strategies: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497. \According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Cybercriminals constantly develop new ways to exploit human behavior. While many organizations focus heavily on technical defenses like firewalls, endpoint protection, and encryption, attackers frequently target the weakest link in cybersecurity: people. The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. One common social engineering tactic used by attackers is baiting. This technique relies on curiosity, temptation, and human psychology to trick victims into compromising their systems or revealing sensitive information. A well-executed baiting attack can allow threat actors to install malware, steal credentials, or gain access to corporate networks without ever needing to exploit a software vulnerability. At DMARCReport, we regularly analyze cyber threats that originate from email and social engineering. Baiting attacks often intersect with phishing campaigns, malicious downloads, and spoofed messages. Understanding how baiting works is... --- #### How to Read DMARC Reports: A Practical Guide to Understanding Aggregate and Forensic XML URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-read-dmarc-reports-guide-2026/ Description: DMARC aggregate reports are XML files that show who sends email from your domain and whether authentication passes. DMARC aggregate reports are XML files that list every IP address that sent email from your domain, how many messages each sent, and whether SPF, DKIM, and DMARC passed or failed for each source. They're sent by receiving mail servers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) to the address you specified in your DMARC record's rua= tag - typically once per day. These DMARC reports are your primary visibility into who sends mail as your domain. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. From an operations standpoint, the difference between a domain with DMARC monitoring and one without is visibility, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see organizations discover unauthorized senders they didn't know existed within 48 hours of enabling DMARC reporting. That visibility alone justifies the setup time. The problem: raw DMARC XML reports are unreadable. A single day's reports from a domain with moderate email volume can contain dozens of XML files, each with hundreds of... --- #### DMARC for Google Workspace (Gmail): Complete Setup Guide (2026) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-google-workspace-gmail-setup-2026/ Description: Set up DMARC for Google Workspace step by step. Configure SPF with include:spf.google.com, enable DKIM in the Google Admin console, publish your DMARC record, and monitor reports. To set up DMARC for Google Workspace (Gmail for Business), configure SPF with include:spf.google.com, enable DKIM signing in the Google Admin console, and publish a DMARC TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain.com. Google has enforced DMARC for bulk senders (5,000+ daily messages to Gmail) since February 2024. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Per Google's sender guidelines, all bulk senders must authenticate with SPF AND DKIM AND publish a DMARC policy of at least p=none. Non-compliant email is rejected or routed to spam. You can generate a DMARC record in minutes and publish it as a TXT record. Step 1: Configure SPF for Google Workspace yourdomain.com. IN TXT "v=spf1 include:spf.google.com -all" Note: Google's include uses 4 of your 10 RFC 7208 DNS lookups (1 top-level + 3 netblocks). If you also use other email services, watch the lookup count. Check your... --- #### Why DMARC Is Necessary For Enterprises URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-dmarc-is-necessary-for-enterprises/ Description: As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4. Introduction As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4.0 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 non-compliant email in May 2025. The UK NCSC, Australia's ASD, and Canada's CCCS all mandate DMARC for government domains. Cyber insurers increasingly require DMARC enforcement as an underwriting condition. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Enterprise email has evolved far beyond simple communication. Today, it is a mission-critical channel that supports marketing,... --- #### Ohio Staff Phished, Cybercrooks Mimic FBI, Regulator Attacked Millions URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ohio-staff-phished-cybercrooks-mimic-fbi-regulator-attacked-millions/ Description: Ohio Staff Phished, Cybercrooks Mimic FBI, Regulator Attacked Millions from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Last week was replete with threat attacks that managed to create chaos and disrupt essential operations. Ohio-based Scioto County employees were targeted by phishing actors. A group of cybercrooks managed to mimic the FBI to target Tron blockchain users. Meanwhile, the RBI, India's central bank and financial regulator, was hit as many as 61 million times in just 3 months. The attack on Stryker, the medical equipment manufacturer, led to delays in critical surgeries. Ohio County employees received phishing emails with malicious links! A potential data breach occurred in Scioto County, where multiple employees received phishing emails containing malicious links. The Scioto County commissioners have revealed that the fake emails appeared to be coming from legitimate sources. They also feel that threat actors might have... --- #### How to Set Up DMARC: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2026) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-set-up-dmarc-complete-guide-2026/ Description: Set up DMARC in 5 minutes with this step-by-step guide. Configure SPF and DKIM first, publish your DMARC record at dmarc.yourdomain.com, start monitoring reports, and gradually enforce from p=none to... Setting up DMARC takes 5 minutes: publish a DNS TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain.com with your chosen policy and reporting address, and aggregate reports start arriving within 24-48 hours. DMARC (RFC 7489) builds on SPF and DKIM to tell receiving mail servers what to do when authentication fails - without it, failed authentication has no consequence. New here? First understand DMARC and how it works. Since Google's and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements, DMARC is mandatory for any domain sending 5,000+ messages per day. Microsoft followed with enforcement from May 2025. This is no longer optional. What Do You Need Before Setting Up DMARC? DMARC requires at least one of these to be configured first: As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4.0 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 non-compliant email in May 2025. The UK NCSC, Australia's ASD, and Canada's CCCS all mandate DMARC for government domains. Cyber insurers increasingly require DMARC enforcement as an underwriting condition. - SPF - a TXT... --- #### What Is a DNS A Record and How to Add One (Complete Guide by DMARCReport) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dns-a-record-and-how-to-add-one-guide/ Description: Every website you visit relies on a behind-the-scenes system that connects human-friendly domain names to machine-readable IP addresses. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Every website you visit relies on a behind-the-scenes system that connects human-friendly domain names to machine-readable IP addresses. Without this system, accessing websites would require memorizing strings of numbers instead of simple URLs. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. At DMARCReport, we believe that understanding DNS fundamentals is essential not only for website functionality but also for email authentication, deliverability, and domain security. One of the most critical components of DNS is the A record. In this guide, we’ll break down what a DNS A record is, how it works, why it matters for your domain infrastructure, and how you can easily create or modify one.... --- #### DMARC for Office 365: Complete Setup Guide (2026) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-office-365-complete-setup-guide-2026/ Description: Set up DMARC for Microsoft 365 (Office 365) step by step. Configure SPF with include:spf.protection.outlook.com, enable DKIM in the admin center, publish your DMARC record, and start monitoring... To set up DMARC for Microsoft 365 (Office 365), you need three DNS records: an SPF record with include:spf.protection.outlook.com, DKIM signing enabled via the Microsoft 365 Defender admin center, and a DMARC TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain.com. Microsoft began enforcing DMARC for bulk senders in May 2025, following Google and Yahoo's February 2024 mandate. You can build a DMARC record online in a couple of minutes. Per RFC 7489, DMARC requires SPF or DKIM to pass AND align with the From domain. Microsoft 365 supports both, but DKIM must be explicitly enabled - it's not on by default for custom domains. New to the protocol? Start with what is DMARC. Step 1: Configure SPF for Office 365 Your SPF record must include Microsoft's sending IPs: yourdomain.com. IN TXT "v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all" If you also send from other services (SendGrid, Mailchimp, etc.), chain the includes: yourdomain.com. IN TXT "v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:sendgrid.net -all" Check your SPF record → Step 2: Enable DKIM for Office 365 1. Go to Microsoft 365 Defender → Email & collaboration → Policies & rules → Threat policies → DKIM 2. Select your domain 3. Click Enable to start DKIM signing 4. If prompted, add the CNAME records Microsoft... --- #### Is Gmail HIPAA-compliant? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/is-gmail-hipaa-compliant/ Description: Is Gmail HIPAA-compliant? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC reporting. 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. Handling patient data comes with serious responsibility. Under HIPAA, any information that can identify a patient must be protected at all times. This includes details like names, medical history, prescriptions, and insurance records. For businesses in healthcare and related industries, keeping this data secure is not optional. It is a basic requirement. Email, however, is one of the most common weak points. It was never designed for sharing sensitive information. Messages can be misdirected, accessed by the wrong person, or exposed through phishing and stolen login details. These risks are not just theoretical. Healthcare data breaches continue to grow each year, often caused by simple mistakes or poor security practices. That is why companies that rely on email for communication need to be extra cautious. Whether you are a healthcare provider, SaaS platform, or insurance company, you must understand how your email system handles sensitive data. In this blog, we will take a closer look at Gmail and... --- #### What are the risks of implementing strict DMARC alignment too quickly? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/risks-of-implementing-strict-dmarc-alignment-too-quickly/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Implementing strict DMARC alignment too quickly risks immediate delivery failures and bounces, widespread false negatives due to SPF/DKIM misalignment (especially across third-party senders and forwarding paths), DNS- and key-rotation-induced outages, uneven handling by major mailbox providers, and collateral damage across subdomains - risks that are avoidable with a phased rollout, rigorous RUA/RUF analysis, and tooling like DMARCReport to forecast impact, detect misconfigurations, and orchestrate safe enforcement. The most common DMARC failure we see is alignment, not authentication, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. SPF passes, DKIM passes, but DMARC still fails because the Return-Path domain doesn't match the From header. Third-party senders break alignment by default unless you configure a custom return-path. The most misunderstood thing about DMARC is that SPF passing is not enough - the domains have to align, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. We see this constantly: SPF passes, DKIM passes, but DMARC still fails because... --- #### What Is ARP Spoofing and How to Prevent It URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-arp-spoofing-and-how-to-prevent-it/ Description: Cyber threats continue to evolve as networks become more interconnected and data moves constantly between devices. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Cyber threats continue to evolve as networks become more interconnected and data moves constantly between devices. While many organizations focus heavily on email-based threats such as phishing or domain spoofing, attackers also exploit weaknesses inside local networks. One of the most common techniques used to intercept network traffic is ARP spoofing. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. ARP spoofing is a dangerous attack that allows cybercriminals to manipulate how devices communicate on a local network. By sending forged network messages, attackers can redirect traffic, steal sensitive data, or disrupt communication between systems. Understanding how this attack works and how to prevent it is essential for maintaining strong cybersecurity practices. In this guide, the DMARCReport team explains what ARP spoofing is, how it works, the risks it creates for organizations, and the... --- #### Shadow IT in the Hybrid Workplace: Hidden Risks Beyond Email URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/shadow-it-in-the-hybrid-workplace-hidden-risks-beyond-email/ Description: Work looks different now, doesn’t it? Employees are the reason. Recent research from Gallup shows that six in ten employees prefer a hybrid work arrangement. Work looks different now, doesn’t it? Employees are the reason. Recent research from Gallup shows that six in ten employees prefer a hybrid work arrangement. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. No wonder the offices are now spread out, and so is the control IT once had. That makes it much harder to keep everyone secure. This shift has amplified a longstanding but often overlooked threat, and that is, shadow IT. This refers to the use of unauthorized software, applications, devices, or cloud services by employees without IT department approval or oversight. Shadow IT isn't new, but hybrid work makes it worse. When official tools are slow or difficult to access from home, employees turn to personal apps such... --- #### SPF vs DKIM vs DMARC: What's the Difference and How Do They Work Together? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/spf-vs-dkim-vs-dmarc-difference-explained-2026/ Description: SPF checks which servers can send email from your domain, DKIM signs messages cryptographically, and DMARC ties both together with an enforceable policy. SPF checks where the email came from (the sending server's IP), DKIM checks that the email content hasn't been altered (cryptographic signature), and DMARC ties both together by requiring alignment with the From header and specifying what to do when authentication fails (none/quarantine/reject). You need all three - they solve different parts of the same problem. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require SPF + DKIM + DMARC for any domain sending 5,000+ messages per day. Microsoft followed with enforcement from May 2025. This is no longer a "nice to have." Meeting DMARC compliance requirements is now a baseline expectation for any bulk sender. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. How Do They Differ? | Protocol | What it does | RFC | What it checks | Survives forwarding? | |---|---|---|---|---| | SPF | Declares authorized sending IPs | RFC 7208 | Sending server's IP against DNS list | ❌ No - fails when forwarded | | DKIM | Signs... --- #### What are the best tools for checking DMARC alignment across multiple domains? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-tools-check-dmarc-alignment-across-multiple-domains-guide/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The best tools for checking DMARC alignment across multiple domains are DMARCReport (enterprise-grade bulk and automation), dmarcian, Valimail, Red Sift OnDMARC, Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense, EasyDMARC/PowerDMARC, Cloudflare DMARC Management, and open-source stacks like parsedmarc + ELK or OpenDMARC-based pipelines, all of which can automate alignment checks across hundreds to thousands of domains depending on plan and infrastructure. The most misunderstood thing about DMARC is that SPF passing is not enough - the domains have to align, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. We see this constantly: SPF passes, DKIM passes, but DMARC still fails because the Return-Path domain doesn't match the From header. DMARC alignment answers one question: did the domain visible to recipients (From:) align with the technical authentication checks (SPF’s return-path and DKIM’s d= domain) under your policy? At multi-domain scale, the “best tools” don’t just parse DMARC reports; they help you continuously verify alignment per sender across... --- #### What are the common signs that a DMARC analyzer could resolve my email spoofing problems? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-are-common-signs-dmarc-analyzer-fixing-email-spoofing/ Description: What are the common signs that a DMARC analyzer could resolve my email spoofing problems?: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. A DMARC analyzer like DMARCReport can likely resolve your email spoofing problems if your aggregate DMARC (RUA) data shows concentrated SPF/DKIM failures from a few non-owned IPs or geographies, a low pass/alignment rate (typically below 85%), clear volume spikes during off-hours, and recurring alignment errors tied to specific third-party senders or misconfigurations - signals that a tool can quickly identify and remediate root causes by mapping sources, fixing auth gaps, and enforcing policy. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Email spoofing occurs when attackers send mail that appears to come from your domain; DMARC stops this by requiring alignment between the visible From: domain and either SPF or DKIM. However, the effectiveness of DMARC hinges on accurate, timely visibility into... --- #### What Is Angler Phishing And How Can You Avoid It? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-angler-phishing-and-how-can-you-avoid-it/ Description: Social media has become one of the most important communication channels between businesses and their customers. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Social media has become one of the most important communication channels between businesses and their customers. Companies use platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to provide support, respond to complaints, and engage with their audiences. However, cybercriminals have found ways to exploit this trust through a growing scam known as angler phishing. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. Angler phishing is a deceptive technique where attackers impersonate legitimate customer support accounts on social media in order to trick users into revealing sensitive information. These attacks often target frustrated customers who publicly complain about a company’s service and are expecting help. The attacker steps in pretending to assist, but their real goal is to steal credentials, financial data, or other valuable information. Because social media interactions feel informal and immediate, many users... --- #### Why do you need to receive DMARC emails? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-do-you-need-to-receive-dmarc-emails/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. On the surface, implementing DMARC with a strict policy may seem enough to keep your domain secure, but enforcement alone only controls how the receiving server handles emails that fail authentication checks. But what if your legitimate emails start failing authentication checks or unauthorized sources begin sending emails using your domain without your knowledge? To know what’s really happening with your domain, you need visibility into your email activity. That’s where DMARC comes in. These reports are not random emails that flood your inbox; they are structured data generated by the receiving servers that show how emails claiming to be from your domain are authenticated... --- #### Kratos Targets Outpost24, Intuitive Data Breached, Starbucks Staff Exposed URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/kratos-targets-outpost24-intuitive-data-breached-starbucks-staff-exposed/ Description: Kratos phishing kit hits Outpost24 with a JP Morgan lure, Intuitive discloses a credential breach, and Starbucks reports 900 employees exposed. 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. Phishing attacks dominated last week’s cyberincidents. Outpost24, a security firm, fell prey to a phishing attack. Intuitive’s company data was breached because of a sophisticated phishing attack. A whopping 900 Starbucks employees are now prone to threat attacks after phishing actors breached the internal employee portal. Meanwhile, a new phishing campaign has been hijacking legitimate websites to target Microsoft Teams users by evading detection systems. Outpost24 executive targeted with the help of Kratos! Outpost24 is a Swedish exposure management and identity security firm. Threat actors used Kratos, a popular Phishing-as-a-Service kit, to target Outpost24. The attack was designed in a seven-step chain and comprised a highly intricate, layered infrastructure. Plus, they had genuine services that helped in evading detection and fooling the recipients. Outpost24 received the phishing message that successfully impersonated the renowned brand JP Morgan. The malicious message looked like a part of an already existing email thread. The message asked the recipient to go through a... --- #### How to set up DKIM in Google Workspace: A guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-set-up-dkim-in-google-workspace-a-guide/ Description: How to set up DKIM in Google Workspace: A guide from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. New to the protocol? learn about DKIM first. Google's February 2024 requirements were a turning point, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Before that, DMARC was a recommendation. Now it's a gate - if your DMARC record is missing or set to p=none without a plan to enforce, your email deliverability to Gmail is at risk. It is easy to think that once an email leaves your server, it will reach the recipient safely, exactly how it was sent. This usually does not happen because cyberattackers have developed ways to intercept your outgoing emails, modify their content, or impersonate your domain before it reaches the recipient. Since your outgoing email passes through various servers before it even reaches its destination, Email Service Providers (ESPs) simply cannot trust the sender information that appears in the message header. When that happens consistently, your emails may be flagged as suspicious, sent to spam, or rejected altogether. To avoid this, it is important that you configure your domain with the right... --- #### What Is a Zero-Day Exploit and How Can You Prevent It? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-zero-day-exploit-and-how-to-prevent-attacks/ Description: Cybersecurity threats are evolving rapidly, and organizations must constantly adapt to protect their digital infrastructure. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Cybersecurity threats are evolving rapidly, and organizations must constantly adapt to protect their digital infrastructure. Among the most dangerous threats today are zero-day exploits - cyberattacks that take advantage of unknown vulnerabilities in software or systems before developers have time to fix them. These attacks are highly effective because they exploit weaknesses that have not yet been discovered or patched. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. At DMARCReport, we frequently analyze cyber threats that target businesses through email systems, applications, and networks. Zero-day vulnerabilities often serve as entry points for attackers to deliver malware, steal credentials, or launch phishing campaigns. Understanding how these exploits work and how to defend against them is essential for organizations that want to protect their... --- #### What Is a Trojan and How Does It Work? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-trojan-and-how-does-it-work/ Description: A Cybersecurity Guide by DMARCReport The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade. A Cybersecurity Guide by DMARCReport The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. Cyber threats continue to evolve, and one of the most deceptive types of malware organizations face today is the Trojan. Unlike many other forms of malicious software, Trojans rely heavily on deception and user interaction to infiltrate systems. They often appear harmless or even beneficial at first glance, but once installed they can quietly execute harmful actions in the background. At DMARCReport, we frequently analyze email-borne threats and domain-based attacks, and Trojans remain a common payload used by cybercriminals. Understanding what Trojans are, how they operate, and how they spread is essential for both individuals and organizations that want to strengthen their cybersecurity posture. This guide explains Trojan malware in detail, including how it works, the different types of Trojans, and how you can prevent and remove them. What Is a Trojan? A Trojan, often called a Trojan horse, is a type of malware that disguises itself... --- #### What Is a Password Attack in Cyber Security? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-password-attack-in-cyber-security/ Description: What Is a Password Attack in Cyber Security?: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. What Is Methods, Risks, and Prevention Strategies? Passwords remain one of the most widely used authentication mechanisms in modern digital systems. From personal email accounts to enterprise cloud platforms, passwords protect sensitive data and system access across the internet. However, because they are so common, they have also become one of the most targeted elements in cyberattacks. At DMARCReport, we frequently observe how compromised credentials become the starting point for much larger cyber incidents, including phishing campaigns, business email compromise, and domain impersonation. Among the most common techniques used by cybercriminals is the password attack, a method designed to gain unauthorized access to systems by stealing or cracking login credentials. Understanding how password attacks work -... --- #### What Is a DMARC Failure Report? A Complete Guide by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dmarc-failure-report-complete-guide-by-dmarcreport-explained/ Description: DMARC failure means an email from your domain failed both SPF alignment and DKIM alignment checks. DMARC failure means an email from your domain failed both SPF alignment and DKIM alignment checks. The receiving server applies your DMARC policy (none, quarantine, or reject) to the failed message. Common causes: third-party senders not configured in SPF, missing DKIM signatures, or Return-Path domain not matching the From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. From an operations standpoint, the difference between a domain with DMARC monitoring and one without is visibility, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see organizations discover unauthorized senders they didn't know existed within 48 hours of enabling DMARC reporting. That visibility alone justifies the setup time. How Do You Detect Spoofing Attempts? Cybercriminals frequently attempt to impersonate legitimate domains tosend phishing emails. Failure reports can reveal unauthorized senders attempting to use your domain. By examining sending IP addresses and authentication results, administrators can quickly identify suspicious activity. This early detection allows organizations to respond faster to domain abuse. How... --- #### ChatGPT Gemini Users, Optimizely Vishing Breach, Telecom AI Protection URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/chatgpt-gemini-users-optimizely-vishing-breach-telecom-ai-protection/ Description: ChatGPT Gemini Users, Optimizely Vishing Breach, Telecom AI Protection from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, 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. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Last week was all about phishing, vishing, and spoofing attacks that kept the experts on their toes. While GPS spoofing attacks saw a sudden spike due to regional conflicts between the US and Iran, the ad tech brand Optimizely was targeted by a group of threat actors. Also, cybercrooks have been trying to exploit users by leveraging malicious ChatGPT and Gemini apps. But the silver lining is that experts are trying to make the most of artificial intelligence to prevent voice-spoofing scams. If you use ChatGPT and Gemini, you've got to see this! A whole new phishing campaign is doing the rounds that involves fake AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT . The end goal is to persuade users to download malicious iOS apps... --- #### Mail Check and Web Check to No Longer Be Available as NCSC Announces Retirement URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/mail-check-web-check-retirement-ncsc-announces-end-security-tools/ Description: Mail Check and Web Check to No Longer Be Available as NCSC Announces Retirement from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. In 2017, when most organizations had limited to no visibility into the external security posture of their domains and websites, the National Cyber Security Centre) introduced Mail Check and Web Check as part of its Active Cyber Defence Programme. For nearly a decade, these tools were publicly accessible and helped organizations identify misconfigurations, security gaps, and vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit. However, today, the cybersecurity threat landscape has become far more sophisticated and fast-evolving than when these tools were first introduced. Now that most organizations rely on cloud environments and third-party vendors, these tools no longer suffice.In fact, with such surface-level insights, you get only a partial view of your organization’s entire digital footprint.... --- #### Phishing in 2025: A DMARCReport Perspective on Trends, Risks, and Defense URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/phishing-in-2025-trends-risks-and-defense-dmarcreport-insights-guide/ Description: Phishing is no longer just a nuisance - it has evolved into one of the most persistent and damaging cybersecurity threats facing organizations today. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Phishing is no longer just a nuisance - it has evolved into one of the most persistent and damaging cybersecurity threats facing organizations today. At DMARCReport, we continuously analyze global email traffic, authentication patterns, and attack vectors to understand how phishing is evolving and what organizations must do to stay protected. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. What the data shows is clear: phishing is not slowing down. It is becoming more targeted, more sophisticated, and more difficult to detect. Organizations that fail to adopt strong email authentication protocols are increasingly exposed - not only to financial loss, but also to reputational damage and operational disruption.... --- #### What are the most common reasons a DMARC DNS record fails to be recognized by receivers? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-common-reasons-dmarc-dns-record-not-recognized-by-receivers/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Receivers most often fail to recognize a DMARC DNS record because of syntax or tag-value errors (for example, missing v=DMARC1 or invalid p=), wrong DNS type or placement (DMARC must be a TXT at dmarc.yourdomain), provider UI formatting or TXT-length mishandling, propagation/TTL and negative caching, DNSSEC or delegation problems, invalid or unverified rua/ruf URIs, duplicate/conflicting records, misdiagnosed SPF/DKIM alignment failures, and receiver-specific parsing quirks - issues DMARCReport detects, validates, and monitors automatically to prevent recognition failures. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is discovered and enforced by receivers through a specific DNS lookup: a TXT record at the host dmarc.example.com.... --- #### Fake Google Security, Beware Qatar Scams, AI Targets LinkedIn URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/fake-google-security-beware-qatar-scams-ai-targets-linkedin/ Description: Fake Google Security, Beware Qatar Scams, AI Targets LinkedIn from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Last week was all about the big names that got targeted by threat actors. The attacks look a bit more sophisticated. For instance, cybercrooks have been abusing Google Account security pages to gain access to sensitive data, such as passcodes. Qatar Airways suggests that agents use verified platforms. Australia-based LinkedIn accounts are being easily targeted by threat actors with the help of AI. On the other hand, Microsoft is concerned about the phishing campaigns that involve OAuth URL redirection tactics. Hackers use fake Google Account security pages instead of an app to wipe away passcodes! The researchers at Malwarebytes have discovered a new phishing campaign that involves phishing emails and a malicious phishing site... --- #### Beyond SPF and DKIM: Why a DMARC Check Matters More Than Ever URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/beyond-spf-dkim-why-dmarc-check-matters-more-than-ever/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. A DMARC check matters more than ever because, unlike SPF and DKIM alone, DMARC enforces domain alignment and receiver-enforceable policy (quarantine/reject) with rich reporting that prevents spoofing at scale, restores sender visibility, and measurably improves security and deliverability across complex email ecosystems. 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. Email authentication matured from “can the sender prove they own the IP/key?” (SPF/DKIM) to “does the message’s visible From domain align with an authenticated path, and should the receiver enforce a policy?” (DMARC). In today’s multi-vendor sending reality - marketing clouds, CRM systems, ticketing tools, and forwarding hops - SPF and DKIM by themselves are necessary but not sufficient; attackers can pass one control and still impersonate... --- #### No SPF Record Found - What It Means, Why It Matters & How to Fix It URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/no-spf-record-found-causes-impact-and-solutions/ Description: In today’s digital world, email remains one of the most widely used communication channels for businesses and individuals alike. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. In today’s digital world, email remains one of the most widely used communication channels for businesses and individuals alike. From important system alerts to marketing newsletters, email drives essential communication. But this critical channel also attracts malicious actors - and without proper protections in place, your domain can become an easy target for phishing, spoofing, and other types of fraudulent email activity. One of the foundational defenses in email security is an SPF record. Yet many domains still don’t have one - and that leads to a common alert we see across email authentication tools: “No SPF Record Found.” In this article, we’ll break down what this message means, why you’re seeing it, what risks it creates, and exactly how to fix it for good. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch... --- #### What Is DMARC Alignment, And How Does It Work URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dmarc-alignment-and-how-does-it-work/ Description: DMARC alignment means the domain in the From header must match the domain that passed SPF or DKIM authentication. DMARC alignment means the domain in the From header must match the domain that passed SPF or DKIM authentication. Without alignment, an attacker can pass SPF with their own domain while spoofing yours in the visible From header. Alignment is defined in RFC 7489 §3.1.2 and comes in two modes: relaxed (subdomains match the parent) and strict (exact match required). DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. What is DMARC Alignment? Email service providers don’t just check the legitimacy of an email by verifying whether the sending domain is approved by the sender or whether the message has remained unchanged in transit. They go a step ahead and check whether those authentication results actually belong to the domain shown in the From address. DMARC is now required by CISA BOD 18-01 (US federal), PCI DSS v4.0 (payment processors), Google/Yahoo/Microsoft (bulk senders), and government agencies in the UK, Australia, and Canada. To do this, DMARC looks at three... --- #### How a DMARC Record Stops Phishing and Domain Abuse URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-a-dmarc-record-stops-phishing-and-domain-abuse/ Description: How a DMARC Record Stops Phishing and Domain Abuse: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. A DMARC record stops phishing and domain abuse by instructing receiving mail servers to reject or quarantine any message that fails SPF or DKIM alignment with your domain and by sending you actionable reports that identify unauthorized sending sources. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) builds on SPF and DKIM to authenticate who can send on behalf of your domain and what receivers should do when authentication fails. It closes the gap attackers exploit - spoofing the visible From: address - by requiring that the domain in SPF or DKIM aligns with the visible header-from domain your users see. When alignment fails, receivers apply your DMARC policy to drop or junk the message. This article explains how a DMARC TXT record is constructed, how... --- #### Understanding URL Manipulation & URL Rewriting, A DMARCReport Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-url-manipulation-url-rewriting-a-dmarcreport-guide/ Description: In today’s digital world, almost everything we access online has a web address - a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In today’s digital world, almost everything we access online has a web address - a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). These seemingly ordinary strings of text are the doorways to websites, files, apps, cloud dashboards, support pages, videos, and more. But what many people don’t realize is that those URLs can be manipulated - sometimes for good reasons, and sometimes for dangerous ones. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. At DMARCReport, we believe a solid understanding of how URLs work and how they can be misused is essential for anyone concerned about cybersecurity - from website owners and developers to security teams and everyday users clicking links... --- #### Uniswap Scam Ads, Meta Ads Malicious, ATM Jackpotting Surge URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/uniswap-scam-ads-meta-ads-malicious-atm-jackpotting-surge/ Description: Uniswap founder warns of crypto search-ad fraud, 1 in 3 Meta ads tied to scams, ATM jackpotting hits 700 US machines for $20M, plus fake Google Forms hit jobs. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. This is the 4th edition of the month, and here are the top 4 cyber mishaps from last week that you must know about. Uniswap Founder has raised concerns around spiked instances of phishing scams. Meanwhile, threat actors have started abusing Meta ads to carry out cyberattacks. Experts witnessed a steep spike in instances of ATM jackpotting in 2025. Besides, job seekers are being targeted by phishing actors by using fake Google Forms. Uniswap is being targeted in scam ads! Hayden Adams, the founder of Uniswap, is concerned about the spike in fake ads that impersonate a decentralized exchange. A crypto investor named Ika apparently fell prey to a phishing incident. Adams believes that currently, there has been a surge in crypto scam ads. Users who search for “Uniswap” keywords are being targeted by the cybercrooks. Threat actors buy sponsored search results across major search engines... --- #### DMARC Report Monitoring Made Simple for Growing Businesses URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-report-monitoring-made-simple-for-growing-businesses/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Growing businesses can make DMARC report monitoring simple by publishing a correct DMARC record with RUA/RUF, authenticating all senders via SPF/DKIM, rolling out policy from none to reject with guardrails, and using DMARCReport to automatically ingest, parse, visualize, alert, and scale multi-domain reporting with clear remediation workflows and ROI tracking. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) turns confusing email authentication data into actionable security and deliverability signals - if you capture and interpret the reports correctly. For small and mid-sized organizations, the friction usually isn’t technical complexity; it’s coordinating DNS changes, third‑party senders, and monitoring at scale without disrupting... --- #### What Is an SOA Record in DNS? A Complete Guide by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-soa-record-in-dns-complete-guide/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The Domain Name System (DNS) is often described as the phonebook of the internet. It translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses that computers use to communicate. While most administrators are familiar with common DNS record types like A, MX, TXT, and CNAME, there is one foundational record that quietly governs the entire DNS zone: the SOA record. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. View Preview↗ At DMARCReport, we frequently work with organizations that focus heavily on email authentication and DNS security but overlook the structural elements that keep their DNS ecosystem functioning correctly. The Start of Authority (SOA) record is one of those essential components.... --- #### 550 From Address Violates UsernameCaseMapped Policy: What It Really Means (And How to Fix It Fast) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/550-from-address-violates-usernamecasemapped-policy-fix-guide/ Description: You send an email expecting it to reach the recipient without any problems. Your domain authentication is set up correctly. The content looks normal. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. You send an email expecting it to reach the recipient without any problems. Your domain authentication is set up correctly. The content looks normal. There are no clear mistakes, and everything seems fine from your side. But instead of being delivered, the email returns a hard bounce message: 550 From address violates UsernameCaseMapped policy. This error can be confusing at first. The email address looks correct. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are not failing. So why was the message rejected? In many situations, the problem is something very small, such as the capitalization of the sender’s email address. Today, email providers follow strict identity rules. Even a small formatting difference can cause the receiving server to block the message. To understand this better, we need to see how mail servers verify sender identity. What does “550 From Address Violates UsernameCaseMapped Policy” mean? The “550” status code means that the receiving... --- #### Why should organizations consider deploying a DMARC analyzer before enforcing a DMARC policy? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-organizations-deploy-dmarc-analyzer-before-enforcing-policy/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Organizations should deploy a DMARC analyzer before enforcing a DMARC policy because it discovers every legitimate sender, prioritizes authentication gaps with actionable telemetry, enables a safe staged rollout (p=none → quarantine → reject), and reduces false positives and delivery disruptions - capabilities that DMARCReport provides end-to-end. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is most effective when enforcement decisions are driven by evidence. A strict policy without visibility can inadvertently block payroll notifications from an HR vendor, marketing campaigns from a new platform, or mission-critical SaaS notifications. A dedicated DMARC analyzer aggregates and interprets raw RUA/RUF reports, correlates them with... --- #### How to Fix Gmail DMARC Errors and Improve Email Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-fix-gmail-dmarc-errors-and-improve-email-authentication/ Description: How to Fix Gmail DMARC Errors and Improve Email Authentication from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. To fix Gmail DMARC errors and improve email authentication, identify Gmail error codes in bounces and Authentication-Results, normalize and analyze DMARC aggregate/forensic reports (e.g., with DMARCReport), correct SPF/DKIM alignment for every sender, publish and monitor a DMARC policy (p=none → quarantine → reject) with rua/ruf, ramp enforcement safely with pct and subdomain policies, harden multi-sender setups (SPF flattening, DKIM selectors, relays), and address deliverability factors (ARC, reputation, content) while instituting ongoing monitoring, key rotation, and change control. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Email authentication is a layered system where DMARC sits on... --- #### What Is Dumpster Diving in Cybersecurity? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dumpster-diving-in-cybersecurity/ Description: Cybersecurity discussions often focus on advanced threats such as phishing campaigns, ransomware, domain spoofing, or zero-day vulnerabilities. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. A Detailed Guide by DMARCReport Cybersecurity discussions often focus on advanced threats such as phishing campaigns, ransomware, domain spoofing, or zero-day vulnerabilities. However, not every data breach begins with complex code or technical exploits. Some attacks start with something far simpler - searching through discarded trash. This method, known as dumpster diving, remains a surprisingly effective tactic for gathering sensitive information. At DMARCReport, we emphasize that true cybersecurity extends beyond firewalls and authentication protocols. Protecting digital identities, domains, and communication channels is essential, but physical data exposure can undermine even the most advanced security infrastructure. Dumpster diving demonstrates how physical negligence can quickly transform into digital compromise. This guide explores what dumpster diving means in cybersecurity,... --- #### How to Safeguard Your Domain Reputation Using DMARC Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-safeguard-your-domain-reputation-using-dmarc-authentication/ Description: How to Safeguard Your Domain Reputation Using DMARC Authentication from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email deliverability starts with authentication, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In 2026, if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren't all passing and aligned, your email goes to spam. It's not about content anymore - receivers check authentication before they even look at what you wrote. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. To safeguard your domain reputation with DMARC, deploy and align SPF and DKIM on every legitimate sender, publish a DMARC policy in monitoring mode (p=none) with RUA/RUF reporting, use those reports to validate and fix alignment for all sources, then progressively enforce to p=quarantine and p=reject while continuously monitoring and tuning with an analytics platform like DMARCReport. Context and background Email domain reputation is built... --- #### CSA Cyber Essentials Mark Now Requires DMARC: A Complete Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/csa-cyber-essentials-mark-now-requires-dmarc-a-complete-guide/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Cybersecurity requirements are evolving rapidly, and a clear trend is that email security is no longer optional. Organisations can have strong passwords, secure devices, and up-to-date systems, yet still face serious risks if attackers misuse their email domain. This is exactly why the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore has made DMARC mandatory for the Cyber Essentials Mark Certification. Instead of focusing solely on advanced tools or complex security controls, this requirement highlights a more practical approach. Email authentication is foundational to everyday business communication. When domains are not protected, attackers can send spoofed messages that look legitimate, damaging trust and exposing... --- #### How to Check a Link for Phishing - by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-check-a-link-for-phishing-by-dmarcreport/ Description: Phishing attacks are one of the most pervasive and effective online threats today - whether you’re an individual, a small business, or a global enterprise. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Phishing attacks are one of the most pervasive and effective online threats today - whether you’re an individual, a small business, or a global enterprise. Attackers craft convincing emails, messages, and links that disguise malicious intent under a veneer of legitimacy. Their objective is simple: get you to click a link, open a file, or submit sensitive information - and once they succeed, the fallout can be devastating. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. At DMARCReport, we’re committed to helping you stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. Our DMARC monitoring service catches domain abuse and spoofing attempts before they reach your users. In this guide, we’ll... --- #### Scan Carefully First, Education Under Threat, AI Phishing Surge URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/scan-carefully-first-education-under-threat-ai-phishing-surge/ Description: Scan Carefully First, Education Under Threat, AI Phishing Surge from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Last week was all about phishing attacks that targeted naive users left, right, and center. Research findings revolved around an upsurge in AI-backed phishing attacks, while experts have noticed phishing QR codes as an emerging threat in the cybersecurity landscape. Meanwhile, India has been experiencing 3,100 phishing attacks per week. The silver lining in the dark clouds is that a group of students used phishing tactics against their teachers, but with good intentions. Think twice before scanning that QR code next time! QR codes have become popular since the advent of the pandemic. They have easily penetrated into our daily lives. But experts suggest using QR codes with extra caution, as phishing actors have started to abuse QR codes for their malicious intentions. As of... --- #### Which reporting formats and tools are best for analyzing DMARC alignment reports? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/which-reporting-formats-and-tools-analyze-dmarc-alignment-best/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. For analyzing DMARC alignment reports at scale, the most effective stack is to ingest standard aggregate RUA XML with privacy-governed RUF samples, normalize everything into structured JSON, and analyze it in a purpose-built platform like DMARCReport (or an open-source parsedmarc + ELK/Splunk stack) that delivershigh parsing accuracy, enrichment, dashboards, alerting, and seamless integrations. From an engineering perspective, the hardest part of DMARC reporting isn't collecting the data - it's classifying it, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. A single aggregate report can contain hundreds of source IPs. Our engine identifies each one by vendor (Google, Microsoft, SendGrid, etc.) automatically so security teams don't have to reverse-DNS every IP manually. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report... --- #### Types of Phishing Domains Every Security Team Should Blacklist URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/types-of-phishing-domains-every-security-team-should-blacklist/ Description: Phishing isn’t a distant risk anymore - it’s a daily reality for enterprises, governments, small businesses, and individual users alike. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Phishing isn’t a distant risk anymore - it’s a daily reality for enterprises, governments, small businesses, and individual users alike. Scammers have become shockingly good at blending into legitimate digital communication, with phishing URLs and look-alike domains that trick even cautious users. That's why an effective email security strategy must include blacklisting malicious domains and protecting your brand’s digital identity at every turn. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. While protocols like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM go a long way toward authenticating legitimate email traffic, they don’t automatically block every type of phishing attack. In fact, attackers often create domains that look trustworthy and technically satisfy authentication checks unless you explicitly secure or block them. In this guide, we’ll break... --- #### Understanding the Top 8 Most Common DNS Record Types - A Comprehensive Guide by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-understanding-top-8-common-dns-record-types-guide/ Description: The internet runs on many unseen systems working together to deliver content, route email, and keep your domain functioning securely and reliably. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The internet runs on many unseen systems working together to deliver content, route email, and keep your domain functioning securely and reliably. One of the most foundational but overlooked elements of this infrastructure is the Domain Name System (DNS) - particularly the DNS records that determine how your domain behaves across the internet. At DMARCReport, we’re passionate about helping businesses and domain owners understand every layer of internet infrastructure - from DNS to email authentication. So in this article, we break down the eight most common DNS record types, explore what they do, why they matter, and how they impact your domain’s performance, email delivery, and security. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your... --- #### What does an 'invalid DKIM signature' result mean when shown by a checker? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-invalid-dkim-signature-result-means-in-checker-tool/ Description: What does an 'invalid DKIM signature' result mean when shown by a checker? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. 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. An “invalid DKIM signature” result means the message contains a DKIM-Signature header but the verifier cannot validate it - typically because the computed header/body hashes don’t match what was signed or because the public‑key lookup/cryptographic verification fails - so the signature is untrusted. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) asserts message integrity and domain authentication by hashing specific headers and the body, signing those hashes with the sender’s private key, and letting receivers verify with the corresponding DNS-published public key. When any part of this chain breaks - message mutated in transit, wrong canonicalization, bad DNS record, mismatched selector/key, or crypto mismatch - the result is “dkim=fail” or “invalid DKIM signature.” The fail does not automatically mean spoofing; it most often signals misconfiguration or unintended... --- #### Why are DKIM keys important for email deliverability and anti-spoofing? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-are-dkim-keys-important-for-email-deliverability-and-anti-spoofing/ Description: Why are DKIM keys important for email deliverability and anti-spoofing? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. DKIM keys are important for email deliverability and anti-spoofing because they let receivers cryptographically verify that the visible From-domain authorized the message and that headers/body were not altered, enabling DMARC alignment that boosts inbox placement while blocking spoofing - even across forwarding and mailing lists. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Context and background DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is a signature framework defined by RFC 6376 that uses public-key cryptography to bind an email’s content and critical headers to a domain identity. The sending system signs selected headers and the body with a private key; the receiving system retrieves thematching public key from DNS and verifies the signature. If the math checks out, receivers gain high confidence... --- #### Commission MDM Breach, Singapore Cyber Alliance, Senegal DAF Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/commission-mdm-breach-singapore-cyber-alliance-senegal-daf-breach/ Description: European Commission MDM hacked Jan 30, Singapore's Operation Cyber Guardian blunts UNC3886, Senegal's DAF disrupted, and crypto address poisoning bites. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. Here’s the bulletin for week 2 in February. Last week focused on cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, including the European Commission and Singapore's telecommunications sector. Meanwhile, multiple crypto users have fallen prey to address poison scams. Also, the Senegal threat attack managed to disrupt crucial government services, leading to panic and confusion. European Commission’s mobile device management platform got hacked! Cybercrooks managed to break into the mobile device management platform of the European Commission on 30th January. The European Commission jumped into action immediately and discovered that the threat actors were unable to access the mobile devices . They managed to limit the extent of damage. The entire system was cleaned to remove any traces of the cyberattack, all within 9 hours. As of now, the European Commission is strictly monitoring the security setup, bolstering cybersecurity, and evaluating the cyber mishap to further boost protective measures The Commission issued... --- #### When should I implement DKIM if I already have SPF and DMARC configured? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/when-to-implement-dkim-with-existing-spf-and-dmarc/ Description: When should I implement DKIM if I already have SPF and DMARC configured? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. You should implement DKIM immediately - even if SPF and DMARC are already configured - because DMARC enforcement and reliable deliverability depend on a DKIM-aligned signature that survives forwarding and third-party relays. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. SPF authenticates the connecting IP but commonly breaks on forwarding; DMARC only passes if either SPF or DKIM aligns with the visible From domain, so leaving out DKIM makes your DMARC policy fragile in the real world. In contrast, DKIM cryptographically binds message content and headers to your domain, typically surviving forwarding, list relays, and infrastructure hops where SPF fails - making it the backbone for... --- #### Tools Used During a DDoS Attack - A Comprehensive Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/tools-used-during-a-ddos-attack-a-comprehensive-guide/ Description: Tools Used During a DDoS Attack - A Comprehensive Guide: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing. \According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. In today’s digitally connected landscape, \\Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks represent one of the most disruptive and persistent threats to online infrastructure. Whether the target is a global e-commerce platform, a government portal, a small business website, or a cloud-based application, DDoS attacks aim to drain resources, block legitimate traffic, and render services unavailable - often with devastating business impact. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. In this comprehensive guide, DMARCReport explores what DDoS attacks are, how they function, the different tools threat actors use to launch them, and the essential knowledge security professionals need to defend against these attacks. What Is a DDoS Attack and Why Does It Matter? At its core, a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)... --- #### How does a DKIM DNS record protect my domain from email spoofing? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-does-a-dkim-dns-record-protect-my-domain-from-email-spoofing/ Description: How does a DKIM DNS record protect my domain from email spoofing? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. A DKIM DNS record protects your domain from email spoofing by publishing a public key (under a selector) that receivers use to verify the cryptographic signature in your email’s DKIM-Signature header, proving the message was authorized by your domain, detecting tampering, and enabling DMARC alignment so unauthenticated spoofs can be quarantined or rejected. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is a domain-level authentication system that adds a tamper-evident, cryptographic signature to outgoing email. Your mail server signs specific headers and the body with a private key; recipients fetch the matching public key from your domain’s DNS to verify the signature.If the content or signed headers change in transit - or if an attacker sends a message claiming your domain without access to your private key - the signature won’t verify and the receiver can distrust or block the message. In practice, DKIM works best as part of an authentication triad: SPF validates the sending path, DKIM validates message integrity and domain authorization, and DMARC enforces policy and... --- #### The History of Email: From ARPANET to Modern Secure Communication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-history-of-email-from-arpanet-to-modern-secure-communication/ Description: The History of Email: From ARPANET to Modern Secure Communication from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. 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. Email is one of the most transformative technologies in the history of digital communication . Although it may seem like a mundane tool you use every day to send messages, share files, or coordinate with teams, email’s evolution is a remarkable journey that spans decades of innovation, expansion, and adaptation. Today, more than 300 billion emails are sent and received daily worldwide - a staggering figure that would have been hard to imagine when the first electronic message was transmitted. This article explores that history - from its humble beginnings as an academic experiment to its role as a cornerstone of modern communication - and explains why email security (including technologies like... --- #### How does DKIM verification differ from SPF and DMARC in protecting email? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-dkim-verification-differs-from-spf-and-dmarc-email-protection/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DKIM verification protects email by cryptographically validating that selected headers and the body were unaltered and bound to the domain in the d= tag, while SPF only checks whether the sending IP is authorized for the envelope domain and DMARC enforces policy by requiring domain alignment of a passing DKIM or SPF result with the visible From domain and then instructing receivers to monitor, quarantine, or reject failures. 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. A quick orientation: SPF is an IP authorization list published in DNS for the envelope sender (MAIL FROM/Return-Path); DKIM is a public‑key signature over message content and headers; DMARC is the policy and reporting layer that tells receivers whether to trust... --- #### What is the difference between a DKIM selector and a domain when checking DKIM? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-dkim-selector-and-domain-checking-dkim/ Description: What is the difference between a DKIM selector and a domain when checking DKIM? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. The DKIM selector (s=) is the label that tells verifiers which specific public key to fetch at selector.domainkey.d=domain, while the DKIM domain (d=) names the signing domain that owns the key in DNS and is the value used for DMARC alignment - verification always looks up s= under d=, but only d= participates in alignment. Context and background DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) signs an email with a private key and publishes the matching public key in DNS so receivers can verify the signature. The signature exposes two critical coordinates: the signer’s domain (d=) and a selector (s=). Together they map to a single DNS TXT record at selector.domainkey.d=domain, which contains the public... --- #### Which DNS providers make it easiest to add a DMARC record? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/which-dns-providers-make-it-easiest-to-add-a-dmarc-record/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The DNS providers that make it easiest to add a DMARC record are Cloudflare and DNSimple for overall usability, cPanel/Plesk-based hosts for true guided “wizards,” and AWS Route 53 for programmatic workflows - while Google Cloud DNS, Azure DNS, NS1 Connect, DigitalOcean, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Gandi, Porkbun, and Hetzner also work well but typically require more manual steps. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a TXT record published at dmarc.yourdomain that tells receivers what to do with spoofed mail and where to send reports (rua/ruf). Adding the record is conceptually simple, but in practice it’s easy to introduce mistakes: missing... --- #### PDF Dropbox Phishing, ShinyHunters MFA Bypass, Signal Journalist Targeting URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/pdf-dropbox-phishing-shinyhunters-mfa-bypass-signal-journalist-targeting/ Description: PDF Dropbox Phishing, ShinyHunters MFA Bypass, Signal Journalist Targeting from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The first edition of February revolves mainly around phishing attacks. While a new type of phishing campaign is doing the rounds that involves targeting PDFs and Dropbox, notorious cyber gang ShinyHunters seemed to have bypassed MFA in their latest cyberattack. Meanwhile, multiple journalists are being targeted by misusing the Signal messenger. An Indian firm fell prey to a threat attack and lost around $610 K USD. New phishing campaign targeting PDFs and Dropbox services to steal credentials AI tools are making it easy for threat actors to level up their threat campaigns. While cybercrooks are getting sophisticated with their threat attacks, they still prefer to carry out simple phishing campaigns because of the rate... --- #### Mastering Mailchimp Email Authentication: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/mastering-mailchimp-email-authentication-a-complete-step-by-step-guide/ Description: Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective digital communication channels for businesses worldwide. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective digital communication channels for businesses worldwide. Platforms such as Mailchimp simplify campaign creation and audience engagement, but successful email delivery depends heavily on proper authentication. Without it, even legitimate emails risk being flagged as spam or rejected entirely. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. At DMARCReport, we work closely with organizations to help them secure their email ecosystems and improve inbox placement. This guide explains how to authenticate emails sent through Mailchimp, with a detailed focus on DKIM, the role of SPF, and how DMARC ensures visibility and protection. By the end, you will understand not only how to configure... --- #### Email guidelines and requirements for e-commerce platforms URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-guidelines-and-requirements-for-e-commerce-platforms/ Description: Email guidelines and requirements for e-commerce platforms from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. If you run an e-commerce business, email is not just a marketing channel. It is your order confirmation system, your password reset mechanism, your customer support line, and often your main revenue driver. Platforms such as WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and PrestaShop rely heavily on transactional and marketing emails to operate smoothly. Now imagine those emails landing in spam, getting blocked, or worse, being spoofed by attackers. Suddenly, customers stop receiving order updates, refund messages go missing, and fake emails start damaging your brand trust. This is exactly why email authentication and email security are no longer “nice to have” for e-commerce. They directly impact deliverability, revenue, and customer experience. Without proper authentication, even legitimate emails from your... --- #### What are common issues revealed by DMARC aggregate reports and how should I prioritize them? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/common-dmarc-aggregate-report-issues-and-how-to-prioritize-them/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC aggregate reports most commonly reveal SPF and DKIM authentication and alignment failures, unauthorized/forged senders, misconfigured internal or third‑party systems, and configuration pitfalls (SPF include limits, missing/rotated DKIM selectors, forwarding/mailing list artifacts, subdomain policy mismatches), and you should prioritize remediation in this order: 1) high‑volume spoofing that fails both SPF and DKIM, 2) legitimate business‑critical senders with sustained alignment failure, 3) sudden spikes or high‑fail IPs/ASNs, 4) systemic configuration issues (SPF includes/selector/key problems), and 5) low‑volume forwarding-induced noise. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC aggregate reports (RUA) are daily XML summaries from receiving mail providers showing which IPs and domains attempted to send on your... --- #### Improvements to Domain Scanner: Streamlining Your DMARC Journey URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/improvements-to-domain-scanner-streamlining-your-dmarc-journey/ Description: In today’s digital world, protecting your domain from spoofing, phishing, and misuse isn’t just a best practice - it’s essential. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In today’s digital world, protecting your domain from spoofing, phishing, and misuse isn’t just a best practice - it’s essential. As email continues to be one of the primary channels for business communication, ensuring that your domain adheres to robust email authentication standards is crucial to maintaining deliverability, protecting brand reputation, and safeguarding your customers. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. At DMARCReport, we’re continually focused on helping organizations of all sizes understand and strengthen their email security posture. That’s why we’re excited to share a detailed overview of recent improvements to the Domain Scanner tool - an essential first step in any DMARC... --- #### What are common signs that indicate my domain has no DMARC record published? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/common-signs-your-domain-lacks-a-published-dmarc-record/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Common signs your domain has no DMARC record published include DNS queries for dmarc.yourdomain returning NXDOMAIN or “no TXT answer,” missing or “DMARC not evaluated” entries in Authentication-Results headers, zero DMARC aggregate/forensic reports in your monitoring, no DMARC-related enforcement bounces or provider warnings, and consistent checks across all authoritative name servers and subdomains showing no v=DMARC1 policy. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) tells receiving mail systems how to treat messages that fail SPF/DKIM alignment and where to send reporting, so its absence leaves both you and receivers without a common policy or telemetry. In practice, “no DMARC” looks like... --- #### Where should I publish my DMARC record in my domain's DNS? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/where-should-i-publish-my-dmarc-record-in-my-domains-dns/ Description: at the host dmarc.yourdomain (for example, dmarc.example.com) in your authoritative DNS, and optionally at dmarc.sub. Publish your DMARC record as a DNS TXT record at the host dmarc.yourdomain (for example, dmarc.example.com) in your authoritative DNS, and optionally at dmarc.sub.yourdomain for subdomains you want to override - never at the bare apex without the dmarc label and never as SPF/DKIM records. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) relies on a deterministic DNS lookup: receiversquery TXT records at the name dmarc. to retrieve policy. If there is no DMARC record at a subdomain, receivers fall back to the policy at the organizational domain per RFC 7489’s organizational-domain discovery. This means your default enforcement belongs at dmarc.example.com, with targeted overrides only where you need them. Because DMARC drives email enforcement and reporting, precision matters. The one correct place to publish is a TXT record at the dmarc label. Correct syntax (v=DMARC1; p=…) and thoughtful settings (rua, sp, adkim, aspf, pct) determine how receivers treat your mail and... --- #### A Complete Guide from DMARCReport: How to Identify and Safely Check Suspicious Links URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/complete-dmarcreport-guide-identifying-and-safely-checking-suspicious-links-online/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In today’s connected world, cyber threats rarely knock before entering. Suspicious links - whether delivered through email, messaging apps, or social media - are among the most common dangers individuals and organizations face online. Clicking a malicious link can compromise sensitive data, install malware, undermine security systems, or open the door to phishing campaigns. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. At DMARCReport, we’re focused not only on helping you authenticate email with DMARC, SPF, and DKIM but also on empowering you with practical know-how to recognise, assess, and handle potentially harmful links before they ever jeopardize your inbox or network. You can perform a DMARC lookup... --- #### What is Doxxing and How to Prevent it URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-doxxing-and-how-to-prevent-it/ Description: What is Doxxing and How to Prevent it from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. You do not need to be famous, controversial, or wealthy to become a target of doxxing. In many cases, victims are regular people who simply posted something online, joined a debate, or annoyed the wrong person. A single comment, tweet, or review can be enough to trigger someone into digging through your digital life. What makes doxxing especially dangerous is how silent it is. There is no warning. One day, your information is private; the next, your name, address, phone number, or workplace is shared in online groups you have never heard of. By the time you realize what is happening, the damage is often already done. This guide explains what doxxing really means, how attackers collect personal data, why people do it, and most importantly, how you can reduce your risk. Whether... --- #### What are common mistakes people make when setting up DKIM TXT records? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/common-dkim-txt-record-setup-mistakes-that-break-email-authentication/ Description: What are common mistakes people make when setting up DKIM TXT records? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. The most common mistakes when setting up DKIM TXT records are syntax errors (quoting/semicolons/base64), selector/domain mismatches, incorrect key splitting or record type, weak or outdated keys and unsafe rotation, DNS propagation/TTL missteps, canonicalization/algorithm mismatches, and ignoring DMARC/SPF alignment requirements. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) uses a public key published in DNS to verify that a message’s headers and body weren’t altered and that the sender is authorized by the domain. The public key lives at a DNS name derived from a DKIM selector and your domain (s.domainkey.example.com) as a TXT record that typically contains v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=… and optional tags. Small formatting mistakes or misalignment between the selector your server uses and the DNS record you publish... --- #### How to Detect Honey Trap Scams Online URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-detect-honey-trap-scams-online/ Description: How to Detect Honey Trap Scams Online: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. In today’s hyper-connected world , the internet has given billions of people an unprecedented ability to communicate, build relationships, and find companionship. While this transformation has many positive effects, it has also opened the door to new forms of scams and cybercriminal tactics - one of the most emotionally exploitative being the honey trap scam. At DMARCReport, we believe that understanding how these scams work and how to detect them is crucial for anyone who interacts with people online - whether on dating platforms, social media, email, or messaging apps. What Is a Honey Trap Scam? A honey trap scam is a deceptive tactic where a fraudster establishes a romantic or seemingly personal connection... --- #### Sandworm Targets Poland, Pwn2Own Vehicle Hacks, Energy Firms Targeted URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/sandworm-targets-poland-pwn2own-vehicle-hacks-energy-firms-targeted/ Description: ESET ties a Polish power-grid wiper attack to Sandworm, Pwn2Own Tokyo exposes 66 EV and infotainment zero-days, and homoglyph 'rn' phishing fakes Marriott. 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. Here’s the fifth edition of the month. It revolves around the top cyber incidents that took place last week. Be it the Poland power grid cyberattack, or the “rn” typo trick used by hackers, the incidents hint towards one thing, increasing sophistication of the campaigns. The edition also talks about the Pwn2Own contest that revealed some serious threats in vehicle infotainment systems. Meanwhile, there’s a sudden upsurge in the multi-phishing attacks that target energy firms. Poland's power grid allegedly targeted by notorious, Russia-backed Sandworm group! Last month was quite devastating for Poland’s power grid. A wiper attack, one of the strongest ones in recent times, targeted the energy grids across Poland. The cyber mishap took place on December 29 and 30 when threat actors managed to penetrate into the systems of two heat and power plants, as well as another system that used to take care of the “electricity generated from renewables (RES) . Poland’s Prime Minister Donald... --- #### How to Create a TXT Record and Add It to DNS URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-create-a-txt-record-and-add-it-to-dns/ Description: In today’s digital world, websites and email domains rely on the Domain Name System (DNS) to connect infrastructure, prove ownership, and secure communications. In today’s digital world, websites and email domains rely on the Domain Name System (DNS) to connect infrastructure, prove ownership, and secure communications. One of the most versatile tools in the DNS toolbox is the TXT record - a simple yet powerful type of DNS entry that carries text information used for domain verification, email authentication, and security policies. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. In this guide, you’ll learn what a TXT record is, why it matters for email and web security, and step-by-step instructions to create and publish one in DNS. By the time you’re done, you’ll have a firm understanding of TXT records and how to use them to strengthen your domain’s online presence . What Is a DNS TXT Record? A TXT record is a type of DNS record that allows domain administrators to store... --- #### The Complete DMARCReport Guide: Configuring DKIM with OpenDKIM on Your Postfix Mail Server URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/complete-dmarcreport-guide-configuring-dkim-opendkim-postfix-mail-server-secure/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email authentication is more than just a best practice - it’s essential. As email threats continue to rise, weak authentication leaves your domain vulnerable to spoofing, phishing, and reputation damage. At DMARCReport, we believe every mail server owner should feel empowered to secure their infrastructure. One of the most impactful steps you can take is configuring DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) with OpenDKIM on your Postfix mail server. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. This guide walks you through the process step by step - from understanding the fundamentals to verifying your configuration - so you can confidently enhance your email security posture and boost deliverability. What... --- #### How does a required DKIM selector improve email security and deliverability? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/required-dkim-selector-enhances-email-security-and-deliverability-guide/ Description: How does a required DKIM selector improve email security and deliverability? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. Requiring a DKIM selector improves email security and deliverability by enforcing deterministic key selection and verifiable domain-level authentication that supports safe key rotation, isolates sending streams and third parties, strengthens DMARC alignment, and increases receiver trust - leading to fewer spoofing opportunities, lower verification failure rates, and better inbox placement. Email deliverability starts with authentication, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In 2026, if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren't all passing and aligned, your email goes to spam. It's not about content anymore - receivers check authentication before they even look at what you wrote. Context and background DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) lets a sender attach a cryptographic signature to each message so receivers can verify that the email content hasn’t been altered and that it was authorized by the domain in the signature. That DKIM signature is only as trustworthy as the selector that points receivers to the right public key. A DKIM selector (the s= tag in the DKIM-Signature header) points... --- #### The role of DKIM public and private keys in email security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-role-of-dkim-public-and-private-keys-email-security/ Description: The role of DKIM public and private keys in email security from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. 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. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. DKIM uses two keys to strengthen email authentication. If the same key were used to sign and verify emails, anyone could copy it and start sending fake messages. By separating the roles, DKIM ensures that: - Only your mail server can sign emails (because only it has the private key) - Anyone can verify emails (because the public key is openly available) This is what prevents attackers from forging valid DKIM signatures. How DKIM Public and Private Keys Work Together Here’s how the full DKIM process works when an email is sent. First, an email is created by a user or an application on your domain. Before the message leaves your mail server, DKIM looks at important parts of the email, such as... --- #### Network Security Risks Facing Consumers and Businesses URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/network-security-risks-facing-consumers-and-businesses/ Description: Small businesses face a harsh reality: 79% have experienced at least one cyberattack in the past five years. Small businesses face a harsh reality: 79% have experienced at least one cyberattack in the past five years. These numbers show why companies and organizations need better protection against various security vulnerabilities. The financial toll hits hard when security breaches occur. Small businesses lose up to $1,000 per minute of downtime, while enterprise organizations lose more than $7,900 per minute. Retail businesses stand among the most vulnerable targets. The sector ranked second in ransomware attacks in 2021, with attackers targeting 77% of organizations worldwide. The threat landscape is becoming more complex, with trusted insiders responsible for 20% of business data breaches. Phishing attacks remain a persistent threat and account for 58% of retail-sector incidents. Recent data paints a concerning picture, 87% of small businesses worry about cyber threats they might face next year. Their risk exposure has grown substantially in the last year according to 83% of respondents. Consumer concerns focus heavily on AI-assisted identity theft, with 86% expressing worry. Yet only 16% have protected themselves with identity theft insurance. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF,... --- #### How to Conduct an Email Investigation - A Comprehensive Guide by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-conduct-email-investigation-comprehensive-guide-dmarcreport/ Description: Email remains one of the most ubiquitous forms of communication in both personal and professional settings. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email remains one of the most ubiquitous forms of communication in both personal and professional settings. It’s fast, familiar, and powerful - but it’s also one of the most abused tools in a cybercriminal’s arsenal. From targeted phishing attempts and social engineering schemes to broader spoofing campaigns, malicious actors constantly exploit email vulnerabilities to achieve their goals. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Understanding how to conduct an email investigation is therefore vital - not just for security professionals and digital forensics teams, but for any organization or individual concerned with protecting their communication ecosystem. Much of that groundwork starts with DMARC authentication, which decides whether... --- #### ChatGPT data risks, Fortinet faces setbacks, M&S CTO Resigns URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/chatgpt-data-risks-fortinet-faces-setbacks-ms-cto-resigns/ Description: FortiSIEM flaw CVE-2025-64155 actively exploited, M&S CTO resigns after $404M Scattered Spider attack, ChatGPT Health raises data concerns, plus AI tool ALOHA. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. This is the third edition of the month, and here are the top 4 cyber mishaps that you must know about. Last week, Marks & Spencer's CTO quit following a major cyber mishap. There was bad news for both Fortinet and ChatGPT Health. However, amidst this bleak landscape, experts have found a silver lining: cyberattack recreation and testing will help bolster safety mechanisms. ChatGPT Health may not be healthy for your data! While ChatGPT Health sounds like the much-needed, convenient, and accessible health advice, cybersecurity experts are not very positive about this LLM health chatbot. OpenAI claims it to be “a dedicated experience that securely brings your health information and ChatGPT’s intelligence together, to help you feel more informed, prepared, and confident navigating your health.” Irrespective of all the tall claims, experts are not quite sure whether or not ChatGPT Health conversations will be end-to-end encrypted. There’s not much clarity around regulatory consumer protections.... --- #### Why should a business consider using custom DKIM for its email sending? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-businesses-should-use-custom-dkim-for-email-sending/ Description: A business should use custom DKIM because it provides domain-aligned authentication that boosts deliverability and brand trust. A business should use custom DKIM because it provides domain-aligned authentication that boosts deliverability and brand trust, satisfies DMARC enforcement requirements, reduces spoofing risk, and gives you operational control over keys, selectors, subdomains, and multi-ESP sending. 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. Digital signatures are the backbone of modern email trust: DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) lets receivers verify that your messages really came from you and weren’t altered in transit. When the DKIM d= domain matches your visible From: domain, your authentication is “aligned” for DMARC, unlocking stricter anti-spoofing policies and better inbox placement. By contrast, relying on shared or provider-managed signatures that don’t align (e.g., d=espname.com) weakens your DMARC posture and dilutes your domain reputation. “Custom DKIM” means you control the signing identity (d=yourdomain.com), selector naming, and key lifecycle - whether you host keys yourself, BYO keys to an ESP, or delegate via CNAMEs while keeping d=yourdomain.com. With custom DKIM in place, businesses can standardize policy across multiple ESPs, segment subdomain reputations (transactional... --- #### How to Tell if a Website Is Secure: The Ultimate Guide by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-tell-if-a-website-is-secure-ultimate-guide/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. If you are new to the protocol, our DMARC FAQ answers the most common setup and policy questions. In today’s digital world, we rely on websites for everything - from banking and shopping to communicating with friends and accessing critical business resources. While the internet brings immense convenience, it also presents significant risks. Cybercriminals are constantly devising new ways totrick unsuspecting users into revealing sensitive information or compromising their devices.For this reason, it’s vital for every internet user - whether a casual browser or a business professional - to know how to check if a website is truly secure before trusting it with personal or financial data. At DMARCReport, we’re passionate about helping individuals and organizations stay secure online . Below, we break down practical steps and expert‑backed checks you can use to determine whether a website is safe to visit or interact with. These methods don’t require any deep technical... --- #### What are common signs that DKIM is not working for outgoing mail? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/common-signs-dkim-not-working-for-outgoing-email-delivery-issues/ Description: What are common signs that DKIM is not working for outgoing mail? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. The most common signs that DKIM is not working for outgoing mail are a missing or malformed DKIM-Signature header, Authentication-Results showing dkim=none/fail/permerror/temperror (often with “body hash did not verify” for bh mismatches), DMARC aggregate/forensic reports flagging DKIM alignment failures, and MTA logs indicating signing was skipped or failed due to selector/key/DNS errors. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. Email authentication context and why DKIM fails DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) lets your domain cryptographically sign outgoing mail so receivers can verify that the message wasn’t altered and that the domain in the signature (d=) is legitimate. If you're new to the protocol, our primer on what is DKIM covers the fundamentals before you troubleshoot. When DKIM isn’t working, mail may still... --- #### What is a 550 5.7.0 local policy violation, and how to solve it? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-550-5-7-0-local-policy-violation-how-to-fix/ Description: What is a 550 5.7.0 local policy violation, and how to solve it? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. Sending bulk emails certainly means reaching a wider audience, but what if your emails fail to even reach the recipients? Such problems often occur even when you believe you are doing everything right. The reason for this error could be hidden email-policy checks running in the background that are causing your emails to fail and showing a 550 5.7.0 local policy violation error. When you receive this error message, consider it a clear sign that receiving servers are outrightly rejecting your emails. What makes things worse is that it is a permanent failure, which means the server has decided not to accept the message at all, and retrying will not help. So, the only way to get your emails to reach the recipients is to identify the root cause and address it directly. In most cases, it usually means fixing SPF verification issues. In this article, we will understand... --- #### How Phishing Scammers Get Your Email Address - and How DMARCReport Can Help You Stop Them URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-phishing-scammers-get-emails-and-how-dmarcreport-stops-them/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Every day, millions of people and businesses around the world fall prey to phishing attacks - fraudulent schemes designed to trick users into revealing sensitive data like passwords, financial information, or proprietary business credentials. At DMARCReport, we understand the danger these threats pose, and we want to give you a complete picture of how phishing scammers actually obtain your email addresses, why it matters, and what you can do to protect yourself and your organization. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Today’s cybercriminals are more patient, creative, and relentless than ever before. Just seeing strange emails in your inbox isn’t unusual - but knowing how those... --- #### How can I generate and interpret DMARC aggregate reports for G Suite? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/generate-and-interpret-dmarc-aggregate-reports-for-google-workspace-emails/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. You generate DMARC aggregate reports for G Suite (Google Workspace) by publishing a DMARC DNS TXT record that includes a valid rua=mailto: address for report collection, and you interpret them by parsing the XML fields (sourceip, count, policyevaluated, dkim/spf alignment, disposition, reason) to map sending sources and authentication outcomes - best done with a purpose-built analyzer like DMARCReport that normalizes and visualizes Google-sourced traffic. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Context and background DMARC aggregate reports (RUA) are daily XML summaries that receiving mailbox providers send back to your domain’s designated address, showing who sent mail using your domain and whether SPF and/or DKIM aligned with... --- #### Learning to analyze an email for security and deliverability URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/learning-to-analyze-an-email-for-security-and-deliverability/ Description: Learning to analyze an email for security and deliverability from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. Understanding how DMARC alignment works matters here, since DMARC passes only when SPF or DKIM aligns with the visible From domain. Emails were never designed with security in mind, which is precisely why they require cautious use and integration with third-party tools. Email analysis is a practical approach that checks email authentication results, sender identity, routing paths, and attachments to ensure the message is... --- #### Why Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and iCloud Are Enforcing Stricter Email Authentication Standards URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-google-yahoo-microsoft-icloud-enforce-stricter-email-authentication-standards/ Description: Email continues to be one of the most widely used communication channels for businesses, consumers, and service providers worldwide. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email continues to be one of the most widely used communication channels for businesses, consumers, and service providers worldwide. However, its widespread use has also made it a prime target for abuse. Phishing, spoofing, and impersonation attacks have increased dramatically, causing significant financial losses and eroding trust in email communication. To counter these threats, major mailbox providers including Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and Apple iCloud have implemented stricter sender authentication requirements. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. These changes mark a major shift in how email deliverability is evaluated. Email authentication is no longer a recommended best practice reserved for security-focused organizations. It has become a fundamental requirement for anyone... --- #### DKIM Lookup: How to Check DKIM Records for Any Domain URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-perform-dkim-lookup-to-verify-domain-email-authentication/ Description: A DKIM lookup queries the DNS TXT record at ._domainkey.. Here's how to find selectors, validate the public key, and confirm signing end-to-end. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. To perform a DKIM lookup for your domain and verify email authentication, extract the DKIM selector from a signed message’s header, build the DNS name as selector.domainkey.yourdomain, query its TXT record with dig/nslookup (or an API), interpret the key tags, and optionally validate a message’s DKIM-Signature against that published public key. Context and background DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) binds a message to a domain using a cryptographic signature in the email header and a corresponding public key published in DNS. Receivers verify the signature by retrieving the public key at selector.domainkey.example.com, confirming the message wasn’t altered and was authorized by the signing domain. A correct... --- #### Configuring WP Mail SMTP for Authenticated WordPress Emails URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/setup-wp-mail-smtp-secure-authenticated-wordpress-emails-guide/ Description: Configuring WP Mail SMTP for Authenticated WordPress Emails from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. If you run a website based on WordPress and rely on it to send emails - user sign-up confirmations, notifications, password resets, newsletters, or contact-form replies - then you probably know how finicky email deliverability can be. Out-of-the-box WordPress typically uses the PHP mail() function, which often results in un-authenticated emails that get flagged as spam or fail authentication checks like SPF/DKIM/DMARC. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. In this article, I’ll walk you through how to set up the popular WP Mail SMTP plugin so your WordPress-generated emails are authenticated and aligned... --- #### Browser session hijacking, Email routing phishing, Instagram alert panic URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/browser-session-hijacking-email-routing-phishing-instagram-alert-panic/ Description: Browser session hijacking, Email routing phishing, Instagram alert panic from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The third edition of the month revolves around key cybersecurity incidents. Cyber mishaps this week include a breach of Facebook login credentials, phishing attacks that exploit email routing gaps, fake Instagram password reset emails that sent a panic wave among the Indian user base, and a customer data breach at Betterment. Facebook login credentials accessed by leveraging the Browser-in-the-Browser technique Facebook has a huge user base of around 3 billion active users. This is exactly why hackers treat this social networking platform as a treasure trove of data. According to a group of cybersecurity researchers, the second half of 2025 experienced a sudden spike in Facebook phishing scams. Experts believe that the “Browser-in-the-Browser” technique... --- #### We are G2 Winter 2026 Leader for DMARC Software URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/we-are-g2-winter-2026-leader-for-dmarc-software/ Description: See why IT and security professionals around the world trust DMARC Report to simplify DMARC management and strengthen email security. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC Report helps you parse your DMARC XML and turn those reports into action. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. See why IT and security professionals around the world trust DMARC Report to simplify DMARC management and strengthen email security. 90% of users rate DMARC Report 4 stars or higher on G2. Our Winter 2026 recognition is driven entirely by verified reviews from real users who rely on DMARC Report for: - Clear, actionable DMARC visibility that turns complex data into easy decisions - Reliable, scalable protection for single domains or large multi-tenant environments - Time-saving automation that reduces manual effort and speeds up enforcement - Trusted... --- #### How to Add a DKIM Record to Cloudflare - A Complete Guide by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-add-dkim-record-in-cloudflare-complete-guide/ Description: In today’s digital world, email continues to be one of the most essential forms of communication for businesses. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In today’s digital world, email continues to be one of the most essential forms of communication for businesses. From customer support to marketing campaigns and internal workflow, email delivers critical messages every second. But as the volume of email grows, so do threats like phishing, spoofing, and spam. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. That’s where proper email authentication steps in - and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is one of the foundational pillars of that protection framework. Together with SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance), DKIM helps ensure that your domain’s emails are cryptographically verified and trusted by receiving servers.... --- #### How a DKIM Replay Attack Successfully Spoofed Google - A Deep Dive URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-dkim-replay-attack-spoofed-google-emails-successfully-explained/ Description: How a DKIM Replay Attack Successfully Spoofed Google - A Deep Dive: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. In today’s email threat landscape, phishing attacks have grown far more sophisticated than ever before. Gone are the days when scammers relied on bad grammar, obvious spoofed domains, or clearly malicious links. Modern attacks can mimic legitimate system alerts so convincingly that even tech-savvy users hesitate to dismiss them. One such evolving threat is what’s known as a DKIM replay attack - and in a recent real-world case, attackers used it to convincingly spoof official Google emails, passing all standard email authentication checks. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. In this article, we’ll walk you through how this attack worked, why it bypassed SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protections, how it leveraged trusted infrastructure, and - most importantly - how organizations can harden their defenses against similar threats. If you need a... --- #### How can a DMARC Analyzer help reduce phishing emails sent from my domain? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-dmarc-analyzer-reduces-phishing-emails-from-your-domain/ Description: How can a DMARC Analyzer help reduce phishing emails sent from my domain?: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. A DMARC Analyzer like DMARCReport reduces phishing from your domain by enforcing SPF/DKIM alignment through DMARC policy, mapping and eliminating unauthorized senders with aggregate/forensic reporting, and guiding you - via dashboards, alerts, and automated policy recommendations - from monitor to quarantine/reject without disrupting legitimate mail . The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is the control plane for email identity: it tells receiving mail servers which messages using your From: domain are legitimate and what to do with the rest. It builds on two authentication methods - SPF and DKIM - and adds the missing governance layer: alignment, policy, and visibility. Without DMARC, attackers can impersonate your domain with relative ease; with it, receivers... --- #### FreshMail DKIM & SPF Setup - A Complete Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/freshmail-dkim-spf-setup-a-complete-guide/ Description: FreshMail DKIM & SPF Setup - A Complete Guide from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. If you send email marketing campaigns using FreshMail, you already know how powerful and flexible the platform is. However, to ensure your emails actually reach the inbox and don’t get blocked, flagged as spam, or rejected outright, you need to authenticate your domain properly. That’s where SPF and DKIM come in - two critical email authentication protocols that work together with DMARC to protect your reputation and improve deliverability. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about setting up DKIM and SPF with FreshMail - step by step, clearly explained, and written from the perspective of a team that lives and breathes email authentication: DMARCReport. Why DKIM & SPF Matter - The Foundation... --- #### What is a DMARC record and why does it matter for my email security? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-dmarc-record-and-why-you-need-it/ Description: The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to... The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. A DMARC record is a DNS TXT policy that tells receiving mail servers how to handle emails that claim to be from your domain by verifying SPF/DKIM alignment , and it matters because it prevents spoofing, improves deliverability, and gives you visibility through reports to enforce authentication safely. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) builds on SPF and DKIM by adding the crucial concept of alignment: the visible From domain in an email must match (relaxed or strict) the domain validated by SPF or DKIM for the message to pass DMARC. Without alignment, attackers can pass SPF or DKIM with unrelated domains and still spoof your brand; with DMARC, misaligned messages can be monitored, quarantined, or rejected based on your policy. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened... --- #### Cyberattack Shuts School, Cyber Scam Thwarted, JLR Faces Losses URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cyberattack-shuts-school-cyber-scam-thwarted-jlr-faces-losses/ Description: Higham Lane School closes after a January 2026 attack, a Cape Town researcher blocks a Constantia Pharmacy breach, and JLR may lose $4B in sales. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. This is the first edition of the month, and we have curated the top four cyber incidents that you must be well-versed in. Cyber mishaps this week revolved around a data breach at Higham Lane School, a potential cyber scam that was prevented by a hacker, and Brightspeed’s customer data breach incident. Meanwhile, the unfortunate Jaguar Land Rover case may hit a massive $4 billion loss. Higham Lane School closed for students and staff after a cyberattack A recent cyber incident has forced Higham Lane School and Sixth Form to shut down for all its students and staff members. The cyber mishap has jeopardized the entire IT system of the school. The school authority has confirmed the threat attack last weekend. Since then, the educational institute has taken down email servers, telephone lines, and its central management system. A series of emails was sent to parents and guardians... --- #### What Are The Best Practices For Making DMARC Work With Cloud Email Providers? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-are-best-practices-for-dmarc-with-cloud-email-providers/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The best practices for making DMARC work with cloud email providers are to authenticate every sender with aligned DKIM, keep SPF lean via subdomain delegation and managed includes, roll out DMARC in phased enforcement (p=none → quarantine → reject) with continuous rua/ruf monitoring, and mitigate edge cases (forwarding, mailing lists) with ARC and custom return-paths - while rotating strong DKIM keys and using consistent subdomain policy controls. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. DMARC succeeds in cloud environments when you assume two truths: 1) most delivery failures stem from misalignment across multiple sending platforms, and 2) you can’t improve what you don’t observe. In... --- #### How to Fix “External Verification Failure” - A Complete Guide by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-fix-external-verification-failure-complete-dmarcreport-email-guide/ Description: Email authentication is no longer a luxury - it’s a critical part of protecting your domain from abuse, spoofing, phishing, and deliverability issues. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email authentication is no longer a luxury - it’s a critical part of protecting your domain from abuse, spoofing, phishing, and deliverability issues. At DMARCReport, we help thousands of organizations understand and resolve technical email security problems every day. One of the most common issues domain owners encounter when managing DMARC records is an error known as “External Verification Failure.” It’s a specific problem related to how DMARC delivers reports and, if not properly understood, can prevent you from receiving crucial feedback on your email authentication health. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. In this article, we’ll walk you through: - What External Verification Failure means... --- #### Understanding Proofpoint’s Inbound DMARC Handling - A DMARCReport Analysis URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-proofpoints-inbound-dmarc-handling-a-dmarcreport-analysis/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email authentication standards like DMARC (Domain‑based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) have become indispensable in the fight against spoofing, phishing, and domain impersonation. Organizations rely on DMARC not only to protect their brand but also to ensure the authenticity of email traffic traversing the internet. At DMARCReport, we’re passionate about helping security teams, IT administrators, and domain owners understand how various email security platforms behave in real‑world deployments. One frequent question we get is: How does Proofpoint handle inbound email authentication, specifically DMARC? In this deep dive, we unpack that topic thoroughly, explain how Proofpoint’s implementation differs from standard DMARC processing, and outline what administrators need to know to enforce inbound email authentication effectively. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies... --- #### How can I verify that my DKIM signing is properly aligned with DMARC for Gmail? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-verify-dkim-alignment-with-dmarc-for-gmail-properly/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. If you are new to the protocol, learn about DMARC before diving into alignment specifics. To verify that your DKIM signing is properly aligned with DMARC for Gmail, open the message in Gmail’s “Show original” view and confirm that dkim=pass for a signature whose d= domain matches the visible From domain (strict alignment) or shares the same Organizational Domain (relaxed alignment), that DMARC shows pass (via dkim), and that the DKIM selector’s DNS record (selector.domainkey) publishes a valid 2048-bit key Gmail can fetch - then corroborate consistency over 24-48 hours in DMARC aggregate reports (e.g., in DMARCReport) filtered to Gmail. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. Email authentication... --- #### What Are Best Practices For Securing Access And Protecting Data When Using A Free DMARC Analyzer? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-are-best-practices-for-protecting-data-with-dmarc-analyzer/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. To securely use a free DMARC analyzer, enforce least-privilege, read-only collection via dedicated mailboxes or secure uploads; redact/anonymize sensitive fields before sharing; mandate strict data retention and deletion; harden transport with TLS 1.2+/mTLS and strong SFTP/HTTPS settings; continuously log and monitor access; validate vendor compliance (DPA, SOC/ISO); and control programmatic access with RBAC, scoped API keys, and regular rotation - practices you can implement end-to-end with DMARCReport. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) analyzers convert raw aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) XML into actionable visibility. A DMARC report analyzer tool does this parsing for you in the browser. But those reports can expose sensitive... --- #### Everything You Need to Know About GPS Spoofing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-gps-spoofing/ Description: In our increasingly connected world, satellite navigation systems like the Global Positioning System (GPS) have become indispensable. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. In our increasingly connected world, satellite navigation systems like the Global Positioning System (GPS) have become indispensable. Whether you’re using navigation in your car, tracking delivery vehicles, coordinating logistics, or powering critical infrastructure systems, GPS plays a foundational role in modern life. But what happens when the integrity of that positioning system is compromised? Enter GPS spoofing - a subtle yet powerful form of cyberattack that manipulates location information and can have wide-ranging consequences for individuals, businesses, and nations alike. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. In this comprehensive guide, DMARCReport will walk you through everything you need to know about GPS spoofing: what it is, how it works, why it’s dangerous, where it’s used, and the strategies being developed... --- #### Setting Up DMARC for Stronger Email Authentication and Trust URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/setting-up-dmarc-for-stronger-email-authentication-and-trust/ Description: Setting Up DMARC for Stronger Email Authentication and Trust from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. To set up DMARC for stronger email authentication and trust, correctly configure SPF and DKIM for every sending source, publish an initial monitoring DMARC policy (p=none) with aggregate/forensic reporting, analyze alignment and failure data, then progressively enforce to p=quarantine and p=reject while maintaining DKIM key hygiene and continuous monitoring. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) adds a policy and reporting layer on top of SPF and DKIM so receivers can verify that mail claiming to be from your domain actually is - and tell you when it’s not. SPF validates the sending path; DKIM validates the message content via cryptographic signatures; DMARC aligns... --- #### How Can I Reduce The Risk Of Blocking Legitimate Mail When Enforcing A Strict DMARC TXT Record? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-reduce-legitimate-email-blocking-with-strict-dmarc-enforcement/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Reduce the risk of blocking legitimate mail when enforcing a strict DMARC TXT record by rolling out p=reject gradually with the pct tag and ongoing rua/ruf monitoring, ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment with proper aspf/adkim settings, fully inventorying and validating all sending sources, deployingARC and SRS for forwarding/list scenarios, mitigating SPF/DNS pitfalls, coordinating vendors on keys and subdomains, and implementing real-time alerting with rollback - ideally orchestrated end-to-end with DMARCReport. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC is designed to stop spoofing by requiring that messages pass SPF or DKIM and that the authenticated domain aligns with the visible From domain; “strict” enforcement most often means p=reject with... --- #### Ultimate DreamHost DMARC Setup Guide - By DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ultimate-dreamhost-dmarc-setup-guide-by-dmarcreport/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. As email threats continue to grow, protecting your domain from phishing, spoofing, and fraudulent use of your brand is no longer a “nice-to-have” - it’s essential. And at the heart of strong email defense is DMARC - Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. When implemented correctly, DMARC empowers domain owners to take control over how inbox providerstreat unauthenticated mail, giving you powerful visibility into who’s sending on behalf of your domain and how recipients are handling that mail. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. In this guide, DMARCReport will walk you through the complete process of setting up DMARC for your domain hosted on DreamHost -... --- #### QR Phishing Surges, Sentinel Targets Cybercrime, Ghanaian Bank Ransomware URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/qr-phishing-surges-sentinel-targets-cybercrime-ghanaian-bank-ransomware/ Description: QR Phishing Surges, Sentinel Targets Cybercrime, Ghanaian Bank Ransomware from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Cyber incidents this week focused on QR code phishing scams, neutralizing African cybercrime groups, and a major ransomware attack on a Ghanaian bank. While Kaspersky discovered an upsurge in QR code phishing, Operation Sentinel disrupted major cybercrime groups. Meanwhile, the Ghanaian bank suffered a major ransomware attack as cybercrooks managed to wipe away USD 120,000. Kaspersky found a 5x boost in QR code phishing scams! A group of researchers at Kaspersky has found a massive 5x spike in QR code phishing in the second half of 2025. While the number of QR phishing attempts in August 2025 was 46,969, the number jumped to a whopping 249,723 by November. These malicious QR codes are mostly used in emails as they make it extremely easy and feasible... --- #### Email List Validation: The Essential Guide for Modern Email Marketers URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-list-validation-the-essential-guide-for-modern-email-marketers/ Description: Email marketing remains one of the most powerful digital communication channels available today - and that’s not going to change anytime soon. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Email marketing remains one of the most \\powerful digital communication channels available today - and that’s not going to change anytime soon. \Despite new platforms and tools emerging constantly, email continues to deliver unmatched ROI, engagement, and direct audience access. \But the key to success in email marketing isn’t the size of your list - it’s the quality of the contacts you’re sending to. That’s where email list validation comes in. The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. In this comprehensive guide, DMARCReport will explore what email list validation really is, why it’s indispensable for your campaigns, and how it can help you protect your sender reputation, cut costs, improve deliverability, and ultimately generate better engagement and conversions from your email efforts. What Is Email... --- #### Email-Borne Insurance Scams: A Complete Guide to Understanding, Preventing & Securing Your Domain URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-borne-insurance-scams-prevention-guide-for-securing-your-domain/ Description: In today’s highly digital world, email remains one of the most essential communication channels for businesses - especially in the insurance industry. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. In today’s highly digital world, email remains one of the most essential communication channels for businesses - especially in the insurance industry. Unfortunately, as the industry embraces digital transformation, it also becomes an increasingly attractive target for cybercriminals leveraging email to defraud companies and unsuspecting policyholders alike. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Email-borne insurance scams aren’t just an annoyance. When successful, they can result in financial losses, stolen identities, regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage, and erosion of trust between insurers and their customers. In this comprehensive article, DMARCReport explains why these scams are on the rise, how they operate, and - most importantly - how your... --- #### How to set up SPF and DKIM for Autotask URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-set-up-spf-and-dkim-for-autotask/ Description: How to set up SPF and DKIM for Autotask from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. Companies rely on Autotask for sending emails about ticket updates, workflow alerts, invoices, system notifications, and more. Many of these emails are time and response-sensitive, which is why it’s important that domain owners integrate SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for their Autotask accounts. When these emails are not authenticated, receiving mailbox providers may treat them as suspicious or send them straight to spam. When you create an SPF record for Autotaks, you establish a way to tell receiving mail servers which systems are allowed to send emails for your domain. To introduce another security layer, DKIM adds a digital signature to each message so providers can confirm the email was not altered and that it truly came from Autotask. Together,... --- #### France Post Targeted, Romanian Waters Attacked, WhatsApp GhostPairing Threat URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/france-post-targeted-romanian-waters-attacked-whatsapp-ghostpairing-threat/ Description: France Post Targeted, Romanian Waters Attacked, WhatsApp GhostPairing Threat from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. This is the fourth edition of the month, and we have curated the top three cyber incidents that you must know about. We will begin the bulletin with the alleged threat attack on a French post office. Next, we will discuss the recent cyberattack on Romanian waters and try to understand the extent of damage it has caused. Lastly, we will discuss the meaning of GhostPairing and try to understand how it may affect WhatsApp users. The national post office in France was allegedly targeted by threat actors! The daily operations of France’s national post office have been disrupted by an alleged cyberattack. The mishap has affected both the website and the associated apps of the... --- #### DMARC: A Comprehensive Guide to Protect Your Domain - by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-a-comprehensive-guide-to-protect-your-domain-by-dmarcreport/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email security is among the most critical aspects of modern digital communications. Every year, organizations lose money, time, and reputation due to email fraud, phishing attacks, and domain spoofing. Studies show that even small breaches can cost businesses tens of thousands of dollars, while larger enterprises can lose millions per incident. With email-based threats rising year after year, domain owners need reliable defenses that go beyond traditional spam filters and malware scanners. One of the most powerful and widely adopted solutions is DMARC - Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. In this guide, DMARCReport will walk you through everything you... --- #### Understanding DMARC RFC: A Comprehensive Guide by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-dmarc-rfc-a-comprehensive-guide-by-dmarcreport/ Description: In today’s digital world, email remains one of the most powerful communication channels, but it is also one of the most abused. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In today’s digital world, email remains one of the most powerful communication channels, but it is also one of the most abused. Every day, millions of malicious emails are sent to deceive recipients - from phishing to brand spoofing to targeted business email compromise (BEC). As these attacks evolve, so too must our defenses. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. At DMARCReport, we believe in empowering domain owners with clear technical knowledge, actionable policies, and robust monitoring to protect their email ecosystems. One of the foundational pieces of that defense is the DMARC specification - formally defined in the RFC 7489 standard. This document underpins the... --- #### How long after publishing a DMARC DNS record should I expect to see effects on delivery? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-long-after-dmarc-dns-record-setup-affects-email-delivery/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. You should expect initial DMARC-driven delivery effects as soon as DNS caches refresh your new TXT record - typically within 5-60 minutes, broad enforcement by major mailbox providers within 1-24 hours, and full stabilization (including report-based visibility) within 24-72 hours. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. DMARC is evaluated in real time on each message, but its input - the DMARC TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain - travels through DNS caches that honor time-to-live (TTL) and sometimes negative-caching rules. That means your policy change doesn’t “roll out” in one atomic step; it becomes visible to each recipient environment when its resolver refreshes the record. Once visible, enforcement... --- #### What Are The Best Tools For Validating And Analyzing A DMARC Record Example? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-are-the-best-tools-to-validate-dmarc-record-example/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The best tools for validating and analyzing a DMARC record example are a combination of web validators (DMARCReport Validator, MXToolbox, dmarcian, DMARC Analyzer), command-line utilities (dig/host/nslookup, OpenDMARC), open-source parsers (parsedmarc), and APIs (DMARCReport API, SecurityTrails, WhoisXML) supplemented by deliverability testbeds (Gmail/Outlook header analysis, Mail-Tester, GlockApps) to cover both syntax accuracy and real-world enforcement outcomes. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. Why DMARC validation takes more than one tool DMARC records are compact but deceptively nuanced: a single TXT string encodes policy intent (p), subdomain behavior (sp), alignment strictness (adkim/aspf), reporting channels (rua/ruf), and sampling (pct). Getting the syntax right is necessary, but not sufficient - your policy... --- #### How Can A DMARC Report Analyzer Help Reduce Phishing And Spoofing Incidents? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-dmarc-report-analysis-helps-stop-phishing-and-spoofing/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. A DMARC report analyzer reduces phishing and spoofing by transforming raw RUA/RUF data into prioritized insights, automated enforcement, and rapid incident response that block unauthorized senders while preserving legitimate email flows. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Email authentication works only when you can see who’s sending on your behalf, how their messages authenticate, and where policy changes will help - or hurt - deliverability; a DMARC report analyzer distills that visibility from DMARC aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) reports into decisions you can apply at DNS, MTA, and SOC layers. DMARCReport, specifically, ingests reports from the global mailbox provider ecosystem, normalizes them into sender- and... --- #### Why Is RUA Important For Monitoring Email Authentication Issues? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-is-rua-important-for-monitoring-email-authentication-issues/ Description: RUA (DMARC aggregate) reporting is important because it gives domain owners daily, privacy-safe. RUA (DMARC aggregate) reporting is important because it gives domain owners daily, privacy-safe, cross‑receiver visibility into SPF/DKIM authentication and alignment outcomes at scale, so they can detect, prioritize, and remediate email authentication issues and abuse before they impact deliverability, brand, or customers. Monitoring isn't just about dashboards - it's about detecting the signal in the noise, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. A domain that sends 100,000 legitimate emails per day might have 50 spoofing attempts buried in the aggregate reports. Our source classification engine surfaces those automatically. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email authentication only works if you can see where it fails. DMARC’s aggregate (RUA) reports summarize how every major receiver (Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Apple, etc.) evaluated mail using your domain - from which IPs it came, to whether SPF and DKIM passed and aligned, to whether messages were quarantined or rejected. Because these reports are standardized XML, compressed, and sent automatically, they provide a dependable telemetry... --- #### Why does Gmail reject or mark my messages as spam when my DMARC policy is strict? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-gmail-marks-emails-spam-under-strict-dmarc-policy/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Gmail rejects or marks your messages as spam when your DMARC policy is strict because the messages fail DMARC alignment (SPF or DKIM pass but don’t align with the visible From domain), alignment is broken by forwarding/lists/intermediaries, or misconfigurations exist, and Gmail combines these results with reputation and engagement signals to quarantine or reject according to your DMARC policy. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. Context and background: why strict DMARC can backfire at Gmail DMARC enforces that the domain in the visible From header matches (is “aligned” with) the domain authenticated by either SPF (envelope MAIL FROM/Return-Path) or DKIM (d= domain in the signature). With... --- #### How to maintain a good email sender reputation in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-maintain-a-good-email-sender-reputation-in-2026/ Description: How to maintain a good email sender reputation in 2026 from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Microsoft followed with DMARC enforcement from May 2025. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now rejected by all three major providers. Email deliverability starts with authentication, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In 2026, if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren't all passing and aligned, your email goes to spam. It's not about content anymore - receivers check authentication before they even look at what you wrote. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. Email platforms today are much stricter about security and trust, and have become far less forgiving than ever. This means even a minor slip-up could cost your brand visibility, credibility, and trust among the email service providers and recipients. Now imagine this happening repeatedly. If your outgoing emails often fail authentication checks, trigger spam complaints, or see poor engagement, it starts to hurt your brand’s image. If these problems persist,... --- #### New ClickFix Scam, Dental Practice Banned, UK MPs Targeted URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/new-clickfix-scam-dental-practice-banned-uk-mps-targeted/ Description: New ClickFix Scam, Dental Practice Banned, UK MPs Targeted from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Cybercriminals are getting smarter, quieter, and far more convincing. From a new browser-based ClickFix variant that slips past traditional security tools, to healthcare organizations facing legal action after phishing breaches, and even UK MPs being targeted through trusted messaging apps, recent incidents show how fast attack methods are evolving. These threats no longer rely on obvious malware or shady links. Instead, they exploit user trust, familiar platforms, and small human actions that feel harmless in the moment. Here is a quick breakdown of the latest cybersecurity incidents making headlines and why they matter for organizations, public officials, and everyday users alike. Beware of this new ClickFix scam! A new type of ClickFix scam is... --- #### DDoS vs DoS Attacks: A Complete Guide from DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ddos-vs-dos-attacks-a-complete-guide-from-dmarcreport/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In today's hyper-connected world, where digital services power everything from your business to your personal communications, the threat landscape continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace. Among the most prevalent and damaging types of cyberattacks are Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks don’t aim to steal data or quietly infiltrate systems - instead, they strike boldly, aiming to take services offline and disrupt operations for users and businesses alike. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. At DMARCReport, we believe that understanding the nature, differences, motivations, and mitigation strategies for these attacks is essential for anyone operating online today. Whether you’re an IT professional,... --- #### Business Email Compromise vs Phishing Attacks - A Deep Dive by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/business-email-compromise-vs-phishing-attacks-explained-by-dmarcreport/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In today’s hyper-connected digital world, email remains the backbone of business communication - and unfortunately, also one of the most exploited attack vectors used by cybercriminals. Sophisticated threat actors continually refine their techniques to deceive trusted recipients, impersonate legitimate senders, and manipulate end users into disclosing sensitive information or transferring funds. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. At DMARCReport, we believe that truly understanding the nature of modern email-based threats - particularly the differences between Business Email Compromise (BEC) and Phishing - is essential for organizations of all sizes. Though both attack types involve deception and social engineering, they are distinct in their goals, execution methods,... --- #### How can DMARC improve email deliverability and reduce phishing risks? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-can-dmarc-improve-email-deliverability-and-reduce-phishing-risks/ Description: How can DMARC improve email deliverability and reduce phishing risks?: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. DMARC improves deliverability and reduces phishing by enforcing domain-aligned authentication (SPF/DKIM) that mailbox providers trust to place legitimate emails in the inbox while blocking or quarantining spoofed messages at scale. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. DMARC - Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance - adds a policy and reporting layer on top of SPF and DKIM so receivers can verify that a message claiming to be from your domain is actually authorized by you. When deployed correctly, it both signals “this is really us” for inbox placement and tells providers what to do with fraud that uses your domain. The reporting component closes the loop: you see who is sending on your behalf and where alignment fails. Continuous DMARC monitoring is what keeps that loop closed as your senders change... --- #### How Can I Verify If My DMARC Record Is Using SPF Or DKIM Alignment? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-verify-spf-or-dkim-alignment-in-dmarc-records/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. To verify whether your DMARC policy uses SPF or DKIM alignment and whether messages align, query your domain’s dmarc TXT record to read the adkim (for DKIM) and aspf (for SPF) flags (set to r for relaxed or s for strict), then inspect a delivered message’s Authentication-Results, Header From, Return-Path, and DKIM-Signature (d=) fields to confirm that at least one of SPF or DKIM both passes and aligns to the Header From domain under the configured alignment mode. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DMARC alignment is a two-part verification: configuration and evidence. Configuration is in DNS - specifically the DMARC TXT record where adkim and aspf determine... --- #### Data Leak vs. Data Breach - A DMARCReport Perspective URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/data-leak-vs-data-breach-a-dmarcreport-perspective/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In today’s digital world, terms like data leak and data breach are frequently used by news outlets, security blogs, and IT professionals - often interchangeably, but incorrectly. At DMARCReport, we believe that understanding the distinction between a data leak and a data breach is essential for building strong data-protection strategies. When combined with security measures like DMARC, this knowledge helps organizations better prevent unauthorized data exposure and defend against cyber threats. These aren’t just buzzwords - knowing how sensitive information can be exposed or stolen directly influences how effectively individuals and businesses protect their digital assets. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Let’s walk through what... --- #### How can I create a DMARC record for my domain to stop email spoofing? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-create-dmarc-record-stop-email-spoofing-domain/ Description: Creating a DMARC record takes 5 minutes: publish a DNS TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain. Creating a DMARC record takes 5 minutes: publish a DNS TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain.com with your chosen policy, configure reporting via the rua= tag, and start receiving aggregate reports within 24 hours. Per Google's February 2024 bulk sender requirements, a DMARC record is now mandatory for any domain sending 5,000+ messages per day to Gmail. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. DMARC Record Anatomy: Required and Optional Tags A DMARC record is a semicolon-separated list of tags in a TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain.com. You can build a DMARC record with our step-by-step tool. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4.0 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 non-compliant email in May 2025. The UK NCSC,... --- #### Can I Use A DMARC Record To Block Phishing From Lookalike Subdomains? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/can-dmarc-block-phishing-from-lookalike-subdomains-guide/ Description: Can I Use A DMARC Record To Block Phishing From Lookalike Subdomains?: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Yes - you can use DMARC to block phishing from true lookalike subdomains by enforcing a reject policy (via p=reject and/or sp=reject), but DMARC cannot block phishing from separately registered lookalike domains (typosquats), which require additional controls. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) authenticates the domain shown to recipients (the RFC5322.From) by aligning it with SPF and/or DKIM, then instructs receivers what to do with failures. If you're new to this, learn about DMARC before configuring subdomain policies. For subdomains of your organizational domain, DMARC provides powerful inheritance: a single organizational DMARC record can enforce policy for subdomains, and you can further override that policy at specific subdomains. However, DMARC is scoped to your domain tree; it cannot protect against domains you don’t control,... --- #### CNAME vs ALIAS Records - A Guide by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cname-vs-alias-records-a-guide-by-dmarcreport/ Description: As DNS users, domain administrators, and website operators know all too well: DNS configuration often feels like walking a tightrope. DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. If you're new to this, our primer on what is DMARC covers the basics. 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. As DNS users, domain administrators, and website operators know all too well: DNS configuration often feels like walking a tightrope. A small misconfiguration can mean your users can’t reach your site - or your email goes missing. Two DNS record types that are often sources of confusion are CNAME and ALIAS records. They can look similar, do similar jobs - but under the hood they behave differently. Understanding exactly how they differ, when to use each, and what trade-offs you’re making is key to getting DNS right. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit... --- #### CNAME vs A Record: What Every Domain Owner Should Know URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cname-vs-a-record-what-every-domain-owner-should-know/ Description: CNAME vs A Record: What Every Domain Owner Should Know: By DMARCReport DMARC monitoring should be as routine as checking your inbox, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO. By DMARCReport 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. When you register a domain name - say mywebsite.com - you’re not done yet. To get the domain to actually load your website, or allow email to be delivered, you need to configure the Domain Name System (DNS) appropriately. Think of DNS as the internet’s “phone book.” Instead of human-readable domain names, computers deal with numerical IP addresses. DNS translates the domain name we type into a browser into the numeric address machines use to route traffic. But DNS isn’t just a simple mapping. It offers different kinds of records - each with particular roles. Among the most fundamental are two record types often confused with each other: the A record (Address record) and the CNAME record (Canonical Name record). These two underpin how domains and subdomains are resolved. Understanding them correctly helps you avoid misconfigurations, downtime, or unexpected behavior. In this article, we (DMARCReport) walk you through: - How A and CNAME records work -... --- #### What are the privacy concerns associated with DMARC reports, and how can you address them? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-privacy-concerns-in-dmarc-reports-and-how-to-address/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. When you implement DMARC, you do not just do it for the policy enforcement feature; it’s also the reporting aspect that makes the authentication protocol so effective. These reports give you a behind-the-scenes view of your email activity, from who is sending emails on your behalf, how those emails are being authenticated, to any suspicious emails that might slip in. A dedicated tool lets you analyze your DMARC reports without exposing raw XML to everyone. The comprehensive, detailed information that these reports share is extremely useful, but only as long as they are in the right hands and are handled... --- #### Can DMARC Reports Help Me Detect Spoofing And Phishing Attempts? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/can-dmarc-reports-help-me-detect-spoofing-and-phishing-attempts/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Yes - DMARC aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) reports can absolutely help you detect spoofing and phishing attempts by revealing who is sending as your domain, whether SPF/DKIM align, and where non-aligned traffic spikes point to active impersonation. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC sits on top of SPF and DKIM to answer a single question: did this message actually come from a server authorized by the domain visible to the recipient (the RFC5322.From)? Aggregate (RUA) reports summarize this alignment status across all receivers and IPs every 24 hours, while forensic (RUF) reports, where available, provide near-real-time failure samples. Together, they form a telemetry layer... --- #### Manufacturers Most Targeted, AI Operational Advisory, Google Apple Warning URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/manufacturers-most-targeted-ai-operational-advisory-google-apple-warning/ Description: 51% of manufacturers hit by ransomware in 2025, CISA leads new AI-in-OT guidance, and Google and Apple warn users in 150 countries about state-backed spyware. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. All set for Christmas? And what about your cyber preparedness? Have you braced yourself well to safeguard your data and mental peace from the cybercrooks? If not, we are here to help! Every week, we bring you a fresh dose of cyber bulletin to keep you updated and make you aware of the ongoing cyber scams. With threat actors rapidly penetrating our everyday lives, the only way to stay ahead and safe is to stay well-versed in the latest cyber incidents. So, here we are with December’s second edition. This week, our bulletin will revolve around the top target of cyberattacks in 2025, CISA’s latest security guidelines for AI usage in operational technology, and the warnings issued by Google and Apple against state-sponsored cyberattacks. Manufacturers topped the chart of the most targeted industry in 2025! Cybercriminals love to target the manufacturing sector the most, and this trend continues even in 2025. The... --- #### How can I implement DMARC for multiple domains and subdomains? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-can-i-implement-dmarc-for-multiple-domains-and-subdomains/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Implement DMARC for multiple domains and subdomains by standardizing a DNS template (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), inventorying all sending services, using parent-level inheritance with the DMARC sp tag where appropriate, centralizing rua/ruf reporting, rolling out p=none then gradually enforcing per domain (quarantine → reject) based on report-driven confidence, automating DNS and DKIM key management via APIs/IaC, and continuously monitoring with alerting - ideally orchestrated end-to-end with DMARCReport. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is a policy and reporting framework that ties SPF and DKIM... --- #### BIMI, CMC and Google: How DMARCReport Sees This Transform the Email Landscape URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/bimi-cmc-google-transforming-email-landscape-insights-from-dmarcreport/ Description: At DMARCReport, we’ve always believed that email authentication and brand trust should go hand in hand. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Introduction At DMARCReport, we’ve always believed that email authentication and brand trust should go hand in hand. That’s why the recent update from Google - enabling support for Common Mark Certificate (CMC) under Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) - is big news for businesses of all sizes. If you’re sending emails to clients, subscribers or partners, this shift could markedly change how your messages are perceived. We at DMARCReport are excited to walk you through what this change means, why it matters, and how your organization can take advantage. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks.... --- #### Pros and Cons of Using Third-Party Email Services for Small Businesses URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/pros-cons-using-third-party-email-services-small-businesses-guide/ Description: The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to... The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. If you are new to the protocol, learn about DMARC before you hand your sending over to an outside platform. If you run a small business, email marketing is one of the easiest ways to stay in touch with your customers, promote offers, and grow sales. But building and maintaining your own email system takes time and technical know-how. The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. And most founders simply don’t have that. Luckily, third-party email services can help. Platforms like Mailchimp and Moosend let you send newsletters, automate campaigns, and track results from one platform. They make marketing simpler. But they also hand part of your customer communication and customer data to another company. Before you commit, you should know exactly what you’re gaining... --- #### How can I use DMARC Analyzer to detect if my domain is being spoofed? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-use-dmarc-analyzer-to-detect-domain-spoofing/ Description: How can I use DMARC Analyzer to detect if my domain is being spoofed?: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. You can use a DMARC Analyzer - specifically DMARCReport - by publishing a DMARC record that sends RUA/RUF reports to DMARCReport, then using its dashboard, alignment checks, alerts, and policy controls to identify spoofing sources quickly and move from monitoring (p=none) to enforcement (quarantine/reject). Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. Context and background Email domain spoofing happens when attackers send messages with your domain in the From header without authorization, tricking recipients into trusting malicious content. The most effective way to detect and stop this is the DMARC framework (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance), which leverages SPF and DKIM authentication and verifies domain alignment with your visible From domain. DMARC Analyzer tools aggregate reports (RUA) and forensic samples (RUF) from receiving mail systems to show exactly who is sending as... --- #### Barracuda SPF & DKIM Configuration - A DMARCReport Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/barracuda-spf-dkim-configuration-a-dmarcreport-guide/ Description: By DMARCReport - practical, vendor-specific guidance to make your email authentication reliable and DMARC-ready. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. By DMARCReport - practical, vendor-specific guidance to make your email authentication reliable and DMARC-ready. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Getting SPF and DKIM right for traffic that routes through a Barracuda appliance is one of the quickest wins you can make to reduce spoofing, stop spam that appears to come from your domain, and help your DMARC policy work as intended. Below we walk through why each protocol matters for Barracuda deployments, the exact SPF values Barracuda expects by region, step-by-step DNS changes, how DKIM fits into the picture (and an important caveat about Barracuda’s handling of signatures), plus test and troubleshooting tips to verify... --- #### Does forwarding mailers affect DMARC alignment and how to mitigate? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/does-forwarding-mailers-affect-dmarc-alignment-and-how-to-mitigate/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Yes - forwarding can and often does disrupt DMARC alignment by breaking SPF at the forwarder and sometimes DKIM when headers or body are modified; the practical mitigations are SRS for SPF, ARC for alignment preservation, resilient DKIM practices (relaxed canonicalization and strategic re-signing), and DMARC policy/report tuning backed by continuous monitoring. The most misunderstood thing about DMARC is that SPF passing is not enough - the domains have to align, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. We see this constantly: SPF passes, DKIM passes, but DMARC still fails because the Return-Path domain doesn't match the From header. Email authentication hinges on three pillars: SPF (checks the sending IP against the envelope-from domain), DKIM (verifies a signature tied to a signing domain), and DMARC (requires alignment of either SPF or DKIM with the visible From domain). Forwarding changes the path a message takes and, depending on whether headers or bodies... --- #### Microsoft Halts Phishing, Calendly Invite Danger, OpenAI Security Incident URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/microsoft-halts-phishing-calendly-invite-danger-openai-security-incident/ Description: Microsoft Halts Phishing, Calendly Invite Danger, OpenAI Security Incident from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s December, and while everyone is gearing up for the grand festivities, cybercrooks are also busy developing and executing threat campaigns. There’s something about holidays and the shopping season that these threat actors love way too much. One, people really let their guards down as they try to enjoy life. Secondly, brands try to make the most of this time period by running attractive, limited-time campaigns. It is these moments of carefree indulgence and chaos that the cybercrooks want to abuse by deploying sophisticated threat campaigns. Only awareness and vigilance can protect you from the clutches of cybercriminals. That’s exactly why we are here with our first cyber bulletin of the month. Let’s not waste any more time and get started on the details! Microsoft... --- #### A Records Vs. Alias Records - A Guide By DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/a-records-vs-alias-records-a-guide-by-dmarcreport/ Description: When managing a domain, one of the choices you'll face is how to configure your DNS (Domain Name System) records. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Once it is live, your DMARC report data reveals exactly which servers send mail using your domain. When managing a domain, one of the choices you'll face is how to configure your DNS (Domain Name System) records. Two of the most important and commonly confused record types are A records and Alias records. Though they may seem similar, they behave differently - and choosing the right one can make a big difference for your website’s reliability and flexibility. In this article, we’ll dive deep into A records vs. Alias records, look at how they work, and explain when to use each. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit... --- #### What causes DMARC false positives, and how can you fix them? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-causes-dmarc-false-positives-and-how-to-fix-them/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC, or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance, is one of the most crucial security protocols in your email authentication setup. As it builds on SPF and DKIM, it checks whether an email is genuinely aligned with the domain it claims to come from and, if not, how it should be handled. This sounds simple, but in operations, it’s far more complex. Sometimes, DMARC checks end up flagging authentic emails as suspicious, even if the entire authentication setup was configured with utmost care. This... --- #### Best Tools For Bulk DMARC Lookup Across Hundreds Of Domains? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-tools-for-bulk-dmarc-lookup-across-hundreds-of-domains/ Description: The best tools for bulk DMARC lookup across hundreds of domains are a mix of commercial SaaS platforms (e.g. The best tools for bulk DMARC lookup across hundreds of domains are a mix of commercial SaaS platforms (e.g., DMARC Report, dmarcian, EasyDMARC, PowerDMARC, Valimail Monitor, MXToolbox, WhoisXML API) and high-performance open-source utilities (e.g., massdns, ZDNS, ProjectDiscovery dnsx) combined with scripting libraries (Python dnspython, Go miekg/dns) for automation and validation at scale. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. Bulk DMARC lookup means querying the DNS TXT record at dmarc.example.com for each domain and parsing the policy tags (v, p, rua, ruf, fo, adkim, aspf, pct, sp), which sounds simple but is non-trivial across hundreds of domains due to DNS concurrency, resolver rate limits, error handling, and historical tracking. For a single domain, a DMARC record checker does this instantly. The right tool should support CSV import, API/CLI access, concurrency controls, syntax validation per RFC 7489, optional SPF/DKIM checks, exportable results, and alerting on changes for hundreds or thousands of domains. For most teams, a SaaS with... --- #### Benefits And Risks Of Penetration Testing - By DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/benefits-and-risks-of-penetration-testing-by-dmarcreport/ Description: As cyber threats escalate in frequency and sophistication, companies can no longer treat security as an afterthought. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. As cyber threats escalate in frequency and sophistication, companies can no longer treat security as an afterthought. A robust cybersecurity posture demands proactive measures, and one of the most powerful among them is penetration testing . In this article, DMARCReport walks you through how penetration testing can significantly bolster your defenses - as well as the caveats you should watch out for. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Why Penetration Testing Matters Modern businesses depend heavily on digital infrastructure: web applications, APIs, cloud services, internal networks, databases, and more. At the same time, cybercriminals continuously evolve their attack methods - exploiting weak passwords, unpatched software, misconfigurations,... --- #### How Does DMARC Analyzer Compare To Mxtoolbox, Valimail, And Dmarcian For Easing Dmarc Setup? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-analyzer-vs-mxtoolbox-valimail-dmarcian-for-easier-dmarc-setup/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Compared to MXToolbox, Valimail, and DMARCian, DMARC Analyzer provides stronger guided onboarding and automated validation than MXToolbox and DMARCian but less end-to-end automation than Valimail; in practice, organizations tend to reach p=reject fastest with Valimail or DMARC Report, steadily with DMARC Analyzer, slower with DMARCian, and slowest with MXToolbox. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. DMARC setup is notoriously cross-functional - touching DNS, mail gateways, marketing stacks, and third-party senders - so “easing setup” means minimizing manual DNS editing, guiding alignment fixes, safely phasing enforcement, and accelerating sender remediation without... --- #### Answering Your Webinar Questions: Email Security - From The Desk Of DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/answering-webinar-questions-email-security-dmarcreport-desk-insights-guide/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In our recent webinar titled “From Setup to Success: Secure Your Emails with DMARCReport,” we explored essential aspects of email security, with a deep dive into authentication protocols and best practices. The session was rich in content and attracted many participants; yet, we couldn’t cover all questions during the live Q&A. In this post, DMARCReport brings you a curated selection of those unanswered - but highly relevant - questions along with comprehensive, practical answers. Whether you are new to DMARC or refining your email security posture, this guide is crafted to steer you confidently forward. New to the protocol? Our primer helps you learn about DMARC from the ground up. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic... --- #### Best DMARC Checker Tools Comparing Dmarcian, Mxtoolbox, And Proofpoint URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-dmarc-checker-tools-comparing-dmarcian-mxtoolbox-and-proofpoint/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The best DMARC checker depends on your goals: choose dmarcian for deep DMARC-specific analytics and guided rollout, MXToolbox for fast diagnostics and budget-friendly monitoring, Proofpoint for enterprise-scale enforcement with threat intelligence, and consider DMARC Report to bridge gaps with scalable parsing, automation, and cost efficiency across SMB to multi-domain enterprises. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is only as strong as your ability to implement it correctly and monitor continuously; “checkers” must diagnose SPF/DKIM/DMARC errors, parse aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) data, and help you move from monitoring to enforcement without breaking legitimate mail. In real-world rollouts, the winning tool... --- #### How to Secure Your iCloud Email with DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-secure-your-icloud-email-with-dmarc/ Description: Email spoofing remains one of the common tricks used to impersonate trusted senders, targeting iCloud users. Email spoofing remains one of the common tricks used to impersonate trusted senders, targeting iCloud users. In a situation where custom domains connected to Apple Mail remain unauthenticated, an attacker can send a fraudulent message that appears legitimate at the same time as a user’s authenticated session. This poses a risk of data exposure, combined with phishing, and potential damage to the brand. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. iCloud DMARC configuration ensures that messages from your domain pass both SPF and DKIM checks. When properly configured, it blocks unauthorized email, protects recipients,... --- #### A-Records Vs. Aaaa-Records: What You Need To Know URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/a-records-vs-aaaa-records-what-you-need-to-know/ Description: If you’ve ever managed a domain or hosted a website, you’ve likely encountered DNS records - but not all DNS records are created equal. If you’ve ever managed a domain or hosted a website, you’ve likely encountered DNS records - but not all DNS records are created equal. Two of the most foundational types are the A record and the AAAA record. On the surface, both serve the same essential purpose: they map a domain name (like example.com) to an IP address. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll discover the critical differences between them - differences that reflect the evolution of the internet itself . In this article, we break down these record types, how they are used, and why understanding them matters more than you might think. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. What Are DNS Records - and Why They Matter Before diving into A vs AAAA, let’s take a step back: what are DNS records, and what role do they play in the functioning of the Internet? As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01... --- #### Best Tools For Generating DMARC Records For Small Businesses With Minimal It Staff? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-tools-for-generating-dmarc-records-for-small-businesses-without-it-staff/ Description: For small businesses with minimal IT staff, the best DMARC record generators are GUI-based wizards - especially DMARC Report’s DMARC Wizard - alongside dmarcian. For small businesses with minimal IT staff, the best DMARC record generators are GUI-based wizards - especially DMARC Report’s DMARC Wizard - alongside dmarcian, EasyDMARC, PowerDMARC, MXToolbox, and Google Admin Toolbox, because they combine pre-validated records, SPF/DKIM alignment guidance, and optional one‑click DNS publishing to minimize setup time and errors. ▶ Try it free — no signup: the DMARC Record Generator builds a valid record in about 60 seconds — pick your policy, add your reporting addresses, and copy it straight into DNS. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. Getting DMARC right delivers immediate value - stopping spoofing/phishing and improving deliverability - but the DNS syntax, alignment rules, and multi-sender reality (Google/Microsoft, ESPs, and transactional providers) can overwhelm lean teams. A generator that does more than print a TXT string - i.e., validates SPF/DKIM alignment , checks for external reporting authorization, and guides phased enforcement - reduces both risk and effort. Below we evaluate the most... --- #### What’s PII and how to protect it in emails? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/whats-pii-and-how-to-protect-it-in-emails/ Description: What’s PII and how to protect it in emails? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Money is not the only thing you part with while placing an online order. As a buyer, you are also required to share personal information such as your name, date of birth, location, social security number, and so on. The personal data that you share over email to complete the checkout process is called PII or Personally Identifiable Information. PII sharing is not restricted to just shopping activities. From applying for a job, SIM registration, using banking services, to travel bookings, opting for subscription services, and gaming, sharing your personally identifiable information online has become the new normal. We... --- #### DMARCReport Breaks Down the 6 Most Critical Data Loss Prevention Strategies URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarcreport-breaks-down-the-6-most-critical-data-loss-prevention-strategies/ Description: In today’s digital-first world, data isn’t just an asset - it’s the foundation of business value, reputation, and trust. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Ongoing DMARC report analysis shows domain owners exactly which senders are using their domain. In today’s digital-first world, data isn’t just an asset - it’s the foundation of business value, reputation, and trust. Unfortunately, data loss isn’t a hypothetical concern; for many companies, it’s a serious risk that can mean the difference between thriving and disaster. According to industry estimates, the average worldwide cost of a major data loss event can run into millions of dollars. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. At DMARCReport, we believe protecting that data requires more than occasional vigilance - it demands a comprehensive, always-on approach. Below, we outline six foundational... --- #### US Finance Breach, Disappointing Black Friday, JLR Cyber Incident URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/us-finance-breach-disappointing-black-friday-jlr-cyber-incident/ Description: SitusAMC breach exposes data tied to Citi, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan, 6.4M Black Friday phishing attempts hit retail, and JLR books a $220M cyber loss. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. Hello people! We are back once again with the last edition of November. In the previous week, cybercrooks attempted to steal the data and peace of mind of hundreds and thousands of victims. We are here to share the top 3 head-turning incidents of the past week with you so that you can stay well-versed with the latest trends in the cybersecurity landscape. Our focus will be on one of the major cyberattacks of recent times on the US financial sector. Next, we will talk about how threat actors are abusing the Black Friday trend. Lastly, our focus will be on the Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack case. If you wish to know more about these key cyber incidents, stay with us! Major cyberattack on the US finance sector, customer data compromised! The last day turned out to be extremely hectic and stressful for the US finance sector, as... --- #### 12 Common Types Of DDOS Attacks - Explained By DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/12-common-types-of-ddos-attacks-explained-by-dmarcreport/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. At DMARCReport, we take email and network security seriously. While our primary focus is on DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, we also understand the broader threat landscape - including Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. In this comprehensive guide, we walk you through the 12 most common types of DDoS attacks, their underlying mechanisms, and why understanding them matters - even for organizations that prioritize email security. If you need a refresher on the email side, our DMARC FAQ answers the most common questions. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. What Is a DDoS Attack? A Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack is a malicious attempt to make an online service... --- #### 10 Critical Learnings From Verizon’s 2021 DBIR - A DMARCReport Perspective URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/10-critical-learnings-from-verizons-2021-dbir-a-dmarcreport-perspective/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. As DMARCReport, we closely monitor threat trends that directly impact email security - especially those that exploit human behavior, credential theft, and social engineering. Verizon’s 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) provides a wealth of insights, many of which align closely with the risks we help our clients mitigate. Below are ten key takeaways, along with our analysis and recommendations, framed to help organizations strengthen their defenses. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. 1. Social Engineering Surged, Especially Business Email Compromise (BEC) Verizon found that after denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, social engineering tactics (notably credential theft) accounted for 61% of breaches. EasyDMARC+2Gatefy+2 Phishing was present in 36%... --- #### 10 Smart Strategies To Safeguard Your Data - Insights From DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/10-smart-strategies-to-safeguard-your-data-insights-from-dmarcreport/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. At DMARCReport, we understand that data is one of your organization’s most precious assets. Whether it’s customer information, financial records, or proprietary business data - a leak can be devastating. The risk of data breaches, accidental exposure, or malicious insider threats is real, and in today’s world, protecting your data isn’t just a technical necessity, it’s a business imperative. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Drawing on our expertise in email authentication and threat intelligence, here are 10 practical yet powerful strategies to protect your data. These steps aren’t theoretical; they’re actionable ways to build a multi-layered defense around your most sensitive information. 1. Fortify Your... --- #### DMARC Aggregate Reports: GDPR/CCPA Compliance Checklist URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-aggregate-reports-gdpr-ccpa-compliance-checklist/ Description: DMARC aggregate (RUA) reports help teams see who is sending on their behalf, whether SPF and DKIM align, and where spoofing attempts originate. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC aggregate (RUA) reports help teams see who is sending on their behalf, whether SPF and DKIM align, and where spoofing attempts originate. The same XML feed can also include data points - source IPs, sending domains, and counts - that intersect with privacy obligations. This article gives US teams a practical path to keep the security value of RUA while aligning with privacy rules, contracts, and audits. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. What DMARC aggregate reports contain - and why that matters A typical RUA file is a compressed XML with records that summarize authentication outcomes by source. You will see your domain, the... --- #### 5 Best Practices For Securing Your Security Token Service (Sts) Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/5-best-practices-for-securing-your-security-token-service-sts-authentication/ Description: 5 Best Practices For Securing Your Security Token Service (Sts) Authentication from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. If you are weighing managed DMARC monitoring alongside your identity stack, see DMARCReport pricing. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. Implementing a robust Security Token Service (STS) authentication infrastructure is fundamental to safeguarding claims-based identity within modern, distributed environments. As businesses increasingly rely on web services, cloud applications, and federated authentication, ensuring that the STS and its related authentication protocols are secure is essential for resource protection and compliance. Below, we examine the critical best practices for securing your security token service, starting with how to fortify authentication and authorization, and moving to secure token handling and storage. Best Practice 1: Enforce Strong Authentication and Authorization Controls In an era where single sign-on (SSO), WS-Trust, and federated authentication drive seamless user access... --- #### DMARC: Your silent shield in a billion-dollar battle against phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-your-silent-shield-in-a-billion-dollar-battle-against-phishing/ Description: DMARC: Your silent shield in a billion-dollar battle against phishing from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Email is a big part of how businesses talk and share information today. But because everyone uses it so much, it has also become a major weak spot. One smart phishing attack can cost a company money and damage its reputation in seconds. Basic email filters are no longer enough to catch these fake messages. This is where DMARC software helps. It works like a strong safety barrier that protects a business from phishing and keeps its name and data safe. By 2025, DMARC is not just growing; it is exploding in popularity. With easy AI tools and more advanced phishing attacks, the global DMARC software market is expected to reach around USD 12.4... --- #### Secure Passkey Protection, Dismantling Lighthouse Phishing, Manufacturers Need Protection URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/secure-passkey-protection-dismantling-lighthouse-phishing-manufacturers-need-protection/ Description: Secure Passkey Protection, Dismantling Lighthouse Phishing, Manufacturers Need Protection from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello people! It is the third week of November, and as promised, we are back again with our latest edition of cyber news. Meanwhile, we hope you have been able to safeguard your data from the cybercrooks. Even though they are getting sophisticated with every attack, it is up to us to bolster our data and networks. And that is possible when you stay fully prepared with cyber knowledge and awareness to combat the malicious activities of threat actors. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC work together to strengthen email security by preventing spoofing and ensuring messages come from legitimate senders. Once authentication is in place, a DMARC XML parser tool turns the raw aggregate reports... --- #### 10 Reasons SPF Filtering Is Critical For Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/10-reasons-spf-filtering-is-critical-for-email-security/ Description: The evolution of digital threats requires organizations to adopt robust email authentication methods. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. The evolution of digital threats requires organizations to adopt robust email authentication methods. Among these, SPF filtering (Sender Policy Framework) stands as a foundational layer in defending business communications against cyber threats. By validating which mail servers are permitted to send emails on behalf of a domain, SPF filtering delivers powerful protection against spoofing, phishing, and other email-borne attacks. Below, we explore five of the most impactful reasons why SPF filtering is non-negotiable in contemporary email security strategies. Shields Your Domain From Email Spoofing Attacks As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for... --- #### 7 Easy Steps To Verify An Spf Record Using Nslookup Properly URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/7-steps-to-verify-spf-record-correctly-using-nslookup-tool/ Description: Securing your organization’s email domain against spoofing and improving email deliverability requires robust email authentication mechanisms. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. Securing your organization’s email domain against spoofing and improving email deliverability requires robust email authentication mechanisms. One foundational layer is the Sender Policy Framework (SPF), which uses DNS records to instruct mail servers which IP addresses are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. Verifying that your SPF record is present and correctly configured is crucial for domain security and trust. The 10-lookup limit is a resource protection mechanism in RFC 7208, not a security feature, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. But the practical effect is that any enterprise using more than 3-4 email services hits the wall. AutoSPF's flattening engine resolves this by replacing includes with IP addresses and re-scanning every 15 minutes. NSLookup, alongside other DNS lookup utilities like dig and PowerShell, is a fundamental tool for SPF validation and troubleshooting. In this section, we’ll begin with the essential knowledge and preparatory steps needed to check an SPF record using nslookup, setting the stage for comprehensive SPF testing and compliance .... --- #### 10 DNS Blacklist Insights That Improve Email Security And Deliverability Fast URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/10-dns-blacklist-insights-to-improve-email-security-and-deliverability/ Description: In the world of email communication, maintaining a strong sender reputation is essential for ensuring that messages reach their intended inboxes. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. In the world of email communication, maintaining a strong sender reputation is essential for ensuring that messages reach their intended inboxes. However, cyber threats such as spam, phishing, and domain spoofing have made this task increasingly complex. One of the most effective tools in combating these issues is the Domain Name System Blacklist (DNSBL), also known as a real-time blackhole list (RBL). By identifying and blocking IP addresses associated with spam or malicious activity, DNS blacklists play a vital role in safeguarding email servers and improving overall security. Email deliverability starts with authentication, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In 2026, if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren't all passing and aligned, your email goes to spam. It's not about content anymore - receivers check authentication before they even look at what you wrote. Understanding how DNS blacklists function - and how to interpret their insights - can dramatically enhance both email deliverability and threat detection. From monitoring IP reputation... --- #### Delhi Airport Cyberattack, Clickfix Phishing-Purerat, Linkedin Targeting-Threats URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/delhi-airport-cyberattack-clickfix-phishing-purerat-linkedin-targeting-threats/ Description: Delhi Airport Cyberattack, Clickfix Phishing-Purerat, Linkedin Targeting-Threats Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin. Delhi Airport Cyberattack, Clickfix Phishing-Purerat, Linkedin Targeting-Threats Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello people! We are back again with our fresh dose of cyber news. From crippled flight systems to vulnerability in the hospitality sector to LinkedIn becoming the new playground for threat actors, we will cover all the important cyber events that deserve your attention and time. So, if you are all set to dive deeper into the details, scroll down! Let’s beat those malicious threat actors with your awareness and cyber proactive efforts. Here you go! National security agencies start probing the recent Delhi airport cybersecurity attack! Delhi airport was recently targeted by a GPS spoofing attack. It resulted in the disruption of both domestic and international flight operations. This security incident has sparked concerns around India’s aviation... --- #### Consequences of poor DMARC hygiene URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/consequences-of-poor-dmarc-hygiene/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. 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) 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. Email authentication is not a one-time job; it requires ongoing maintenance and adherence to hygiene practices post-implementation. A well-maintained DMARC record increases the possibility of most of your genuine emails landing in the primary inbox of the intended recipients. Not just this, but it works efficiently to prevent phishing emails from sitting in the target’s inbox. On the contrary, if you have a misconfigured DMARC record, you leave the backdoor open for threat actors to exploit your domain to send fraudulent emails. This mini blog from DMARCReport takes you through the top aftermath of a poorly maintained DMARC record. What happens if your DMARC records are not well-maintained? Since... --- #### 10 Ways Modern SPF Software Prevents Brand Spoofing And Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/10-ways-modern-spf-software-prevents-brand-spoofing-and-phishing/ Description: Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. \\Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Per the FBI's 2022 IC3 Report, 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year. DMARC with p=reject prevents attackers from spoofing your domain in phishing campaigns. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. What Is SPF and Its Role in Email Security? Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a vital email authentication protocol designed to specify which mail servers are permitted to send emails on behalf of a domain. This mechanism helps prevent unauthorized sources from forging emails that appear to originate from trusted domains - a common tactic employed in phishing campaigns and brand spoofing.... --- #### 10 Email Spoofing Detection Tools That Dramatically Improve Brand Protection URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/10-email-spoofing-detection-tools-that-dramatically-improve-brand-protection/ Description: Email spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement - any attacker can forge the From header to make an email appear to come from your domain. Email spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement - any attacker can forge the From header to make an email appear to come from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only protocol that tells receiving servers to block unauthorized senders entirely. According to the FBI's 2022 IC3 Report, Business Email Compromise caused $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. What Is Email Spoofing: Risks and Impact on Brands? Email spoofing poses a major threat to organizational cybersecurity, as attackers forge email headers to make messages appear from legitimate sources, deceiving recipients and enabling phishing scams, fraud, and business email compromise (BEC) attacks. These spoofed emails can trick users into sharing sensitive data, clicking malicious links, or downloading malware, leading to credential theft and network breaches. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4.0... --- #### Ex-cybersecurity Hackers Exposed, Norwegian Bus Vulnerability, LinkedIn Credential Scam URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ex-cybersecurity-hackers-exposed-norwegian-bus-vulnerability-linkedin-credential-scam/ Description: Ex-cybersecurity Hackers Exposed, Norwegian Bus Vulnerability, LinkedIn Credential Scam from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. It’s finally November. People are still basking in the Halloween vibes and are slowly gearing up for Christmas. Similarly, threat actors are pulling up their socks to make the biggest impact, while innocent, unsuspecting victims will be busy with festivities. If you wish to make the most out of this holiday season, without exposing your personal data to cybercrooks, you need to play it very safe. Cyber awareness and a proactive approach can be of great help in tackling the malicious activities of cybercriminals. With that intention, we are back again with the first edition of the November bulletin. Today, we will talk about the two ex-cybersecurity employees who have allegedly hacked a few US firms. Next, our focus will also be on the highly susceptible Norwegian Yutong buses. Lastly, we will wrap up today’s news bulletin by discussing the misuse of LinkedIn by hackers for stealing corporate... --- #### Improve Deliverability Using Email DMARC Check Plus Robust SPF And DKIM Alignment URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/improve-email-deliverability-dmarc-spf-dkim-alignment-check-guide/ Description: Improving email deliverability is no longer just about crafting great messages - it’s about ensuring they reach the inbox securely and consistently. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Improving email deliverability is no longer just about crafting great messages - it’s about ensuring they reach the inbox securely and consistently. With cyber threats like phishing and spoofing on the rise, businesses must rely on advanced authentication protocols such as DMARC, SPF, and DKIM to protect their domains and maintain sender reputation. A properly configured DMARC check, supported by robust SPF and DKIM alignment, helps authenticate legitimate emails, ensuring they pass through ISP filters and land directly in recipients’ inboxes. Email deliverability starts with authentication, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In 2026, if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren't all passing and aligned, your email goes to spam. It's not about content anymore - receivers check authentication before they even look at what you wrote. By combining these authentication standards, organizations gain greater visibility and control over their email ecosystem. DMARC checks verify compliance with domain policies, SPF... --- #### Ensure Email Authentication With A Domain Health Report Featuring Advanced Dmarc Insights URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ensure-email-authentication-with-domain-health-report-and-dmarc-insights/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In today’s digital landscape, protecting your domain and ensuring the authenticity of your emails are essential to maintaining trust, reputation, and deliverability. A Domain Health Report provides deep visibility into the security and performance of your domain by analyzing critical factors such as DNS configurations, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication, as well as blacklist status and SSL validity. By continuously monitoring these elements, organizations can identify vulnerabilities early, prevent phishing attempts, and maintain a strong email sender reputation. From an engineering perspective, the hardest part of DMARC reporting isn't collecting the data - it's classifying it, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. A single aggregate report can contain hundreds of source IPs. Our engine identifies each one by vendor (Google, Microsoft, SendGrid, etc.) automatically so security teams don't have to reverse-DNS every IP manually. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of... --- #### What do enterprise email and messaging platforms need for cybersecurity compliance? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/enterprise-email-and-messaging-platforms-need-for-cybersecurity-compliance/ Description: What do enterprise email and messaging platforms need for cybersecurity compliance? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. PCI DSS v4.0 (effective March 2025) requires organizations handling cardholder data to implement DMARC with a policy of at least p=quarantine on domains used in customer communications. Almost every organization, big or small, operates through email. Whether it's communicating with your clients, managing internal operations, or sharing critical information, it all happens over email. But, because so much information flows through these systems, they also become one of the most targeted parts of your organization’s network. This is why you need to go the extra mile to make sure your email and messaging systems are secure and compliant. By secure, we don’t mean just using strong passwords or installing antivirus software; every message should be protected... --- #### How Verified Email and SMS Improve Customer Trust and Engagement URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-verified-email-and-sms-improve-customer-trust-and-engagement/ Description: Digitalization has given us enormous advantages. At the same time, every message can now be misinterpreted or falsified. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Digitalization has given us enormous advantages. At the same time, every message can now be misinterpreted or falsified. That's why trust is becoming a brand's most valuable resource. Specifically, verified email and verified SMS. They increase customer engagement, strengthen brand trust, and improve overall digital communication security. So, what are some practical ways that message authenticity can make it easier to interact with customers and increase long-term loyalty? 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. Why Is Message Authenticity Important? The reaction of a modern user when they receive an email or SMS: are they real? If a brand cannot prove its authenticity, even a relevant message risks being ignored. The implementation of verified email (via DMARC/BIMI and VMC) and verified SMS (via verified A2P processes, 10DLC, and mobile client solutions)... --- #### M&S-TCS breach, 183M passwords leaked, AI phishing risk URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ms-tcs-breach-183m-passwords-leaked-ai-phishing-risk/ Description: M&S-TCS breach, 183M passwords leaked, AI phishing risk from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s still October, and it seems this month is going a little slower than expected! But the cybercrooks - they are in no mood to slow down. With each passing day, the world is becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats with one data breach at a time. No amount of security can protect you completely from these scamsters until you act vigilantly. Your power lies in your cyberawareness. We bring you the 5th edition of the month, where we will discuss the recent confusion between M&S and TCS over a cyber breach. Our focus will be on the mind-numbing threat: a whopping 183 million passwords leaked online. Lastly, we will discuss the vulnerability of... --- #### Understanding DKIM Subdomains: Strengthen Your Email Authentication For Better Domain Protection URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-dkim-subdomains-strengthen-your-email-authentication-for-better-domain-protection/ Description: In today’s digital communication landscape, email authentication is essential for protecting your brand, domain, and customers from cyber threats. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. In today’s digital communication landscape, email authentication is essential for protecting your brand, domain, and customers from cyber threats. DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) plays a pivotal role in this defense, ensuring that emails are genuinely sent from your domain and haven’t been altered in transit. By validating sender identity through cryptographic signatures, DKIM enhances trust, improves deliverability, and safeguards your organization against email spoofing and phishing attempts that could damage your reputation. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. However, as organizations expand their email operations across departments, regions, or third-party providers, managing DKIM effectively becomes more complex. This is where DKIM subdomains come into play - offering granular control over email... --- #### Unlock Actionable Insights Hidden In Emails Through Powerful Ai Email Analyzer Technology URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/unlock-insights-in-emails-with-ai-email-analyzer-technology/ Description: Unlock Actionable Insights Hidden In Emails Through Powerful Ai Email Analyzer Technology from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. In today’s digital world, emails are more than just messages - they’re a rich source of data that holds valuable insights about customer behavior, business communications, and operational trends. However, much of this information remains hidden in unstructured email content, making it difficult for organizations to fully leverage. AI email analyzer technology transforms this untapped data into actionable insights by using advanced machine learning and natural language processing to analyze email content, metadata, and patterns efficiently. 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. By going beyond traditional email tools, AI email analyzers help businesses classify messages, detect threats, and understand sentiment, all while improving workflow efficiency. From enhancing email security and compliance to optimizing marketing campaigns and lead generation, these intelligent systems enable organizations to unlock hidden intelligence within every email,... --- #### Email Security Meets Cybersecurity. Understanding the Role of DMARC Reports URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-security-meets-cybersecurity-understanding-the-role-of-dmarc-reports/ Description: Email has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Both personal and professional. Email has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Both personal and professional. Yet, the simplicity that makes it vital makes it one of the most vulnerable routes for fraudsters. Email is still a popular attack vector, from phishing and business email compromise to large-scale domain spoofing. So, obviously, safeguarding it involves more than just spam filters and antivirus software. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. At the heart of modern email security lies DMARC. The last one is a protocol that helps organizations understand and control how their domain is being used across the internet. DMARC reports not only detect unauthorized senders but also... --- #### The Ultimate Guide To Understanding And Running A Dmarc Email Test URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-understanding-running-dmarc-email-test/ Description: Email security is a critical concern for organizations facing growing threats like phishing, spoofing, and business email compromise. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email security is a critical concern for organizations facing growing threats like phishing, spoofing, and business email compromise. One of the most effective ways to protect your domain and ensure trusted communication is by implementing DMARC - a protocol that verifies email authenticity and prevents unauthorized use of your domain. By leveraging SPF and DKIM, DMARC helps validate senders, strengthen brand reputation, and improve email deliverability. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. “The Ultimate Guide to Understanding and Running a DMARC Email Test” provides a complete overview of how DMARC works, why it’s essential, and how to test and implement it effectively. This guide walks you through... --- #### SPF format checker; Do’s and don’ts for email authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/spf-format-checker-dos-and-donts-for-email-authentication/ Description: SPF format checker; Do’s and don’ts for email authentication from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. SPF, or Sender Policy Framework, is an integral part of modern-day email security. By implementing SPF, domain owners can easily enlist the authorized mail servers in the DNS. SPF is one of the key pillars of an email security system, backed up by two more crucial protocols, DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance). Upon receiving an email, the recipient's mail server cross-checks the IP address of the sending email server against a list of IP addresses already enlisted in the DNS record. The SPF authentication check results impact the email deliverability rate and overall email security. Why does... --- #### CSC Cyber Warning, Oman Strengthens Cybersecurity, Founder Suffers Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/csc-cyber-warning-oman-strengthens-cybersecurity-founder-suffers-phishing/ Description: CSC Cyber Warning, Oman Strengthens Cybersecurity, Founder Suffers Phishing from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hola people! It’s already week 4 of October, and it seems like time is almost flying, literally! But are you prepared enough to combat the fast and sophisticated cyberattacks? With every passing day, the threat actors are honing up their skills- thanks to easy accessibility to AI. Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts are also leveraging AI to boost their cybersecurity systems. As a layman, your responsibility is to stay updated and alert about the cyber incidents taking place around the globe. This will help you avert potential cyber scams in the future. This week, we will talk about the spike in cyber mishaps in the UP and the subsequent steps being taken by the NCSC. Next, we will focus on Oman’s initiative to bolster its cybersecurity systems.... --- #### Deliverability Starts Before DMARC: Use Verified Contact Data and Custom Domains URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/deliverability-before-dmarc-verified-contact-data-custom-domains-guide/ Description: In 2025, email deliverability has become even more complex. Big email providers like Gmail and Microsoft have changed the rules for who can reach the inbox. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email deliverability starts with authentication, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In 2026, if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren't all passing and aligned, your email goes to spam. It's not about content anymore - receivers check authentication before they even look at what you wrote. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. In 2025, email deliverability has become even more complex. Big email providers like Gmail and Microsoft have changed the rules for who can reach the inbox. Although DMARC, SPF, and DKIM setups are essential to email deliverability, these three on their own may still not be enough. The foundation of success relies on two essentials: verified contact data and custom domains. Why DMARC Alone Won't... --- #### How can the government and public sector agencies protect their domains with DMARC? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-government-public-sector-agencies-protect-domains-with-dmarc/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Emails from government or public sector agencies are not just a means of communication or dissemination of important information; they also reinforce trust and authority. Imagine if someone receives a fraudulent email from a seemingly official government address, the trust they place in that institution would be shattered. After all, it is more than just about an individual’s loss; it reflects a security gap for the citizens of the nation and erodes their confidence in public systems. To mitigate such risks, it is important that your institution implements the right strategies and tools. One such critical tool that... --- #### How To Configure SPF Record For Gmail To Prevent Email Spoofing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-configure-spf-record-gmail-prevent-email-spoofing/ Description: Configuring an SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record for Gmail is one of the most effective ways to protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. Configuring an SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record for Gmail is one of the most effective ways to protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. SPF works by verifying which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain, ensuring that malicious actors cannot impersonate your brand or send fraudulent messages from unauthorized servers. For Gmail and Google Workspace users, this authentication step is crucial for maintaining sender reputation, improving deliverability, and safeguarding sensitive communication. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. By properly setting up an SPF record in your domain’s DNS settings, Gmail’s servers can validate legitimate email sources and reject or flag suspicious ones. This not only strengthens your organization’s email security but also reduces the risk of phishing, spam, and email fraud.... --- #### Cybersecurity Infrastructure Gaps, UK Cyber Surge, Qantas Data Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cybersecurity-infrastructure-gaps-uk-cyber-surge-qantas-data-breach/ Description: Cybersecurity Infrastructure Gaps, UK Cyber Surge, Qantas Data Breach from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello people! It feels like time is almost flying as we have entered the third week of October. Before we even realize it, 2025 will be over, and everyone out there will once again start preparing for the new year 2026. But what about cyber preps? 2025 has already been a not-so-good year, given that multiple cybersecurity mishaps have already occurred this year. Are we ready for what awaits us in 2026? Only one thing can protect us from state-of-the-art cyberattacks in 2026, and that is cyber education. That’s why we always keep you updated with the major cyber incidents from around the world. We are back again with week 3 cyber bulletin ,and this time... --- #### Discover How An Email Ip Reputation Checker Improves Deliverability And Sender Trust URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/discover-email-ip-reputation-checker-for-better-deliverability-and-trust/ Description: Email deliverability plays a vital role in determining whether your messages successfully reach your audience or get trapped in spam filters. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. Email deliverability plays a vital role in determining whether your messages successfully reach your audience or get trapped in spam filters. One of the most critical factors influencing this is your email IP reputation - a score that reflects how trustworthy your sending IP address appears to internet service providers (ISPs). When your IP reputation is strong, your emails are far more likely to land in recipients’ inboxes, boosting open rates, engagement, and overall campaign performance. However, a poor reputation can quickly result in blocked messages, reduced deliverability, and damage to your brand’s credibility. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu,... --- #### Japan Brewery Hacked, Brazil Whatsapp Malware, Teens Target Nursery URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/japan-brewery-hacked-brazil-whatsapp-malware-teens-target-nursery/ Description: Qilin ransomware halts Asahi beer production, Water Saci malware spreads via WhatsApp in Brazil, and UK police arrest two 17-year-olds tied to a Kido breach. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. As everyone is slowly gearing up for the festive season, it is important to understand that letting your guard down completely can be quite risky. Whether you indulge in online shopping or book that much-awaited vacation, make sure you stay vigilant enough to steer clear of any cyberattack. This week, we will start our bulletin with the recent ransomware attack on Japan’s Asahi brewery. Next, we will talk about a malware attack on Brazilian WhatsApp users. Lastly, we will wind up the bulletin with the news of two teens who managed to target a nursery chain. Everyone believes that a cyberattack won’t affect them until it does. The recent attacks are actually a staggering reminder of how close these cybercrooks can get. So, awareness and cyber preparedness are the only ways to keep these threat actors away. Let’s not waste any more time and get started! Japan’s... --- #### Mta Online Email: Enhance Professional Communication And Protect Your Data Easily URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/mta-online-email-enhance-communication-protect-data-easily/ Description: Mta Online Email: Enhance Professional Communication And Protect Your Data Easily from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. communication while ensuring top-tier data protection. Built on robust Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) technology, it streamlines the entire email delivery process - managing the secure transfer, routing, and authentication of messages across servers. Whether used for corporate correspondence, client communication, or enterprise workflows, it provides the foundation for efficient, secure, and uninterrupted email exchanges. 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. Beyond delivering messages swiftly, MTA Online Email integrates advanced security measures such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to combat email spoofing and phishing threats. Combined with encryption, spam filtering, and email backup features, it not only protects sensitive information but also promotes better organization and productivity. The result is a professional email experience that combines speed, reliability, and uncompromising security - empowering businesses and individuals to communicate with confidence. What... --- #### How does DMARC prevent Vendor Email Compromise? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-does-dmarc-prevent-vendor-email-compromise/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Supply chains in businesses are usually very complex and have multiple vendors, suppliers, and service providers involved. With so many stakeholders involved, it is natural that most communication occurs over email. And attackers take advantage of it. They exploit these communication channels by either impersonating the vendor or hacking into their account to deceive their customers. And when there is money involved, it becomes a lucrative opportunity for attackers. A single well-curated, well-timed email is enough to cause significant damage, in terms of financial loss, broken trust, and operational disruptions. That’s what makes Vendor Email Compromise (VEC) so dangerous. Since this... --- #### Enhance Email Authentication Using SPF Outlook For Safer Professional Communication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/enhance-email-authentication-using-spf-outlook-for-safer-professional-communication/ Description: In today’s digital business landscape, email remains a primary communication channel - but also a frequent target for cyber threats such as phishing and spoofing. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. In today’s digital business landscape, email remains a primary communication channel - but also a frequent target for cyber threats such as phishing and spoofing. To safeguard professional correspondence, the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) plays a pivotal role in verifying that messages are sent from authorized servers. When effectively configured, SPF strengthens domain credibility, prevents impersonation, and ensures that legitimate emails successfully reach intended inboxes instead of being filtered as spam. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. Integrating SPF with Microsoft Outlook further enhances email authentication and protection across corporate networks. Outlook’s compatibility with SPF validation enables organizations to authenticate senders, detect fraudulent activities, and maintain trusted communication channels. Together,... --- #### Safe Email Checker: Verify Emails Before Sending To Avoid Spam URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/safe-email-checker-verify-emails-before-sending-to-avoid-spam/ Description: In today’s digital-first world, email remains one of the most powerful tools for business communication, marketing, and customer engagement. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Microsoft followed with DMARC enforcement from May 2025. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now rejected by all three major providers. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. In today’s digital-first world, email remains one of the most powerful tools for business communication, marketing, and customer engagement. However, sending emails without proper verification can quickly damage your reputation, trigger spam filters, and waste valuable resources. Invalid, fake, or disposable addresses not only increase bounce rates but also put your domain at risk of blacklisting, making it harder for genuine messages to reach inboxes. A Safe Email Checker helps you avoid these pitfalls by validating email addresses before you hit send. Through \\multi-layered checks such as syntax validation, domain verification, and SMTP testing, it ensures your messages are delivered to real, active inboxes. By... --- #### US Cyber Weakened, China Implements Reporting, Volvo Hit Ransomware URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/us-cyber-weakened-china-implements-reporting-volvo-hit-ransomware/ Description: US Cyber Weakened, China Implements Reporting, Volvo Hit Ransomware from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello cyber fam! It feels like 2025 started just a couple of months back, and now it’s already October. The cybercriminals are pulling up their socks to prepare for the upcoming festive rush. That’s exactly why we are here to “cyber” educate you so that you can enjoy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year without any cyber mishap. This week, we will talk about the ongoing US shutdown situation that’s affecting the USA’s cyber defense system. Next, we will focus on China’s one-hour reporting rule for cyber incidents. Lastly, we will discuss the supply ransomware attack on Volvo’s employees. Want to know the details? Stay with us! The USA’s cyber defense mechanism has weakened because... --- #### Top 10 Identity Verification Platforms URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/top-10-identity-verification-platforms/ Description: It’s hard to imagine a business operating in a digital environment that lacks security and trust. It’s hard to imagine a business operating in a digital environment that lacks security and trust\\. Whether it’s a fintech app, an ecommerce store, or a global enterprise, identifying users is a must to avoid fraud and meet compliance requirements. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. Identity verification platforms leverage artificial intelligence, biometrics, and vast databases to ensure there are no fake actors signing up for your services. The demand for such services is high, so it’s natural to find different platforms offering identity verification services. Let’s take a look at the best available options in the market and help you pick one for yourself. Top 10 Picks for Identity Verification Platforms - iDenfy As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4.0 mandates DMARC for organizations processing payment card data as of March 2025. Google and Yahoo require DMARC... --- #### Japan’s Cybersecurity Crisis, Airports Face Ransomware, Pennsylvania Revenue Alert URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/japans-cybersecurity-crisis-airports-face-ransomware-pennsylvania-revenue-alert/ Description: Japan’s Cybersecurity Crisis, Airports Face Ransomware, Pennsylvania Revenue Alert from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s the last week of September, and the world is already grappling with multiple cyberattack incidents. We are here to guide you through these challenging times, enabling you to navigate threat incidents conveniently without compromising your peace of mind or sensitive data. This week, our focus will be on Japan’s cybersecurity crisis. Next, we will talk about the Pennsylvania Revenue Department scam. If this sounds interesting, stay with us. We are going to share the complete details here. Here you go! Japan’s cybersecurity is inadequate to tackle increasing cyberattacks! There has been a steep surge in the instances of cybercrimes in Japan, thanks to nation-state actors and other cybercriminal groups. The most concerning part is that... --- #### Adding SPF Records To Your Domain For Outlook Email Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/adding-spf-records-to-your-domain-for-outlook-email-authentication/ Description: Adding SPF Records To Your Domain For Outlook Email Authentication: Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. Adding SPF records to your domain is a crucial step in strengthening email security and ensuring proper authentication for Microsoft Outlook and Office 365 emails. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records, published as DNS TXT entries, specify which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. By enabling recipient servers to verify the legitimacy of incoming messages, SPF helps prevent email spoofing, phishing attacks, and unauthorized use of your domain, protecting both your organization and your recipients. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. Proper SPF configuration directly impacts email deliverability and your domain’s sender reputation. Without it, legitimate emails may be flagged as spam, rejected, or blacklisted by security filters used by Outlook and other major email platforms. Implementing... --- #### The journey of an Email: From sender’s domain to recipient’s inbox! URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-journey-of-an-email-from-senders-domain-to-recipients-inbox/ Description: The journey of an Email: From sender’s domain to recipient’s inbox! from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Microsoft followed with DMARC enforcement from May 2025. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now rejected by all three major providers. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. Ever wondered how an email sets out on an intricate journey just to reach an inbox? It navigates through a complex path so that the right set of information reaches the recipients at the right time. This article explores the trajectory of an email as it tries its best to land safely in an inbox. Here’s how it starts! Suppose you are an email marketer, Mr.... --- #### How To Use Mxtoolbox Dmarc Analyzer For Effective Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-use-mxtoolbox-dmarc-analyzer-for-effective-email-security/ Description: How To Use Mxtoolbox Dmarc Analyzer For Effective Email Security from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Ensuring the security of your email domain is crucial in today’s digital landscape, where phishing attacks, spoofing, and business email compromise are increasingly common. MXToolbox DMARC Analyzer offers a comprehensive solution for domain owners to monitor and enforce email authentication protocols like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM. By providing real-time insights, detailed reporting, and easy-to-understand dashboards, it simplifies the complex process of protecting your domain from unauthorized email activity and maintaining high deliverability. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Using MXToolbox DMARC Analyzer, organizations can quickly identify misconfigured email records, detect spoofing attempts, and... --- #### Top 5 DMARC MTA Solutions to Enhance Your Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/top-5-dmarc-mta-solutions-to-enhance-your-email-security/ Description: In today’s threat-heavy digital environment, email continues to be the most exploited channel for phishing, spoofing, and business email compromise. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. In today’s threat-heavy digital environment, email continues to be the most exploited channel for phishing, spoofing, and business email compromise. Organizations need more than basic security filters to defend against these attacks. This is where DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) comes in, working with SPF and DKIM to authenticate senders and block fraudulent messages. When combined with Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) solutions, DMARC ensures seamless policy enforcement, stronger email deliverability, and enhanced brand protection. To help businesses choose the right tools, several vendors now offer robust DMARC MTA solutions designed to simplify deployment, automate reporting, and provide real-time threat intelligence. These platforms not only safeguard communications... --- #### Fixing dangling DMARC record issues URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/fixing-dangling-dmarc-record-issues/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. For DMARC to function optimally, it must be appropriately configured and foolproof. However, with numerous best practices to follow and frequent changes in enterprise-level email infrastructures, domain owners often make a common misstep: overlooking the presence of dangling DMARC records. While dangling DMARC records may sound harmless, they can leave your domains exposed to risks, reduce email deliverability, and even undermine compliance efforts. In this blog, we’ll break down what dangling DMARC records are, why they occur, and how to fix them effectively. What are dangling DMARC records? A ‘dangling’ DMARC record refers to an incomplete or incorrect DNS entry that... --- #### Step-By-Step Guide To Configuring Google Apps SPF Records URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/step-by-step-guide-to-configuring-google-apps-spf-records/ Description: Step-By-Step Guide To Configuring Google Apps SPF Records: Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check . Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. Configuring SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records is an essential step in protecting your domain against email spoofing and ensuring secure communication through Google Workspace. By defining which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain, SPF helps prevent phishing attacks and reduces the chances of legitimate messages being flagged as spam. This not only strengthens Gmail security but also boosts overall email deliverability. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of setting up SPF records specifically for Google Apps. From understanding SPF basics and accessing your DNS settings to creating and validating... --- #### Deepfake Attack Victim, Gucci Parent Breached, Shipping Industry Targeted URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/deepfake-attack-victim-gucci-parent-breached-shipping-industry-targeted/ Description: Deepfake Attack Victim, Gucci Parent Breached, Shipping Industry Targeted from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello folks! It’s already the 3rd week of September, and we are excited to bring you the latest updates from the world of cybersecurity. Every week, we gather some of the most important cybersecurity news that you must know about. This proactive cyberawareness is the key to staying a step ahead of potential cyberattacks. This week, our cyber bulletin will cover the deepfake mishap that occurred in Bengaluru and resulted in a loss of approximately $428k. Next, we will talk about the recent threat attack on Gucci’s parent company. Lastly, we will wind up today’s bulletin by discussing the trend of a sudden rise in cyberattacks on the global shipping industry. Let’s not waste time and... --- #### Best Practices For Using Dmarc Report Readers To Protect Your Domain URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-practices-using-dmarc-report-readers-to-protect-your-domain/ Description: Email has become one of the most exploited channels for cybercriminals, with phishing and spoofing attacks costing businesses millions every year. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email has become one of the most exploited channels for cybercriminals, with phishing and spoofing attacks costing businesses millions every year. Attackers frequently forge trusted domains to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information or installing malicious software. To counter this, Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) has emerged as a critical standard that strengthens email authentication and protects brand reputation. Yet, while setting up DMARC is a major step toward security, true effectiveness depends on how organizations interpret and act on the reports it generates. That begins with understanding DMARC reports and what each field reveals. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC report readers... --- #### How to Stay One Step Ahead in the Cybersecurity Race URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-stay-one-step-ahead-in-the-cybersecurity-race/ Description: In 2025, cybersecurity no longer feels like an IT side project. In 2025, cybersecurity no longer feels like an IT side project. It has become a strategic priority that determines whether organizations can function without interruption. In fact, Gallup recently reported that cyberterrorism was the highest among the ‘critical threats to America’s interests. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. While it’s easy to dismiss this as something that only the defense industry has to worry about, it could affect your organization. Many cyber attacks don’t just target the military. They also focus on educational institutions and corporate companies with data that hackers find valuable. Staying safe requires you to constantly be updating and upgrading your security systems. In... --- #### Complete Guide To Domain Name Analyzer Features And How They Help Your Seo URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/complete-guide-domain-analyzer-features-tools-boosting-seo-performance/ Description: A domain name analyzer is an essential tool for website owners, SEO professionals, and domain investors seeking to optimize their online presence. A domain name analyzer is an essential tool for website owners, SEO professionals, and domain investors seeking to optimize their online presence. By providing detailed insights into a domain’s history, authority, and valuation, these analyzers allow users to make informed decisions about domain acquisitions, renewals, and portfolio management. Features such as WHOIS lookup, DNS analysis, and domain monitoring help assess domain security, ownership details, and compliance with ICANN regulations, ensuring that your domains remain trustworthy and SEO-friendly. The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. Beyond basic checks, advanced domain analyzers evaluate keyword relevance, backlink profiles, and domain market trends, enabling businesses to improve search engine rankings and brand visibility. By analyzing domain age, subdomains, and historical performance, these tools help identify high-value domains, prevent SEO pitfalls, and enhance overall website performance, making them indispensable for strategic online growth. What Is a Domain Name Analyzer? A domain name analyzer is an essential tool for anyone engaged in domain registration, domain... --- #### France’s Laposte.net announced new email rules in 2025; What businesses should know URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/rance-laposte-net-new-email-rules-2025-business-guide/ Description: France’s Laposte.net announced new email rules in 2025; What businesses should know from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. La Poste is one of the biggest email services in France. Millions of people use Laposte.net for their personal email. Starting from September 2025, they are making a big change. Now, every email sent to Laposte.net addresses must pass three important security tests: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. If your email doesn’t pass all of them, it will go straight to the spam folder. No exceptions. New to these? Here is SPF vs DKIM vs DMARC compared side by side. It doesn’t matter if you are sending a simple business email, a transactional message from your app, or a marketing campaign. If your setup isn’t correct, your email will not reach the inbox. This change is not only happening... --- #### Complete Guide To Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) Security Fundamentals URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/complete-guide-to-microsoft-technology-associate-mta-security-fundamentals/ Description: Complete Guide To Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) Security Fundamentals from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. The Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) Security Fundamentals certification is an entry-level credential designed for individuals beginning their journey in information technology and cybersecurity. It provides a strong foundation in essential security concepts such as network protection, access control, cryptography, and threat management. As a globally recognized certification, it serves as a valuable first step for students, career changers, and aspiring IT professionals who want to validate their understanding of cybersecurity basics and build confidence before advancing to more complex certifications. This complete guide explores everything you need to know about the MTA Security Fundamentals certification, from the exam structure and core concepts to preparation strategies and career benefits. By covering security principles, network defense techniques, encryption methods, and... --- #### AI Scam Alert, Federal Cuts Vulnerability, American Tire Cyberattack URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ai-scam-alert-federal-cuts-vulnerability-american-tire-cyberattack/ Description: AI Scam Alert, Federal Cuts Vulnerability, American Tire Cyberattack from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It is week #2, and we are back again with the top 3 cyber news stories of the week. The first one involves Grok, the AI-powered assistant for X users. It is being misused by cyberattackers to target X users. Secondly, we will talk about the Federal cuts under the Trump administration that have made local and state agencies in the USA vulnerable to threat attacks. Lastly, our focus will be on the recent Bridgestone cyberattack incident. Are you ready for the week 2 cyber bulletin? Let’s get started! Popular AI assistance tool being misused by scammers to target X users! If you are an active X user, you might want to see this! Meeting email... --- #### Understanding Dmarc Analysis: Protect Your Domain From Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-dmarc-analysis-protect-your-domain-from-phishing/ Description: In today’s digital landscape, email remains one of the primary channels for communication - and one of the most exploited vectors for cyberattacks. \According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. In today’s digital landscape, email remains one of the primary channels for communication - and one of the most exploited vectors for cyberattacks. Phishing, email spoofing, and domain impersonation can compromise sensitive information, damage brand reputation, and disrupt business operations. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a critical email authentication protocol that empowers domain owners to protect their email domains from these threats. By integrating with \\SPF and DKIM, DMARC verifies the authenticity of incoming messages and enforces security policies to prevent unauthorized use. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Beyond authentication, DMARC provides valuable reporting mechanisms that give organizations visibility into email traffic and potential threats. Aggregate and forensic reports allow security teams to monitor domain usage,... --- #### How to Implement DNSSEC: Best Practices and Setup Tips URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-implement-dnssec-best-practices-and-setup-tips/ Description: DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) play a crucial role in strengthening the security of the Domain Name System, which serves as the backbone of the internet. DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) play a crucial role in strengthening the security of the Domain Name System, which serves as the backbone of the internet. Traditional DNS, while effective at translating domain names into IP addresses, was not designed with security in mind, leaving it vulnerable to attacks like spoofing and cache poisoning. DNSSEC addresses these weaknesses by introducing cryptographic validation, ensuring that users receive authentic and unaltered DNS responses. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Implementing DNSSEC, however, is not a simple plug-and-play process. It requires careful preparation, including verifying registrar support, configuring authoritative DNS servers, and ensuring your zone files are error-free. Each step builds the foundation for a strong chain of trust, which is essential for securing communication between clients and authoritative servers. Organizations must also adopt a clear DNS security policy, defining how cryptographic keys... --- #### Jaguar Cyber Breach, Cybersecurity Geolocation Link, India Cybersecurity Burnout URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/jaguar-cyber-breach-cybersecurity-geolocation-link-india-cybersecurity-burnout/ Description: Jaguar Cyber Breach, Cybersecurity Geolocation Link, India Cybersecurity Burnout from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. It’s September, the first week, and we are back again with our weekly bulletin. The ultimate goal is to keep you informed about the latest global cyber developments. It is only through cyber education and a proactive approach that you can safeguard your data from highly sophisticated cyberattacks. This week-1 edition will focus on the recent threat attack on Jaguar Land Rover. Secondly, we will talk about geolocation and cybersecurity. Lastly, we will discuss the rising instances of cyber burnout across India. If this sounds like an interesting read, stay with us and keep reading! Jaguar Land Rover experienced a cyberattack Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the luxury automobile manufacturer, has recently experienced a cyberattack. Because of this cyber incident, Jaguar had to shut down its worldwide IT infrastructure. It also stopped the production operations at the Halewood plant. The breach took place on Monday, September 1. Since then,... --- #### What is identifier misbinding, and how does DMARC fix it? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-identifier-misbinding-and-how-does-dmarc-fix-it/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. When you send out an email, there are multiple domains tied to that message, not just the one that you and your recipients see in your sender address (From domain), but also the domain that is used in the envelope sender (SPF domain), along with the domain that appears in the cryptographic signature (DKIM domain). In an ideal situation, all these domains would point to the one brand or organization. This happens when all three domains - the From domain, the SPF domain, and the DKIM domain align with each other, telling both the recipient and the receiving server that the... --- #### The Hidden Risks in Your Inbox and How to Stay Safe URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-hidden-risks-in-your-inbox-and-how-to-stay-safe/ Description: With the rise of digital communication, e-mails have become an essential part of daily life, both personally and professionally. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. With the rise of digital communication, e-mails have become an essential part of daily life, both personally and professionally. Email deliverability starts with authentication, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In 2026, if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren't all passing and aligned, your email goes to spam. It's not about content anymore - receivers check authentication before they even look at what you wrote. Statista reports that global email traffic has steadily increased since 2017. In 2022, approximately 333 billion emails were sent and received daily, with projections estimating a rise to 392.5 billion daily emails by 2026. While e-mails offer convenience and instant connectivity, they also carry hidden risks. From phishing scams to misleading links, inboxes can expose users to cyber threats that compromise personal information, financial security, and even mental well-being. Recognizing these risks and knowing how to safeguard yourself is crucial in today’s digital world. This article explores the main threats lurking in your inbox and... --- #### Amazon SES SPF Record Explained: Best Practices For Email Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/amazon-ses-spf-record-explained-best-practices-for-email-authentication/ Description: Email authentication is a critical part of ensuring that your messages reach inboxes securely and reliably. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. Email authentication is a critical part of ensuring that your messages reach inboxes securely and reliably. One of the core mechanisms that supports this process is the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record, a DNS-based protocol that specifies which mail servers are authorized to send emails for your domain. For businesses and marketers using Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES), properly configuring SPF records is essential to prevent spoofing, improve sender reputation, and maintain high deliverability rates. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. Amazon SES is widely adopted for sending transactional and marketing emails at scale, but without the right SPF setup, even legitimate messages risk being flagged as spam or rejected. By understanding how SPF works with Amazon SES and applying best... --- #### Understanding SPF Fail Handling In Exchange Online: Tips And Best Practices URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-spf-fail-handling-exchange-online-tips-best-practices-guide/ Description: Understanding SPF Fail Handling In Exchange Online: Tips And Best Practices: Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. Email authentication is a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity, and the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) plays a critical role in defending organizations against phishing and spoofing attacks. By validating whether an email originates from an authorized mail server defined in a domain’s DNS records, SPF ensures stronger email trust, reduces fraudulent traffic, and safeguards business communications. In Microsoft Exchange Online environments, where large volumes of corporate emails flow daily, understanding SPF behavior is essential to maintaining security and deliverability. The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. However, SPF checks don’t always pass successfully, and when they fail, the consequences can range from harmless misrouting to serious disruptions in mail flow. Misconfigured DNS records, forwarding scenarios, or alignment issues can all cause SPF failures that negatively impact... --- #### Improve Your Domain’s Email Security By Checking Dmarc Compliance URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/improve-your-domains-email-security-by-checking-dmarc-compliance/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email remains one of the most widely used communication tools for businesses, but it is also a primary target for cybercriminals who exploit vulnerabilities through phishing, spoofing, and business email compromise attacks. Without proper safeguards, attackers can impersonate your domain, trick recipients, and damage your organization’s reputation. This makes it essential for businesses to adopt advanced email authentication measures that go beyond basic filtering. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a powerful protocol designed to protect domains from unauthorized use while improving the overall trust and security of email communication. By checking and maintaining DMARC compliance, organizations can verify... --- #### Africa Fights Cybercrime, Attention Farmers Customers, Apple Prevents Threats URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/africa-fights-cybercrime-attention-farmers-customers-apple-prevents-threats/ Description: Interpol's Serengeti 2.0 arrests 1,200+ across 18 African nations, Farmers Insurance breach hits 1M customers, and Apple patches zero-day CVE-2025-43300. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. It’s the last week of August, and we are back again to check in on you! People around the globe are grappling with threat attacks. However, our loyal audience consistently maintains a safe distance from malicious advances by cybercriminals. That’s why we share weekly bulletins that keep you well-informed and prepared against any kind of cybersecurity attacks. This week, we will discuss the effectiveness of African law enforcement agencies in combating cyber syndicates. Next, our focus will be on the customer data breach incident at Farmers Insurance. Lastly, we will discuss Apple’s patch for a zero-day vulnerability to prevent “highly sophisticated” cyberattacks. Let’s not waste time and get started with the details! Africa working hard to nab cybercrooks! Africa has been working in close coordination with private cybersecurity companies, Afripol, and Interpol to nab cybercriminals and reduce the instances of cyberattacks. Together, they are trying to create pressure... --- #### How To Set Up And Configure Microsoft 365 SPF Records For Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-configure-microsoft-365-spf-records-for-secure-email/ Description: How To Set Up And Configure Microsoft 365 SPF Records For Email Security: Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. Email security is a top priority for organizations using Microsoft 365, and one of the most effective defenses against spoofing and phishing is the Sender Policy Framework (SPF). SPF records, published as DNS TXT entries, allow domain owners to specify which mail servers are authorized to send messages on their behalf. This verification process helps prevent cybercriminals from forging your domain, while also improving email deliverability and protecting your brand reputation. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Configuring SPF records in Microsoft 365 ensures that your emails align with modern authentication standards and pass recipient checks without being flagged as spam. When properly set up,... --- #### Cybersecurity Basics for College Students: Understanding DMARC, SPF, and DKIM URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cybersecurity-basics-for-college-students-understanding-dmarc-spf-and-dkim/ Description: In today's digital age, cybersecurity has become a vital aspect of our everyday lives. For college students, it’s especially crucial. In today's digital age, cybersecurity has become a vital aspect of our everyday lives. For college students, it’s especially crucial. You’re often using email for everything from communicating with professors to networking with peers or applying for internships. Unfortunately, this also makes you a target for various types of cyber threats, such as phishing attacks, email spoofing, and identity theft. Understanding and implementing email authentication methods like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM can play a significant role in protecting you and your personal information. Let’s break down these email security protocols and why they’re particularly important for students. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting... --- #### DMARC- The secret weapon for SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-the-secret-weapon-for-soc-2-and-iso-27001-compliance/ Description: DMARC- The secret weapon for SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility. DMARC- The secret weapon for SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are not just limited to firewalls and passwords. Amidst the growing threat landscape and the sophistication driven by artificial intelligence, they require protection against data breaches, including email-based cyberattacks. As per Barracuda’s 2025 Email Threats Report, one in every four emails was either malicious or spam, reinforcing the idea that email is the dominant attack surface. This is where DMARC helps domain owners tell receiving email servers how to handle spoofed emails sent from their domain by unauthorized senders. This article explains how DMARC helps... --- #### Proxy Observability: A Data-Led Playbook For Reliable Web Scraping URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/proxy-observability-a-data-led-playbook-for-reliable-web-scraping/ Description: Web scraping at scale is not a guessing game. Reliability hinges on measurable signals, not folklore or trial-and-error. Web scraping at scale is not a guessing game. Reliability hinges on measurable signals, not folklore or trial-and-error. The modern web is encrypted, multiplexed, and guarded by reputation systems that watch how your requests behave. If your proxy strategy does not account for that reality, you pay in retries, bans, and bandwidth. Three background facts set the stage. Over 95% of Chrome page loads happen over HTTPS, so TLS handshake health and certificate consistency directly affect success. HTTP/2 carries the majority of requests on the open web, which means connection reuse, stream concurrency, and head-of-line blocking behavior can amplify small configuration mistakes. The median desktop page weight sits above 2 MB, so inefficient fetches and failed retries are costly. These are not academic details. They shape how you should evaluate and operate a proxy fleet. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. Metrics That Predict Whether Your Proxies Will Hold Up You cannot manage... --- #### Cyberattacks have become mainstream businesses in 2025 - AI and ransomware trends are the biggest contributors URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cyberattacks-mainstream-2025-ai-ransomware-trends-major-contributors/ Description: Cyberattacks have become mainstream businesses in 2025 - AI and ransomware trends are the biggest contributors from DMARC Report explains practical steps for. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s 2025, and the global situation of cybercrime has worsened; ransomware and other cyberattacks are running like actual businesses. They are now operating as service providers where threat actors create easy tools that they sell at cheaper rates, enabling not-so-tech-savvy cybercriminals to launch malware, phishing, DDoS, MITM, and other attacks. This business market is growing at such a fast pace that cyberattacks have increased by 47% in 2025 compared to the previous year. The worst-hit sectors of 2025 The education sector is in the biggest trouble this year, with schools and universities facing around 4,484 attacks every week. This is happening because most of these institutions don’t have strong security, despite storing sensitive student data and information on critical research. The government sector is also... --- #### McD Outlets Unsafe, Allianz Data Breached, Polish Plant Attacked URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/mcd-outlets-unsafe-allianz-data-breached-polish-plant-attacked/ Description: McD Outlets Unsafe, Allianz Data Breached, Polish Plant Attacked from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s already week 3 of August, and as promised, we are back with the third edition of the month, where we will talk about global cyber happenings. This time, our focus will be on the extremely popular fast food outlet of McDonald’s. Next, we will explore the recent cyber breach that affected Allianz Insurance. Lastly, we will look into the unfortunate situation in Poland where the Russian hacktivists have managed to attack their systems once again. Let’s not waste any more time and jump straight to the details! Here you go! McD outlets are no longer safe from threat attacks! McD is making headlines, and no, not for its scrumptious burgers. Recently, an ethical hacker, while... --- #### Authenticate or Die: How Email Protocols Make or Break Your Marketing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/authenticate-or-die-email-protocols-make-or-break-your-marketing/ Description: Email is one of the highest ROI channels in digital marketing - but only if your messages actually make it to the inbox. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. The engineering challenge with DMARC at scale is report volume, not complexity, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. A domain that sends 100,000 emails per day generates dozens of aggregate report files daily from different receivers. Parsing, classifying, and trending that data is why DMARC Report exists. Email is one of the highest ROI channels in digital marketing - but only if your messages actually make it to the inbox. And today, that outcome hinges almost entirely on whether or not you’ve correctly set up - and consistently maintain - three critical email authentication protocols: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These aren’t just technical buzzwords. They are the gatekeepers of modern deliverability. And more importantly, unless your email marketing automation platform automates their setup and enforcement, your entire strategy is built on shaky ground. What Are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC - and Why Do They Matter? If you’re sending email at any real scale,... --- #### Setting Up SPF, DKIM, And DMARC Records For Enhanced Security In Exchange Server URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/setting-up-spf-dkim-dmarc-records-exchange-server-email-security/ Description: Securing email communication is a critical priority for organizations that rely on Microsoft Exchange Server. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. Securing email communication is a critical priority for organizations that rely on Microsoft Exchange Server. As one of the most widely used enterprise email platforms, Exchange handles sensitive internal and external communications, making it a prime target for phishing, spoofing, and other email-based attacks. Without proper protection, malicious actors can impersonate trusted domains, damage reputation, and compromise business operations. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. To address these risks, organizations can implement three essential email authentication protocols - SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance). Together, these DNS-based mechanisms verify sending sources, ensure message integrity, and enforce domain-level policies for handling unauthenticated emails. Properly configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC in Exchange Server not... --- #### Maximize Email Deliverability With Trusted Email Lookup & Verification Apis URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/maximize-email-deliverability-with-trusted-email-lookup-verification-apis/ Description: In today’s digital world, getting your emails into the right inbox is just as important as the message itself. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email deliverability starts with authentication, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In 2026, if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren't all passing and aligned, your email goes to spam. It's not about content anymore - receivers check authentication before they even look at what you wrote. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. In today’s digital world, getting your emails into the right inbox is just as important as the message itself. Poor email deliverability can lead to wasted marketing spend, low engagement, and damage to your sender reputation. For businesses relying on email outreach, ensuring messages reach valid and active addresses is key to boosting open rates, conversions, and long-term customer trust. Trusted email lookup and verification APIs offer a... --- #### UAE Cybersecurity Education, DOGE Security Exposed, Son Prevents Attack URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/uae-cybersecurity-education-doge-security-exposed-son-prevents-attack/ Description: UAE Cybersecurity Education, DOGE Security Exposed, Son Prevents Attack from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello folks! It’s the 2nd week of August, and the cybercrooks are already geared up with their sophisticated attack plans. Let’s find out what happened in the past week. In this detailed bulletin, we will talk about cybersecurity being a mandatory subject across schools in the UAE. We will also focus on the DOGE vulnerabilities exposed by a whistleblower. Lastly, we will talk about the bright Keralite cybersecurity student from India who foiled a threat attempt against his father. Stay with us so that you don’t fall for similar cyberattack attempts. Cybersecurity is now a compulsory subject across all schools in the UAE! The UAE has taken a revolutionary step towards bolstering its cybersecurity ecosystem. The... --- #### What is a DKIM record? A complete guide to setup, mistakes, and DMARC alignment URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dkim-record-guide-setup-mistakes-and-dmarc-alignment/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Without proper email authentication in place, threat actors can spoof your emails and communicate on your behalf, jeopardizing your reputation and the targeted recipient’s data and money. All this can be prevented if your domain has SPF, DKIM, and DMARC in place. Each of these protocols operates differently, but when they work in tandem with each other, they help establish trust and legitimacy for emails. They enable you to prove to receiving mail servers that a specific email is indeed from you and not sent by a malicious actor. This blog primarily focuses on DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), an email authentication tool... --- #### Authoritative vs Recursive DNS: Understanding the Key Differences URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/authoritative-vs-recursive-dns-understanding-the-key-differences/ Description: Navigating the internet is like exploring a vast city filled with countless destinations, but what happens when you don't have a map? Navigating the internet is like exploring a vast city filled with countless destinations, but what happens when you don't have a map? This is where DNS (Domain Name System) comes in - serving as the essential guide that translates user-friendly domain names into numerical addresses that computers understand. Understanding how this crucial system operates can help demystify the often overcomplicated world of online browsing. The engineering challenge with DMARC at scale is report volume, not complexity, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. A domain that sends 100,000 emails per day generates dozens of aggregate report files daily from different receivers. Parsing, classifying, and trending that data is why DMARC Report exists. In this article, we'll break down the two main types of DNS servers: authoritative and recursive. We'll explore their distinct roles, differences in functionality, and how they work together to ensure our online experiences are smooth and efficient. So, let’s dive in and uncover these digital navigators! Authoritative DNS servers store and provide definitive answers to queries about specific domain names, while recursive DNS servers act as intermediaries that facilitate user queries by contacting authoritative servers to retrieve the necessary information. This distinction is crucial for understanding how... --- #### Dell Laptop Vulnerable, Zero-Trust Migration Pending, WSU Threat Surge URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dell-laptop-vulnerable-zero-trust-migration-pending-wsu-threat-surge/ Description: ReVault flaws in Dell ControlVault3 firmware put Latitude and Precision laptops at risk. Plus federal zero-trust progress and the WSU cyberattack surge. Dell Laptop Vulnerable, Zero-Trust Migration Pending, WSU Threat Surge Dell Laptop Vulnerable, Zero-Trust Migration Pending, WSU Threat Surge From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. Hola people! August is here, and so are we! Once again, we bring to you a fresh dose of cybersecurity news to help you combat the increasing threat of cyberattacks. Our ultimate goal is to make you aware of the cyber threats that are currently circulating. The only way you can safeguard your sensitive data from these sophisticated cybercrooks is to educate yourself about the latest cybersecurity trends. This week, we are going to discuss the Dell laptop vulnerabilities, the zero-trust initiative being pushed by the US government, and the increased instances of cyberattacks at WSU. So stay with us and keep reading to secure your data ! Your Dell laptop can be prone to cybersecurity attacks! If you are a government official, working professional, or cybersecurity expert and own... --- #### How to Add HubSpot SPF, DMARC, and DKIM for Email Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-add-hubspot-spf-dmarc-dkim-for-email-authentication/ Description: How to Add HubSpot SPF, DMARC, and DKIM for Email Authentication from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email authentication might sound like a technical term reserved for IT professionals, but it’s something we all need to consider if we want our messages to land safely in inboxes rather than get lost in spam folders. In an age where trust is hard-won and easily lost, knowing how to implement protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can set you apart. These measures not only protect your brand from email fraud but also enhance your communication with your audience. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. After all, who hasn’t been frustrated when an important message ended up buried in junk mail? Understanding these tools can empower you to fortify your email... --- #### Essential Tools for Verifying and Configuring Proxy Connections URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/essential-tools-for-verifying-and-configuring-proxy-connections/ Description: Whether you're managing multiple social media accounts, scraping data ethically, or just looking to enhance your privacy online. Whether you're managing multiple social media accounts, scraping data ethically, or just looking to enhance your privacy online, proxies play a critical role in safeguarding your digital identity. However, utilizing a proxy involves more than just entering a random IP address. It requires proper configuration, regular verification, and the right tools to ensure everything is working as intended. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. In this article, we'll go over the essential tools you need to both \\configure and verify \\your proxy setup - whether you're a first-time user or someone managing dozens of rotating residential proxies. And once your proxy is squared away, run your domain through a DMARC toolset to keep your email side just as secure. Why Proper Proxy Configuration Matters Misconfigured proxies can expose your real IP address, disrupt workflows, or get your accounts flagged.... --- #### Instant Proxy Diagnostics for Real-Time Access Evaluation URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/instant-proxy-diagnostics-for-real-time-access-evaluation/ Description: In today’s digital-first world, individuals and businesses alike demand uninterrupted access to online resources. In today’s digital-first world, individuals and businesses alike demand uninterrupted access to online resources. Proxy servers have become essential for enabling secure browsing, managing web traffic, and bypassing geo-restrictions. However, to ensure proxies function correctly and efficiently, users must rely on instant proxy diagnostic tools that evaluate access performance in real-time. 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. These tools allow users to test the functionality, speed, and reliability of their proxies instantly. Whether for everyday browsing or large-scale data operations, diagnostics help identify bottlenecks, misconfigurations, and server-related issues that could compromise user experience and operational success. How Proxies Operate and Why Diagnostics Matter A proxy server acts as a go-between for the user and the internet, redirecting traffic to conceal the user’s IP address and provide anonymity. In doing so, proxies offer privacy, network traffic distribution, and access to restricted or localized content. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS... --- #### Stop Email CEO Fraud: Essential Tips for Prevention and Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/stop-email-ceo-fraud-essential-tips-for-prevention-and-security/ Description: In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, email scams have evolved from simple nuisances into serious threats to businesses of all sizes. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, email scams have evolved from simple nuisances into serious threats to businesses of all sizes. Among these threats, CEO fraud stands out as particularly devious, targeting employees who may unknowingly assist in financial ploys just by clicking a link or responding to what appears to be a legitimate request. This kind of scam can happen to anyone - it's like setting a snare for unsuspecting prey. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. The good news is that by learning more about how these scams work and implementing effective preventive measures, organizations can drastically reduce their risk. In this article, we’ll explore... --- #### The Hidden Costs of Unreliable Data Access: How ISP Proxy Infrastructure Saves Research Budgets URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/hidden-costs-unreliable-data-access-isp-proxy-infrastructure-research-budgets/ Description: You can have the smartest analysts and the greatest strategy - but if your proxies fail on you, your entire research project can silently fall apart. You can have the smartest analysts and the greatest strategy - but if your proxies fail on you, your entire research project can silently fall apart. Missing data, blocked requests, and timelines that inexplicably keep expanding is just the start. The bigger problem? These failures manifest themselves as incomplete insights, vague recommendations, or that unsettling sense that something’s not quite right in your final report. It’s the hidden cost of unreliable data access - and it adds up fast. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. The proxies you rely on are the backbones of your entire operation, whether you're running a time-sensitive consumer survey, scraping regional e-commerce trends, or collecting academic data across different regions. In this article, we'll look at how unsafe proxy solutions can undermine your research - and how ISP proxy architecture may help you avoid these costly problems while saving you money. The Hidden Costs of Unreliable Proxy Solutions At first glance, a cheap proxy setup... --- #### How Proxy Servers Help Prevent Ad and Click Fraud URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-proxy-servers-help-prevent-ad-and-click-fraud/ Description: The internet is essentially one massive advertising billboard, and the fact that online advertising is a multi-billion-dollar industry makes the entire system. The internet is essentially one massive advertising billboard, and the fact that online advertising is a multi-billion-dollar industry makes the entire system a fertile ground for fraud. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Advertising and click fraud aren’t new issues; however, they still cost advertisers and publishers billions of dollars every year, slowly eroding marketing budgets and diminishing the trust customers have in digital marketing. The good news is that companies have one fantastic tool in their arsenal to prevent and fight ad and click fraud; it’s called a proxy server, in particular, the static residential proxy. In this article, we’ll tell you what ad fraud is and how proxy servers help advertisers to prevent it, saving their ad campaign and their bottom line. What Is Ad and Click Fraud? In general, advertisement fraud (mostly referred to as ad fraud) is the deceptive and deliberate practice of generating fake online advertising impressions,... --- #### Why do DMARC reports have a limit of 32KB? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-do-dmarc-reports-have-a-limit-of-32kb/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. There are various rules around DMARC, most of which are defined by DMARC RFC 7489, but there’s one that is not imposed by the protocol. It’s the 32KB report size limit. This limit is enforced not by DMARC itself but by mail providers, due to certain operational constraints. Major email service providers (ESPs) like Gmail and Yahoo have set a limit of 32KB on DMARC aggregate reports (RUA), so anything larger than that is either cut off, partially delivered, or sometimes not sent at all. This becomes a major problem if you send a large volume of emails every day... --- #### What Is a DNS PTR Record? A Complete Explanation and Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dns-ptr-record-complete-explanation-and-setup-guide/ Description: In the digital landscape we navigate daily, understanding the intricacies of how information gets from one point to another can feel a bit like trying to. In the digital landscape we navigate daily, understanding the intricacies of how information gets from one point to another can feel a bit like trying to unravel a tangled ball of yarn. One critical piece of this puzzle is the DNS PTR (Pointer) record, which might sound technical but plays a vital role in making our online experiences smoother and safer. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Imagine if you were on the phone with someone but couldn’t quite remember who they were - knowing their name or the company they represent could help confirm their identity. This is essentially what a PTR record does for IP addresses, connecting those confusing strings of numbers back to recognizable domain names. With the growing importance of online security and accurate communication, let’s dive into what PTR records are and why they... --- #### Maritime Cybersecurity Policies, Amazon Phishing Alert, Red Sea Spoofing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/maritime-cybersecurity-policies-amazon-phishing-alert-red-sea-spoofing/ Description: Maritime Cybersecurity Policies, Amazon Phishing Alert, Red Sea Spoofing from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Is time passing really quickly since 2020, or are the cyberattackers getting super swift with every move of theirs? Every week, we bring you a fresh dose of cyber bulletin, comprising global cybersecurity news. Every edition encourages you to learn more about prevalent cyber threats and secure yourself from potential cyberattacks. This is the 4th week of July, and we are back again with another edition of cyber news. This week, our focus will be on new cybersecurity protocols designed for maritime safety. Additionally, we will analyze the threats surrounding Amazon Prime members. Lastly, the sudden surge in the Red Sea GPS instance will also be highlighted. Read on to know the details! Coast Guard issues cybersecurity policies to ensure maritime safety New cybersecurity rules... --- #### WordPress Email Marketing: How to Begin an Email Campaign URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/wordpress-email-marketing-how-to-begin-an-email-campaign/ Description: Email marketing offers a steady way to reach people who visit your site. WordPress makes it simple to begin if you know what steps matter most. Email marketing offers a steady way to reach people who visit your site. WordPress makes it simple to begin if you know what steps matter most. Starting an email campaign is not about pushing out messages but making choices that help your emails reach people and get opened. Here is a plain guide to help you move forward, with facts that highlight what works. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. How Do You Configure Things Up: List Building Starts Here? Before anything, you need a list of people who want your updates. This is where sign-up forms help. Make it easy for people to join your list. One form on your homepage is not enough. Adding sign-up forms in high-traffic spots like the sidebar, at the end of blog posts, and even on landing pages can help capture more... --- #### Is DMARCbis a game-changer or just an upgrade to DMARC? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/is-dmarcbis-a-game-changer-or-just-dmarc-upgrade/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Back in 2012, when DMARC was first published, it emerged as a revolutionary solution to email-based attacks, which the email infrastructure natively couldn’t block. The DMARC protocol gave domain owners a way to control which senders could use their domain in the "From" field. However, cyberattacks have evolved since then; they have become more sophisticated and complex to detect. So far, DMARC has been doing a good job of protecting domains against direct spoofing attacks by ensuring that only authorized senders can use a domain in the “From” field. But as the email ecosystems became more complex and intertwined , the authentication protocol began to... --- #### What is a DNS CNAME Record? Understanding Its Usage and Configuration URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dns-cname-record-how-it-works-and-configures/ Description: In a digital world where every click counts, understanding the tools behind our online experiences is essential. In a digital world where every click counts, understanding the tools behind our online experiences is essential. If you've ever wondered how typing in one web address can lead you to another without much thought, then you're not alone. Enter the DNS CNAME record - a behind-the-scenes hero that makes web navigation smoother and less confusing. Think of it like a helpful guide, redirecting visitors to the right spot while keeping things simple for website owners. In this article, we’ll peel back the layers on CNAME records, showing you their significance, how they function, and why they matter in making your online presence as effective as possible. Let’s dive in! The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. A DNS CNAME, or Canonical Name record, is a type of resource record in the Domain Name System that maps an alias domain... --- #### Mcdonald’s Application Tips, Ingram Micro Recovers,Gemini Email Exploit URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/mcdonalds-application-tips-ingram-micro-recoversgemini-email-exploit/ Description: Mcdonald’s Application Tips, Ingram Micro Recovers,Gemini Email Exploit from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Hey folks! It’s week 3, and we hope you have managed to survive the malicious intentions of threat actors around you. You see, only practicing cyber hygiene and having cyber awareness can help you in this era of sophisticated cyberattacks. We are back again with our weekly dose of cyber updates. This time, we will discuss McDonald’s massive security incident, talk about Google Gemini’s ability to generate legitimate-looking malicious email summaries, and focus on how Ingram Micro is slowly getting back on track. Let’s get started with the details that matter! See this if you’re planning to apply at McDonald’s! One of the most popular fast food joints across the globe, McDonald’s experienced a massive cyber mishap this June, when... --- #### What Is Typosquatting? Understanding Its Definition and Risks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-typosquatting-understanding-its-definition-and-risks/ Description: What Is Typosquatting? Understanding Its Definition and Risks: DMARC monitoring should be as routine as checking your inbox, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of. Definition of Typosquatting 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. Typosquatting is a deceptive practice in which cybercriminals register domain names that are intentional misspellings or slight variations of well-known websites. At first glance, these domains might seem benign, but they are often constructed for malicious intent. The primary objective is to capture web traffic meant for legitimate sites; when users fail to enter the URL correctly, they inadvertently land on these fraudulent pages instead. This technique, also referred to as URL hijacking or domain mimicry, relies heavily on the assumption that most internet users won’t look closely at the web address they are accessing. Instead of being cautious and double-checking what they've typed, many simply hit "Enter" and hope for the best. To put it simply, typosquatting exploits human error, where simple mistakes like transposed letters lead to grave consequences, such as phishing attacks or unintended visits to harmful websites. For instance, when someone means to type “example.com” but types “examplle.com” instead, they may... --- #### Google Security Alerts: How to Protect Your Account from Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/google-security-alerts-how-to-protect-your-account-from-phishing/ Description: In today’s digital age, protecting your online accounts, especially your Google account, has never been more crucial. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. In today’s digital age, protecting your online accounts, especially your Google account, has never been more crucial. With phishing scams becoming increasingly sophisticated, recognizing when your account might be under threat can be the difference between safeguarding your personal information and falling victim to cybercriminals. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. You might think that these alerts are just another hassle, but they serve a vital purpose: keeping you informed and alert to any suspicious activity. Here, we’ll walk you through what triggers Google security alerts, how to respond effectively, and the best practices to enhance your account security. By understanding these elements, you can take charge of your digital safety with confidence. Google security alerts notify users of potential unauthorized access attempts to their accounts, typically when there is a... --- #### What Is Phone Number Spoofing? Understanding Techniques and Risks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-phone-number-spoofing-understanding-techniques-and-risks/ Description: In an age where our phones buzz with endless notifications, the last thing we want is to be misled by strange numbers popping up on our caller ID. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. In an age where our phones buzz with endless notifications, the last thing we want is to be misled by strange numbers popping up on our caller ID. Phone number spoofing is a significant issue that can leave anyone feeling uneasy about who’s really calling. It’s not just a pesky annoyance; it has serious implications for our privacy and security. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. You've likely encountered calls that appear to come from your bank or a beloved local business, only to discover they were designed to deceive you. Understanding how this works is crucial for protecting yourself from potential scams and frauds lurking in your ringtone. Let’s dive into what phone number spoofing really means and why... --- #### SK Telecom Breach, Massive Ransomware Outage, Beware AI Links URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/sk-telecom-breach-massive-ransomware-outage-beware-ai-links/ Description: South Korea fines SK Telecom after 33 malware strains hit 28 servers, SafePay ransomware downs Ingram Micro, and Netcraft flags risky ChatGPT brand links. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. Hey people! Welcome to July week 2. Here comes our fresh dose of cyber bulletin that will keep you up-to-date on the latest cyber incidents and will also help you protect yourself from potential cyber scams. This week, we will talk about the SK Telecom breach in South Korea that led to penalties being levied. Next, we will focus on the Ingram Micro widespread outage. Lastly, we will discuss the chances of ChatGPT and Perplexity links being potentially malicious. So, let’s not waste any more time and start with the detailed bulletin. SK Telecom breach leads to penalties and stringent legalities SK Telecom, a mobile telecommunications service provider in South Korea, has experienced a data breach recently. The government has levied a fine on SK Telecom, as it has “failed to fulfil its obligations” of offering a secure communication system to its users. A joint public-private investigation has been conducted against the 42,000 servers... --- #### How to Prevent SQL Injection Attacks: Best Practices for Secure Applications URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-prevent-sql-injection-attacks-best-practices-for-secure-applications/ Description: SQL Injection (SQLi) is a cyber vulnerability that arises when attackers manipulate SQL queries by injecting malicious code into input fields intended for user. What is SQL Injection? SQL Injection (SQLi) is a cyber vulnerability that arises when attackers manipulate SQL queries by injecting malicious code into input fields intended for user data. This type of attack exploits the way applications communicate with their databases, particularly when these interactions aren't properly secured. At its core, SQLi leverages poorly constructed queries - when applications don't differentiate between user input and SQL commands, they open the door for attackers to execute unauthorized commands on the database. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. To illustrate, imagine entering your username and password into a login form. An application retrieves your account via a query like SELECT FROM users WHERE username = 'inputusername' AND password = 'inputpassword'. If an attacker inputs something like ' OR '1'='1'; - instead of a valid username or password, this could trick the system into granting access without proper authentication, allowing the invader to bypass security... --- #### Sending official emails in New Zealand? You’ll need DMARC now URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/sending-official-emails-in-new-zealand-youll-need-dmarc-now/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Different countries treat email security differently, and it shows in how they handle DMARC. If you're new to the protocol, start by learning to understand DMARC and what it enforces. The reason behind this could be that they’re exposed to a different threat landscape altogether, or maybe their priorities are different. Well, New Zealand was one of those countries that didn’t have any strict DMARC norms until very recently. It’s not like New Zealand never took email security seriously, but up until now, it did not have any mandatory guidelines or norms for DMARC. Instead, it relied on SEEMail, a secure email system used across... --- #### What Is a PTR Record? Understanding Its Importance in DNS Lookup URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-ptr-record-and-why-it-matters-in-dns/ Description: PTR records, often called Pointer Records, serve a distinctive role within the realm of DNS by facilitating reverse DNS lookups. What Are PTR Records? The engineering challenge with DMARC at scale is report volume, not complexity, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. A domain that sends 100,000 emails per day generates dozens of aggregate report files daily from different receivers. Parsing, classifying, and trending that data is why DMARC Report exists. PTR records, often called Pointer Records, serve a distinctive role within the realm of DNS by facilitating reverse DNS lookups. Instead of mapping a domain name like example.com to an IP address, which is typical for standard DNS queries, PTR records connect an IP address back to its corresponding domain name. This functionality is crucial for authentication processes and diagnosing network issues. Take, for example, an IP address like 192.0.2.1. When you have a properly configured PTR record associated with this address, it links it directly to example.com. If someone queries this IP address, they can identify that it belongs to that specific domain, aiding various network-related verifications and ensuring efficient communication. How Does It Work? When performing a reverse DNS lookup using an IP address, the request flips the digits and appends either .in-addr.arpa (for IPv4) or .ip6.arpa (for IPv6) at the end. So our earlier example... --- #### PayPal Email Scam, BreachForums Operators Detained, Hackers Target Airlines URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/paypal-email-scam-breachforums-operators-detained-hackers-target-airlines/ Description: PayPal Email Scam, BreachForums Operators Detained, Hackers Target Airlines from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Hello people! It’s July already, and we're here once again with the latest global cybersecurity incidents. The threat actors are getting sophisticated with their approach, one cyberattack at a time. So, you must stay alert and aware to prevent any kind of potential cyber mishap. For domain owners, that starts with publishing the DMARC record so attackers can't send mail as your brand. With this intention, we bring to you the first edition of the month. This bulletin involves the details of the latest PayPal scam. We will also focus on how French police nabbed the BreachForum operators. Lastly, we will discuss how a group of threat actors is now targeting airlines and the... --- #### Email Salting Attacks: How They Work and Prevention Techniques URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-salting-attacks-how-they-work-and-prevention-techniques/ Description: In the realm of cyber threats, email salting attacks have emerged as a stealthy and sophisticated tactic that can catch even the tech-savviest among us off. In the realm of cyber threats, email salting attacks have emerged as a stealthy and sophisticated tactic that can catch even the tech-savviest among us off guard. Imagine receiving an email that looks perfectly normal but harbors hidden dangers underneath. This deceptive practice involves inserting invisible characters into email messages to slip past spam filters and trick recipients. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. As we dive into this topic, you’ll discover how these attacks work, their implications for personal and organizational security, and the proactive measures you can take to stay protected. Understanding the nuances of email salting is essential in a world where digital communication is a fundamental part of our lives, and awareness is our best defense against evolving threats. Email salting attacks, also known as hidden text salting, exploit HTML and CSS features to embed invisible characters within emails, allowing attackers to bypass spam filters and deceive content scanners. By... --- #### Decoding the ubiquity of email authentication: DMARC regulations from across the world URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/decoding-global-dmarc-regulations-email-authentication-around-the-world/ Description: Decoding the ubiquity of email authentication: DMARC regulations from across the world from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email-based attacks are prevalent, which means that tools and strategies to protect email ecosystems are also widely available. Despite being one of the most preferred and reliable channels of communication, email lacks one important thing: a native security feature that goes beyond cursory checks. We don’t mean spam filters or inbox firewalls. We mean more reliable tools to verify the legitimacy and authenticity of the sender and the email. That’s where email authentication protocols come in. Protocols like DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) patch the gaps left by how email was originally designed - open, flexible, but without built-in mechanisms to... --- #### Mail Header Analyzer: The Ultimate Tool for Email Security and Spam Detection URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/mail-header-analyzer-email-security-spam-detection-ultimate-tool-guide/ Description: In a world where nearly 85% of all emails are classified as spam, the importance of understanding what lies behind your inbox is greater than ever. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. In a world where nearly 85% of all emails are classified as spam, the importance of understanding what lies behind your inbox is greater than ever. Have you ever wondered who really sent that unexpected email or if it’s safe to click on an included link? This is where a mail header analyzer comes into play - it's like having a special magnifying glass for your emails, allowing you to peek beneath the surface and uncover hidden details about each message. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. As someone who has navigated the often-treacherous waters of email communication for years, I can tell you that these tools can save... --- #### Rising African Cybercrime, Salt Typhoon Strikes, Nucor Files Again URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/rising-african-cybercrime-salt-typhoon-strikes-nucor-files-again/ Description: Rising African Cybercrime, Salt Typhoon Strikes, Nucor Files Again From a product strategy perspective. Rising African Cybercrime, Salt Typhoon Strikes, Nucor Files Again From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s already the 4th week of June, and there have been some crazy shifts in the cybersecurity landscape. 2025 has witnessed Salt Typhoon attacks on multiple companies, including Viasat. There has been some serious upheaval in the cyber situation of Africa, while they are already struggling with policy enforcement issues. Lastly, another major highlight of the week is the cyberattack on steel giant Nucor. Let’s find out more about these cyber mishaps! Africa grappling with a rise in cybercrimes and law enforcement issues! Cyberattacks have increased exponentially across Africa, particularly in East and West Africa, where cybercrime accounts for more than 30% of total reported crimes. To... --- #### What is AAAA DNS? Understanding IPv6 Records and Their Importance URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-aaaa-dns-understanding-ipv6-records-and-their-importance/ Description: In the ever-evolving landscape of the internet, the way we connect and communicate is rapidly changing. In the ever-evolving landscape of the internet, the way we connect and communicate is rapidly changing. As more devices come online - from smart thermostats to virtual reality headsets - understanding how to effectively manage these connections becomes crucial. This is where AAAA DNS records step in, acting like a GPS for navigating the intricate pathways of IPv6 addresses. The engineering challenge with DMARC at scale is report volume, not complexity, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. A domain that sends 100,000 emails per day generates dozens of aggregate report files daily from different receivers. Parsing, classifying, and trending that data is why DMARC Report exists. Unlike their IPv4 predecessors, these records unlock a vast universe of unique addresses, making sure every device can find its way home. Join us as we dive deeper into what AAAA DNS is all about, why it's essential for modern web interactions, and how it facilitates a smoother digital experience for everyone. A AAAA DNS record is an entry that maps a domain name to an IPv6 address, similar to how an A record connects a domain to an IPv4 address. This type of record facilitates the transition from IPv4 to IPv6, enabling... --- #### How does BIMI build psychological trust with recipients? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-does-bimi-build-psychological-trust-with-recipients/ Description: BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays a brand's verified logo next to authenticated emails in supporting clients. The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays a brand's verified logo next to authenticated emails in supporting clients. BIMI requires a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject - p=none is not sufficient. Your business is what your customers perceive it to be. Every effort you make, big or small, is essentially to build a rapport with your clients and make them trust your brand to an extent that they come back to it, no matter what. That’s what real customer trust is. But, here’s a catch! Customer trust is not easy to gain, and it is even more difficult to maintain. There are bad guys out there, ready to exploit even the tiniest cracks in your digital presence and sabotage your relationship with your customers. And the worst part is, they don’t need much to pull it off. All it takes is just a lookalike email, a spoofed domain, or a convincing... --- #### How to Recall Email in Outlook: Tips and Instructions for Success URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-recall-email-in-outlook-tips-and-instructions-for-success/ Description: In our increasingly digital world, email remains a staple of communication, whether for work or personal matters. In our increasingly digital world, email remains a staple of communication, whether for work or personal matters. But have you ever hit "send" only to realize seconds later that you forgot an attachment or made a mistake? It's a common scenario that can lead to panic. Fortunately, if you're using Outlook and find yourself in this situation, there’s hope: the email recall feature. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. This tool can potentially help salvage your reputation by letting you take back that message before it’s read. Yet, as handy as it sounds, it's not flawless and comes with some important rules. In this article, we’ll explore how to navigate the recall process effectively, what limitations you should be aware of, and ways to minimize mistakes in the first place. Let's dive in! To recall an email in Outlook,... --- #### Humanitarian Cyber Surge, Unsubscribe Scam Alert, SEO Boosts Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/humanitarian-cyber-surge-unsubscribe-scam-alert-seo-boosts-phishing/ Description: Humanitarian Cyber Surge, Unsubscribe Scam Alert, SEO Boosts Phishing from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hey people! We are three weeks down in June, just like that! With that, we bring to you the third bulletin of the month. Are you excited to stay up-to-date about the latest cyber incidents happening around the globe? If yes, here’s the good news. We are back with our fresh dose of global cyber facts. This week, we will talk about how cybercrooks are using SEO tactics to push phishing pages high up the search results. Also, our focus will be on the new Gmail scam. Lastly, we will discuss the steep rise in the incidents of cyberattacks on humanitarian organizations. So, if you are all set to dive deeper, let’s get started! Global humanitarian organizations see a steep rise in cyber incidents! There... --- #### Emerging cybersecurity threats that you should know about in 2025 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/emerging-cybersecurity-threats-that-you-should-know-about-in-2025/ Description: Emerging cybersecurity threats that you should know about in 2025 from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s 2025, and cyberattackers are becoming smarter than ever. Outdated software is no longer their prime target. They’re making their way into the everyday rhythm of your business, particularly how you connect, communicate, and build trust with your audience. If you haven’t guessed already, we’re talking about emails. For you, email might be a tool to close deals, send invoices, share updates, or onboard new clients. But for attackers, it’s the easiest way to break in. Why? Because email depends on trust, and trust is easy to fake. From AI-generated phishing emails to fake names and lookalike websites, attackers have already caused serious damage to companies around the world. And unfortunately, these attacks are only getting smarter. Some of these... --- #### Session Hijacking: Understanding Risks and Prevention Techniques URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/session-hijacking-understanding-risks-and-prevention-techniques/ Description: In the vast digital landscape we navigate daily, there's a lurking menace that often goes unnoticed - session hijacking. In the vast digital landscape we navigate daily, there's a lurking menace that often goes unnoticed - session hijacking. Imagine casually logging into your favorite website only to find out that someone else has taken over your account without you even realizing it. That's the reality of session hijacking, where attackers snatch away control from unsuspecting users, putting their information at serious risk. 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. This article dives deep into understanding the mechanics behind these attacks and emphasizes why it’s crucial to stay informed about how they happen and what we can do to prevent them. By unraveling the complexities of session hijacking, we aim to equip you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your online presence effectively. So, let’s explore this cybersecurity threat that no one should overlook! Session hijacking is a cyber attack where an attacker steals a user's session token, allowing them unauthorized access to sensitive accounts without needing passwords. This exploitation can compromise user security significantly,... --- #### How To Stop Spoofing Emails: Effective Security Techniques To Prevent Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-stop-email-spoofing-and-prevent-phishing-attacks-effectively/ Description: Email spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement - any attacker can forge the From header to make an email appear to come from your domain. \\Email spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement - any attacker can forge the From header to make an email appear to come from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only protocol that tells receiving servers to block unauthorized senders entirely. According to the FBI's 2022 IC3 Report, Business Email Compromise caused $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Recognizing Spoofed Emails One of the most telling signs of a spoofed email is an incorrect sender address. Legitimate businesses always use official domains for email communication. The subtle differences can be easy to overlook, but even minor variations can indicate that something is off. For example, an email claiming to be from Amazon might actually come from an address like "amazon.orders@secure-mail.com" instead of the trustworthy "amazon.com." Your instincts should kick in if you spot such discrepancies, as they could signify a deceptive entrapment aimed at accessing your... --- #### Cybersecurity Orders Reversed, OpenAI blocks Attackers, Africa Boosts Training URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cybersecurity-orders-reversed-openai-blocks-attackers-africa-boosts-training/ Description: Cybersecurity Orders Reversed, OpenAI blocks Attackers, Africa Boosts Training from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. This week, we will see how the cybersecurity system is going through a transformation under the leadership of Trump. Also, our focus will be on OpenAI’s banning of ChatGPT profiles associated with nation-state cyberattackers. Lastly, we will discuss the ongoing cybersecurity training sessions in Africa, aiming at curbing threat attacks once and for all. If you want to dive deep straight to the details, scroll down! Cybersecurity orders prioritised by Biden and Obama are being reversed in the Trump-led USA! The Trump White House has passed an order on June 6, reversing a couple of cybersecurity orders that were once prioritized by his predecessors, Biden and Obama. Under the leadership of Trump, the digital ID program... --- #### DMV Phishing Alert, FTSE Spoofing Risk, Victoria’s Secret Breached URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmv-phishing-alert-ftse-spoofing-risk-victorias-secret-breached/ Description: DMV Phishing Alert, FTSE Spoofing Risk, Victoria’s Secret Breached from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hey, it’s June already! Hope you guys are able to hold up against the cybercrooks, tall and strong. We are back with our weekly dose of the latest cyber news. This week, we will inform you about the ongoing DMV phishing scam in the US. Next, we will focus on email spoofing attacks being a constant threat hovering over FTSE 100 companies despite having a simple fix already available. Lastly, we will dig deeper into Victoria’s Secret’s recent encounter with a threat attack incident. Let’s begin with this week’s cyber bulletin. DMV phishing scam targeting smartphone users in the US A new phishing scam is doing the rounds in the US. Threat actors are... --- #### What Is a DNS AAAA Record? An In-Depth Explanation URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-dns-aaaa-record-an-in-depth-explanation/ Description: In the vast landscape of the internet, have you ever wondered how your favorite websites know where to find you? In the vast landscape of the internet, have you ever wondered how your favorite websites know where to find you? Enter the unsung hero of web connectivity - the DNS AAAA record. This might sound technical, but it's really just a way for your device to chat with others over IPv6 addresses instead of the older IPv4 ones we’re all familiar with. As more people connect online and demand for IP addresses grows, understanding these records is becoming increasingly important. Stick around, and let’s break down what DNS AAAA records do, why they matter, and how they are paving the way for our increasingly digital lives. The engineering challenge with DMARC at scale is report volume, not complexity, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. A domain that sends 100,000 emails per day generates dozens of aggregate report files daily from different receivers. Parsing, classifying, and trending that data is why DMARC Report exists. A DNS AAAA record, also known as an IPv6 address record, maps a domain name to a 128-bit IPv6 address, enabling devices to connect over the internet using this modern addressing protocol. Unlike the traditional A record that deals with IPv4 addresses, AAAA records are essential... --- #### DKIM in TXT or CNAME record - which one is better? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dkim-in-txt-or-cname-record-which-one-is-better/ Description: DKIM in TXT or CNAME record - which one is better? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. A DKIM record stores the public key that is used to verify if an email sent from your domain was tampered with in transit. It can exist in your domain’s DNS as a TXT (Text) or CNAME (Canonical Name) record, enabling a safer email channel. DKIM records are mostly in the TXT format. However, a few providers prefer using CNAME delegation to point your domain to a TXT record hosted on their servers. Both TXT and CNAME have their own upsides and downsides. This blog discusses both the record types in detail, helping you make the right choice. DKIM record’s publishing process A DKIM record is a DNS TXT record and typically... --- #### Email Header Analyzer: Effective Software to Detect Spam URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-header-analyzer-effective-software-to-detect-spam/ Description: In a world where emails pop into our inboxes like unsolicited party invites, understanding how to sift through them effectively is more crucial than ever. In a world where emails pop into our inboxes like unsolicited party invites, understanding how to sift through them effectively is more crucial than ever. Ever received a message that looked totally legit but left you questioning its true origins? That's the problem many people face. As cybercriminals get cleverer, distinguishing between authentic communication and digital trickery becomes a vital skill. An email header analyzer emerges as the secret weapon at your disposal - unveiling the hidden details of an email’s journey while helping you dodge potential scams. In this article, we’ll explore what these tools are, how they work, and why they’re essential for keeping your inbox safe and sound. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. An email header analyzer is a tool that decodes the complex information contained within email headers, allowing users to trace the origins of an email, identify potential spam messages, and assess the delivery paths taken. By using these... --- #### How to Spot a Fake Email Address - 12 Red Flags (2026) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-detect-fake-email-addresses-tips-to-identify-scams/ Description: Spot fake email addresses by checking the sender domain, SPF/DKIM/DMARC results, display-name mismatches, header anomalies, and reply-to redirects. 12 practical checks. Every day, our inboxes are filled with emails that promise the world, but unfortunately, many of them could be traps waiting to snare the unsuspecting. Detecting fake email addresses isn’t just a skill; it's an essential part of navigating today’s digital landscape. With around one in four people experiencing phishing attacks recently, we must learn how to spot these scams before they infiltrate our lives. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Whether it’s noticing unusual domain names or recognizing poor grammar, there are various clues that can help protect you from scammers. In this article, we’ll explore practical tips and tools to help you identify fake emails and keep your personal information safe. Let’s dive in! You can detect fake email addresses by looking for unusual domain names, checking for misspellings or odd characters in the sender's address, and paying attention to generic greetings often used in scams. Additionally, utilizing email verification... --- #### Adidas Data Breach, Whatsapp Image Threat, Silent Ransom Vishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/adidas-data-breach-whatsapp-image-threat-silent-ransom-vishing/ Description: Adidas Data Breach, Whatsapp Image Threat, Silent Ransom Vishing from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s the 4th week of May, and we are once again back with the latest cyber news. Our only goal is to safeguard your data and peace of mind by educating you about the current cybersecurity trends and latest cyber incidents. So stay with us and secure your data from cybercriminals. This week, we will talk about one of the most shocking cyberattack incidents- the Adidas data breach. Next, we will throw light on how cybercrooks are misusing WhatsApp images to break into your device. Lastly, we will discuss vishing campaigns designed to target the USA-based legal firms . Let’s not waste any more time and get straight into the details! Adidas’ company data breached by... --- #### What Is Ping Spoofing? Understanding the Technique and Its Impact on Network Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-ping-spoofing-technique-impact-network-security-explained/ Description: What Is Ping Spoofing? Understanding the Technique and Its Impact on Network Security: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. In the fast-paced world of online connectivity, everything hinges on speed and performance. Ever wondered why your favorite game lags or why a website sometimes takes forever to load? It could be due to a sneaky technique known as ping spoofing. This method not only toys with our perception of network reliability but also raises significant concerns for cybersecurity. While some might think it's just a harmless trick to improve gaming, understanding ping spoofing is essential as it can lead to far more serious consequences such as data breaches and denied access to services. In this article, we’ll unravel what ping spoofing is all about, its implications, and how you can safeguard your network against this unseen threat. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of... --- #### Another win for DMARC Report! We've been honored by Capterra URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/another-win-for-dmarc-report-weve-been-honored-by-capterra/ Description: 🔥 Another win for DMARC Report! We've been honored by Capterra with the 2025 Best Ease of Use and Best Value badges - proof that simplicity and affordability can go hand-in-hand. 🔥 Another win for DMARC Report! We've been honored by Capterra with the 2025 Best Ease of Use and Best Value badges - proof that simplicity and affordability can go hand-in-hand. 🌟 DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Our platform is built around understanding DMARC reports so those signals are easy to act on. Our mission has always been to make email security accessible, intuitive, and powerful for everyone — the goal behind every part of our DMARC monitoring service. These awards reinforce our relentless commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction. 🙌🔐 This recognition and award is based on independent reviews collected by Gartner Digital Markets,... --- #### DMARC Report recognized by GetApp URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-report-recognized-by-getapp/ Description: 🎉 Big News! DMARC Report has been recognized by GetApp with the Best Functionality & Features Badge for 2025! 🎉 Big News! DMARC Report has been recognized by GetApp with the Best Functionality & Features Badge for 2025! 🛡️This prestigious honor reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering top-tier tools that make email security smarter and simpler. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. At DMARC Report, we're obsessed with user experience, precision insights, and building the best DMARC monitoring platform for email protection.This badge is not just a win - it’s a testament to our ongoing pursuit of excellence. 💪🚀 This recognition and award is based on independent reviews collected by Gartner Digital Markets, which highlights top-rated tools in different categories to help buyers identify the... --- #### AI-powered phishing in 2025: how intelligent attacks are outsmarting cybersecurity defenses URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ai-powered-phishing-2025-how-intelligent-attacks-outsmart-cybersecurity-defenses/ Description: Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Per the FBI's 2022 IC3 Report, 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year. DMARC with p=reject prevents attackers from spoofing your domain in phishing campaigns. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. How do attackers exploit AI to bypass security filters? Threat actors begin by harvesting publicly available data from platforms like GitHub, LinkedIn, and breached email logs to build detailed behavioral profiles, mimicking the tone and writing style of trusted colleagues. Using generative AI, they can produce thousands of highly personalized phishing emails within minutes, continuously optimizing them for higher engagement and click-through rates. Lookalike domains further fuel Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks by hosting decoy websites, facilitating fraudulent wire transfers or invoice scams that can result in six-figure losses. Learning how to create a DMARC record to stop spoofing shuts down the... --- #### Have I Been Pwned? A Simple Way to Check for Data Breaches URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/have-i-been-pwned-check-data-breaches-simple-way/ Description: In our digital lives, keeping track of personal information may feel like running a marathon with no finish line. In our digital lives, keeping track of personal information may feel like running a marathon with no finish line. With countless data breaches happening every year, it's essential to know whether your email or accounts have been compromised. This is where "Have I Been Pwned?" comes in handy. This online tool acts like an alert system for your accounts, letting you know if your sensitive information has been exposed. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. By simply entering your email address, you can uncover potential threats and take steps to secure your online presence. Whether you're tech-savvy or just getting started on your cybersecurity journey, this guide will walk you through how to use HIBP effectively and why it's crucial for your peace of mind. "Have I Been Pwned?" is a valuable online tool that allows users to check if their email addresses or accounts have been involved in any known data breaches,... --- #### Layoffs Threaten Cybersecurity, M&S Data Breach, Hackers Nabbed Globally URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/layoffs-threaten-cybersecurity-ms-data-breach-hackers-nabbed-globally/ Description: Layoffs Threaten Cybersecurity, M&S Data Breach, Hackers Nabbed Globally from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s week 3 of May, and we are happy to be back with our fresh dose of cybersecurity news. Meanwhile, we hope you have managed to safeguard yourself from the nasty, malicious actors. The world can change so much in just a week. So does the cybersecurity landscape! This week, we will talk about the latest cybersecurity threat looming large in the US, thanks to their mass summer layoff plans!. Also, we will focus on Marks & Spencer’s recent experience of a cyberattack. Lastly, we will focus on the latest incident where 4 hackers got arrested in a global botness business. Let’s dive deep into the details! Mass layoffs may lead to cybersecurity concerns in the... --- #### Masimo Operations Delayed, Britain Cyberattack Surge, Scotland Co-op Hacked URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/masimo-operations-delayed-britain-cyberattack-surge-scotland-co-op-hacked/ Description: Masimo Operations Delayed, Britain Cyberattack Surge, Scotland Co-op Hacked from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello friends! We are already moving into week 2 of May. As always, we are here with our weekly dose of cyber bulletins. Our ultimate goal is to make you aware and protect you, so that you are away from the clutches of threat actors. This week, we will discuss the cyberattack on Masimo Corporation. Next, we will shed light on why Britain is experiencing a steep surge in threat attacks. Lastly, we will focus on Scotland’s co-op stores, which are being targeted by cybercrooks. Let’s dive deeper into the details! Masimo Corporation experiencing operational delays because of a cyberattack! Masimo Corporation, a reputed medical device manufacturing company, has faced a cyberattack recently. As a result,... --- #### A guide on securing your subscription business from cyber threats in 2025? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/a-guide-securing-subscription-business-from-cyber-threats-2025/ Description: A guide on securing your subscription business from cyber threats in 2025? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Imagine data breaches, payment fraud, or account takeovers hitting your business - sounds scary, right? Unfortunately, these threats are very real if your subscription-based business isn’t protected against cyberattacks. This is why securing your subscription businesses is of paramount importance today. Since subscription businesses store customer data and manage recurring payments, they have become a prime target for cybercriminals to exploit. For that matter, it is essential to be proactive in cybersecurity to protect your business. All you need to do is take steps that significantly help protect revenue, maintain seamless working, and secure the trust of your customers. This blog covers some of the measures that can keep you ahead of the threat... --- #### BEC Targets Renters, Deadline ID Scam, UK Mobile Scams URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/bec-targets-renters-deadline-id-scam-uk-mobile-scams/ Description: BEC Targets Renters, Deadline ID Scam, UK Mobile Scams from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello there! Hope you are doing well and are able to safeguard your data and mental peace against cybercrooks. This is the first week of May, and we're back once again with our fresh dose of cyber news. With every bulletin we bring to you, we aim to empower you with cyber education, so you stay prepared to combat the cyber menace everywhere. This week, we are going to talk about the BEC scammers who are targeting Canada and France-based property renters. Next, we will focus on cybercrooks who are sending malicious emails to REAL ID seekers in Arlington. Lastly, we will talk about the sudden rise in mobile scams across the UK. Let’s... --- #### Why the Payment Card Industry (PCI) encourages SPF, DKIM, and DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-the-payment-card-industry-encourages-spf-dkim-and-dmarc/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. Most cyberattacks are aimed at financial gain. Since so many online platforms require credit and debit cards for payments, card fraud is on the rise. With more than 17.45 billion credit, debit, and prepaid cards in use globally, fraudsters today have more opportunities than ever to exploit them. The situation is so bad that as many as 62 million Americans experienced credit card fraud in 2024. With such grave news and statistics emerging daily, the Payment Card Industry (PCI) has recognized the need to establish stricter security controls over the extensive and ever-expanding digital payment ecosystem. Therefore, in June 2024, PCI began... --- #### DMARC Forensic Report: Essential Insights for Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-forensic-report-essential-insights-for-email-security/ Description: In today's digital landscape, where email communication is the norm, ensuring the security of your domain is more important than ever. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In today's digital landscape, where email communication is the norm, ensuring the security of your domain is more important than ever. Cybercriminals are constantly developing new strategies to impersonate trusted brands and trick unsuspecting users. But what if you could see beneath the surface of email traffic and uncover these malicious attempts before they cause harm? That’s where DMARC forensic reports come into play. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. These reports not only shine a light on when emails fail authentication checks but also provide key details that can help you understand the threats targeting your organization. Let's dive into how these reports can serve... --- ####  Verified Email Threat, Costly Ransomware Attacks, Deepfake Audio Shock URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/verified-email-threat-costly-ransomware-attacks-deepfake-audio-shock/ Description: Hey people! Hope you all are safe and sound, away from the clutches of the cybercrooks. It is week 4, and we are here with the 4th cyber bulletin of the month. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. Hey people! Hope you all are safe and sound, away from the clutches of the cybercrooks. It is week 4, and we are here with the 4th cyber bulletin of the month. This week, we will talk about the latest flaw in Google’s email system. Also, we will have a look at the expenses of ransomware attacks on banks. Lastly, we will talk about the intricacies of AI-generated deepfake voices. Let’s not waste any time! Scroll down and get started. Google warns Gmail users against malicious emails from verified IDs! Gmail users, this one is for you! As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4.0 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... --- #### The Hidden Costs of Poor Email Deliverability for SaaS Businesses URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-hidden-costs-of-poor-email-deliverability-for-saas-businesses/ Description: Poor email deliverability quietly drains SaaS growth. Poor email deliverability quietly drains SaaS growth. When product updates land in spam folders or onboarding sequences fail to reach inboxes, user engagement suffers - and revenue slips through the cracks. Many teams assume their emails are being delivered, unaware of the silent breakdown happening behind the scenes. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. Every missed email carries a cost. Trial users churn without activation. Renewal notices go unseen. Even... --- #### Why email security matters - And how to get it right? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-email-security-matters-and-how-to-get-it-right/ Description: Why email security matters - And how to get it right? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. There was a time when emails were simply used to exchange messages, share important files, confirm meetings, or send quick updates. But those times are long gone now! Today, we don’t send emails just to share information; they serve a much bigger purpose. They are, in fact, tightly woven into how businesses operate. From confirming orders and payments to accessing systems, authorizing users, and building a brand identity, there’s so much that rides on the integrity of your email ecosystem. And that’s exactly what cyberattackers realize and... --- #### Ministers Face Scams, Conduent Data Breached, Uk Faces Threats URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ministers-face-scams-conduent-data-breached-uk-faces-threats/ Description: Ministers Face Scams, Conduent Data Breached, Uk Faces Threats from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello people! Another week, and another dose of cyber news, curated just for you! Hope you all have been safe from the malicious attempts of threat actors. This week, we will talk about the recent X account hacking case of a minister in the UK. Then we will discuss Conduent’s January data breach. Lastly, we will wind up the bulletin by discussing the UK’s cyber landscape. Eager to know the details? Let’s get started then! Even ministers are not safe from the prying eyes of cyber crooks- Crypto scam alert! Lucy Powell, one of the UK government ministers, recently fell prey to a cyberattack. The attackers hacked her X account in order to promote the “House... --- #### Does SPF hold importance in the DKIM-DMARC era? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/does-spf-hold-importance-in-the-dkim-dmarc-era/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. For the longest time ever, emails were just a means of communication. It had no security systems and no safety protocols. That’s how emails became an easy target for cybercriminals. Soon, they started attacking emails with spoofing, phishing, and spam tactics from left, right, and center. In the last couple of decades, the email threat landscape has evolved manifold. But so have the security mechanisms. So, authentication systems entered the scene to verify the identity of the sender and safeguard the recipients from potential scams. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is the first ever authentication policy introduced in the early 2000s to secure email communications. It... --- #### DKIM TXT Records: How to Properly Configure Your Email Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dkim-txt-records-how-to-properly-configure-your-email-authentication/ Description: In an age where emails are the lifeline of communication, ensuring their authenticity has become more crucial than ever. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. In an age where emails are the lifeline of communication, ensuring their authenticity has become more crucial than ever. Have you ever wondered how to keep your valuable messages safe from snoopers and fakes? Enter DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail - an advanced layer of security designed to protect your email correspondence. Think of it as a sturdy lock on your digital mailbox, preventing unauthorized access while letting trusted senders in with ease. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. In this article, we’ll walk through the nuts and bolts of DKIM TXT records and why configuring them properly not only safeguards your messages but also helps maintain your reputation online . Whether you're a small business owner or just someone wishing to... --- #### DKIM Examples: A Comprehensive Guide to Email Configuration URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dkim-examples-a-comprehensive-guide-to-email-configuration/ Description: Real DKIM record examples for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, SendGrid, and Mailchimp - with selector format, key length, and the exact DNS TXT syntax to publish. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. Email has become a primary mode of communication in both personal and professional realms, yet it’s also a playground for scammers and spammers. Imagine opening your inbox only to find that an important email from your bank isn’t what it appears to be. This is where DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail, comes into play. DKIM helps verify the sender's identity and ensures that the content of emails remains secure as they travel across the internet. In this article, we'll explore what DKIM is, why it's essential for protecting your email communications, and how you can set it up effectively - because no one wants their messages lost in the depths of spam folders! DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. A typical DKIM... --- #### How can you strictly enforce DMARC for visibility and control? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-can-you-strictly-enforce-dmarc-for-visibility-and-control/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. We all know that DMARC is one of the most important aspects of email security today, so much so that email giants like Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft have made it mandatory to implement this email authentication protocol (along with SPF and DKIM). Now, if you want your emails to reach your recipients and don’t want to risk your emails being spoofed and your clients being duped, you need DMARC in your arsenal. When we say that you need DMARC, we don’t mean that it should be merely there for the sake of compliance, offering no real protection, but enforce... --- #### Linkedin Phishing Alert, AI Targets Inboxes, Ransomware Hits Sensata URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/linkedin-phishing-alert-ai-targets-inboxes-ransomware-hits-sensata/ Description: Linkedin Phishing Alert, AI Targets Inboxes, Ransomware Hits Sensata from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello people! Hope you have managed to safeguard yourself from the clutches of threat actors. We are here again with our weekly dose of cyber news. Today, we will talk about the steep surge in instances of LinkedIn phishing scams. We will also explore how AI threat attack is no longer just a fantasy concept in a Hollywood movie. Lastly, we will focus on the recent ransomware attack on Sensata Technologies. Are you all set to dive deeper into the details? Here you go! Job seekers, beware of LinkedIn phishing scams! Are you actively looking for job opportunities on LinkedIn? Or do you rely on LinkedIn for freelance projects? If so, you need to... --- #### Microsoft Outlook steps up email security with new policies URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/microsoft-outlook-steps-up-email-security-with-new-policies/ Description: Microsoft Outlook steps up email security with new policies from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Remember the big shift in cybersecurity in 2024? That’s when email giants like Google and Yahoo released major updates to their email policies to tackle email spoofing, phishing, and spam. In this new policy update, they asked their senders - particularly bulk senders- to verify their sending domain by setting up email authentication tools like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. The good thing is that this update led to significant improvement in the adoption of these protocols. In fact, over the past year, the number of organizations setting up DMARC has nearly doubled. In 2023, around 55,000 domains were implementing DMARC each month. By the third quarter... --- #### Major risks of sharing email accounts URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/major-risks-of-sharing-email-accounts/ Description: Major risks of sharing email accounts from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. 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. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. While sharing email accounts is convenient, users often do not consider the cybersecurity and legal risks they pose. While your company might have convincing reasons to share email addresses, this practice should be avoided as much as possible. If we go by definition, a shared email account is one that multiple people can access and use, usually within an organization or team. It’s mostly used to manage communication where multiple people of a group have to come along for operations, for example, in customer support, sales, or info-based queries. Because of the ease with which shared accounts offer centralized communication, it has become a common workplace practice . If these accounts are not managed properly, the organization can be left vulnerable to various kinds... --- #### Why is it unsafe to send sensitive information via email? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-is-it-unsafe-to-send-sensitive-information-via-email/ Description: Why is it unsafe to send sensitive information via email? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Being in corporate involves inevitable sharing of files and information via different mediums, including email. Emailing is a fuss-free method that perfectly knits all the departments, employees, customers, vendors, etc., into one online dock. If we keep aside the ease that emails offer when sharing information, it’s a highly risky medium. Threat actors are devising new and sophisticated ways to break into email accounts or steal/intercept files while they are in transit. This blog explains the risks of emailing sensitive information and shares safer ways to do it. Why is emailing sensitive information not appreciated? Let’s divide these risks into two categories. One, the email itself isn’t a very safe platform unless you... --- #### Phishing links are scarier than malicious email attachments URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/phishing-links-are-scarier-than-malicious-email-attachments/ Description: Phishing links are scarier than malicious email attachments from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s often propagated that attachments should not be downloaded from unsolicited and unrecognized emails. While unexpected email attachments still pose risks, phishing links seem to be wreaking more havoc. Experts and researchers are concerned about this new cyber threat looming over email landscapes. They have observed a significant uptick in email messages infested with links to legitimate cloud-based file sharing services, like Google Drive or SharePoint. In 2023, there was a 144% surge in the use of malicious web links in emails, rising from 12.5% of all email threats in 2022 to 30.5% in 2023. Contemporary cyber actors are using more layers of links and making victims go through extra steps, like CAPTCHAs or... --- #### Browser ransomware threat, Interpol arrests 306, Password hacking escalates URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/browser-ransomware-threat-interpol-arrests-306-password-hacking-escalates/ Description: Browser ransomware threat, Interpol arrests 306, Password hacking escalates from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello people! It’s the first week of Q2, and we are here to welcome you with a fresh dose of cyber news. Educate yourself about the latest trends in the cybersecurity world and safeguard your data in the digital arena. Only when you know the cyber world from the inside out will you be able to stay away from the malicious advances of cybercriminals. Today, we will talk about browser-native ransomware emerging as the next big threat trend. Next we will discuss Interpol’s operation to crack down on cross-border cybercrime. Lastly, our focus will be on the latest buzz in the cybersecurity landscape - the password hacking machine. Scroll down and jump straight to the cyber... --- #### DeepSeek targets Google, South Africa Cyberattack, FBI Warns Scams URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/deepseek-targets-google-south-africa-cyberattack-fbi-warns-scams/ Description: DeepSeek targets Google, South Africa Cyberattack, FBI Warns Scams from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Before we realized it, Q1 2025 swooshed by! It’s the fourth week of March, and we are back with our weekly dose of cyber news. We bring you fresh cyber news every week because we believe educating yourself about cybersecurity is the first step towards safeguarding yourself from threats. Part of that is understanding DMARC policy modes and how they control spoofed email. This week, we are going to find out how DeepSeek users are targeting Google users. Next, we will talk about the major security breach faced by the African poultry brand. Lastly, we will focus on why the FBI has warned document converter tools. Let’s not waste any more time and get... --- #### DMARC Report Analyzer Open Source: Analyze and Improve Your Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-report-analyzer-open-source-improve-email-security/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. An open-source DMARC report analyzer is a tool designed to help organizations interpret and visualize DMARC reports, improving email authentication and security. Using this type of analyzer allows you to have greater control over your data while benefiting from community support and contributions, making it an excellent choice for enhancing your email protection against spoofing and phishing attacks. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Exploring Open Source DMARC Tools Open source DMARC tools are designed not just to enable organizations to safeguard their email communications but also to empower them with the knowledge of how their domains are accessed and used . Understanding these tools requires... --- #### Setting DKIM for Microsoft 365 domain URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/setting-dkim-for-microsoft-365-domain/ Description: Microsoft highly encourages its users to deploy DKIM in tandem with SPF and DMARC for holistic and efficient protection against phishing and spoofing of emails. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. Microsoft highly encourages its users to deploy DKIM in tandem with SPF and DMARC for holistic and efficient protection against phishing and spoofing of emails. DKIM digitally signs all outgoing emails, preventing malicious actors from altering messages in transit. When properly configured, DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing emails, which helps recipients to verify their authenticity. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of enabling DKIM for your Microsoft 365 domain to enhance email security, improve deliverability, and strengthen your domain’s reputation. Let’s get started! DKIM for MOERA users If you are a Microsoft Online Email Routing Address or MOERA domain user, then you don’t have to worry about DKIM configurations. This is because Microsoft... --- #### No-reply emails: a red flag for phishing and customer distrust URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/no-reply-emails-a-red-flag-for-phishing-and-customer-distrust/ Description: No-reply emails: a red flag for phishing and customer distrust from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Have you noticed emails with ‘do-not-reply’ addresses? These are no-reply emails that might seem like a straightforward way to discourage replies and manage the volume of incoming messages. While no-reply emails are convenient for businesses, especially those not resourcefully prepared to deal with frequent replies, they pose a significant cybersecurity threat. Cyber actors have devised ways to exploit no-reply emails as they discourage recipient responses, allowing them to attempt phishing, spoofing, and social engineering attacks. Moreover, with the easy availability of AI-powered phishing and spoofing kits, creating deceptive, hyper-personalized messages that mimic a business' tone and branding is no longer a challenge. Because no-reply addresses prevent direct replies, frustrated recipients may assume an issue... --- #### From DKIM to DKIM2: How email authentication is evolving URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/from-dkim-to-dkim2-how-email-authentication-is-evolving/ Description: From DKIM to DKIM2: How email authentication is evolving from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email communications have always been one of the favorite targets among threat actors. To safeguard their email ecosystem, businesses and organizations use email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. DKIM has been an integral part of email security mechanisms since 2007. This email authentication tool helps verify whether or not an email has been tampered with during its transit. To inspect a domain’s published key yourself, run a DKIM lookup. Given the highly dynamic nature of cyber threats, the security mechanisms need to be flexible as well. On that note, the cybersecurity ecosystem welcomes a highly evolved version of DKIM called DKIM2. This... --- #### How to Create a DMARC Record in GoDaddy for Enhanced Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/create-dmarc-record-godaddy-enhanced-email-security/ Description: How to Create a DMARC Record in GoDaddy for Enhanced Email Security from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. To create a DMARC record in GoDaddy, log into your account, navigate to DNS Management for your domain, and add a new TXT record with the name "dmarc" and the value "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; pct=100; rua=mailto:your-email@example.com" (replacing 'your-email@example.com' with your administrator email). Finally, save your changes, keeping in mind that DNS updates may take up to 48 hours to propagate. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Navigating GoDaddy for DMARC Configuration Once you're in your account, the real work begins. Accessing the DNS manager is crucial, as this is where you will manage all... --- #### 7 Best Practices for Writing Secure Emails to Avoid Phishing Attacks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/7-best-practices-writing-secure-emails-to-avoid-phishing-attacks/ Description: Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Per the FBI's 2022 IC3 Report, 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year. DMARC with p=reject prevents attackers from spoofing your domain in phishing campaigns. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. 1. Use a professional and clear email address Your email address is the first thing people see. A random email can look suspicious. Use a professional email that matches your identity. For example, carol.smith@yourcompany.com looks more trustworthy than carol12345xyz@gmail.com. A clear email address helps others know they are talking to the right person Also, avoid using free email providers for business emails. Scammers often use fake Gmail or Yahoo accounts. If you send emails for work, use a company domain. This reduces the risk of phishing attacks and builds trust with your contacts. Moreover, if you... --- #### Booking Scam Alert, Fortinet LockBit Attack, Abu Dhabi Guidelines URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/booking-scam-alert-fortinet-lockbit-attack-abu-dhabi-guidelines/ Description: Booking Scam Alert, Fortinet LockBit Attack, Abu Dhabi Guidelines from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It feels like we just welcomed 2025 yesterday! Yet here we are again, meeting you all in the third week of March. As time flies by, threat actors are trying their best to keep up with the latest technology. Each sophisticated cyberattack is bringing them closer to your network and hard-earned money. If this sounds concerning, here’s what you need to do. Start with educating yourself about the cybersecurity ecosystem. From security risks to defense mechanisms - study everything closely. And to take that first step towards awareness, start with this weekly news snippet. DMARC, SPF, and DKIM form a crucial triad in the cybersecurity ecosystem, working together to authenticate emails and defend against... --- #### Setting Up DMARC: A Complete Guide to Email Protection URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/setting-up-dmarc-a-complete-guide-to-email-protection/ Description: To set up DMARC for your domain, first, ensure that you have SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) records configured. To set up DMARC for your domain, first, ensure that you have SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) records configured. Next, create a DMARC TXT record in your DNS settings using the format v=DMARC1; p=; rua=mailto:; and start with a policy of 'none' to monitor results before transitioning to stricter policies like 'quarantine' or 'reject.' DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. Why You Need DMARC The escalating trend of email-based attacks is alarming, with nearly 90% of organizations experiencing phishing attempts annually. This staggering statistic highlights the urgent need for robust defenses, and that’s where Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) comes into play. By implementing DMARC, organizations can dramatically reduce the likelihood of falling victim to these malicious schemes. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4.0 mandates DMARC for organizations processing payment card data as of... --- #### Why is sending emails without DKIM a risk you can’t afford? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-sending-emails-without-dkim-is-a-risk/ Description: Why is sending emails without DKIM a risk you can’t afford? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. Sending emails without signing them with DKIM is a bad idea because it weakens your email security and increases the chances of your emails being rejected or marked as spam. It’s a security and deliverability risk that is not worth taking, especially when you know Google, Yahoo, and other email service providers require bulk senders to deploy SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. All major email service providers consider email authentication protocol as an indication of a safe and trusted sender’s domain, labeling most of the emails you send as ‘safe to open.’ Why is DKIM important for your domain? Here is a run-down of reasons that will convince you to consider implementing DKIM if you haven’t already done so. As of 2025, DMARC... --- #### DKIM Best Practices: Essential Guidelines for Email Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dkim-best-practices-essential-guidelines-for-email-authentication/ Description: DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail, is a powerful email authentication method that plays a pivotal role in enhancing the security of your email communications. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DKIM Overview DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail, is a powerful email authentication method that plays a pivotal role in enhancing the security of your email communications. Imagine it as a guardian standing watch over your email, ensuring that not only do the emails you receive originate from legitimate sources, but they also remain intact and unaltered during their journey to your inbox. In essence, DKIM helps in identifying forged sender addresses, instilling a layer of trust into our daily email exchanges. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4.0 mandates DMARC... --- #### Cyberattack disrupts X, AI Empowers Cybercrime, Ford Airbus Hacked URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cyberattack-disrupts-x-ai-empowers-cybercrime-ford-airbus-hacked/ Description: Cyberattack disrupts X, AI Empowers Cybercrime, Ford Airbus Hacked from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello again! New week, same old concerns. You got that right- we are talking about cyber attacks penetrating deeper into our everyday lives. We are back with our fresh dose of cyber news. This week, we will talk about the X outage. Next, we will focus on AI and analyze whether or not it has actually contributed to increased cyberattacks. Lastly, we will focus on the recent data hostage crisis that has affected Airbus and Ford. Let’s not waste any more time and jump straight to the details! Cyberattack leads to sudden X outage X experienced a massive cyberattack this Monday. Elon Musk shared the details while hinting towards nation states or organized threat groups as... --- #### The DMARC ‘fo’ tag options and their ideal use cases URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-dmarc-fo-tag-options-and-their-ideal-use-cases/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. There are some optional tags in DMARC, and ‘fo’ is one of them. It stands for ‘failure options.’ The ‘fo’ tag allows domain owners to specify the conditions under which forensic (RUF) reports should be generated for SPF and/or DKIM authentication checks. These failure options give you finer control over DMARC authentication reporting. There are four possible values for this tag: fo=0, fo=1, fo=d, and fo=s. Forensic reports contain detailed and sensitive data, including email headers. Sometimes, these reports also include portions of the original message, jeopardizing the confidentiality of sensitive details. You can combine the ‘fo’ tag options and create a more potent reporting... --- #### Can You Have Multiple DMARC Records? A Complete Guide for Domain Configuration URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/can-you-have-multiple-dmarc-records-a-complete-guide-for-domain-configuration/ Description: One Domain, One DMARC Record: Overview DMARC, or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. One Domain, One DMARC Record: Overview DMARC, or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, plays a crucial role in the digital landscape by helping to combat email spoofing. To ensure its effectiveness, it is imperative to maintain just one DMARC record per domain or subdomain. This declaration simplifies your email policy and enhances security measures against potential threats. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4.0 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 non-compliant email in May 2025. The UK NCSC, Australia's ASD, and Canada's CCCS all mandate DMARC for government domains. Cyber insurers increasingly require DMARC enforcement as an underwriting condition. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk... --- #### Bluehost Verification: A Step-by-Step Guide to Account Setup URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/bluehost-verification-a-step-by-step-guide-to-account-setup/ Description: Setting up a new website can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to navigating account verification with platforms like Bluehost. Setting up a new website can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to navigating account verification with platforms like Bluehost. But don’t let the process intimidate you! Think of it as a necessary checkpoint designed to keep your online presence safe and secure from unwanted access. As someone who has gone through this journey, I know firsthand the importance of understanding each step along the way. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. It’s not just about entering your information; it’s about ensuring everything is set up perfectly to lay the groundwork for your success. In this article, we’ll walk through the essential steps for verifying your Bluehost account, making the process feel more manageable and straightforward. Let’s dive in! Bluehost verification is a crucial step in securing your account, primarily through two-factor authentication (2FA), which helps protect against unauthorized... --- #### Saudi construction targeted, Latin America vulnerable, Middle East secures URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/saudi-construction-targeted-latin-america-vulnerable-middle-east-secures/ Description: DragonForce leaks 6TB after Saudi builder Al Bawani refuses payment, Latin American firms face 40% more attacks, and the UAE commits $2B to cyber defense. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. DMARC Report Saudi Construction Targeted, Latin America Vulnerable, Middle East Secures Hello people! It’s the last month of Q1 2025, and we are back with our cyber bulletin. As you know, our goal is to keep you updated and aware so that you can safeguard your data and network from threat actors and their sophisticated moves. No matter which corner of the world you live in, if you are into digitization, then you should be aware of what’s happening all around the globe. If you have a smartphone and wi-fi/mobile network , you are vulnerable to threat attacks. Only awareness and precautionary measures can protect you from any cyber mishap. This week, our focus will be on Saudi construction firms that have recently become a prime target sector for ransomware groups. Next, we will show how Latin America is more vulnerable to cyberattacks as compared to other... --- #### DKIM Setup on Bluehost: A Step-by-Step Email Configuration Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dkim-setup-bluehost-step-by-step-guide-email-configuration/ Description: DKIM Setup on Bluehost: A Step-by-Step Email Configuration Guide from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. In the ever-evolving landscape of digital communication, ensuring your emails reach their intended recipients without being flagged as spam is a growing challenge. Just imagine sending an important message only to find it lost in the abyss of a recipient's spam folder! That's where DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) comes into play - a handy tool designed to foster trust and safety in email exchanges. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DKIM works like a digital signature that confirms the authenticity of each message, acting as a guard against malicious impersonators. In this guide, we'll walk through the simple steps to set up DKIM on Bluehost, helping you protect your communications while boosting your email deliverability. So, let's dive in and secure that... --- #### Add TXT Record on Namecheap (SPF, DKIM & DMARC) - 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/add-txt-record-on-namecheap-a-complete-dns-guide/ Description: Step-by-step Namecheap DNS guide for adding TXT records - publish SPF, DKIM, and DMARC entries via Advanced DNS, set the correct host, and verify with dig or nslookup. Adding a TXT record in Namecheap might sound complicated, but it plays a crucial role in managing your domain’s online presence. Whether it’s for confirming ownership with services like Google or enhancing email security, setting up a TXT record can feel like establishing a digital handshake between you and countless platforms across the internet. It's this little entry that helps protect your brand and ensures your communications are authentic. If you've ever been puzzled by DNS settings, don’t worry - you're not alone! But with the right steps, you'll find that adding TXT records can be straightforward and even empowering for anyone looking to improve their domain’s credibility. Let’s dive into how to master this process together! The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. To add a TXT record in Namecheap, log into your account, go to the Domain List, select the domain you wish to manage, click on "Advanced DNS," then choose "Add new record." Select "TXT Record"... --- #### How To Add Your Domain To HostGator: A Step-by-Step Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-add-domain-to-hostgator-step-by-step-guide/ Description: Adding a domain to HostGator can feel like a daunting task, especially if you’re new to web hosting. But don’t worry! Adding a domain to HostGator can feel like a daunting task, especially if you’re new to web hosting. But don’t worry! This guide will break it down into simple steps that you can follow easily. Many users get stuck on the initial setup , but with a little patience and some guidance, you'll have your domain up and running in no time. Imagine having your own corner of the internet where people can find you - that's what adding your domain is all about! So, let’s dive right in and get started on setting up your online presence today! The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. That phased rollout is easier once you know how the three protocols differ - here is SPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained. To add a domain to HostGator, first log in to your HostGator account... --- #### No DMARC Record Found? Here's How to Fix Your Domain's Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/no-dmarc-record-found-how-to-fix-domain-email-security/ Description: No DMARC Record Found? Here's How to Fix Your Domain's Email Security from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. In today’s digital landscape, securing your email is more important than ever. If you've recently encountered the message "no DMARC record found," it can feel like a daunting hurdle. But don’t worry - this common issue simply means your domain isn't protected by DMARC, a key player in email security. Without it, your emails are at risk of being spoofed, leaving both your brand reputation and your customers’ trust hanging in the balance. In this article, we’ll guide you through understanding what DMARC is, why it matters, and how to fix that pesky “no DMARC record” problem. Let’s dive in and get your email security up to speed! The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email... --- #### Car Cameras Hackable, UK Water Breach, Thailand Frees Captives URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/car-cameras-hackable-uk-water-breach-thailand-frees-captives/ Description: Black Hat Asia 2025 demos a drivethru attack on car dash cams, UK's Southern Water spends $5.7M after Black Basta, and Thai police free trafficked scam workers. 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. Another week, another cyber news bulletin to make you cyber aware! Hello people, we are back again on the fourth week of February. In this last bulletin of the month, we are going to talk about the vulnerability of car cameras against hackers, the long-lasting impact of data breaches on critical infrastructure like water utility companies, and the Thai government’s attempt to free cyber captives trapped in illegitimate Myanmar workstations. Cyberawareness is our motto so that you can sleep in peace, knowing that your hard-earned money and system are safe from the malicious attempts of the threat actors. Stay with us if you wish the same. Car cameras are susceptible to hacking! Ever thought that car dash cams can be prone to hacking? No? Then you need to see this! Hackers can literally hack into your car's dash cam and gain unauthorized access to your car's devices. This further gives them complete access to sensitive data such as... --- #### Top 8 email security protocols that can shield your brand’s reputation   URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/top-8-email-security-protocols-to-protect-your-brand-reputation/ Description: Top 8 email security protocols that can shield your brand’s reputation from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email deliverability starts with authentication, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In 2026, if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren't all passing and aligned, your email goes to spam. It's not about content anymore - receivers check authentication before they even look at what you wrote. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. We hate to break it to you, but no matter how much you try, you cannot be invincible against malicious cyberattacks. Cybercriminals realize that email is the backbone of your organization’s communication infrastructure, which is why they leave no chance to exploit vulnerabilities. From phishing attacks to domain spoofing and business email compromise (BEC), threat actors leverage ever-more complex tactics to break into systems, siphon sensitive data, and... --- #### How does DMARC compensate for SPF drawbacks? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-does-dmarc-compensate-for-spf-drawbacks/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. SPF is a DNS-based email authentication protocol that allows domain owners to specify which email servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of their domain. When an email is received, the recipient's server checks the SPF record to verify if the sending server's IP address is authorized. This process ensures that emails sent by unauthorized servers don’t land in the inboxes of the recipients, protecting them from getting duped. However, SPF has a few drawbacks, which are compensated by DMARC. To see how, it helps to first understand DMARC and how it works. Key drawbacks of SPF 1. Forwarding issues... --- #### DeepSeek lacks security, Japan strengthens cybersecurity, Trump’s Cyber Nominee URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/deepseek-lacks-security-japan-strengthens-cybersecurity-trumps-cyber-nominee/ Description: DeepSeek lacks security, Japan strengthens cybersecurity, Trump’s Cyber Nominee from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. DMARC Report Deepseek Lacks Security, Japan Strengthens Cybersecurity, Trump’s Cyber Nominee Hola people! We hope you have managed to keep those menacing cybercriminals at arm's length with your knowledge and vigilance. We are back again with the third bulletin of the month. This edition will cover important topics like DeepSake’s failure to cater to security checks, Japan’s newly formed ‘Active Cyber Defense’ bill, and the nomination of the National Cyber Director of the USA. Like every time, we will try our best to enlighten you about the latest trends in the cyber threat landscape. As always, our goal is to safeguard you and your data from the malicious attempts of threat actors. Reviewing your aggregate DMARC... --- #### What is the difference between Sender Policy Framework and Sender ID? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-difference-between-sender-policy-framework-and-sender-id/ Description: What is the difference between Sender Policy Framework and Sender ID? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Microsoft followed with DMARC enforcement from May 2025. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now rejected by all three major providers. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. Here’s a harsh truth: Email is not inherently secure, and it never was! Back in 1995, when the primitive version of SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) was introduced, it was only supposed to ensure that emails were being delivered; there was nothing done to confirm their authenticity and legitimacy . It was this lack of security that brought a wave of cyber threats like phishing, spoofing, ransomware, etc. Since then, cybercriminals have left no opportunity to target unsuspecting users, businesses, and even government organizations by exploiting the vulnerabilities of email communication. They have gone so far as to impersonate trusted senders, trick users into divulging... --- #### How does DMARC shield your business from different email-based cyber threats? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-dmarc-protects-business-from-email-based-cyber-threats/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The last two decades have witnessed a steep surge in cyberattacks, and 2025 is not going to be any different. What’s extremely concerning is that as many as 3.4 billion emails are sent out by threat actors every single day! This is precisely why businesses, as well as individuals, must prioritize cybersecurity at any cost. This can be done with the help of DMARC or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance. DMARC is one of the three most popular email authentication protocols, which helps verify the authenticity of the email sent from a specific domain. When enforced by the legitimate domain... --- #### Apple Fixes USB, Embargo Leaks Data, Politics Hinder Cybersecurity URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/apple-fixes-usb-embargo-leaks-data-politics-hinder-cybersecurity/ Description: Apple Fixes USB, Embargo Leaks Data, Politics Hinder Cybersecurity from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It's the second week of February, and we are back once again with our weekly dose of fresh cyber news. Threat actors around the world are trying their best to sneak into systems and networks to impart critical damage. Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts are doing their best to curb this growing menace. Experts believe that rapid digitization, the lack of trained experts, and the carelessness of users are the primary reasons why cybercrimes are on the rise around the world. As the global cybercrime cost is expected to hit $10.5 trillion.), experts urge you to prioritize cybersecurity in 2025 and stay educated about what’s going on in the cybersecurity ecosystem. A good starting point is our DMARC... --- ####  Learning to find the source owner using the ‘envelope_to’ domain URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/learning-to-find-source-owner-using-envelope-to-domain/ Description: Learning to find the source owner using the ‘envelope to’ domain from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC Report Learning to find the source owner using the ‘envelopeto’ domain An ‘envelopeto’ domain is the domain in the recipient’s email address. This address can be used to understand how some of the legitimate emails are failing DMARC checks. If you are unsure about the troubleshooting methods, using the ‘envelopeto’ domain to find the source owner is a wise choice. Using this technique, you get to know which third-party service providers are sending emails on your behalf and to whom. You can also trace incoming emails in your logs to know which employee is using which source to send official emails. If you spot an unauthorized source, you can take the requisite action before it becomes an exploitable vulnerability. How to match sending sources with internal records? It’s important that you compare the sending sources with the internal records so that you know about the use of shadow IT and unauthorized mail servers... --- #### Cybercriminals Target X, Nigeria Fights Cyberattacks, Threat Actors Attack URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cybercriminals-target-x-nigeria-fights-cyberattacks-threat-actors-attack/ Description: Cybercriminals Target X, Nigeria Fights Cyberattacks, Threat Actors Attack from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. A fresh new month, a brand new starting. Yes, it is the month of February, and some of you are aiming to crush your Q1 2025 goals, while others are getting a bit tired of the 2025 New Year resolution rush. Businesses, brands, and e-commerce platforms are running lucrative offers to lure consumers into splurging their hard-earned money on retail therapy. Unfortunately, threat actors are lurking around, waiting for that one careless click or that ignorant download you make, which will help them invade your system. So, businesses and individuals, be highly cautious of all those emails and messages that you receive. Know that only your knowledge and caution can save you from those malicious cyberattacks.... --- #### What problems trigger an SPF record to break and how do you fix them? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-causes-spf-record-failure-and-how-to-troubleshoot-common-issues/ Description: What problems trigger an SPF record to break and how do you fix them? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. A broken SPF record doesn’t act as a defense mechanism against phishing and spoofing attacks. In fact, a broken SPF record itself acts as a security vulnerability that a threat actor can exploit at any time. The main reasons why an SPF record breaks are misconfigurations, incomplete listings of mail servers, or failure to stay within the technical limits. Why should your SPF record never be broken? A broken SPF record serves nothing good. It has the potential to allow anyone on the internet to send emails on behalf of your business, manipulating them into sharing sensitive details, making... --- #### RFC 5322 Explained: Email Header Format & Why SPF Cares URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/rfc-5322-email-security-specifications-for-sender-policy-framework/ Description: RFC 5322 defines the modern email message format - From, To, Reply-To, Date, and Message-ID - that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC rely on for authentication and alignment. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Meeting those mandates is a matter of DMARC compliance. DMARC Report RFC 5322 laid down email security specifications for Sender Policy Framework RFC 5322 defines the syntax for Internet email headers. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC rely on these headers to authenticate emails and prevent phishing. Published in October 2008 as an update to RFC 2822, RFC 5322 is widely used for formatting email headers and bodies. RFC 5322 doesn’t say anything about how SPF should be set up. However, since SPF works in conjunction with the email headers defined in RFC 5322 (particularly MAIL FROM and Return-path), it’s important to consider it. While... --- #### Lynx Ransomware Professionalized, Super Bowl Cyberthreats, AI Chatbot Cybercrime URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/lynx-ransomware-professionalized-super-bowl-cyberthreats-ai-chatbot-cybercrime/ Description: Lynx Ransomware Professionalized, Super Bowl Cyberthreats, AI Chatbot Cybercrime from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s the 5th week of January, and the entire world is tackling the January rush. While some people have already given up on their 2025 resolutions, the dedicated ones are proceeding with full discipline. Brands and businesses are working at their productive best to meet 2025 revenue goals. However, another group that is equally active and working hard is the threat actors. Experts believe that the global cybercrime cost is going to hit as high as $10.5 trillion.). It is, therefore, advisable that you prioritize cybersecurity in 2025 and educate yourself about what’s happening globally in the cyber ecosystem. We are back again with the 5th bulletin of January. Today, we will talk about the Lynx... --- #### What is a DKIM signature, and how does it help filter emails? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dkim-signature-and-how-it-helps-filter-email/ Description: What is a DKIM signature, and how does it help filter emails? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. If you run a business in 2025, then email authentication is something that you must take seriously. With around a 341% increase in malicious emails, it’s no longer about the flexibility to focus on cybersecurity; it’s a necessity now. To make things worse, Gen AI models with no guardrails are offering swift answers to malicious queries. To combat the advanced moves of threat actors and uncensored AI chatbots, organizations must pay special attention to ensure that all emails come from legitimate sources. This can be done by deploying one of the most effective email authentication protocols- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). This article explores what a DKIM signature is and how it can enhance email security for your business. DKIM... --- #### Setting Apple Business Mail using Apple Business Connect URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/setting-apple-business-mail-using-apple-business-connect/ Description: How to set up Apple Branded Mail in iOS 18.2: configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC at quarantine or reject, verify a logo in Apple Business Connect, add a TXT record. The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. With so many emails hitting the inboxes of your targeted audience, it’s a challenge to grab their attention and have them open your emails. That’s why if you affix a brand identity, like a logo, there are more chances that they will engage with your email. BIMI helps a business show its brand logo and name in the recipients’ inboxes, and now Apple has also jumped on the same bandwagon. Apple Mail is not a very common preference when it comes to businesses choosing their official mailbox. This is because it lacks certain features, including the absence of BIMI-like technology. But now, Apple is letting users send branded emails that carry their unique identity. This will not only pivot businesses towards considering Apple Mail as their official mailbox but will also reduce phishing and spoofing instances to some extent. Moreover, this initiative by Apple has once again evinced how this globally trusted... --- #### Steps to add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to AWS DNS-Route 53 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/steps-add-spf-dkim-dmarc-records-aws-dns-route53/ Description: The 10-lookup limit is a resource protection mechanism in RFC 7208, not a security feature, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. The 10-lookup limit is a resource protection mechanism in RFC 7208, not a security feature, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. But the practical effect is that any enterprise using more than 3-4 email services hits the wall. AutoSPF's flattening engine resolves this by replacing includes with IP addresses and re-scanning every 15 minutes. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. If you are still unclear on the difference between SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, it is worth reviewing how the three protocols work together before you begin. Before proceeding with these steps, ensure your domain's DNS already includes SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Duplicate entries can invalidate all your records, undermining the role of these email authentication mechanisms. To verify this, you can... --- #### Trump fires investigators, Microsoft 365 Threats, US Cybersecurity Insufficient URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/trump-fires-investigators-microsoft-365-threats-us-cybersecurity-insufficient/ Description: Trump fires investigators, Microsoft 365 Threats, US Cybersecurity Insufficient from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Every day we wake up to the news of a fresh new threat attack in one or the other corner of the world. With governments around the world putting in so much effort to keep their people cyber-safe, this is our humble attempt at keeping you aware of what’s happening around the cyber ecosystem. By keeping yourself updated, you reduce the chance of being a cyber victim significantly. It’s your vigilance and cyber knowledge that will enable you to stay out of the clutches of cybercriminals. This is the 4th bulletin of the month, where we will talk about the sudden dismissal of the Salt Typhoon investigation team. Then, we will focus on Microsoft... --- #### Yahoo Japan rings in the new year with DMARC adoption URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/yahoo-japan-rings-in-the-new-year-with-dmarc-adoption/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. 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) 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. It’s 2025, and email authentication is more than just a ‘good-to-have’ aspect for any organization trying to thrive in this digital world riddled with cyberattacks! Not only organizations but even email service providers recognize this and understand the importance of implementing security measures to protect their users from phishing, spoofing, and domain impersonation. Perhaps this is why Yahoo Japan has officially made DMARC adoption mandatory as a part of its email security framework. As you know, this move isn’t new, but it’s certainly significant. Back in 2023, its global counterparts - Google and Yahoo, rolled out a new set of email-sending norms that mandated the implementation of DMARC, especially... --- #### Google accounts hijacked, Stealers infiltrate YouTube,Woman loses $850K URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/google-accounts-hijacked-stealers-infiltrate-youtubewoman-loses-850k/ Description: Attackers hijack Google Ads logins via Google Sites, infostealers hide in YouTube comments, and a Frenchwoman loses $850K to a Brad Pitt deepfake scam. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. It’s the third week of January, and people are completely into rush mode in January. But while focusing on goals such as health, wealth, and bliss, are you paying enough attention to the cyber ecosystem? Threat actors keep lurking in the background without letting you know. Just one mistake, and they will lose no moment in breaking into your network. That’s why it is crucial to keep yourself updated about the cyber events that are taking place around the world. With so many cyber scams happening every day, the only way to safeguard yourself is to educate yourself about cybersecurity. We are back again with our cyber bulletin! This week, the focus will be on the high-profile ‘Brad Pitt’ cyber scam. We will also talk about how threat actors are targeting those users who actively look for pirated software online. Lastly, we will discuss the Google advertising account hijack incidents. So, are... --- #### What best practices should you follow for seamless Privileged Account and Session Management?  URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-practices-seamless-privileged-account-session-management/ Description: What best practices should you follow for seamless Privileged Account and Session Management?: The organizations that invest in email authentication early. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. What if we told you that the most privileged accounts of your organization (the ones that are responsible for managing critical operations and systems) are also the most vulnerable accounts? Yes, that’s true! Cyberattackers are always on the lookout for ways to attack these accounts so they can easily access your systems, change critical settings, or even cause irreparable damage. Well, this brings us to the next question: Are these privileged accounts of your organization well-secured? If yes, that’s great; but there’s always scope to refine your strategies further. However, if your answer is no, it is very important that you take immediate action to protect these accounts. Remember, privileged accounts are like the keys to your entire organization, and if they fall into the wrong hands, the consequences can be grave. For instance, if a cybercriminal gets access to the account that manages DMARC and email authentication, they can alter these settings to... --- #### Packers Fans Scammed, Pentagon Bans Tencent, Telecom Namibia Targeted URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/packers-fans-scammed-pentagon-bans-tencent-telecom-namibia-targeted/ Description: Packers Fans Scammed, Pentagon Bans Tencent, Telecom Namibia Targeted from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. It’s the second week of January 2025. While some people are staying true to their New Year resolutions, others are still reveling in the holiday mood. But threat actors across the world are super active around this time. They love to make the most out of this phase when security tends to get a bit relaxed because of everything that is going around. That’s why we are here to remind you of the malicious attempts that scammers keep on making to get unauthorized access to your data and money. Getting the basics right starts with choosing a DMARC policy that tells receivers how to handle unauthenticated mail. This week’s bulletin includes the unfortunate incident... --- #### Setting SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for Omnisend URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/setting-spf-dkim-and-dmarc-for-omnisend/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. Omnisend users who don’t have SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols in place are in for a problem. Their emails are highly likely to be blocked, hindering communication and operations. With these three email authentication protocols in place, users comply with Omnisend’s requirements and keep their brand names out of phishing and spoofing reports. No matter how frequently you send emails, you must protect your domain and brand image with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Setting up DMARC authentication is what ties your SPF and DKIM results together into an enforceable policy. Our guide to SPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained breaks down how the... --- #### Water Sector Targeted, Essential Ai Security, Trump Cybersecurity Shifts URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/water-sector-targeted-essential-ai-security-trump-cybersecurity-shifts/ Description: Water Sector Targeted, Essential Ai Security, Trump Cybersecurity Shifts from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. DMARC Report Water Sector Targeted, Essential AI Security, Trump Cybersecurity Shifts 2024 whirled by just like that, and we are already celebrating the new year 2025. Unfortunately, with every passing year, the threat actors are getting more and more sophisticated. While you are busy celebrating the new year, threat actors are inching closer to your data every moment. That’s exactly why we are here with our latest dose of cyber bulletin. This week, the focus is on AI security trends in 2025. We will also discuss the major shifts in the Trump-led USA. Lastly, the focus will be on the hacker’s favorite- the utility sector. So, let’s not waste any more time and get started with... --- #### LockBit ransomware dismantled, Google tricked AI, Email platform threatened URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/lockbit-ransomware-dismantled-google-tricked-ai-email-platform-threatened/ Description: LockBit ransomware dismantled, Google tricked AI, Email platform threatened from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. If you are wondering why you have to read about these cybersecurity incidents around the world, it’s because we wish to safeguard you from threat attacks. Yes, the holiday season is one of the best times for cybercriminals, and it is the festive mood that they exploit the most to achieve their purpose. Just before you set out to soak in the Christmas and New Year vibe s, here’s our weekly bulleting, which will help you steer clear of any kind of cyberattack by keeping you well-informed about the cyber trends, latest happenings, and security measures and tactics. Let’s not waste any more time and start with a fresh dose of cybernews! LockBit ransomware... --- #### Europol DDoS Operation, Texas Data Breach, Dubai Police Impersonated URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/europol-ddos-operation-texas-data-breach-dubai-police-impersonated/ Description: Europol DDoS Operation, Texas Data Breach, Dubai Police Impersonated from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Christmas is around the corner, and cyber attackers are more active than ever during this holiday phase. Cybersecurity experts have urged companies as well as individuals to stay extra vigilant in order to avoid cyber mishaps. To help you enhance your cybersecurity mechanisms and prepare you for any kind of cyberattack, we are back once again with our weekly dose of cyber news. This week, we will talk about Europol’s Operation PowerOFF, the massive medical data breach in Texas, and the major impersonation crisis in Dubai. Without much ado, let’s get started! Europol carries out Operation PowerOFF to nab holiday DDoS threat actors! Operation PowerOFF, an international operation coordinated by Europol and 14 other nations, has managed to seize 27 top web... --- #### Why do traditional cybersecurity solutions fall short against modern, sophisticated cyberattacks? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-do-traditional-cybersecurity-solutions-fall-short-against-modern-sophisticated-cyberattacks/ Description: Why do traditional cybersecurity solutions fall short against modern, sophisticated cyberattacks? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It’s no secret that nation-state attacks, ransomware gangs, and hacktivist operations are evolving at a much faster pace than traditional defenses. The ‘good enough’ approach to cybersecurity is simply no longer good enough for modern threats. One of the examples is advanced phishing attacks bypassing conventional email filters, which compromise even fortified networks. A survey by eSecurity Planet revealed that Mandiant (a Google-acquired cybersecurity firm) observed at least four ransomware gangs that exploited zero-day vulnerabilities. One of the primary reasons why such attacks are successful is that traditional cybersecurity solutions lack the agility to counter advanced emerging threats. What’s even scarier is the realization that the gap between highly resilient large organizations and smaller entities struggling... --- #### Middlesbrough Council Targeted, Interpol Cyber Operation, Unaware Employees Risk URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/middlesbrough-council-targeted-interpol-cyber-operation-unaware-employees-risk/ Description: Middlesbrough Council Targeted, Interpol Cyber Operation, Unaware Employees Risk from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. We are back again with your weekly dose of cybernews. From the deadliest cyberattacks to expert suggestions and preventive measures, we bring it all just for you. This week, we will talk about cyber-unaware employees who are putting companies at risk, the second blow on Middlesbrough Council, and the massive cyber-fraud operation launched by Interpol. Middlesbrough Council is targeted by threat actors two times within a week! Cybercriminals targeted the Middlesbrough Council in the UK twice within a week. The authorities have already investigated the previous attack, but the second one caught everyone by surprise. The official website of the Middlesbrough Council was impacted by the dual cyberattack. The first attack was on Wednesday, while the second was on Sunday. It was a DDoS or Distributed Denial of Services attack. The authority believes that no personal data or Council details have been impacted. The website is fully operational... --- #### 9 technologies to protect your emails from cyber actors URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/9-technologies-to-protect-your-emails-from-cyber-actors/ Description: 9 technologies to protect your emails from cyber actors from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. In the fourth quarter of 2023, email threats continued to dominate the cyberattack landscape, with 86% identified as scams and another 9% as phishing emails. These statistics highlight the critical role email plays as a primary target for cybercriminals. Despite these alarming figures, millions of organizations still underestimate the importance of robust email security measures, leaving their systems and sensitive information vulnerable to exploitation. Emails are not just a communication tool; they are a gateway to business operations, customer trust, and financial security. Without the right protections in place, your organization could face data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage. To help you stay ahead of these threats, we’ve compiled a list of nine essential technologies... --- #### Getting started with BIMI for Zoho Mail URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/getting-started-with-bimi-for-zoho-mail/ Description: BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays a brand's verified logo next to authenticated emails in supporting clients. BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays a brand's verified logo next to authenticated emails in supporting clients. BIMI requires a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject - p=none is not sufficient. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Zoho users should implement BIMI so that their logos are displayed alongside authenticated emails in recipients’ inboxes. This way, more people will trust your messages, and your domain’s reputation will improve. Moreover, a logo creates a professional and consistent presence in emails. The visual logo reinforces that the email is sent by a legitimate source, ultimately boosting engagement and open rates. Zoho encourages and supports BIMI and, hence, offers easy integration with DNS settings for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Requirements for deploying BIMI for Zoho Mail Here are 4 things you need to ensure to start with BIMI setup- As of... --- #### Cybercrime Network Dismantled, CBI Investigates Cyberfraud, CISA Stops Hacking URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cybercrime-network-dismantled-cbi-investigates-cyberfraud-cisa-stops-hacking/ Description: Cybercrime Network Dismantled, CBI Investigates Cyberfraud, CISA Stops Hacking from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. DMARC Report Cybercrime Network Dismantled, CBI InvestigatesCyberfraud , CISA Stops Hacking This week has been no less of a rollercoaster ride when it comes to the cybersecurity world. From busting the biggest-ever German cybercrime marketplace to conducting a thorough investigation to nab threat actors and sharing advisories and hacks to prevent hacks and cyberattacks, it has been the week when cyber authorities and experts are finally taking control. No matter which corner of the world you are sitting in right now, know that cybersecurity should be one of your topmost priorities. Let’s find out together about the latest cyber happenings around the globe. Here you go! Cybercrimenetwork busted by German police! The German law enforcement team... --- #### 5 key contributors to DMARC’s development URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/5-key-contributors-to-dmarcs-development/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. 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) 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. DMARC was introduced as a critical email authentication protocol in 2012. Its creation was no accident - it was a cohesion of effort by industry visionaries determined to fight phishing and spoofing attacks. This collaboration laid the foundation for a safer email ecosystem, curtailing the growing threats to digital communication . Before diving into the people behind it, it is worth a moment to check your DMARC record and see how your own domain measures up. The specification was published as an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) draft, marking a significant milestone in email security. Many organizations worked alongside experts and other stakeholders to tackle email security challenges. The... --- #### Cybersecurity threatens water, Android users warned, Mexico faces cyberattacks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cybersecurity-threatens-water-android-users-warned-mexico-faces-cyberattacks/ Description: It’s already week four of November, and the holidays are just around the corner. Leniency at workplaces is already resulting in increased cases of cyberattacks. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. DMARC Report Cybersecurity Threatens Water, Android Users Warned, Mexico Faces Cyberattacks It’s already week four of November, and the holidays are just around the corner. Leniency at workplaces is already resulting in increased cases of cyberattacks. Before you get too busy with vacation plans and late-night parties with your loved ones, here’s a gentle reminder from our side that your data needs protection and deserves your complete attention. That’s why we bring this weekly bulletin to keep you enlightened about what’s ongoing in the world of cybersecurity. Strengthen your organization's defenses by implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols to protect against email-based threats and ensure your communication channels remain secure — our free DMARC tools make... --- #### Understanding the gaps in the global cybersecurity landscape in 2024 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-the-gaps-in-the-global-cybersecurity-landscape-in-2024/ Description: 2024 cybersecurity gaps: a widening skills shortage, AI-fueled attacks outpacing defenses, weak IoT controls, flat security budgets, and how to close them. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. Cybersecurity is more than a buzzword today. It is more of a necessity for every organization, whether big or small. We say this because all of them are connected to the internet in some way or another, which means that they are also exposed to the risks. Moreover, hackers, cybercriminals, and state-sponsored attackers are continuously devising new ways to exploit vulnerabilities in the digital ecosystem. According to experts, the 'Estimated Cost of Cybercrime is expected to take a leap by 69.41% by 2029, amounting to 6.4 trillion U.S. dollars. These numbers certainly paint a dire picture. But does it have more to do with the growing sophistication of cyberattacks or the unpreparedness of organizations to defend against them? We’d say it’s both of them. Despite the efforts made by organizations to keep up with the ever-evolving threat landscape, they are falling short. Even though businesses are investing in cybersecurity tools, gaps in... --- #### Akira flaunts victims, Idaho targets orthodontist, AI granny protects URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/akira-flaunts-victims-idaho-targets-orthodontist-ai-granny-protects/ Description: Akira flaunts victims, Idaho targets orthodontist, AI granny protects from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. DMARC Report Akira flaunts victims,Idaho targets orthodontist,AI granny protects Whether you are serious about your life or not, threat actors are taking their attacking skills quite seriously. Every day, we hear unfortunate news of cyber scams left, right, and center. Digitization seems to be both a blessing and a curse. Such attacks leave us overwhelmed, and it seems that there is no way out. To enhance email security and protect against cyber threats like those described, implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can help authenticate your emails and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data. The quickest way to get started is to create your DMARC record and publish it to your DNS. However, if you are here, reading our weekly news... --- #### Vendor Causes Breach, Texas Supplier Hacked, Nokia Investigates Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/vendor-causes-breach-texas-supplier-hacked-nokia-investigates-breach/ Description: Amazon employee data exposed via the 2023 MOVEit flaw CVE-2023-34362, Texas oilfield firm Newpark files a ransomware 8-K, and Nokia probes IntelBroker's claims. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. Hey people! It’s a new week, and we are back with a fresh dose of cybersecurity news once again. This week, it’s all about big companies being attacked by threat actors. Now you know that no one is completely safe from cyberattacks, not even big industry names. The sensitive data of Amazon employees was breached because of a third-party vendor. Next, a Texas oilfield supplier fell prey to a ransomware attack. Also, Nokia, the mobile manufacturing giant, has been facing the brunt of cyberattacks and is busy conducting thorough investigations. Let’s not waste any more time and jump into the details! Keep reading to stay cyberaware. Third-party vendor led to employee data breach at Amazon Amazon is currently facing a data breach where its employee data was compromised- thanks to a third-party vendor named MOVEIT. The breach happened because of a vulnerability in MOVEit (CVE-2023-34362). The vulnerability was discovered in 2023 in its file... --- #### What is DMARC compliance and how can you achieve it?  URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dmarc-compliance-and-how-can-you-achieve-it/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. If your organization sends out marketing or bulk emails, you must make sure they reach your audience safely. While this might not seem like a big goal, it is certainly not easy to check all the boxes, given that cybercriminals are only getting better with their tactics. They are perpetually on the lookout for new targets and ways to exploit vulnerabilities, especially through email channels. We hate to break it to you, but with phishing, ransomware, spoofing, and other grave cyberattacks on the rise, your business’s reputation and bottom line are at stake. So, when it comes to protecting your... --- #### Snowflake Attacker Arrested, Hellcat Targets Schneider, Whistleblower Granted Relief URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/snowflake-attacker-arrested-hellcat-targets-schneider-whistleblower-granted-relief/ Description: Snowflake Attacker Arrested, Hellcat Targets Schneider, Whistleblower Granted Relief from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello everyone! It’s November, and everyone is gradually getting into that holiday mood. But this festive season, do not let your carelessness wipe away your bank account. Don’t forget to double-check your cybersecurity setups before you get busy with the celebrations. Also, keeping yourself well-versed with the latest cyber events is a must so that you don’t fall prey to similar threat attacks. This week, we will talk about the arrest of the notorious Snowflake attacker. Also, we will shed light on how the Hellcat ransomware attack targeted Schneider Electric. Lastly, you will get to know about the Columbian whistleblower and the case drop event. Let’s get started with the week 1 bulletin! Snowflake data attacker... --- #### Insufficient Cybersecurity Training, FakeCall Malware Threat, Women Duped Airport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/insufficient-cybersecurity-training-fakecall-malware-threat-women-duped-airport/ Description: Insufficient Cybersecurity Training, FakeCall Malware Threat, Women Duped Airport from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Once again, we are here with our weekly dose of cyber news that helps you stay well-informed and ahead of the threat actors. This week, we will shed light on the significance of cybersecurity training in organizations, learn in detail about FakeCall Android malware, and learn about the nightmarish experience of an Indian woman in Bengaluru airport. Without any delay, let’s get started! Limited cybersecurity training leads to cyberattacks in organizations! Cybersecurity training should be made mandatory across all levels of an organization. However, cybersecurity executives hardly prioritize 360-degree training and restrict the same only to developers. They overlook the significance of all-encompassing awareness efforts. Their main goal is to stay relevant and create a security... --- #### What is the right way to split DKIM keys? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-the-right-way-to-split-dkim-keys/ Description: What is the right way to split DKIM keys? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. DNS limitations sometimes require splitting DKIM keys. Splitting keys helps ensure compatibility with DNS limitations, especially when dealing with long keys that offer stronger security. Usually, DKIM keys are split at the time of initial configuration if they exceed the DNS length limits. Most DNS providers impose a limit of 255 characters per line, so if your key exceeds this limit, it will fail to fit in the TXT record as a single string. Another reason why splitting DKIM keys is suggested is that if you try to insert a very long key without splitting it, a few DNS providers may truncate the data or produce errors. Splitting ensures that the entire key is intact and readable by DNS... --- #### This is the season of scams: 2024 holiday guide to spotting phishing attacks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/season-of-scams-2024-holiday-guide-spotting-phishing-attacks/ Description: This is the season of scams: 2024 holiday guide to spotting phishing attacks from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The holiday season is right around the corner, which means it’s the time for lots of online shopping, hotels, and flight bookings, not to mention a sudden surge in cyberattacks. You might think that the holiday season is supposed to be exciting and fun, but the truth is that it can become a prime opportunity for scammers to strike. You’d be surprised to know that during the festive season, there’s almost a 12% surge in online traffic with a 30% increase in attacks, particularly between October and November. Apart from the shoppers, there’s also an influx of bot traffic during this time. These bots target high-demand products, take advantage of new customer discounts, and copy prices and content from websites, along with other shady tactics.... --- #### Senate Campaigns Unprotected, Enterprise SaaS Risks, US launches encryption URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/senate-campaigns-unprotected-enterprise-saas-risks-us-launches-encryption/ Description: Senate Campaigns Unprotected, Enterprise SaaS Risks, US launches encryption from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, 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. MTA-STS (RFC 8461) enforces TLS encryption on inbound mail delivery. Without MTA-STS, SMTP connections can be downgraded to plaintext by a man-in-the-middle attacker even when both sides support TLS. Cyber awareness is no longer a luxury in today’s time. It does not help you stand out in the crowd but, in fact, enables you to safeguard your brand, employees, and personal data from threat actors. It is an ultimate necessity to familiarize yourself with the cybersecurity landscape if you wish to stay at par with the sophisticated cyberattacking attempts. That’s exactly why we bring you a set of significant and relevant news snippets every week that will inform, educate, and prepare you to combat threat actors and their sly attempts. Without much ado, let’s get started with today’s bulletin! 75% of US Senate campaigns lack DMARC protection! DMARC tools are one of the most efficient tactics for preventing phishing and spoofing attempts. They ensure that emails are sent... --- #### What is DMARC’s Subdomain Policy (sp) tag and how does it work? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-subdomain-policy-tag-explained-how-it-works/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. If you thought that your subdomains deserved any less attention than your primary (parent) domain, you’re mistaken! The truth is that the subdomains do not receive as much importance as your primary domain, and even the cyberattackers recognize this. This is why subdomains become prime targets for phishing and spoofing attacks. Since these subdomains aren’t monitored closely, the threat actors exploit this vulnerability and use it as an entry point to ploy various email-based attacks. But the good news is that you can protect all your subdomains with DMARC, and you don’t even need a different DMARC record for each... --- #### Things Financial Institutions Need to Know About Spoofing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/things-financial-institutions-need-to-know-about-spoofing/ Description: Things Financial Institutions Need to Know About Spoofing: The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The global banking sector has been experiencing a severe surge in cyberattacks, and the US Banking industry is no different. Renowned financial institutions like SunTrust, JP Morgan Chase, and Bank of America have faced the brunt of cybercriminal activities such as spoofing and phishing multiple times. Large or small, no banking institution is safe now from threat actors. The sharp spike in the number of cyberattacks in the banking industry is associated with the easy availability of artificial intelligence systems. AI has made it convenient, less time-consuming, and easy for threat actors to devise refined and laser-focused cyberattacks on financial institutions. The smaller the financial company, the bigger the risk because of the lack... --- #### Pokémon Company Hacked, American Water Restored, Schools increasingly targeted URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/pokemon-company-hacked-american-water-restored-schools-increasingly-targeted/ Description: TeraLeak exposes 2,600 Game Freak records and Pokémon source code, American Water restores services after Oct 7, and education sees 2,507 weekly attacks. 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. Hello people! We are back again with our fresh dose of cyber bulletin. This time, the news snippets will make you realize how deeply these threat actors have penetrated into our everyday lives. From schools and gaming companies to water supply plants, nothing is safe from the prying eyes of cyberattackers. We hope that this new bulletin will make you aware of the ongoing trends in the cybersecurity landscape . Also, our goal is to keep you safe from these high-end attacks. Here you go! Pokemon gaming company targeted by threat actors We all have fond memories of the anime show- Pokemon. The cartoon show and the game in itself were a great rage among the millennials. However, of late, Game Freak, the owner of Pokemon franchise, was targeted by threat actors. This attack led to data leak of around 2600 Pokemon employees and partners. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01... --- #### 4 sectors that need email authentication the most and why URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/4-sectors-that-need-email-authentication-the-most-and-why/ Description: 4 sectors that need email authentication the most and why from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. We are living in times where you have to think twice before clicking. But despite being mindful about what websites you visit and what links you download, you and your business are not 100% shielded from cyberattackers. Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, vishing, smishing, and phishing attacks have increased by a staggering 1,265%. While there is no definite answer, approximately 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent everyday globally. What this means is that for every 4,200 emails sent, 1 would surely be a phishing email that would have the potential to dupe recipients into transferring money, downloading malware-infected files, or sharing... --- #### Malware terrorizes Linux, Cyberattack disrupts water, Cyber incidents surge URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/malware-terrorizes-linux-cyberattack-disrupts-water-cyber-incidents-surge/ Description: Malware terrorizes Linux, Cyberattack disrupts water, Cyber incidents surge from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. DMARC Report Malware Terrorizes Linux, Cyberattack Disrupts Water, Cyber Incidents Surge Another week, another dose of cyber news! Hello people! We are back again with our weekly cyber news bulletin. This time, we will discuss a massive malware attack on Linux servers. Also, the disruption of the US water supply because of a cyberattack is a matter of concern. Lastly, our focus will be on the sudden spike in cyberattacks across the Middle East region. The purpose of this weekly bulletin is to educate you about the latest trends around cybersecurity and spread awareness about highly sophisticated scams and attacks . Without much ado, let’s get started! Mysterious malware dropper terrorizes millions of Linux servers across... --- #### Understanding the pct tag (percentage tag) in DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-the-pct-tag-percentage-tag-in-dmarc/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The DMARC record you publish in your domain’s DNS helps the receiving servers know how you want them to handle illegitimate emails sent from your domain. Do you know there exists a way using which you can instruct the receiving server to check a prespecified percentage of emails to see if they are legitimate or not? It can be done easily using the pct tag (percentage tag) in your DMARC record. What is the DMARC pct tag? Pct is the optional tag in DMARC that lets domain owners specify the percentage of emails from their domain’s mail stream that will undergo authentication checks. So, setting... --- #### Manufacturing industries targeted, Senator Victimizes Deepfake ,Kia owners beware URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/manufacturing-industries-targeted-senator-victimizes-deepfake-kia-owners-beware/ Description: Manufacturing industries targeted, Senator Victimizes Deepfake ,Kia owners beware from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. Here comes the new month of October, and threat actors have already started their malicious activities. Week 1 news snippets are all about the latest trends in the world of cyberattacks - be it ransomware attacks, deep fake attacks, or remote hacks. Staying aware of these attacks is the only way to strengthen your cybersecurity mechanism and protect your sensitive data from these threat actors. Without wasting any more time, let’s start with a fresh dose of cybersecurity bulletins. Here you go! Ransomware groups consider manufacturing industries to be their primary target! Ransomware groups have a knack for manufacturers as this industry is considerably slow when it comes to technological advancements. The manufacturing sector alone accounts for about 21% of the ransomware attacks. The survey examined a total of 5,000 companies , out of which around 80% of manufacturing companies are prone to critical CVSS-rated vulnerabilities. This... --- #### How can MFA and DMARC secure your online presence? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-can-mfa-and-dmarc-secure-your-online-presence/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Just when you thought your details were safe online, news breaks out about another grave data breach or phishing attack. You’re not alone in this; it is true that more than one million people join the internet every day! In 2024, so far, the damages caused by cyberattacks have reached 9.5 trillion USD globally. Guess what? The financial losses caused by these attacks are not even the worst part! They lead to other problems, such as reputational damage and loss of trust among customers and stakeholders. So, how can you protect your identity online and ensure that you can conduct business... --- #### Best practices for forwarding emails to Gmail users URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-practices-for-forwarding-emails-to-gmail-users/ Description: Best practices for forwarding emails to Gmail users from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. When you forward emails from any account to Gmail, the possibility of that email passing through the authentication checks decreases. But here are some recommendations that can help emails forwarded to Gmail pass authentication checks without any trouble. Google encourages setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for authentication. DKIM authentication is even more crucial for forwarded emails as it helps ensure email is delivered as intended. For step-by-step configuration, see our Gmail DMARC setup guide. Email forwarding for administrators and senders For people managing emails for an organization and forwarding messages from other servers or services to Gmail, the following points should be kept in mind- How Do You Prevent forwarded emails from... --- #### Kansas Water Cyberattack, Moneygram Halts Operations, Telegram Shares Data URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/kansas-water-cyberattack-moneygram-halts-operations-telegram-shares-data/ Description: Kansas Water Cyberattack, Moneygram Halts Operations, Telegram Shares Data from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Threat actors and their tactics are getting sophisticated-one attack at a time. In such times, only staying aware of cybercrimes can safeguard your precious data and hard-earned money. This is the 4th edition for the month of September, and we are back with cyber news from around the globe. Keeping yourself updated about the latest attacks and motives will help you stay ahead of the threat actors. To fortify your defenses against sophisticated cyber threats, implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can significantly enhance your email security and protect your valuable data from being compromised. Setting an enforced DMARC policy tells receiving servers to block messages that fail authentication. So, let’s not waste any more time and... --- #### Phishing and Spoofing- Two emerging cyberattack trends in 2024 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/phishing-and-spoofing-two-emerging-cyberattack-trends-in-2024/ Description: Phishing and Spoofing- Two emerging cyberattack trends in 2024 from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Cyberattacks are getting more sophisticated every passing year. Threat actors are playing it hard to keep up the pace with evolving technology. Two trends that are dominating the 2024 threat landscape are spoofing and phishing. Both of these cyberattacks are aimed at deceiving victims and tricking them into sharing sensitive personal details. Threat actors use phishing and spoofing to target companies, government infrastructure as well as individuals. This article explores the two most prevalent cyberattack trends of 2024. Phishing and spoofing- Basic definition Phishing is one of the most common types of cyberattacks. The first known phishing attack is supposed to have happened in the 1990s. Phishing occurs when threat actors manipulate victims into sharing sensitive data such as usernames, passwords, login credentials, social security... --- #### How to configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for Brevo? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-configure-spf-dkim-and-dmarc-records-for-brevo/ Description: How to configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for Brevo? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. By now, you probably know enough about authenticating your email-sending domain and its numerous benefits. The first and perhaps the most important one being how it protects your organization from falling prey to pervasive cybersecurity attacks like phishing, ransomware, malware, spoofing, etc. Apart from this, configuring your sender domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps you uphold your brand’s reputation among your clients, stakeholders, and mail servers. It also plays a crucial role in enhancing email deliverability and the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns. Looking at the benefits of these email authentication standards, it only makes sense to adopt them for your organization. In fact, if you haven’t yet enforced SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for... --- #### Chrome Password Risk, Tycoon Sanctioned Cyber, Election Panic Rumors URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/chrome-password-risk-tycoon-sanctioned-cyber-election-panic-rumors/ Description: Chrome Password Risk, Tycoon Sanctioned Cyber, Election Panic Rumors from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello again! We are back with the third edition of the month, and this time, we have got some super juicy details. We are sure you must be eager to learn about the latest cybersecurity events going on across the globe. The highlight of the week is a group of hackers who are forcing Chrome users to hand over their Google passwords. Next is the news about a Cambodian businessman who has been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department. Lastly, we will conclude today’s edition by discussing a group of threat actors who are trying to bring a bad reputation to the US election infrastructure. Let’s get started! Hey, Chrome users! Your Google password may be... --- #### Turkish SMBs Targeted, Cyber Expert Shortage, Singapore's Chinese Syndicate URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/turkish-smbs-targeted-cyber-expert-shortage-singapores-chinese-syndicate/ Description: Turkish SMBs Targeted, Cyber Expert Shortage, Singapore's Chinese Syndicate from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello again! Here’s the second edition of the September cybersecurity news that you have been waiting for. This week, we will be talking about the CosmicBeetle attack on Turkish SMBs. Secondly, we will share some details on how the cyber staffing shortage is affecting critical cyber operations. Next in the pipeline is the shocking news that involves China’s connection to a recently arrested Singaporean cybercrime syndicate. Let’s not waste any more time and get started with the juicy details! CosmicBeetle ransomware attack targets Turkish SMBs Turkish small and middle-sized businesses are under constant cyberattacks. CosmicBeetle- a group of threat actors (or maybe an individual), is targeting the technological vulnerabilities of these SMBs. Their ultimate goal is... --- #### Understanding TLS downgrade attacks and how MTA-STS mitigates them URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-tls-downgrade-attacks-and-how-mta-sts-mitigates-them/ Description: Understanding TLS downgrade attacks and how MTA-STS mitigates them from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. It is easier to think that your encrypted email is safe enough to defend against any kind of attack, but the truth is that cybercriminals are getting smarter by every second, and it takes more than simple encryption to secure your email communications. One such attack that puts the integrity of your already secured emails in jeopardy is the TLS downgrade attack. In this attack, the threat actor targets vulnerabilities in the previous versions of the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol and forces the communication to go back to its outdated, less secure version. Once successful, they intercept the communication and manipulate the data being transmitted. The good news is that there is a way out... --- #### Google’s guidelines to send emails to Gmail users URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/googles-guidelines-to-send-emails-to-gmail-users/ Description: Have you ever wondered why even legitimate emails sent by you to Gmail recipients don’t reach their inboxes? Have you ever wondered why even legitimate emails sent by you to Gmail recipients don’t reach their inboxes? Well, there are several guidelines that Google wants you to abide by if you don’t want to have your emails land in the spam folders or bounce back. Google's February 2024 requirements were a turning point, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Before that, DMARC was a recommendation. Now it's a gate - if your DMARC record is missing or set to p=none without a plan to enforce, your email deliverability to Gmail is at risk. If you think you can ignore these guidelines, let us remind you that Gmail and other mailbox providers don’t hesitate to blocklist your domains or give them a poor reputation score. These factors ultimately deteriorate your sender's reputation, tossing your emails straight into the spam or junk folders. So, let’s see what these requirements and guidelines are . Email authentication requirements Gmail requires all senders to deploy SPF and DKIM. If you are a bulk sender, you are also required to deploy DMARC in addition to SPF and DKIM. Together, these protocols verify that messages are sent by authorized people and that nobody has tampered... --- #### Role of DMARC in detecting and preventing shadow IT  URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/role-of-dmarc-in-detecting-and-preventing-shadow-it/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Have you wondered why some organizations have stringent policies that prevent them from using certain apps and devices to get work done while others are pretty open with no such restrictions? In the latter situation, the employees certainly have more flexibility and convenience, but this openness can introduce significant security risks. This phenomenon, known as shadow IT, refers to the use of unauthorized technology within an organization. Without due vigilance, these tools are sure to open doors to security breaches, data leaks, or compliance issues. So, does this mean that organizations that offer flexibility are doomed to face these risks? Not really. As far as... --- #### FBI Warns Hackers, Halliburton Cyber Threats, TfL Targeted Threat URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/fbi-warns-hackers-halliburton-cyber-threats-tfl-targeted-threat/ Description: FBI Warns Hackers, Halliburton Cyber Threats, TfL Targeted Threat from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Your wait is finally over, as we are here with our September Week 1 edition of fresh cybersecurity news! This week, we will be talking about North Korean hackers’ aggressive social engineering moves. Next in the pipeline is Halliburton’s oil sector cyber attack. Lastly, booking your next vacation can be risky as major travel sites are still vulnerable to cyberattacks. Without much ado, let’s start! FBI issues warning against highly skilled North Korean hackers North Korean threat actors have been making aggressive hacking attempts for the past couple of months on cryptocurrency companies. Their main goal is to gain illegitimate access through malware deployment and steal precious crypto assets. The FBI has been looking into the... --- #### Security requirements for Gmail URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/security-requirements-for-gmail/ Description: Security requirements for Gmail from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC reporting. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Over the years, Gmail has undoubtedly positioned itself as one of the most popular email services globally. It continues to dominate the market with its extensive features and integration with other Google services​. Given the fact that over 1.5 billion active users trust this mailbox, it’s bound to subject dynamic emails to additional security requirements and restrictions to ensure user safety and privacy. This blog digs into what these requirements are, what they mean for your business email domain, and how you can begin with or maintain them in your favor. Sender authentication Gmail requires bulk and regular email senders to adopt Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain-based Messages Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC). Our Gmail... --- #### DMARC reporting’s three-step checklist URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-reportings-three-step-checklist/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC reports maximize the efficiency of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC by helping you with invaluable and actionable insights. Many case studies have also shown that organizations implementing DMARC with active reporting experienced an 80-90% reduction in successful phishing attacks over time. The reporting enabled quick identification and blocking of fraudulent email sources. Continuous DMARC monitoring is what turns those periodic reports into ongoing protection. This blog explains the DMARC reporting process , a three-step checklist, for those who are about to start leveraging the benefits of forensic and aggregate reports. DMARC reporting steps 1. Access To start receiving DMARC reports,... --- #### India Cyberattack Surge, Remote Work Risks, Patelco Data Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/india-cyberattack-surge-remote-work-risks-patelco-data-breach/ Description: India Cyberattack Surge, Remote Work Risks, Patelco Data Breach from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Hello everyone! We are back again with this week’s edition of cybersecurity awareness. We will talk about the sudden spike in cyberattack incidents in India. Also, there will be discussions on how the remote work culture is vulnerable to threat actors. Lastly, we will shed light on how 726,000 Patelco customers were affected by ransomware attacks! Let’s get started! Rise in cyberattack cases in India- Critical infrastructure worst hit! India is gradually embracing digitization. However, the South-Asian country is not yet fully prepared to combat cyber threats. Critical infrastructure, such as finance, healthcare, and government sectors, has undergone rapid digitization. Due to a lack of proper cybersecurity mechanisms, Indian infrastructure is now facing a surge in... --- #### Social engineering attacks- techniques and prevention URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/social-engineering-attacks-techniques-and-prevention/ Description: Social engineering is the persuasion or manipulation of human psychology by threat actors to achieve a malicious goal. \According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. Social engineering is the persuasion or manipulation of human psychology by threat actors to achieve a malicious goal. The aim is to fool targets into trusting threat actors and lowering their guards so that they can invade systems to steal data, install malware, intercept important documents, make fraudulent financial transactions, etc. They may also ask you to share Social Security numbers, credit card details, health records, family information, etc. Social engineering is usually one of the steps or stages of a larger cyberattack attempted by stealing your identity. This cyberattack trick is gravely dangerous as it’s not always easy to spot, and employees of big companies like Twitter have also fallen into the trap. This blog discusses the Twitter Bitcoin scam (2020) in detail, along... --- #### Key aspects of DMARC interoperability URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/key-aspects-of-dmarc-interoperability/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Interoperability, in general, is the ability of different systems and components to work together and exchange information effectively. In the context of email security, interoperability means that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can come together and function in unity to seamlessly authenticate and protect your email-sending domain from getting exploited. Since these protocols are interoperable, there are no contradictions, provided you manage them properly. This blog discusses the prime elements of DMARC interoperability. 1. Graceful handling of edge cases DMARC allows you to choose from three policy options (none, quarantine, or reject), controlling how you want the recipients to deal with illegitimate emails from your domain.... --- #### Chinese Router Controversy, Toyota Data Breach, Iran's Trump Involvement URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/chinese-router-controversy-toyota-data-breach-irans-trump-involvement/ Description: US Reps push for a TP-Link probe, ZeroSevenGroup leaks 240GB from Toyota's US branch, and the FBI ties Iran to a hack of Trump advisor Roger Stone's email. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. Are you feeling too overwhelmed because of the increasing incidents of cyberattacks? If yes, then we have the perfect solution for you- cyber education. With our weekly dose of cybernews, we aim to enlighten our audience and keep them updated about the Hows, Whats and Whys of cybercrime. Staying up to date about these cyber incidents will help you prevent any kind of attack and scam. In this edition, you will learn about a shocking data breach worth 240 GB at Toyota. Also, we will talk about Iran’s involvement in the Trump campaign hack. Also, the US Congress has been extremely unhappy with a Chinese router company. Let’s get started with our weekly cyber bulletin! Chinese Wifi router draws flak from 2 US Congressmen! Two Congressional representatives are highly dissatisfied with the Chinese Wi-Fi routers manufactured by TP-Link Technologies, the world’s largest Wi-Fi router manufacturer. They have demanded a thorough investigation by the US... --- #### What is the difference between anti-spam and DMARC? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-anti-spam-and-dmarc/ Description: We understand that spam emails are one of the most annoying things that you have to deal with on a daily basis. We understand that spam emails are one of the most annoying things that you have to deal with on a daily basis, both as a user and as an 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) 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. email marketer . They are not just annoying because they take up unnecessary space in the inbox, but they are also a huge security threat. What might seem like an irrelevant but harmless email can be a harbinger of grave cyberattacks . A spam email could be anything: a phishing attack email , a malware scam, or CEO fraud , claiming to come from a reputed domain . As much as we wish there was a way to completely eradicate... --- #### Massive Classroom Breach, Cybercrime Treaty Approved, Scammer Targets Journalist URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/massive-classroom-breach-cybercrime-treaty-approved-scammer-targets-journalist/ Description: Massive Classroom Breach, Cybercrime Treaty Approved, Scammer Targets Journalist from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Digitization is not our enemy. It has made our personal and professional lives easy. But every coin has two sides and we must not ignore the other one. The downside of digitization is that our hard-earned money and identity are not safe anymore. Threat actors have been leveraging digitization to make quick money. To combat them, we need to educate ourselves about the latest technology and cybersecurity. For email specifically, monitoring DMARC RUA reports shows exactly which servers are sending mail under your domain. With this aim in mind, we have brought to you the latest edition of cybernews , where we will be covering three sensational cybercrime issues today. First, a hacker wiped out data... --- #### A sneak peek into DMARC adoption in Qatar URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/a-sneak-peek-into-dmarc-adoption-in-qatar/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Looking into the first half of 2024, one of the most evident changes in email security has been major providers such as Gmail and Yahoo enforcing higher standards of authentication. Starting February 2024, these tech giants made DMARC implementation a norm for organizations across the world that send more than 5,000 emails every day. And as expected, there were some countries that took this directive more seriously than others. Qatar is one such country where organizations have been very proactive in adopting these new email-sending policies in an attempt to mitigate the risk of impending cyberthreats. The nation’s... --- #### Facebook Page Hijacking, $75m Ransom Payment, And State-Sponsored Spyware URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/facebook-page-hijacking-75m-ransom-payment-and-state-sponsored-spyware/ Description: Fake AI photo-editor ads hijack Facebook pages, a Fortune 50 firm pays Dark Angels $75M ransom, and LianSpy spyware targets Android users in Russia. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. Just when you think that, finally, the world is safe from cyberattacks, yet another instance pops up on your digital screen. The only key is to stay vigilant and educate yourself about the evolving trends in the cybercrime world. Staying well-versed with day-to-day cyberattacks and technological advancements help you keep your data and money safe and secure . That’s why we are here to keep you updated about what’s happening across the cyber world. For example, a Fortune 50 company went on to pay a ransom worth $75M, one of the highest to date. On the other hand, a malvertising campaign has been using phishing tactics to pry into and steal the Facebook account details of users. Lastly, a high-end Android spyware is targeting naive users in Russia. Let’s find out more about these cyber mishaps. Facebook pages being hijacked by threat actors to access user details!... --- #### A snapshot of ransomware evolution URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/a-snapshot-of-ransomware-evolution/ Description: Ransomware is a cyberattack attempted using a malware that intends to block access to a computer system or file. Ransomware is a cyberattack attempted using a malware that intends to block access to a computer system or file, encrypting the data until a ransom is paid to the cyberactor. These days, they demand ransom in cryptocurrency as it ensures anonymity. What started as a small crime in 1980s, grew up to be a havoc wreaking cyberattack technique that is expected to attack a business, consumer, or device every 2 seconds by 2031. The experts are anticipating ransomware to cost its victim around 265 billion USD annually by 2031. 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. But how it all started and evolved over the years? Let’s see. The emergence of ransomware The first known ransomware attack happened at the 1989 WHO AIDS conference and hence is refered as ‘AIDS trojan.’ At the conference, a biologist named Joseph Popp distributed 20,000 infected floppy disks to the participants. DMARC is now required by CISA BOD 18-01 (US federal), PCI DSS v4.0 (payment processors), Google/Yahoo/Microsoft (bulk senders),... --- #### Creating and managing Verified Mark Certificates (VMC) for BIMI URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/creating-and-managing-verified-mark-certificates-vmc-for-bimi/ Description: BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays a brand's verified logo next to authenticated emails in supporting clients. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays a brand's verified logo next to authenticated emails in supporting clients. BIMI requires a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject - p=none is not sufficient. The combination of BIMI and VMC strengthens the email security structure by making it harder for threat actors to spoof your brand’s logo for sending potentially fraudulent emails. Not only this, but it’s also easier for recipients to trust emails with a logo, encouraging them to open and reply to them. Upon reception, supporting email clients check the BIMI record and the linked VMC to verify the logo. If the logo and the VMC are valid, the email client displays the brand logo in the user’s inbox, providing visual assurance of the email’s authenticity. Before learning how to configure BIMI settings and how to get a VMC, let’s quickly recap what BIMI and VMC are... --- #### China Targets India, Security Firm Mistake, Zeus Hacks Olympics URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/china-targets-india-security-firm-mistake-zeus-hacks-olympics/ Description: China Targets India, Security Firm Mistake, Zeus Hacks Olympics from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Reviewing your aggregate DMARC reports is how you confirm those checks are passing for every legitimate sender. Digital advancement has made our lives easy. But at the same time, criminals with malicious intentions are also using it to mint money in an easy and quick manner. Cyberattackers are slowly expanding their territories across the globe. The only way to keep your money and devices safe from these threat actors is to educate yourself about cyberattacks, and take adequate measures and precautionary strategies. Every week, we bring you the latest cyber happenings from around the world so that you can stay updated and be well-prepared for any kind of cyber mishap. The major event... --- #### Your domain needs SEGs and email authentication, both URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/your-domain-needs-segs-and-email-authentication-both/ Description: Your domain needs SEGs and email authentication, both from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Breaches caused by phishing take a lot of time to be discovered, and mitigating their effect becomes all the more difficult. As many as 3.4 billion phishing emails are shot at targets daily, which is about 1.2% of all emails sent in a day. This roughly means that for every 4200 emails sent, one is a potentially phishing email attempting to manipulate targeted recipients into sharing sensitive information, downloading malware, transferring funds, etc. If you own a domain, it’s part of your job to ensure your email-sending domain is protected. If you already have Secure Email Gateways or SEGs in place, that’s great. But... --- #### A guide to enhancing email delivery with Google Postmaster URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/enhancing-email-delivery-with-google-postmaster/ Description: A guide to enhancing email delivery with Google Postmaster from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. One of the key aspects that determines whether your email makes it to the recipient’s inbox or ends up in their spam is your sender reputation. If you’re in the good books of the mailbox providers, there are higher chances of your emails reaching the inboxes . Imagine all that you could achieve with a consistently high sender reputation, your marketing campaigns would reach more customers, your important updates would be seen by all stakeholders, and your overall communication efficiency would significantly go up. As far-fetched as this might sound, you can make it happen if you leverage the right tools! One such... --- #### Buggy CrowdStrike Crash, Dating Apps Vulnerabilities, Ukraine ICS Malware URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/buggy-crowdstrike-crash-dating-apps-vulnerabilities-ukraine-ics-malware/ Description: A faulty CrowdStrike Falcon update triggers a global Windows outage, KU Leuven exposes dating-app API flaws, and FrostyGoop ICS malware hits Ukraine. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. Are you worried about the increasing hold of threat actors and scammers in our lives? Fret not, because cyber education and awareness are the keys to beating them in their own game. Here we are again, with our weekly dose of cyber news that will inform, educate, and engage you in the most productive way possible. This week’s highlight is the buggy Crowdstrike update that literally shook the corporate world with its “blue screen of death.” Ukraine is in news again and this time it is because of a novel ICS malware attack on the war-ravaged country’s water heating services. Something as casual as swiping right on online dating apps too, can make you prone to cyberscams. To know more, keep reading! CrowdStrike’s buggy update crashed Windows and brought the world to a standstill! As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI... --- #### The intersection of DORA and DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-intersection-of-dora-and-dmarc/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DORA, short for Digital Operational Resilient Act, is a European framework for establishing regulatory compliance for finance organizations. It’s now in force and will be fully applicable from January 2025 . DMARC, which is short for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance, is an email security technology that prevents phishing and spoofing attempts made by impersonating you or someone from your company. So, if your sending domain has DMARC, and a threat actor sends a potentially fraudulent email from that domain, the email will not land in the recipient’s inbox; it will either be marked as spam or bounce back. In either case, the recipient’s... --- #### Banks Drop OTPs, Major Cyber Heist, Spying Spouses Arrested URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/banks-drop-otps-major-cyber-heist-spying-spouses-arrested/ Description: Banks Drop OTPs, Major Cyber Heist, Spying Spouses Arrested from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Digitization and cybersecurity go hand in hand. They are like the two sides of the same coin. If you wish to reap the benefits of digital advancements, then you must educate yourself about cybercrimes and threat actors. The implementation of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps mitigate risks like cyber heists and privacy breaches, enhancing email security for financial institutions and beyond. Regularly reviewing your reports with a free DMARC report analyzer tool helps spot spoofing attempts before they turn into losses. We bring to you our weekly dose of global cyber news so that you can steer clear of any such cyber mishaps. In today’s edition, you will get to know why Singaporean banks have decided... --- #### What is MTA-STS and why do you need it to improve email security? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-mta-sts-and-why-you-need-it-for-email-security/ Description: What is MTA-STS and why do you need it to improve email security? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. There has been a lot of talk about how your outgoing emails should meet certain parameters (like the sending domain should be authenticated), but what about the incoming emails? If an email is not properly secured during transmission, it is susceptible to interception or tampering, which, if successfully implemented, can wreak havoc on your digital infrastructure. So, to ensure that all the emails that come into your mailbox are safe and free of any malicious breach, you need a robust strategy, and Mail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security (MTA-STS) does the job. Just like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, MTA-STS is a security... --- #### Ambient Light Spying, Cybersecurity Prices Drop, Euro 2024 Threats URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ambient-light-spying-cybersecurity-prices-drop-euro-2024-threats/ Description: Ambient Light Spying, Cybersecurity Prices Drop, Euro 2024 Threats from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Threat actors can soon tip-toe into your living room if you fail to keep yourself updated about the latest happenings around the tech world. Knowledge and precaution are the only two things that can keep you safe from cyberattacks. That’s precisely why we bring you the latest news from the world of cybercrimes every week. This week, you will get to know how the ambient light sensors can lead the threat actors to your bank account. Also, today’s edition will cover the details around Euro 2024 cybersecurity threats as well as the dwindling prices of cybersecurity systems. Grasping the fundamentals, such as how DMARC alignment works, is just as important as keeping up with the headlines. Stay glued to your... --- #### Understanding credential phishing and the role of DMARC in defense URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-credential-phishing-and-the-role-of-dmarc-in-defense/ Description: Understanding credential phishing and the role of DMARC in defense: The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Your passwords and login details are literally and figuratively the key to your personal and professional accounts , which include everything from your bank details to your important documents. Now, imagine what would happen if your login credentials fell into the hands of cybercriminals. Unfortunately, it’s not just a hypothetical scenario. Attackers use sophisticated strategies to deceive you into divulging sensitive information through a technique called credential phishing. You would be surprised to know that this trick isn’t new; in fact, its roots can be traced back to the early days of email communication. The only difference between the techniques of then and now is the way these attacks are being executed. Today, thanks... --- #### Everything you should know about the recent ban on Kaspersky Antivirus in the US URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-us-ban-on-kaspersky-antivirus/ Description: Everything you should know about the recent ban on Kaspersky Antivirus in the US from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, 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. It is a common understanding that cybersecurity is only about protecting your systems and data from the prying eyes of malicious attackers, but in reality, its implications go way beyond this and can even put national security at stake. As far-fetched as it may sound, this is indeed true, and a testament to this is the recent ban on the Russian antivirus company - Kaspersky by the US administration. Recently, the Biden government levied a ban on the sales and distribution of Kaspersky antivirus products, stating the risk of the Russian government potentially using the company's access to harvest sensitive information from US systems. The Department of Commerce also issued a statement regarding this ban, reiterating their apprehension, which said, “Kaspersky will generally no longer be able to, among other activities, sell its software within the United States or provide updates to software already in use.” Given that the stakes are so high, the authorities have given the... --- #### Kenya-US Cybersecurity Collaboration, Papua New Guinea Data Security, Child hospital Ransomware URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/kenya-us-cybersecurity-collaboration-papua-new-guinea-data-security-child-hospital-ransomware/ Description: Kenya-US Cybersecurity Collaboration, Papua New Guinea Data Security, Child hospital Ransomware from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Cybersecurity is gradually becoming a matter of global concern. Nations, big or small, are grappling with cybercrime issues. Recently, the United States of America and Kenya decided to come together and amp up the level of digital security in Africa. On the other hand, Papua New Guinea, the island nation, has heightened its cybersecurity strategy. On the other hand, a Chicago-based children’s hospital has been badly affected by a ransomware attack. Here’s your weekly dose of cyber news. Keep reading to stay abreast of the latest cyber news! Kenya and the US have come together to offer digital security to Africa! William S Ruto, the president of Kenya, recently visited the United States. Biden and Ruto... --- #### 7 ways admins can contribute to protecting G Suite from phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/7-ways-admins-can-contribute-to-protecting-g-suite-from-phishing/ Description: 7 ways admins can contribute to protecting G Suite from phishing: The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Threat actors spare no one, and hence, it’s important for G Suite administrators to stay one step ahead. According to a Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, phishing accounts for 36% of data breaches, making it one of the most prevalent forms of cyberattacks. G Suite includes an extensive suite of cloud-based tools, which attracts more users and makes it a lucrative target for bad actors. However, with the right strategies and proactive measures , admins can significantly enhance their organization’s defense against phishing attempts. In this blog, we’ll explore 7 effective ways G Suite administrators can fortify their systems and protect sensitive data from these malicious attacks. If you run Google’s productivity suite, our... --- #### Asian Telecom Cyberattacks, Kaspersky Ban Dilemma, CDK Cyberattack Disrupts Dealerships URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/asian-telecom-cyberattacks-kaspersky-ban-dilemma-cdk-cyberattack-disrupts-dealerships/ Description: Asian Telecom Cyberattacks, Kaspersky Ban Dilemma, CDK Cyberattack Disrupts Dealerships from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Cyber awareness is the need of the hour, and that’s exactly why we keep coming back with the latest cyber incidents happening around the globe! Keep yourself updated about the ongoing trends in the cybercrime niche, implementing email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM and DMARC and avert such mishaps by choosing knowledge over ignorance. Keep reading to know how China-based cyber espionage groups targeted Asian telecoms. Also, a recent cyberattack forced multiple car dealerships to stop functioning temporarily. Lastly, the Kaspersky ban by the government is messing up with the users, and they are finding it difficult to cope with the tight deadlines. Here’s your cyber dose of the week! Asian telecoms attacked by China-based cyber... --- #### Patching Versus Isolating Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities- Which is Better in 2024? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/patching-versus-isolating-cybersecurity-vulnerabilities-which-is-better-in-2024/ Description: Patching Versus Isolating Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities- Which is Better in 2024? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Being in 2024, you can’t overlook cybersecurity, and one of the fundamental strategies in managing and mitigating cyber threats involves addressing vulnerabilities in software and systems. While there are several ways to deal with existing vulnerabilities, the two common and emerging ones are patching and isolating. According to Verizon's 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, vulnerability exploitation increased almost threefold last year, accounting for 14% of all breaches . This surge is the result of the increasing number of attacks targeting vulnerabilities on unpatched systems and devices. The MOVEit software is considered one of the significant drivers of these attacks, which hit the education sector first and now has expanded its maliciousness to fiance and insurance departments too. These recent findings... --- #### Swift Fan's Spending Spree, WPP CEO's Deepfake Scam, Russian Ransomware Extorts Millions! URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/swift-fans-spending-spree-wpp-ceos-deepfake-scam-russian-ransomware-extorts-millions/ Description: Swift Fan's Spending Spree, WPP CEO's Deepfake Scam, Russian Ransomware Extorts Millions!: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. We are back again with another round of cybersecurity news that will keep you updated about the latest scams and frauds around the globe. Nowadays, even being a Taylor Swift fan, or a Swiftie, as they call it in slang, is not safe - thanks to threat actors and their scams. Also, even industry biggies and businessmen are being targeted by cybercriminals. Lastly, the US arrested yet another Russian hacker who managed to extort $700,000 from naive US businessmen. Our aim is to prepare you against any cyber mishap by keeping you well-versed with the latest global happenings. Keep reading to stay alert and vigilant! A Swiftie Father Got Duped By a Scammer! A... --- #### How Can You Check Your Domain Reputation? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-can-you-check-your-domain-reputation/ Description: How Can You Check Your Domain Reputation? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Microsoft followed with DMARC enforcement from May 2025. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now rejected by all three major providers. Email deliverability starts with authentication, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In 2026, if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren't all passing and aligned, your email goes to spam. It's not about content anymore - receivers check authentication before they even look at what you wrote. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. A good domain reputation means most of your emails will land in the inboxes of recipients instead of spam folders. It’s needless to say, emails sitting in spam folders bring no benefit to businesses. Be it transactional, notification, promotional, newsletters, surveys, confirmations, or even internal emails, you send them for a purpose, and that purpose is not met when emails get marked as spam due to a poor domain reputation.... --- #### Gmail’s ‘Best Guess’ SPF Status- What is it and How can you avoid it? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/gmails-best-guess-spf-status-what-is-it-and-how-can-you-avoid-it/ Description: Gmail’s ‘Best Guess’ SPF Status- What is it and How can you avoid it? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. At times, Gmail guesses the SPF status of a domain that lacks an SPF record. While this guess is made with the good intention of not misjudging genuine emails as potentially fraudulent, but sometimes, illegitimate emails get past the spam filters because of it. So, to not give an advantage to threat actors, it’s better that you don’t create a situation for Gmail where it has to guess your SPF status. To do this, you have to create, publish, monitor, and update an SPF record corresponding to your domain. When Does Gmail Guess Your SPF Status? Gmail generates a ‘best guess’ SPF under specific conditions. It does so when the sender’s domain doesn’t have an SPF record corresponding... --- #### DMARCReport Backs Up Paralympics by Working With SaaS-Provider Katana Group URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarcreports-supports-paralympics-katana-collaboration/ Description: San Diego, California- 13th June, 2024 DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin. San Diego, California- 13th June, 2024 DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Brad Slavin, General Manager of DMARCReport, a DuoCircle subsidiary, in collaboration with Katana Group, proudly announces today their successful fundraising initiative to support the New Zealand Paralympics to have more specially-abled people participate in Para sports. Slavin has always recognized and encouraged the strength of the Paralympics. He believes that, in several instances, the Paralympians are better than their Olympic counterparts but don’t receive the respect and recognition they deserve. Under the leadership of Brad Slavin, DMARCReport has been at the forefront of the industry, offering a comprehensive DMARC suite. This suite includes DMARC... --- #### Russian Aviation Sector Under Risk, Ransomware Attack on Synnovis, CyRC Sheds Light On EmailGPT Vulnerability! URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/war-exploits-rising-ransomware-halts-synnovis-emailgpt-security-risk/ Description: Russian Aviation Sector Under Risk, Ransomware Attack on Synnovis, CyRC Sheds Light On EmailGPT Vulnerability!: The support tickets we get after a spoofing. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Here’s your weekly dose of cybersecurity news to keep you well-versed in the global cybercrime scenario. From Russia’s aviation sector to the UK’s healthcare facility and your own PC- nothing is safe from threat actors. Read on to know why! Threat Actors Leverage the Ongoing Russia-Ukraine War! The Russian aviation industry is under cyber risk. A threat actor is leveraging layered infection chains to attack any and every organization associated with the Russian aviation sector. They have been using the APT or Advanced Persistent Threat which goes by the name of “Sticky Werewolf.” The APT has been there for almost... --- #### Africa’s Low Ranking On Phishing Resilience, BBC Breach, TikTok Celeb Accounts Compromised! URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/africas-low-phishing-resilience-bbc-breach-tiktok-accounts-hacked/ Description: Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Per the FBI's 2022 IC3 Report, 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year. DMARC with p=reject prevents attackers from spoofing your domain in phishing campaigns. Choosing between DMARC policy modes - none, quarantine, or reject - determines how aggressively that protection is enforced. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Africa is Underprepared To Combat Phishing Attacks! Africa’s cybersphere is not well-prepared to fight the advanced and well-equipped threat actors. In the last couple of years, Africa has witnessed a gradual surge in the cases of phishing attacks, especially targeted at SMBs. As of 2025, DMARC... --- #### The Metamorphosis of Deception: Tracing the History of Phishing Attacks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/tracing-the-history-of-phishing-attacks/ Description: The Metamorphosis of Deception: Tracing the History of Phishing Attacks from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. There’s so much talk in the industry about phishing attacks, but do you know how this classic technique of cyber deception came into being and evolved into the malicious force that we know today? There is no doubt that phishing attacks are one of the most nefarious and sophisticated cybersecurity threats, where the hacker tricks individuals into divulging sensitive information by pretending to be a trusted entity . The situation is so bad that in 2023, the number of phishing attacks in the US shot up to over 298,000 from around 26 thousand in 2018. Let us trace the journey from their humble beginnings to the advanced methods employed by cybercriminals today. What’s in the Name? As you might have already guessed, the term “phishing”... --- #### A Roundup of the Top Phishing Attacks in 2024 So Far URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/top-phishing-attacks-in-2024-so-far/ Description: A Roundup of the Top Phishing Attacks in 2024 So Far from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Is your mailbox flooded with unsolicited emails? While most of these emails are harmless (like bulk or spam), some of them have the potential to seriously damage your entire ecosystem. Year after year, these emails are getting more frequent and formidable. In fact, we are only halfway into 2024, and the number of fraudulent emails that make it into the targets’ inboxes continues to surge. A recent report by SlashNext revealed a 341% increase in malicious emails, and AI has substantially contributed to this number. Let us take a look at some of the most notable phishing attacks that we witnessed in 2024. Notable Phishing Attacks of 2024 Undoubtedly, we have come a long way in terms of technological advancements , but with this progress,... --- #### What is the Role and Relevance of PTR DNS Resource Records? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/role-and-relevance-of-ptr-dns-resource-records/ Description: What is the Role and Relevance of PTR DNS Resource Records? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The engineering challenge with DMARC at scale is report volume, not complexity, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. A domain that sends 100,000 emails per day generates dozens of aggregate report files daily from different receivers. Parsing, classifying, and trending that data is why DMARC Report exists. You might be familiar with DNS records that map domain names to IP addresses. But have you ever come across the term “PTR (Pointer) records” or perhaps “ reverse DNS records ?” PTR records, or reverse records, as the name suggests, are the exact opposite of “a” DNS records. So, instead of translating domain names to IP addresses, they resolve IP addresses to the corresponding domain names. For example, if you have an IP address (like 192.0.2.1), a PTR record can tell you that this IP address is associated with "mail.xyz.com.” Let us dig deeper into knowing why PTR DNS resource records are relevant and how they function within the DNS. What is the Significance of these Records? Let’s face it, mail servers do have a strict spam screening , but it is not always perfect, especially in cases when even legitimate emails are marked as spam due to reasons like using... --- #### Understanding Kimsuky's Latest Phishing Tactics: Exploiting DMARC “None” Policies URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/kimsukys-latest-phishing-tactics-exploiting-dmarc-none-policies/ Description: Understanding Kimsuky's Latest Phishing Tactics: Exploiting DMARC “None” Policies from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. DMARC Report Understanding Kimsuky’s Latest Phishing Tactics: Exploiting DMARC “None” Policies News Flash: The infamous North Korean group of hackers - Kimsuky strikes back! Kimsuky is not a new name in the cybersecurity circle, as it is well known for pulling off sophisticated email-based attacks and leveraging social engineering tactics. But this time, they have changed their approach and shifted their focus towards organizations that have DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) policies set to "none." You might think of this as a harmless setting or a minor oversight in security strategy, but the way it is capitalized by the attackers shows that this critical loophole is not trivial and can jeopardize your... --- #### Decoding PCI DSS v4.0 and Enhancing Security with DMARC: A Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/pci-dss-v4-0-decoded-strengthening-security-with-dmarc/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. PCI DSS v4.0 (effective March 2025) requires organizations handling cardholder data to implement DMARC with a policy of at least p=quarantine on domains used in customer communications. Does your business involve your customers making card payments? If yes, this one is for you! Now that digital payments have become the backbone of most businesses, you cannot afford to let any unauthorized entity snoop in on your transactions or your customers’ card details. They could use this information to unleash havoc on your business by either committing fraud or pulling off data breaches that compromise sensitive customer information. With the situation only... --- #### DMARC Setup Stage 1- Preparation URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-setup-stage-1-preparation/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The process of deploying DMARC is crucial but complicated. Before you set up a DMARC record, plan and document every sending source. To avoid problems related to maintenance, modifications, reporting, and troubleshooting, it’s vital that you plan and record everything. We suggest that before you start creating or modifying DNS records to analyze DMARC data, you take care of two things for a smooth deployment: - Creating a worksheet is a crucial step in the DMARC setup process. It allows you to record and... --- #### Fixing Google Calendar Invites That Fail DMARC Checks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/fixing-google-calendar-invites-that-fail-dmarc-checks/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Google Calendar invites fail DMARC checks when the recipient replies to them, and the response goes back to Google’s servers instead of the sender’s domain. This happens because the ‘From’ address and the originating server don’t match. This failure also occurs due to the fact that Google uses shared IP addresses to send Google Calendar invites. So, if any of these IP addresses have had spam complaints registered against them, the invites sent using them won’t go through DMARC checks. You can fix the issue by adding Google’s DKIM record to your DNS and enabling DKIM authentication on Google Workspace. How to Fix... --- #### Decoding the Subtle Art of Deception: Homoglyphing and Its Role in Phishing Attacks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/subtle-art-of-deception-homoglyphing-and-phishing-attacks/ Description: Decoding the Subtle Art of Deception: Homoglyphing and Its Role in Phishing Attacks from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Have you ever confused “0” (the digit) for “O” (uppercase alphabet) while entering a password? Or have you stared at your screen trying to differentiate "1” from "l" (lowercase L)? If so, you are not alone! Truth be told, these mix-ups are fairly common and might seem harmless , but that is only until they are exploited by savvy cybercriminals. As someone just trying to navigate through endless emails and websites, you might not think of these differences as red flags. But for those always looking to exploit your digital vulnerabilities, this serves as a green signal to carry out their nefarious schemes. These schemes often involve coaxing you into clicking a malicious URL that is virtually indistinguishable from the legitimate one. Now, this is... --- #### Beware of Phishing Attempts- Apple Users’ Version! URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/beware-of-phishing-attempts-apple-users-version/ Description: Beware of Phishing Attempts- Apple Users’ Version!: The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Lately, Apple users across 92 countries have received the biggest shock of their lives in their email and iPhone inboxes! Apple contacted them regarding a “mercenary spyware attack.” To make it more ominous, the users would get to see a “Threat notification” if they logged into their Apple ID. The message emphasized the gravity of the warning and urged the users to be serious about the threat. Apple did not share any further details to prevent the mercenary spyware from developing a security evasion tactic. Notably, the emails and messages sent by Apple did not contain any links. This is where you need to be careful enough if you wish not to fall prey... --- #### Microsoft Plans to Impose a Per Day Limit on Exchange Online Bulk Emails to Reduce Spam URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/microsoft-impose-daily-limit-exchange-online-bulk-emails-to-reduce-spam/ Description: Microsoft Plans to Impose a Per Day Limit on Exchange Online Bulk Emails to Reduce Spam from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Microsoft followed with DMARC enforcement from May 2025. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now rejected by all three major providers. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. Starting January 1, 2025, Microsoft Exchange Online users will have to change their plans as a limit of 2,000 external recipients per 24 hours will be implemented. This is because the platform was never designed for high-volume transactional emails. So, this decision has been taken with respect to that and not to overburden the resources. The limitation will be unfolded in two phases- - The First Phase (January 1, 2025): The primary phase will affect the cloud-hosted mailboxes of all newly created tenants. - The Second Phase (July-December 2025): The second phase will expand the limit to all existing cloud-hosted mailboxes. The Recipient Rate Limit... --- #### DomainKeys and DKIM Are Slightly Different URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/domainkeys-and-dkim-are-slightly-different/ Description: DomainKeys and DKIM Are Slightly Different from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. 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. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. DomainKeys is an older technology that was combined with Cisco’s Identified Internet Mail (IIM) to develop DKIM - an email authentication protocol that prevents phishing emails sent from your domain from reaching recipients' primary inboxes. Moreover, DKIM also ensures that nobody tampers with the message in transit. People often use these terms interchangeably, but let’s figure out how they differ. What is DomainKeys? DomainKeys is an obsolete email security technology developed by Yahoo. It is based on cryptography , in which a digital signature is attached to the header of an outgoing email. The signature uses the public key, allowing the recipient’s mail server to verify the authenticity of the sender by checking the signature against a public key published in the DNS... --- #### Disabling DMARC Reports: A Guide to Streamlining Your Domain's Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/disabling-dmarc-reports-guide-to-streamlining-your-domains-email-security/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC Report Disabling DMARC Reports: A Guide to Streamlining Your Domain’s Email Security DMARC authentication has become the norm in the cyber world, thanks to the revised email-sending policies introduced by Google and Yahoo. But what really makes this email authentication protocol a cult favorite? Apart from adding a layer of defense against unauthorized emails on your sender program and malicious cyberattacks, DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) also offers a powerful reporting feature. This added feature is almost like a cherry on the cake, as it enables you to identify potential vulnerabilities in your email-sending practices and ensure... --- #### Ensuring Easy and Secure Authentication: A Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ensuring-easy-and-secure-authentication-a-guide/ Description: A practical guide to phasing in modern authentication: audit your posture, weigh IAM and identity providers, and add DMARC for the email layer. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. News Flash! Implementing an iron-clad authentication for every login and online transaction is no longer a “good-to-have” aspect of your online existence. Thanks to the latest crackdown on loose security practices by tech giants, your authentication game cannot be like perfunctory frisking. After all, would you ever let a stranger enter your home if they simply introduced themselves by their name and gave no other information? So, what does this mean for you and your business? Given the hyperconnected nature of the digital world, we understand that it is very challenging for security teams to protect sensitive data and patch vulnerabilities without requiring disruptive manual processes. Imagine the plight of these teams if they had to execute all the nitty gritty of increased security requirements manually! So, how do you ensure that your emails and other online interactions meet industry standards while evading the risk of malicious attacks that have... --- #### Technical and Marketing Team’s Joint Efforts For Email Deliverability URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/technical-and-marketing-teams-joint-efforts-for-email-deliverability/ Description: Technical and Marketing Team’s Joint Efforts For Email Deliverability from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email deliverability starts with authentication, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In 2026, if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren't all passing and aligned, your email goes to spam. It's not about content anymore - receivers check authentication before they even look at what you wrote. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. Marketing has been the supporting pillar of businesses and trades since the pre-industrial revolution era, and the proliferation of mobile devices has strengthened it. Today, email is one of the best channels of online marketing, with an ROI of $42 for every $1 spent. However, we can’t overlook how technical deliverability issues limit email marketing’s true potential, as 14.3% of emails never reach the intended inbox, 6.3% land... --- #### Learning to Send DMARC-Compliant Emails on Behalf of Others URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/sending-dmarc-compliant-emails-on-behalf-of-others/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. This guide is intended for email service providers and businesses involved in sending emails using their own customer’s domains for marketing, PR, billing, talent management, etc. Sending DMARC-compliant emails is beneficial for both parties, significantly optimizing email identification. If you aim to get the best of the best email delivery and visibility, consider the following practices- - Ensure email links appear to originate from your customer’s domain while still being serviceable by your own infrastructure. - Modify server names associated with email delivery to align with your customer’s domain. - Ensure images and other objects appear to originate... --- #### Integrating all Cybersecurity Elements for Alignment and Efficacy URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/integrating-all-cybersecurity-elements-for-alignment-and-efficacy/ Description: The most common DMARC failure we see is alignment, not authentication, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. The most common DMARC failure we see is alignment, not authentication, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. SPF passes, DKIM passes, but DMARC still fails because the Return-Path domain doesn't match the From header. Third-party senders break alignment by default unless you configure a custom return-path. The most misunderstood thing about DMARC is that SPF passing is not enough - the domains have to align, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. We see this constantly: SPF passes, DKIM passes, but DMARC still fails because the Return-Path domain doesn't match the From header. Organizations often treat cybersecurity as a siloed function rather than a measure that needs to be practiced across departments and tiers. The year 2023 reported a global data breach cost of $4.45 million, and the United States encountered the highest average data breach cost, amounting to $9.48 million . While we don’t deny that your CISOs aren’t doing their jobs well, you also can’t deny that there are some major gaps that need to be filled. Two of the major issues that need to be addressed at the earliest are: - The leadership focus is divided among various elements of cybersecurity, such as secOps, risk management, incident... --- #### A Guide to Deploying SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Like a Pro! URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/guide-to-deploying-spf-dkim-dmarc-like-a-pro/ Description: A Guide to Deploying SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Like a Pro! from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. Does your organization send more than 5000 emails per day ? Does it struggle to keep phishing and spoofing at bay despite implementing email authentication protocols - SPF, DKIM, and DMARC? Well, we understand that there is no foolproof way of preventing these cybersecurity attacks, but you certainly can limit their frequency and impact. You'd be surprised to know that around 15% of companies, even those collaborating with vendors, manage to achieve email authentication enforcement. But with the right approach, you can dodge a major bullet and achieve enforcement with a success rate of over 95% without inadvertently blocking legitimate emails. This... --- #### How Will Google and Yahoo’s New Sender Requirements Impact European Businesses? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/google-yahoo-new-sender-requirements-impact-on-european-businesses/ Description: How Will Google and Yahoo’s New Sender Requirements Impact European Businesses? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Microsoft followed with DMARC enforcement from May 2025. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now rejected by all three major providers. Google's February 2024 requirements were a turning point, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Before that, DMARC was a recommendation. Now it's a gate - if your DMARC record is missing or set to p=none without a plan to enforce, your email deliverability to Gmail is at risk. It was not long ago that Google and Yahoo revamped their sender policies and made best practices a mandatory requirement. For instance, until October 2023, measures like implementing email authentication protocols - SPF, DKIM, and DMARC were “nice to have.” However, starting in February 2024, authenticating their domains with these protocols is no longer an option but a norm that organizations must comply with. Well, this strategic move by two major email service providers has not been inconsequential. It has not only changed the course of the cybersecurity domain but also altered the way businesses operate and perceive cybersecurity, especially in the European market. In this article,... --- #### Creating Microsoft 365 Transport Rule to Quarantine Unauthorized Inbound Emails URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/creating-microsoft-365-transport-rule-to-quarantine-unauthorized-inbound-emails/ Description: Creating Microsoft 365 Transport Rule to Quarantine Unauthorized Inbound Emails from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Domain owners use DMARC reports to instruct receiving mailboxes to quarantine or reject emails from unauthorized IP addresses. This helps minimize the possibility of victims engaging with potentially fraudulent emails sent on the pretext of official conversation from your company. How those failing messages are treated ultimately depends on the policy you set — see our guide on DMARC policy explained for the full breakdown. However, Microsoft works a bit differently! Microsoft doesn’t reject emails because it considers the instances of false positives. In simpler words, sometimes genuine emails don’t pass DMARC checks and get marked as suspicious; so if such messages are rejected, genuine conversations... --- #### The Cyber Threat Landscape In A Glance: 2024 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cyber-threat-landscape-in-a-glance-2024/ Description: The Cyber Threat Landscape In A Glance: 2024 from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. The last couple of years have seen a significant surge in the number of cybercrimes. Be it instances of extortion or ransomware, these fraudulent activities have resulted in huge financial losses across the globe. Both the corporate and the business world are facing cybercrime risks. Physical supply chains, health, and the IT sector are the worst hit. Threat actors are matching the pace with scientific advancement to stay ahead of cybersecurity tactics. Ransomware Threats On The Rise! According to the Allianz Risk Barometer 2024 report, ransomware attacks can cost as much as $265bn annually by the beginning of the next decade. In 2023 alone, ransomware activity rose by 50% . Also, the latest technology and ease of access enable these threat actors to carry out ransomware activities more easily and swiftly. With time, the impact of these ransomware attacks is increasing at a steep rate. By gaining access to supersensitive commercial information... --- #### Configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC For Klaviyo URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/configuring-spf-dkim-and-dmarc-for-klaviyo/ Description: Configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC For Klaviyo from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. Klaviyo is a popular marketing automation platform for e-commerce platforms that helps them plan email campaigns and analyze customer behavior for improved engagement and conversions. If you are one of its users, it’s important for you to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for email authenticity and deliverability. This exercise ensures that only authorized people send emails on your behalf and instructs recipients’ servers to mark suspicious emails as spam or reject them from entering mailboxes. This ultimately builds trust between email service providers and recipients while also leaving a positive impact on your domain’s deliverability rate.... --- #### QR Code Phishing or Quishing is on the Rise; Here’s How You Can Prevent it URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/qr-code-phishing-quishing-is-on-the-rise-prevent-it/ Description: QR Code Phishing or Quishing is on the Rise; Here’s How You Can Prevent it from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. QR codes are seen everywhere for directing users to URLs with a tap; and just as every coin has two slides, these Quick Response codes are also being used negatively. In fact, in May 2023, a U.S.-based energy firm encountered nearly 29% of more than 1000 malicious emails containing QR codes. Adversaries are developing newer and more sophisticated strategies involving QR codes in their phishing strategies to acquire credentials and personal details, trick victims into paying off hackers, install malware, gain remote access to devices, etc. Now, this blog walks you through quishing, how it works, ways to stay protected against it, and more. What is Quishing? Quishing is a relatively new term in... --- #### Major Cybersecurity Trends That Will Reign in 2024 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/major-cybersecurity-trends-that-will-reign-in-2024/ Description: Cybersecurity trends shaping 2024: AI-driven attacks and defenses, cloud risk, IoT exposure, state-sponsored campaigns, and ransomware sophistication. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. 2023 was a testament to the relentless advancement of cyber threats, as we witnessed a wave of sophisticated attacks ranging from damaging phishing scams to complex ransomware operations. And to think that dealing with the wrath of these attacks would have been easy is a mistake! Keeping the business up and running , protecting sensitive information, and keeping systems going is hard enough; add to this a layer of complexity - doing all of it in the face of grave cybersecurity attacks. The struggle does not end here! Even though we have entered 2024, to expect even a fleeting moment of respite from these attacks would be juvenile on our part. This has necessitated organizations to pull up their socks and step up their cybersecurity game. According to a report by Gartner, cybersecurity spending is set to hit $215 billion in 2024. That's a 14.3% jump from the estimated $188.1 billion spent... --- #### A Basic Guide to Email Authentication for Legal Professionals URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/a-basic-guide-to-email-authentication-for-legal-professionals/ Description: A Basic Guide to Email Authentication for Legal Professionals from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Individual legal professionals and law firms are becoming one of the favorite targets for cybercriminals. The incidence of cyber attacks targeting UK law firms rose by 36% in the last year. Chaucer, a specialty reinsurance group, reported a total of 166 cyber breaches for the 2021/22 period. This figure surged to 226 for the 2022/23 period as of September 30th, 2023. These sharply increasing numbers are being driven by the fact that law practitioners store highly sensitive and confidential data without much security in place. Hackers steal, intercept, or encrypt important information in exchange for money. Sometimes, they also sell the data to competitors... --- #### How Do You Configure Third-Party Vendors to Be DMARC Compliant? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-do-you-configure-third-party-vendors-to-be-dmarc-compliant/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. According to the How Businesses Hire Agencies Study by Semrush, nearly 94% of businesses outsource some or all of their marketing activities, including sending emails on their behalf. With such outsourcing comes the risk of opening up new gateways for malicious actors to access, intercept, and exploit your technical and non-technical resources. So, deploying SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is important to protect your domains against phishing and spoofing attacks. To practice this, you need to authorize all in-house as well as third-party vendors’ email-sending... --- #### Reasons Why You Aren’t Receiving DMARC XML Reports URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/reasons-why-you-arent-receiving-dmarc-xml-reports/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Once you have created a DMARC record, the job is not over; the real work of monitoring begins after that. Domain owners or administrators have to assess XML reports to understand if someone is sending unauthorized emails from your domain. Getting comfortable understanding DMARC reports is what turns those raw XML files into decisions you can act on. But what if you don’t receive these reports in the first place? You won’t get insights into your domain’s email activities and will fail to leverage the primary benefits of implying email authentication protocols. To receive XML reports, specify an email address... --- #### Phishing vs. Smishing vs. Vishing: Everything You Need to Know URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/phishing-smishing-vishing-everything-you-need-to-know/ Description: Phishing vs. Smishing vs. Vishing: Everything You Need to Know from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Have you ever received an email from a seemingly familiar sender only to realize that it was perhaps a fraudulent one, masquerading as a legitimate email ? Well, this looks like a classic case of a phishing attack that involves deceitful communication designed to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information, such as login credentials, financial details, or other personal data. Guess what? You’re not alone in this! In the year 2022, nearly 25% of organizations across the globe encountered a breach that compromised at least one of their accounts. As the digital landscape evolves, these attacks not only become more frequent but also more sophisticated in their approach. Cybercriminals have found new ways to... --- #### What is the Difference Between Email Authentication and Email Encryption? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-email-authentication-and-email-encryption/ Description: MTA-STS is the protocol most organizations forget about, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. MTA-STS is the protocol most organizations forget about, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. Without it, SMTP connections can be downgraded to plaintext by a man-in-the-middle even when both sides support TLS. Our hosted MTA-STS eliminates the web server requirement entirely. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. In an email-based interview between Forbes and Stefan Schiller, a vulnerability researcher at Sonar, the latter raised concerns about how AI-driven phishing attackers can create convincing and personalized emails, fooling victims into revealing confidential personal and financial details. Moreover, the 2023 State of Phishing Report by SlashNext unveils a staggering 1,265% surge in phishing emails since the introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022. This alarming spike points towards a paradigm shift in cybercrime dynamics, as the advent of Generative AI ushers in a new era of sophisticated phishing tactics. These predictions and statistics are enough to drive business owners to step up their email protection game. So, here we are clarifying the difference... --- #### Fixing DMARC Enforcement For Smaller and Emerging Brands URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/fixing-dmarc-enforcement-for-smaller-and-emerging-brands/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Sometimes, even illegitimate emails pass the DMARC check, and that’s because of the lack of enforcement controls by the domain owners. This is one of the primary cybersecurity vulnerabilities that allow cybercriminals to fool people through phishing emails. In October 2022, phishing attacks targeted nearly 600 brand names globally. Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo emerged as the top choices for spoofing, and PayPal was the dominant payment system, being referenced in more than 84 percent of phishing attacks. It’s true that bigger brands have email authentication protocols in place and increasingly treat email authentication compliance as a baseline requirement, but what... --- #### A Guide to Preventing Phishing in 2024: Insights from CSC's 2023 Report URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/preventing-phishing-2024-insights-from-cscs-2023-report/ Description: A Guide to Preventing Phishing in 2024: Insights from CSC's 2023 Report from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. DMARC Report A Guide to Preventing Phishing in 2024: Insights from CSC’s 2023 Report Year after year, cyberattacks become more rampant and aggressive, and 2023 was no different. You’d be surprised to know that last year, the global average cost of a data breach was USD 4.45 million, which was a whopping 15% increase over 3 years. As a business owner, you would agree with us when we say that these attacks cost more than just financial loss and inconvenience. It is also about compromised sensitive information, tarnished reputations, lost customers, and potentially long-term financial damage. And the worst part? The situation is only going to deteriorate as the digital landscape evolves, year after year. Moreover, to think that your organization can dodge these attacks... --- #### 5 Mind-Boggling Phishing Attacks in Australia 2023! URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/5-mind-boggling-phishing-attacks-in-australia-2023/ Description: Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Per the FBI's 2022 IC3 Report, 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year. DMARC with p=reject prevents attackers from spoofing your domain in phishing campaigns. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Learning how to create a DMARC record is one of the simplest ways to keep your domain out of these statistics. Top Industries Affected by Phishing Attacks in 2023 - Finance sector - Insurance sector - Recruitment agencies - Health service providers A Sneak-Peek Into Last Year’s Major Phishing Attack Incidents in Australia Nissan Australia Nissan Australia, the popular Japanese car maker, was duped by the... --- #### Google’s New DMARC Compliance Requires You to Stop Impersonating Gmail From: Headers URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/googles-new-dmarc-compliance-stop-impersonating-gmail-from-headers/ Description: Google's February 2024 requirements were a turning point, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Before that, DMARC was a recommendation. Google's February 2024 requirements were a turning point, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Before that, DMARC was a recommendation. Now it's a gate - if your DMARC record is missing or set to p=none without a plan to enforce, your email deliverability to Gmail is at risk. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. As of January 16, 2023 , the United States led globally in the daily volume of spam emails sent, totaling approximately 8 billion. Czechia and the Netherlands followed closely, ranking second and third with 7.7 billion and 7.6 billion spam emails, respectively. To combat such uncontrollable numbers of phishing and spamming instances, Google and Yahoo rolled out new policies necessitating DMARC adoption for domains used for sending more than 5,000 emails per day. Google laid down a few pointers for bulk and regular email senders, and one of them was the prohibition from impersonating Gmail From: headers. Although the news has been... --- #### Why Email Marketers Should Care to Implement BIMI? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-email-marketers-should-care-to-implement-bimi/ Description: BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays a brand's verified logo next to authenticated emails in supporting clients. BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays a brand's verified logo next to authenticated emails in supporting clients. BIMI requires a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject - p=none is not sufficient. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. There’s no doubt that phishing attempts are getting more sophisticated every day, but so is the email authentication infrastructure. In 2021, Kaspersky detected 469 different kinds of ‘phishing kits’ and blocked 1.2 million phishing pages. BIMI is another tool to help protect against phishing attacks. BIMI, or Brand Indicators for Message Identification, is a feather in the cap when it comes to email authentication. It’s a standard that allows email senders to associate their brand logo with their emails. This logo is displayed in the recipient's inbox, providing a visual indicator of the legitimacy of the email. Even though it is... --- #### Everything You Need to Know About DNS Blocklist URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-dns-blocklist/ Description: Everything You Need to Know About DNS Blocklist from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and. The engineering challenge with DMARC at scale is report volume, not complexity, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. A domain that sends 100,000 emails per day generates dozens of aggregate report files daily from different receivers. Parsing, classifying, and trending that data is why DMARC Report exists. Have you ever wondered how mail servers keep track of suspicious domains or IP addresses and prevent their messages from entering your mailbox? With grave cyberattacks like phishing, spoofing, and ransomware being at an all-time high, it is crucial for all the stakeholders in digital communication to prioritize email security. To keep your email ecosystem safe and secure, email servers employ various methods to ensure your inboxes remain free from spam and malicious content. One of them is the use of DNS-based blocklists or DNSBL. DNS blocklists are comprehensive lists of IP addresses and domain names that have been flagged for sending fishy (or is it phish-y) messages. But there’s more to these lists than this! If you’re wondering what exactly DNSBLs are and why they are so important in the context of maintaining secure communication, you’re in the right place! In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about... --- #### Why DNS Matters in Email Security? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-dns-matters-in-email-security/ Description: Why DNS Matters in Email Security? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. The engineering challenge with DMARC at scale is report volume, not complexity, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. A domain that sends 100,000 emails per day generates dozens of aggregate report files daily from different receivers. Parsing, classifying, and trending that data is why DMARC Report exists. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. DNS is a foundational component of email security, providing essential mechanisms for authenticating senders, emails routing, and filtering malicious content. The integration of DNS-based protocols enhances the overall trustworthiness and security of email communication. Since email has become a primary mode of communication, with the number of global e-mail users set to grow to 4.73 billion users in 2026, keeping an organization’s email infrastructure intact is becoming a top priority for businesses. Let’s dive deeper into the various aspects of how DNS contributes to its security. What Role Does DNS Play in Email Security? Phishing is a growing concern, and most scams are centered around email.... --- #### DMARC Best Practices for Domains and Subdomains URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-best-practices-for-domains-and-subdomains/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC adoption is already on the rise, and its urgency is also being propagated well; however, administrators still lack the proficiency to leverage its best benefits. You need to strategically move from the lenient to strict DMARC policy while maintaining a low rate of false positives and a good sender’s reputation so that most of your emails reach the desired recipients’ mailboxes. The implementation of DMARC is the step that follows after deploying SPF and DKIM. Although you need to have either of the protocols (SPF or DKIM) in place to implement DMARC, the combination of both ensures... --- #### Gmail and Yahoo Email Error Codes Explained URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/gmail-and-yahoo-email-error-codes-explained/ Description: Gmail and Yahoo Email Error Codes Explained from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. 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. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Different email error codes give different messages, and sometimes, their technical language doesn’t make sense to normal people. Google and Yahoo prioritise email protection and authentication; hence, the instances of receiving error messages are higher. That’s why we have curated this guide explaining the reasons for their prompting and ways to fix them. What are Email Error Codes and Why Do They Matter? Error codes are also called bounce codes, SMTP errors, or Delivery Status Notifications. They arise when one email server fails to deliver email to another email server. By decoding these error codes, you understand what’s wrong with your messages and how you can resolve the underlying issues. The best part is that modern mailboxes fix issues automatically without your involvement. But... --- #### Why Non-Profit Organizations Should Care to Deploy DMARC? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-non-profit-organizations-should-care-to-deploy-dmarc/ Description: Did you know that only 1% of Non-profit organizations’ domains have the basic DMARC authentication protection in place? Did you know that only 1% of Non-profit organizations’ domains have the basic DMARC authentication protection in place? DMARC safeguards the reputation and goodwill of profitable and nonprofitable organizations by \\shielding their email-sending domains against spoofing and phishing attacks. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Publishing a DMARC TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain is the first step. When a receiver’s mailbox filters an email sent from your domain and labels it as ‘potentially fraudulent,’ \\DMARC instructs it to either mark it as spam (so that the recipient becomes less likely to... --- #### ChatGPT-Generated Phishing Emails Are Too Good to Be Ignored! URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/chatgpt-generated-phishing-emails-are-too-good-to-be-ignored/ Description: ChatGPT-Generated Phishing Emails Are Too Good to Be Ignored! from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. ChatGPT has literally revolutionized the digital world. The generative AI tool is capable of churning out content based on pretty much everything that is available under the sun. However, with good comes the bad. And hence, the world is divided into two parts as of now- one that is elated about ChatGPT’s abilities, and the other which feels that ChatGPT is not efficient enough and can even be misused. Phishing experts definitely belong to the first group! They are happy with the generative AI’s ability to come up with phishing emails in no time. And the best thing about these malicious emails is their convincing power. The emails actually look legit, polished, and authentic... --- #### SPF Softfail or SPF Hardfail: What’s Right for Your Domain? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/spf-softfail-or-spf-hardfail-whats-right-for-your-domain/ Description: SPF Softfail or SPF Hardfail: What’s Right for Your Domain?: Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. When it comes to email authentication, SPF offers different result qualifiers to indicate how the receiving mail server should handle emails that are outside of the list mentioned in the SPF record of the sending domain. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. These result qualifiers are SoftFail and HardFail. There is no hard-and-fast rule as to which one’s the better choice - choosing the right SPF policy depends on your domain’s needs and priorities. Read on to learn more about the factors you need to consider and other protocols you can combine with SPF to enhance your email infrastructure. How Does SPF SoftFail Compare to HardFail? When a domain owner uses the SoftFail mechanism, they add the "all" qualifier... --- #### Why Are Your Emails Getting Blocked When Sent From Your Yahoo Account? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-emails-getting-blocked-when-sent-from-yahoo-account/ Description: The global email marketing market reached USD 911.3 million in 2022 and is estimated to grow at a . The global email marketing market reached USD 911.3 million in 2022 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 2.9% from 2022 to 2029 . Almost 26 billion emails are sent daily from Yahoo Mail, and just like other mailbox providers, it also has built-in spam and phishing filters. This is because it’s not practically possible for the company to involve their employees in the process of identifying senders’ authenticity, intentions behind emails, stuffing of malicious links, etc, in real-time. 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. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. But just like other things, these technical filters also have a flip side, which is false positives. These false positives are a real headache for email marketing teams as messages get blocked and don’t get placed in the inboxes of the target audiences... --- #### SMTP Smuggling is Allowing Email Spoofing; DMARC Prevents Such Attacks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/smtp-smuggling-is-allowing-email-spoofing-dmarc-prevents-such-attacks/ Description: In 2022, America’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency assessed federal and critical infrastructure partners. In 2022, America’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency assessed federal and critical infrastructure partners, which revealed that 84% of employees took the bait by either replying with sensitive information or engaging with the malicious links embedded in a spoofed email. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. What do studies and assessments like these convey? Well, they convey that it’s easier for hackers to fool people into sharing sensitive details or downloading malware-embedded files with techniques like social engineering, DDoS attacks, SMTP smuggling, etc. This guide shares how SMTP smuggling is emerging as a new cyber threat and how to shield your email infrastructure from it. What is SMTP and How it Works? SMTP is short for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, which transmits email between computers and defines rules for exchanging messages... --- #### How to Educate or Train Employees on Cybersecurity? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-educate-or-train-employees-on-cybersecurity/ Description: How to Educate or Train Employees on Cybersecurity?: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. In the digital age, adopting a security-centric culture has become a necessity for every organization. Owing to the increasing reliance on remote work, ensuring good cyber hygiene is essential for keeping your business protected from cyber threats. A significant number of businesses face a shortage of personnel possessing the essential technical, incident response, and governance skills required for effective cybersecurity management. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. As per Ipsos MORI, around 653,000, or 48% of businesses in the UK , experience a fundamental skills gap in the above-mentioned critical areas. Subsequently, the importance of employee training in your cybersecurity strategy cannot be overstated. In this blog,... --- #### A Guide to Leveraging DMARC to Mitigate Email-Based Attacks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/a-guide-to-leveraging-dmarc-to-mitigate-email-based-attacks/ Description: Let’s face it: the fear of falling prey to cyberattacks through deceptive emails is emerging at a than ever. Let’s face it: the fear of falling prey to cyberattacks through deceptive emails is emerging at a higher rate than ever. As businesses become more reliant on emails for communications and daily operations, the threat of attackers creeping in through this channel also increases, thereby bringing to light the need for robust protective measures. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Amidst the havoc wreaked by these attacks, Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) stands as a powerful cybersecurity tool that offers a robust set of protocols that help authenticate a sender's identity and ensure that the email is from a trusted source.... --- #### How to Setup DMARC to Meet Google’s New Requirements for Bulk Senders? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/setup-dmarc-meet-googles-new-requirements-for-bulk-senders/ Description: Google and Yahoo have unveiled a new email authentication policy that will be effective from . Google and Yahoo have unveiled a new email authentication policy that will be effective from February 1, 2024 . So, if you send over 5,000 emails daily and haven’t aligned your email settings as per the new requirements, this guide is for you. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. You can generate a DMARC record that starts at p=none and tighten it later. Google's February 2024 requirements were a turning point, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Before that, DMARC was a recommendation. Now it's a gate - if your DMARC record is missing or set to p=none without a plan to enforce, your email deliverability to Gmail is at risk. What are the New Requirements? Bulk senders who dispatch more than 5,000 emails per day to Gmail users are subjected to authenticate their email-sending domains through SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and rDNS. Moreover, the spam rate should be below 0.3% , and an easy way to... --- #### Android Features that Protect Users from Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/android-features-that-protect-users-from-phishing/ Description: Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Per the FBI's 2022 IC3 Report, 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year. DMARC with p=reject prevents attackers from spoofing your domain in phishing campaigns. Learn how to stop email spoofing with DMARC on your own domain. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Phishing Attacks and Smartphones- A Never-Ending Love Saga! Scammers have this innate love for smartphone users, as these devices store all the vital and sensitive details of the users. From banking apps to personal details, from photographs to passwords, these Android smartphones are nothing but a treasure trove of data for threat... --- #### The Importance of DMARC For Email Marketing and How to Get Started With it URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-for-email-marketing-how-to-get-started-with-it/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email marketing is the backbone of the new-age online business era , where newsletters and other forms of marketing content are dispatched in bulk with the intention of attracting prospects into opening them and clicking on the links. Upon clicking the links, the recipients are taken to the products or services pages, hoping they will make a purchase and increase sales. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. All this sounds like a nice profit-making strategy, but what about the case when these emails don’t show up in the inboxes of... --- #### Why is Email Deliverability Important for Online Businesses? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-is-email-deliverability-important-for-online-businesses/ Description: Have you ever wondered what happens to the email campaigns you carefully crafted after you press the send button? Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. Have you ever wondered what happens to the \\email campaigns you carefully crafted after you press the send button? Do they land in your clients’ inboxes or lurk around in the fringes of their spam folders? Well, every 1 in 6 emails fails to make it to the receiver’s inbox and is marked as spam. And the chances of your emails being one of them might not be as bleak as you think! The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. So, as an online business, how do you ensure that your emails are not just sent but also successfully delivered and read? This is where email deliverability comes in! In this article, we’ll delve into we will... --- #### Penetration Tests are Indicating Worse Cybersecurity Postures Across Globe; Phishing Attacks are Topping the List URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/penetration-tests-indicating-worse-cybersecurity-postures-phishing-attacks-topping-list/ Description: The effectiveness of data protection measures and the utility of available patches have worsened in recent years. The effectiveness of data protection measures and the utility of available patches have worsened in recent years. The Cymulate Cybersecurity Effectiveness Report 2022 highlights that the overall data exfiltration risk score has become poor, with cloud service-related evaluations standing at an average score of 70, while network protocols have a moderate risk score of 43. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Phishing attacks are responsible for almost 90% of data exfiltration or breaches. There’s no doubt that companies are investing in cybersecurity protocols and applications; however, they are lagging in securing the basic loopholes, and attackers are sidestepping modern technical protections. Popular Clouds are More Susceptible Earlier threat actors used file-sharing services like Dropbox and Box, but now their malicious attachments don’t pass filters and other security technologies. That’s why they... --- #### DMARC Update: RFC is Considering To Replace the ‘pct’ Tag in DMARC With ‘t=’ Tag URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-update-rfc-considering-to-replace-pct-tag-with-t-tag/ Description: A change is expected in the DMARC policy settings as IETF has introduced a draft that reports replacing the ‘pct’ tag with the ‘t=’ tag to overcome some. A change is expected in the DMARC policy settings as IETF has introduced a draft that reports replacing the ‘pct’ tag with the ‘t=’ tag to overcome some challenges. Things are not certain yet, as the document is under discussion and consideration. Nonetheless, let’s see what can we expect. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. What is DMARC? DMARC is an acronym for Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance. It is an email authentication protocol that instructs recipients’ servers on how they should deal with emails that fail SPF and/or DKIM checks. It includes mechanisms for reporting and conformance to help domain owners monitor and enforce their email authentication policies. For a fuller primer on what is DMARC, see our dedicated guide. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4.0 mandates DMARC for organizations processing payment card data as of March 2025.... --- #### Brad Slavin Presentation at MSP Global Conference 2023 | Elevating Email Security, A Comprehensive Guide to DMARC for MSPs URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/brad-slavin-presentation-msp-global-conference-2023/ Description: The MSP Global conference, held at the Nürburgring in Germany from November 14-16, 2023, was a major event in the Managed Service Provider industry. The MSP Global conference, held at the Nürburgring in Germany from November 14-16, 2023, was a major event in the Managed Service Provider industry. It featured over 100 speakers, including industry leaders and experts, and attracted more than 2,500 participants from over 75 countries. MSPs managing client domains tell us the same thing: manual DMARC monitoring across 50+ domains is not operationally viable, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. The multi-tenant dashboard in DMARC Report was built specifically because our MSP customers asked for it - they needed one portal for all their clients. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. For MSPs managing email authentication across dozens or hundreds of client domains, automated DMARC reporting and SPF management is an operational necessity - manual monitoring at scale is not viable. Free DMARC tools can jump-start that visibility. The event focused on driving digital transformation, offering a mix of keynote speeches, breakout sessions, masterclasses, and networking opportunities.... --- #### ‘No DMARC Record Found’ Bug Bounty is Actually a Beg Bounty- Don’t Fall For it URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/no-dmarc-record-found-bug-bounty-is-a-beg-bounty/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC Report · ‘No DMARC Record Found’ Bug Bounty is Actually a Beg Bounty- Don’t Fall For it A bug bounty is a program that allows ethical hackers to find vulnerabilities in a system or software, and they are rewarded for it. Usually, the reward is in the form of money, and sometimes it’s done in exchange for favors. As of 2020, the average bounty payout is the highest in the software industry, which has reached $5,700. On the other hand, beg bounty is a term that best describes a situation where the ‘bounty beggar’ discovers an obvious-to-know or easy-to-find vulnerability.... --- #### What Is Cyber Threat Hunting? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-cyber-threat-hunting/ Description: What Is Cyber Threat Hunting?: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Cyber crimes have been taking place at an exponentially high rate in the past two decades. In 2022, Canada alone bore a loss of a whopping 2 billion US dollars because of cyber crimes. Cyber security experts have been trying hard to blend conventional as well as modern techniques to prevent threat actors from breaking into our banks and networking systems. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. Cybercriminals, on the other hand, are swift enough to adapt to any modern technological advancements that give them a competitive edge. Cyber Threat Hunting is an effective tactic leveraged by cyber security experts who are aiming to identify the latent cyber risks that can exist in a network. The process is now being used actively... --- #### How Gmail Users Are Likely to Get Affected By the Updated RETVec System? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-gmail-users-are-affected-by-updated-retvec-system/ Description: Gmail has covertly introduced some updates based on the RETVec technology, which is short for Resilient & Efficient Text Vectorizer. Gmail has covertly introduced some updates based on the RETVec technology, which is short for Resilient & Efficient Text Vectorizer. It’s a next-gen text vectorizer that supports multiple languages and includes adversarial resilience by default. This machine learning-driven algorithm discovers spam techniques, keyword stuffing, insertion of glyphs, smart typos, etc, that threat actors use to outsmart and bypass security filters and protocols. With the introduction of this revamped algorithm, experts are expecting a drastic and evident reduction in phishing and spamming attacks. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. RETVec’s Development Google deployed and tested RETVec in the past year to determine its efficiency and accuracy. The developers found it to be effective against email abuses and capable of replacing the Gmail spam classifier’s previous text vectorizer to uplift the spam detection rate by 38% and lower the rate of false positives and negatives by 19.4% and 17.71%, respectively. To make it even better, it’s... --- #### A Reality Check On Email Security Threats In Healthcare! URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/a-reality-check-on-email-security-threats-in-healthcare/ Description: Healthcare centers are a treasure trove of sensitive data such as patient information and credit card details. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. The healthcare industry has become the center of focus for threat actors since 2022. In the past 12 months, the global healthcare sector has witnessed a whopping 60% increase in the number of cyberattacks. Multiple factors, like critical infrastructure, sensitive data, and IoMT, make this industry a popular target among cybercriminals. Healthcare centers are a treasure trove of sensitive data such as patient information and credit card details. Also, healthcare is a basic necessity that cannot stay dysfunctional for long. They are most likely to meet the demands of the phishing actors in order to restore day-to-day operations at the earliest. Besides,... --- #### Understanding Ransomware As a Service (RaaS) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-ransomware-as-a-service-raas/ Description: Now, ransom threats have taken the digital route as well! Now, ransom threats have taken the digital route as well! Cybercriminals attempt them using ransomware, which are basically malicious software and tools used to block access to a device or network of devices until the victim pays off the demanded amount. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. The global ransomware damage cost is anticipated to exceed $265 billion by 2031, and as of 2023, over 72 percent of organizations worldwide have been affected by ransomware attacks. Don’t these figures sound substantial and scary? Well, let us scare you a little more! The introduction and expansion of ransomware as a service, or RaaS, has expedited the exploitation process, bringing more victims under the radar of ransomware attackers. What is Ransomware? Ransomware is a malware type that blocks or limits users from accessing data, files, or devices until ransom payments are paid. Hackers trick targets into downloading ransomware on their systems through phishing attacks, in... --- #### 8 Types of Phishing Attacks to Be Wary of URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/8-types-of-phishing-attacks-to-be-wary-of/ Description: Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Per the FBI's 2022 IC3 Report, 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year. DMARC with p=reject prevents attackers from spoofing your domain in phishing campaigns. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. 8 Types of Phishing Attacks 1. Email Phishing Email phishing is a deceptive practice where attackers send fraudulent emails to users and potential customers on behalf of companies to trick them into sharing sensitive information, installing malware through links, transferring money, etc. An example of email phishing is a fake email appearing to be from a reputable source, like a bank, requesting the recipient to click... --- #### Detecting DMARC Issues Through Pentesting URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/detecting-dmarc-issues-through-pentesting/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Pen testing or penetration testing is defined as an authorized and strategized simulated cyberattack performed to explore the vulnerabilities of a technical system. Sounds complicated? Here’s a simpler explanation- The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. So, companies hire a penetration tester who breaks into their system just like a hacker would do. They try to take note of all the security loopholes that a malicious actor can exploit to access, alter, and intercept important information, install malware, send fraudulent emails, etc. Now, in the context of DMARC, it means a pen tester would break into your email system and find out vulnerabilities and errors associated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to... --- #### Prepare Ahead of Holiday Phishing Scams- The 2023 Holiday Season Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/prepare-ahead-of-holiday-phishing-scams-the-2023-holiday-season-guide/ Description: Prepare Ahead of Holiday Phishing Scams- The 2023 Holiday Season Guide: According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The holiday season is here, but unfortunately, the malicious scam season is also right behind it. This is the time when cybercriminals are also geared up to trick people into buying things from cloned websites, participating in fake contests promising exciting gifts, purchasing lottery tickets, etc. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. Do you know what’s the latest? It’s the puppy scam, scammers have started using the holidays to fool people into paying off for pets that don’t exist or have some sort of medical issues they don’t disclose. It’s also sad and scary to know that last year, the FBI reported a loss of $281 million to internet scams emerging from shopping and non-delivery schemes that majorly spiked during the holiday season. Common Scams to be Wary of This Holiday... --- #### Fortifying Defenses on a Budget: A Guide for Small Businesses  URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/fortifying-defenses-on-a-budget-a-guide-for-small-businesses/ Description: Are you a small business owner strategizing ways to scale your business? Are you a small business owner strategizing ways to scale your business? In the pursuit of growth, there’s a high probability that you’re missing out on an important detail that could potentially jeopardize your success. The Achilles' heel we're referring to is cybersecurity! You’d be surprised to know that only 26% of small business professionals prioritize cybersecurity. Large corporations are equipped with a dedicated security team and huge chunks of funds to fortify their defenses, but small businesses often find themselves stuck in a loop of operations, marketing, customer accusations, etc, altogether neglecting cybersecurity . While there could be various reasons behind this oversight, one of the primary reasons is limited resources. The shift to mandatory email authentication in 2024-2025 was the biggest change in email security in a decade, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all requiring DMARC means there's no inbox provider left that accepts unauthenticated bulk mail. Every organization needs to adapt. In this article, we’ll take you through the efficient ways to bolster your defenses without burning a hole in your pocket. How do you Ensure a Sound Cybersecurity Strategy on a Budget? One of the biggest misconceptions small and medium... --- #### DMARC History: Why SPF and DKIM Weren’t Sufficing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-history-why-spf-and-dkim-werent-sufficing/ Description: DMARC is driven by the authentication results of SPF and DKIM to prevent fraudulent emails sent from your domain from showing up in the primary inboxes of. DMARC is driven by the authentication results of SPF and DKIM to prevent fraudulent emails sent from your domain from showing up in the primary inboxes of victims. The protocol was developed to minimize the likelihood of someone falling into the trap and sharing sensitive details or sending money to hackers; so, if the recipient is not seeing the email in the first place (because it’s either in the spam folder or has bounced back) then what are the odds of them opening it and getting exploited. 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) 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. The genesis of DMARC dates back to 2010 , when 15 tech biggies came together to build a technology that could shield... --- #### 8 Misconceptions About DMARC and its Deployment for Businesses URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/8-misconceptions-about-dmarc-and-its-deployment-for-businesses/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Even Google and Yahoo have mandated the implementation of DMARC for companies sending over 5,000 emails per day . However, many companies are yet to take DMARC adoption seriously; unfortunately, the myths lurking around this topic put them into a dilemma, and hackers very well know how to take advantage of email-based security loopholes. But, as they say, it’s never too late to start- so here we are bursting common myths about DMARC to push you to get started. If you are new to the protocol, take a moment to learn about DMARC and what it actually does. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix... --- #### Why You Should Take DMARC Adoption Seriously? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-you-should-take-dmarc-adoption-seriously/ Description: The digital realm is replete with grave cyberattacks that can wreak havoc on an organization’s operations, efficiency, and integrity. The digital realm is replete with grave cyberattacks that can wreak havoc on an organization’s operations, efficiency, and integrity. Such perilous consequences demand comprehensive strategies that can cushion their impact and further prevent these attacks. This is where DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) comes in! As a critical email authentication protocol, DMARC plays a significant role in preventing phishing attacks and email spoofing and enhancing email security by allowing domain owners to specify how their emails would be treated if they failed SPF and DKIM authentication. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. As organizations increasingly rely on email communication for critical business operations, the importance... --- #### Google and Yahoo’s New Email Authentication Policy for 2024 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/google-and-yahoos-new-email-authentication-policy-for-2024/ Description: The prevalence of email-based attacks has necessitated the implementation of robust strategic measures. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. The prevalence of email-based attacks has necessitated the implementation of robust strategic measures. To mitigate the impact of these attacks and safeguard their digital ecosystem, security teams have been encouraged to employ email authentication protocols. However, it was never a mandatory practice until very recently. On Oct 03, 2023, Google and Yahoo announced that from February 2024 , DMARC implementation would be imperative for organizations that send more than 5000 emails per day to continue to do so. This strategic move aims to fortify email systems against fraudulent activities, enhance overall cybersecurity, and effectively mitigate the influx of spam emails. Moreover, the deadline set forth by the email service providers underscores the sense of urgency required to tackle malicious attacks and foster a more secure and reliable email environment for their users. Google's February 2024 requirements were a turning point, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Before that, DMARC was a recommendation. Now... --- #### The Concept of External Domain Verification in DMARC Reporting URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-concept-of-external-domain-verification-in-dmarc-reporting/ Description: DMARC reporting helps domain owners gain insights into email activities that consequently support strategical adjustments. DMARC reporting helps domain owners gain insights into email activities that consequently support result-driven strategical adjustments. There are two types of DMARC reports, aggregate and forensic. You can start receiving them right in your desired email account’s inbox by using rua and ruf tags in your DMARC record and adding email addresses where you wish to receive them. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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, not many domain owners are aware of the concept of External Domain Verification in DMARC reporting, which practically allows you to receive DMARC reports on an email address that is outside of your domain. A dedicated DMARC monitoring platform makes external... --- #### Hackers Are Exploiting the Google Groups’ Practice of Rewriting “From:” Addresses; Should You Rethink Before Continuing on Google Groups Now? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/hackers-exploiting-google-groups-address/ Description: Hackers Are Exploiting the Google Groups’ Practice of Rewriting “From:” Addresses; Should You Rethink Before Continuing on Google Groups Now? from DMARC. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. DMARC Report · Reconsidering Google Groups: Exploiting 'From:' Address Rewrite by Hackers Google is a highly reputed IT platform; however, despite the proactive measures and technologies it develops and adopts to keep its users safe, threat actors often outsmart their tech ninjas. And this has happened yet again! Recently, a cybersecurity firm uncovered a security loophole in Google Groups that has given hackers the opportunity to plan and execute sneaky phishing attacks without tipping off the members and creators. Before knowing about the vulnerability, we are quickly taking you through the concept of creating and using Google Groups. I Don't Know Much About Google Groups, Please Elaborate It’s fine if you are still unfamiliar with this platform, as it was popular in its heyday, and now it’s not a buzz anymore. This is primarily due to the development and introduction of better tools like Slack, Help Scout, Mailchimp, etc., and features to... --- #### How Generative AI Amplifies Hyper-Realistic Phishing Attacks? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-generative-ai-amplifies-hyper-realistic-phishing-attacks/ Description: in the technological arena. Minimal human intervention, less time consumption, zero chance of errors, generative AI is gradually becoming the new normal in the workplace, academia, and our households. Generative AI has ushered in pathbreaking developments in the technological arena. Minimal human intervention, less time consumption, zero chance of errors, generative AI is gradually becoming the new normal in the workplace, academia, and our households. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. \According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. However, just like the two sides of the same coin, this revolutionary technology comes with certain sets of cons. Security leaders and industry experts around the globe have unanimously raised concern against increasing cyber crimes, thanks to the cunning and strategical usage of generative AI by phishing actors! Generative AI Facilitates Persuasive Phishing Emails! The likes of Bard, ChatGPT, etc., have been penetrating into every industry at lightning-fast speed! Their proliferation has been a blessing in disguise for phishing experts as well, ChatGPT enables phishing actors to come up... --- #### Gaining DMARC Visibility the Right Way URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/gaining-dmarc-visibility-the-right-way/ Description: DMARC visibility strengthens email security and authentication by facilitating domain owners with information required to manage domain reputation and aids in. DMARC visibility strengthens email security and authentication by facilitating domain owners with information required to manage domain reputation and aids in the identification of fraudulent emails sent from your domain. These insights are gained by monitoring DMARC reports and hosting DMARC services. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In 2022, more than 27% of global phishing attacks were targeted towards delivery services, which concluded it as the most targeted industry by phishing. Online stores, and banks & payment systems were targets of 15 and 10% of phishing attacks , respectively. These statistics fuel the need for robust email security systems in place, but more than that, they underscore the necessity of... --- #### Microsoft Remains the Second-Most Impersonated Brand; Phishing Attacks Reach a Record High URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/microsoft-remains-the-second-most-impersonated-brand-phishing-attacks-reach-a-record-high/ Description: 2023 is coming to an end, and despite all the efforts by cyber security experts, there has been a significant leap in phishing activities. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. 2023 is coming to an end, and despite all the efforts by cyber security experts, there has been a significant leap in phishing activities. July, August, and September have seen a significant rise in phishing email campaigns. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. The two favorite brands for phishing actors have been Facebook and Microsoft. Threat actors have been targeting Microsoft 365 users with high-end phishing strategies. Their chief strategy revolves around penetrating into Microsoft 365’s built-in security features. Q3 2023 Witnessed Peak Rise in Phishing Attacks! Phishing activities witnessed a solid leap of 173% in Q3 as compared to Q2 2023. A whopping 125.7 million malicious emails were sent out, which made cyber security leaders spend quite a few sleepless nights! Facebook and Microsoft: Two All-Time Favorites of Phishing Experts!... --- #### 15 Anti-Spoofing Service Providers Other than Red Sift URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/15-anti-spoofing-service-providers-other-than-red-sift/ Description: Spoofing attacks involve the impersonation of legitimate entities through email, websites, or other online communication channels, often with malicious intent. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Spoofing attacks involve the impersonation of legitimate entities through email, websites, or other online communication channels, often with malicious intent. Red Sift is a well-known player in the field of anti-spoofing services. However, many other service providers offer effective solutions to combat spoofing attacks. In this blog, we will explore 15 anti-spoofing service providers, each with its unique features and capabilities . The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Valimail Valimail provides email authentication and anti-phishing solutions to protect email communication from spoofing and phishing attacks. One of their key offerings is the implementation of DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) - a robust email authentication protocol that enables organizations to specify which email sources are legitimate, effectively preventing unauthorized... --- #### 7 DMARC Management Service Providers Besides Dmarcian URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/7-dmarc-management-service-providers-besides-dmarcian/ Description: Dmarcian brings hundreds and thousands of senders, vendors, and operators together to establish a DMARC-protected email ecosystem. Dmarcian brings hundreds and thousands of senders, vendors, and operators together to establish a DMARC-protected email ecosystem. Their customers include banks, internet properties, governments, marketing agencies, telecoms, and commercial enterprises of different sizes and capacities. The team offers support, powerful tools, guides, and an expanding global network of DMARC deployment partners . Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. It was founded in 2012 and has come a long way. However, there are still some shortcomings that might prompt you to look for other alternative options to seek DMARC management services from. Here, we have gathered a list of the top 7 DMARC management service... --- #### Alternatives to DMARCLY's Blog Section for Learning About Email Authentication and DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/alternatives-to-dmarclys-blog-section-for-learning-about-email-authentication-and-dmarc/ Description: Blogs are a great way to learn about technical topics in detail. Blogs are a great way to learn about technical topics in detail. If you have just started to take action toward email authentication for your domains, then going through blogs will prepare you for what to expect. A grounding in the DMARC protocol helps you get far more out of them. The topics generally revolve around how to create and update SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, how to troubleshoot issues, what are the best practices to follow, how and when to shuffle DKIM keys, DMARC adoption scenarios, etc. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. For a plain-language breakdown, see our guide to SPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained. So, we have... --- #### Alternatives to Fraudmarc's Cost-Effective DMARC Reporting URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/alternatives-to-fraudmarcs-cost-effective-dmarc-reporting/ Description: DMARC reporting is the practice of adding rua and ruf tags to your DMARC record to start receiving aggregate and forensic reports. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC reporting is the practice of adding rua and ruf tags to your DMARC record to start receiving aggregate and forensic reports. These reports are then evaluated to understand your domain’s email activities and determine if a malicious entity is attempting to send fraudulent messages in your name. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Fraudmarc offers email security services, including DMARC reporting, where XML data is converted into human-readable format. Their standard package starts from $21 per domain per month, the advanced package is charged at $4 per user per month, and the high-definition package at $12 per user per month. However, domain owners often look... --- #### Options to Explore Other than PowerDMARC's TLS RPT Record Generator and Lookup Tools URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/options-to-explore-other-than-powerdmarcs-tls-rpt-record-generator-and-lookup-tools/ Description: TLS RPT supports the evaluation of the success and in your email activity while also helping in identifying and fixing security issues with your mail server. TLS RPT supports the evaluation of the success and failure of encryption in your email activity while also helping in identifying and fixing security issues with your mail server. MTA-STS is the protocol most organizations forget about, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. Without it, SMTP connections can be downgraded to plaintext by a man-in-the-middle even when both sides support TLS. Our hosted MTA-STS eliminates the web server requirement entirely. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. It works in conjunction with protocols imposing TLS, like MTA-STS and DNS-based Authentication%20is%20an,System%20Security%20Extensions%20(DNSSEC).) of Named Entities. IETF first documented the TLS reporting standard, and now, many companies have deployed it in their email infrastructure. If you haven't yet, create your DMARC record before layering on TLS reporting. PowerDMARC is one of the top Google search results for ‘TLS RPT service providers,’ but here we have gathered its alternatives that are as good as PowerDMARC yet reasonably priced! EasyDMARC EasyDMARC is an... --- #### 9 Reasons Why Companies Resist Implementing DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/9-reasons-why-companies-resist-implementing-dmarc/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) has been in the frame of email security since 2013, and still, a wide range of companies and organizations haven’t adopted it. As per a survey, the SaaS 1000 sector has the best DMARC adoption, which is 46%. It’s not even 50%, and mind you, we are talking about the sector with the highest adoption rate! The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. The situation is worse in the legislative and judiciary branches, with 17.3% and 13% adoption rates, respectively. On speaking with some... --- #### Is DIY-ing DMARC Safe? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/is-diy-ing-dmarc-safe/ Description: DIY DMARC isn’t considered safe due to the complexities involved and the requirement of technical expertise on board. DIY DMARC isn’t considered safe due to the complexities involved and the requirement of technical expertise on board. It can impede the email flow, increase the number of false positives, and disrupt email-reliant operational flow. The person in charge should be well versed in the technicalities of SPF and DKIM, which include generating respective records, publishing them on the domains’ DNS, and regular monitoring through reports. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Not just this, but troubleshooting stands as a big challenge in the picture. It’s suggested to regularly run SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records through their respective checkers or lookup tools that highlight... --- #### DMARC Adoption Amongst US Education Sector URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/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. 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, 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) 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, 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 within... --- #### DMARC Adoption Amongst UK Banks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-adoption-amongst-uk-banks/ Description: DMARC is an essential tool for enhancing email security, especially within the financial sector. DMARC is an essential tool for enhancing email security, especially within the financial sector. Financial institutions are a prime target for cybercriminals, given the potentially lucrative rewards associated with fraudulent transactions. Phishing attacks targeting the financial sector, encompassing banks among other institutions, continued to dominate as the most prevalent type of cyberattack, constituting a substantial 23.6 per cent of all phishing incidents. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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 the critical need for robust email security, the adoption of DMARC in the financial industry, particularly among UK banks, still lags behind. According to data from a CIO Insight report, the adoption of DMARC in the financial services sector is at... --- #### How to Fix DMARC RUF Report Problems? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-fix-dmarc-ruf-report-problems/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. DMARC reporting and monitoring help evaluate how your email-sending domain is being used, whether it is under the radar of any malicious entity, and what the percentage of false positives is. All these factors collectively help you make DMARC policy transitions from none to quarantine to reject. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. There are two types of DMARC reports: RUA (aggregate reports) and RUF (forensic reports). The right confidence to shift to a stricter DMARC policy or increase the implementation percentage (example p=quarantine; pct=20) comes from RUF reports that you receive regularly and also when suspicious activity is identified. We at DMARC Report authenticate every... --- #### 10 Reasons Why Your Website Needs A Robust DMARC Report Monitoring Tool URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/10-reasons-why-your-website-needs-a-robust-dmarc-report-monitoring-tool/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. The global economy is bolstered by many nuts and bolts, and cybersecurity is one of them. Without robust cybersecurity defenses in place, companies are highly vulnerable to phishing and spoofing attacks, jeopardizing the economy, data, public safety, and reputations of several stakeholders. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Lately, the occurrence of malicious incidents is snowballing, owing to the integration of AI and automation. You would be surprised to know that there was a 345% increase in unique phishing sites between 2020 and 2021, and a total of 300,497 phishing attacks were reported to the FBI in 2022. So, what measures can you, as business owners,... --- #### Maximizing DMARC Reporting: An IT Professional’s Email Security Game-changer URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/maximizing-dmarc-reporting-an-it-professionals-email-security-game-changer/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Emails serve as the lifeline for communication across organizations, businesses, and individuals in the digitized economy. However, this dependence on email comes at the cost of increased risk of email scams. This comprehensive guide will explore how DMARC reporting services can improve email security. Considering the ever-escalating threats associated with emails, safeguarding the integrity of your email communication is crucial. Forward-thinking organizations use DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) reporting services to strengthen their security stance. It is an indispensable tool to enhance email security in your organization. Maximizing DMARC reports must be a top priority to ensure enhanced email protection. The process can be a game-changer for an IT professional regarding email security. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and... --- #### Why DMARC is Important for Online Business URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-dmarc-is-important-for-online-business/ Description: Online businesses rely heavily on email communication for various purposes, from customer interactions to marketing campaigns. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Here's how DMARC is an essential tool for online businesses to protect against rising email threats. Online businesses rely heavily on email communication for various purposes, from customer interactions to marketing campaigns. However, this increased reliance on emails has also made them susceptible to cyber threats like phishing and spoofing. Therefore, the role of DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) becomes relevant. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. The Email Backbone of Online Businesses Email communication has become the backbone of online businesses. From order confirmations and shipping notifications to promotional campaigns and customer support, emails directly link businesses and their customers. The massive volume of emails makes it vital... --- #### Mandatory Requirement: DMARC Compliance Included in PCI DSS Version 4.0 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/mandatory-requirement-dmarc-compliance-included-in-pci-dss-version-4-0/ Description: This test shares the details of the latest DMARC compliance as part of PCI DSS v4.0. Let's take a look. This test shares the details of the latest DMARC compliance as part of PCI DSS v4.0. Let's take a look. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. In response to growing cybersecurity attacks, the upcoming PCI Data Security Standards version 4.0 (PCI DSS v4.0) mandates the implementation of DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) for organizations handling sensitive cardholder data. Here is everything you need to know. What Role Does Email Play in the PCI DSS Evolution? PCI DSS, a security standard by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), mandates the secure handling of cardholder data. Its evolution, exemplified by version 4.0, emphasizes email... --- #### The Importance of Email Statistics in Email Security and How DMARC Can Help URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-importance-of-email-statistics-in-email-security-and-how-dmarc-can-help/ Description: The Importance of Email Statistics in Email Security and How DMARC Can Help from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Listen to this blog post below DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email statistics, especially DMARC statistics, can be an invaluable tool in enhancing the email security of any organization by preventing spoofing and safeguarding its reputation. In this digital era, email communication is the most widely used channel for information exchange in business. However, email-based threats, like phishing, spoofing, and email scams, are also widespread and in sophisticated forms, posing a significant challenge to email security. Hence, organizations must use the most advanced solutions and tools to ensure data security for their crucial information assets. Email statistics and analytics are among such vital solutions . The following discussion examines... --- #### Microsoft Announces New DMARC Policy Handling Defaults for Enhanced Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/microsoft-announces-new-dmarc-policy-handling-defaults-for-enhanced-email-security/ Description: DMARC has been an efficient email authentication tool for a long time, providing reliable email security for numerous users. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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.DMARC has always been a robust email authentication tool. Microsoft’s latest announcement honoring senders’ DMARC policy settings is a significant step in enhancing email security for Microsoft email users. DMARC has been an efficient email authentication tool for a long time, providing reliable email security for numerous users. However, Microsoft had not been leveraging its capabilities for its email users until recently. With a new announcement recently, In an effort to prevent phishing and other email-based threats such as spoofing, Microsoft has made the conscious decision to respect the DMARC policy settings of its email users. This step will drastically bolster the email security of its users, providing a stronger line of defense against malicious activities. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and... --- #### DMARC in a Multi-Domain Environment: Best Practices for Complex Setups URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-in-a-multi-domain-environment-best-practices-for-complex-setups/ Description: DMARC in a Multi-Domain Environment: Best Practices for Complex Setups from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Listen to this blog post below The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. While handling single domains with DMARC is easy, DMARC in a multi-domain environment is also possible, though it may seem challenging. Email is a standard cyberattack tool used by malicious actors, and attacks through email have significantly intensified as more business organizations migrate to the cloud environment. Hence, cybersecurity focuses on plugging the gaps and preventing malicious actors from exploiting the email route. Statistics show that the most common cyberattack vectors threat actors use through email are phishing,... --- #### DMARC Policies Explained: How to Choose the Right Policy for Your Domain URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-policies-explained-how-to-choose-the-right-policy-for-your-domain/ Description: DMARC Policies Explained: How to Choose the Right Policy for Your Domain from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. Listen to this blog post below DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. As a domain owner, you choose the power of DMARC, and its strength is entirely in your hands. However, you must stay informed before picking the best DMARC policy for your domain. Although there is no right or wrong way to choose a DMARC policy (because it depends on the organization's needs), some policies help mailbox providers more in filtering malicious messages and stopping brand spoofing. It depends on how domain owners choose the DMARC policy. See each DMARC policy explained with examples of when to use it. What Is DMARC? As an email... --- #### Why Should You Avoid SPF PTR? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-should-you-avoid-spf-ptr/ Description: It is only prudent to avoid using PTR for SPF email authentication. It is only prudent to avoid using PTR for SPF email authentication. Considering the inconveniences and errors it causes, one must adopt one of the several other better alternatives. PTR, which used to be integral to SPF, is no longer significant to email authentication. Its importance has waned over the years, and instead of adding value, it now introduces errors, delays, and inconveniences. Below is a detailed look into PTR, what problems you could face while using it, and what alternatives to choose to overcome them. The article also points to more robust options like DMARC implementation. The engineering challenge with DMARC at scale is report volume, not complexity, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. A domain that sends 100,000 emails per day generates dozens of aggregate report files daily from different receivers. Parsing, classifying, and trending that data is why DMARC Report exists. What Is PTR in an SPF Record? PTR is one of the mechanisms used in SPF to help email authentication. Though there are various mechanisms used with SPF, the working of PTR is quite different from other tools that help email authentication. The importance of PTR has diminished over time due to other advanced and... --- #### The Role of DMARC in Cyber Insurance URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-role-of-dmarc-in-cyber-insurance/ Description: The Role of DMARC in Cyber Insurance from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. Listen to this blog post below DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. This article discusses the role of DMARC in Cyber Insurance and shares how organizations can enhance email security with DMARC. As cyber threats evolve, organizations increasingly turn to cyber insurance to mitigate the financial risks associated with cyberattacks. One crucial aspect of a comprehensive cyber insurance plan is the implementation of robust email authentication protocols like DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance). This text will explore the benefits of DMARC in the context of cyber insurance, its role in enhancing email security, and how organizations can effectively implement and monitor DMARC to safeguard their... --- #### What is a DMARC Policy, and How Does It Affect Sending My Emails? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-dmarc-policy-and-how-does-it-affect-sending-my-emails/ Description: What is a DMARC Policy, and How Does It Affect Sending My Emails? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Listen to this blog post below DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. This text will delve into the details of DMARC and share how it influences the sending of emails. Read on to how this email authentication protocol works. Email is the primary communication tool for businesses and individuals alike. However, the threats surrounding emails, such as phishing and spoofing, are ever-increasing, begging for robust email security measures to protect email senders and receivers. Luckily, DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) can keep these threats at bay and do wonders for your email if appropriately used. Let us see how. What is DMARC? DMARC is... --- #### Cybersecurity News, AI Email Security: Next-Gen, Manchester Students' Data Leak, Russian APT: Email Server Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/news-email-security-data-leak-email-breach/ Description: Cybersecurity News, AI Email Security: Next-Gen, Manchester Students' Data Leak, Russian APT: Email Server Breach from DMARC Report explains practical steps. Listen to this blog post below The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. With malicious actors employing innovative techniques to infiltrate network systems using phishing emails, organizations must deploy AI/ML-powered email phishing protection systems to prevent data privacy violations. Regularly reviewing DMARC aggregate reports also reveals which servers are sending mail using your domain. Here are the latest email security-related updates: AI-Powered Email Security Is the Next Big Thing in Cybersecurity, Next-Gen Email Threat Protection With AI (Artificial Intelligence) ruling the roost in the industry, it is no surprise that cybersecurity experts are turning to it for email protection. Modern tools like Trustifi can identify malicious email behavior and nip the chances of a cyberattack... --- #### Artificial Intelligence and the Serious Threat of Sophisticated Email Attacks and Automated Advertising Bots URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-and-the-serious-threat-of-sophisticated-email-attacks-and-automated-advertising-bots/ Description: Cybersecurity experts predict a rise in AI-led cyberattacks like automated propaganda bots and untraceable and complex email attacks that involve ChatGPT and. Cybersecurity experts predict a rise in AI-led cyberattacks like automated propaganda bots and untraceable and complex email attacks that involve ChatGPT and other large language models. Here is all you need to know about this emerging cyber threat that may impact email authentication resulting in email delivery risks. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Artificial Intelligence has taken the world by storm lately. With the coming of ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) like LLaMA and PaLM2, writing, art creation, and other tasks have become effortlessly easy. However, there are also threats lingering around the corner, such as, sophisticated phishing emails, new email delivery methods to bypass enterprise network periphery, and threats that can compromise or bypass email authentication protocols such... --- #### Business Email Compromise (BEC) Scams Take New Dimension With Multi-Stage Attacks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/business-email-compromise-bec-scams-take-new-dimension-with-multi-stage-attacks/ Description: Microsoft's Defender Experts recently discovered a sophisticated multi-stage AiTM (adversary-in-the-middle) phishing and BEC (business email compromise) attack. Microsoft's Defender Experts recently discovered a sophisticated multi-stage AiTM (adversary-in-the-middle) phishing and BEC (business email compromise) attack targeting numerous banking and financial services organizations. Read on to learn more about the latest email security threat. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Adversary-in-the-middle is an attack type where malicious actors intercept authentication between victims and a genuine authentication service to compromise identities or perform other malicious activities. The adversaries position themselves between the service and the user to intercept MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) and capture the session cookie. Afterward, they can replay the session and use the stolen session cookie to impersonate the user . Thus, they can access the impacted user’s applications and resources to launch business email attacks and perform other nefarious activities. The recent attack, which the Microsoft experts tracked... --- #### An Overview of Email Security Landscape in 2023 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/an-overview-of-email-security-landscape-in-2023/ Description: Corporate email accounts have been the soft target for malicious actors over the decade. Corporate email accounts have been the soft target for malicious actors over the decade. Being in 2023, how resilient is the email security posture of your enterprise? With email threats looking menacingly sophisticated, what could be the best line of defense? 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. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Our guide to DMARC policy explained covers how to choose the right enforcement level. Among other threats, phishing continues to be one of the primary attack vectors. A recent report reveals that phishing emails constituted only 11% of spam in 2021. This figure leaped to 24% in 2022 , indicating the potential threat. While organizations have increasingly deployed email security solutions, attackers exploit human vulnerabilities while executing social engineering attacks. Statistical... --- #### Microsoft Outlook Rolls Out Its New Authenticator Lite Feature for iOS and Android Users URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/microsoft-outlook-rolls-out-its-new-authenticator-lite-feature-for-ios-and-android-users/ Description: Now Microsoft users do not need to download the old standalone Microsoft Authenticator to their mobile phones to prevent unauthorized sign-ins. Now Microsoft users do not need to download the old standalone Microsoft Authenticator to their mobile phones to prevent unauthorized sign-ins. The new Microsoft Authenticator Lite comes incorporated into your Outlook to provide better mobile and email security. Strong inbox protection also depends on domain authentication — you can audit your domain's alignment with our free DMARC report analyzer tool. The email authentication landscape changed permanently in 2024, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Google, Yahoo, and now Microsoft all require DMARC. What used to be a best practice is now a hard prerequisite for reaching inboxes. Organizations that delayed are now paying the price in deliverability. Microsoft has started rolling out its Authenticator Lite feature for its Outlook mobile app to boost mobile and email security for Android and iOS users. Recently, the tech giant announced the news on the Microsoft 365 blog. The new authentication feature allows users to sign into their professional or school accounts using the Outlook app with MFA (multifactor authentication). Microsoft has developed this additional security layer for its Android and iOS users. Amidst rising phishing attacks and serious data breaches, cybersecurity experts highly recommend MFA as a security feature. That allows mobile... --- #### Unlocking the Power of DMARC: Shielding You and Your Customers from Phishing Attacks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/unlocking-the-power-of-dmarc-shielding-you-and-your-customers-from-phishing-attacks/ Description: Organizations and their customers are always facing the rising threat of phishing attacks. Organizations and their customers are always facing the rising threat of phishing attacks. This article looks at DMARC and shares how businesses can leverage DMARC to protect the organization and its customers against phishing. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. With phishing cases on the rise with new campaigns hitting the digital world every other week, individuals must protect themselves and their businesses from phishing attacks. Aimed at stealing login credentials and sensitive information, phishing can be significantly reduced with DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance). How so? Join us as we delve deep into DMARC and share how it can help you and your organization or business protect against phishing. What is a Phishing Attack, and How Does DMARC Help Against it? A phishing attack is where threat actors... --- #### Kimsuky Spear-Phishing Worldwide, 2023 Social Phishing Threat, Phishing HTML Doubles URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/kimsuky-spear-phishing-worldwide-2023-social-phishing-threat-phishing-html-doubles/ Description: This week's latest email security update brings you the top email security news of the latest phishing campaigns and security features. Let's take a look. This week's latest email security update brings you the top email security news of the latest phishing campaigns and security features. Let's take a look. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. North Korean Threat Actor Group Kimsuky Initiates a Worldwide Spear-Phishing Campaign Kimsuky, a North Korean state-sponsored threat actor group, initiated a new spear phishing campaign with a malware component called ReconShark . Researchers at SentinelOne published an advisory highlighting that threat actors are deploying ReconShark through targeted spear phishing campaigns. These ReconShark phishing emails contain OneDrive links that download multiple documents on the victim's devices, activating harmful macros. The threat actors abuse the names of real individuals in these emails to lure the targets in, so they open these malicious links. The downloaded files triggered Microsoft Office macros and carried... --- #### Trust Your Inbox Again: Gmail's Blue Checkmark Brings Enhanced Sender Verification URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/trust-your-inbox-again-gmails-blue-checkmark-brings-enhanced-sender-verification/ Description: Google has released a new feature for its Gmail. Google has released a new feature for its Gmail. A blue tick will now appear next to legitimate emails, allowing users to tell genuine and fraudulent emails apart. Join us as we delve deep into Google's blue tick, its significance, who can use this feature, and the change it will bring. 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. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Microsoft followed with DMARC enforcement from May 2025. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now rejected by all three major providers. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. Google, one of the most influential organizations and tech giants in the world, has taken the world by storm yet again, this time releasing... --- #### Email Phishing Soars: Report, Google: Ukraine Phished, QBot Email Malware, Cybersecurity News URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-phishing-soars-report-google-ukraine-phished-qbot-email-malware/ Description: Emails are the top mode of corporate communication often targeted by threat actors and cybercriminals. Emails are the top mode of corporate communication often targeted by threat actors and cybercriminals. Here are the latest email security news and updates for April 2023. Domain spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. Anyone can send email that looks like it comes from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only way to tell receiving servers to block unauthorized senders completely. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Phishing Attacks Soar by 569%, According to the State of Email Security Report Cofense released its latest email security report shedding light on the alarming increase in phishing attacks. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS v4.0 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 non-compliant email in May 2025. The UK NCSC, Australia's ASD, and Canada's CCCS all mandate DMARC for government... --- #### BIMI and GDPR Compliance: How to Ensure Data Privacy and Boost Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/bimi-and-gdpr-compliance-how-to-ensure-data-privacy-and-boost-email-security/ Description: This text shares how GDPR and BIMI play a crucial role in data privacy and email security and describes why businesses need to leverage BIMI and ensure GDPR. This text shares how GDPR and BIMI play a crucial role in data privacy and email security and describes why businesses need to leverage BIMI and ensure GDPR compliance. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. PCI DSS v4.0 (effective March 2025) requires organizations handling cardholder data to implement DMARC with a policy of at least p=quarantine on domains used in customer communications. Publishing the correct DMARC DNS record is the first step toward meeting that requirement. In recent years, businesses have increasingly relied on email marketing to engage customers and drive sales. However, with the rise in cyber attacks and concerns over data privacy, it's becoming more critical for... --- #### The Role of BIMI in the Fight against Email Fraud and Scams URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-role-of-bimi-in-the-fight-against-email-fraud-and-scam/ Description: The prevalence of email fraud and scams in the modern digital age has become a growing concern for individuals and organizations alike. The prevalence of email fraud and scams in the modern digital age has become a growing concern for individuals and organizations alike. This text shares the importance of BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) in protecting against email fraud and scams, why businesses need to leverage BIMI, and how to set it up correctly . According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Using phishing techniques and other malicious tactics by cybercriminals has resulted in millions of dollars in losses, damage to reputation, and personal harm to unsuspecting victims. In this context, the adoption of BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) has emerged as a promising solution for the fight against email fraud and scams. Let us see how BIMI plays an... --- #### Real-world Case Studies of Brands Successfully Implementing DMARC, DKIM, and SPF URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/real-world-case-studies-of-brands-successfully-implementing-dmarc-dkim-and-spf/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. Email security is the chief concern of businesses and organizations worldwide. This article sheds light on the growing need for email security and email deliverability and shares real-world case studies of brands that have successfully implemented DMARC, DKIM, and SPF and why other businesses need to follow suit. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email security is becoming increasingly important as cyber threats continue to evolve, and businesses need to take steps to protect themselves and their customers from these threats. The best way to achieve this is by implementing... --- #### How to Check if Your Email Authentication Is Set Up Correctly for DKIM, DMARC, SPF & BIMI URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-check-if-your-email-authentication-is-set-up-correctly-for-dkim-dmarc-spf-bimi/ Description: Email authentication is crucial in the digital world, but employing email authentication protocols like DKIM, DMARC, SPF, and BIMI correctly is more important. Email authentication is crucial in the digital world, but employing email authentication protocols like DKIM, DMARC, SPF, and BIMI correctly is more important. This post looks into why businesses need email authentication, the invisible challenges of email security, what DKIM, DMARC, SPF, and BIMI are, and how to check if your email authentication is set up correctly. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Email authentication helps protect the authenticity and integrity of emails, which is essential because it helps prevent spam and phishing attacks, which threat actors can use to steal personal information or spread malware. Using these email authentication techniques can help ensure that the emails you receive are legitimate... --- #### Cybersecurity News, Netflix Phishing Surge, Healthcare BEC Arrests, Canadian Schools Hit by Cyber-Attack URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/news-phishing-surge-bec-arrests-cyberattcak/ Description: Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Phishing remains the #1 initial access vector for cyberattacks, and email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) is the primary technical defense. Per the FBI's 2022 IC3 Report, 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year. DMARC with p=reject prevents attackers from spoofing your domain in phishing campaigns. Netflix Phishing Emails are Up By 78% From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. Security researchers warned that corporate accounts might be at risk after they noticed a 78% rise in email impersonation attacks posing as the Netflix brand since October. If employees used the same credentials for Netflix as their work accounts, such campaigns could imperil corporate data and systems, warned researchers. The group behind the phishing campaign used Unicode characters to bypass NLP (natural language processing) scanning in traditional anti-phishing filters. "Unicode helps convert international languages within browsers, but cybercriminals can use it for visual spoofing where they exploit international language characters and... --- #### How do DMARC, SPF, and DKIM Work in Tandem to Provide Email Security? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-do-dmarc-spf-and-dkim-work-in-tandem-to-provide-email-security/ Description: How do DMARC, SPF, and DKIM Work in Tandem to Provide Email Security? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. DMARC, SPF, and DKIM can improve your organization's email security by authenticating incoming emails. This post discusses how DMARC, SPF, and DKIM work and how to create DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records. Since the preferred mode of communication for organizations, businesses, and individuals worldwide is email, avoiding phishing and spam becomes the top priority to keep email communications protected. Suppose any user clicks on a phishing link or malicious email attachment. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. In that case, they could compromise the business and themselves by opening the network to ransomware, data leaks, privilege escalation exploits, email spoofing, and more. Let us share how DMARC, SPF, and DKIM work... --- #### DMARC Tags, Learn What they Are and Why You Need to Use Them URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-tags-learn-what-they-are-and-why-you-need-to-use-them/ Description: DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that improves the SPF and DKIM protocols. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that improves the SPF and DKIM protocols. It allows senders to specify how email should be handled if it fails SPF or DKIM authentication. This post discusses one of the most crucial aspects of DMARC, i.e., DMARC Tags. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Learn how DMARC alignment works to see why the From header matters so much. DMARC provides a way for email providers to give feedback to the sender about whether or not their messages are being authenticated and delivered. This feedback can improve the sender's email infrastructure and increase the chances of... --- #### Cybersecurity News, Iranian Agency's Email Breach, Crimson Kingsnake's Malicious Domains, CircleCI Impersonation URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/news-email-breach-malicious-domains/ Description: Threat actors continue to target email systems worldwide to infiltrate confidential information from organizations or get their hands on individuals’ PII. Threat actors continue to target email systems worldwide to infiltrate confidential information from organizations or get their hands on individuals’ PII (personally identifiable information), which they can use for various malicious purposes, such as selling it on the dark web for profit, corporate espionage, etc. This post discusses the latest incidents that organizations must take as lessons to improve their email security infrastructure. MSPs managing client domains tell us the same thing: manual DMARC monitoring across 50+ domains is not operationally viable, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. The multi-tenant dashboard in DMARC Report was built specifically because our MSP customers asked for it - they needed one portal for all their clients. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Iranian Atomic Energy Agency Discloses Email Hack The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) recently blamed an unnamed "foreign country" for leaking and stealing sensitive internal emails. This operation was attributed to an Iranian hacktivist group earlier. The Black Reward group posted the stolen AEOI documents online after it failed to force Tehran into... --- #### What Is DKIM? How DKIM Works & Why It Matters (2026) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dkim-explained-how-dkim-works-and-why-is-dkim-important-for-organizations/ Description: DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail, RFC 6376) is a cryptographic email-authentication standard that lets receivers detect tampering in transit and verify the sender. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. DKIM is one of the security standards to improve email security and prevent phishing, spoofing, and email spam. This text explains what DKIM is, how DKIM works, DKIM records, why DKIM is essential, why you need to use DKIM, and answers DKIM FAQs. What is DKIM? DomainKeys Identified Mail, known as DKIM, is an email security standard. DKIM helps you detect if email conversations are secure by checking if the content of any email was manipulated during transit. DKIM protects against phishing, email spoofing, and email spam by providing email security. It authenticates all emails to detect the addresses of the sender, allowing the recipient to verify if the email received is from a credible source and authorized by the domain's owner. DKIM uses a digital signature, known as a DKIM signature , which is encrypted for security and added to the email's header. DMARC monitoring should be as routine as checking your inbox, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. The aggregate reports tell you exactly who sends... --- #### What is BIMI, and How it is Built upon DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-bimi-and-how-it-is-built-upon-dmarc/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. BIMI is one step ahead of usual email authentication standards. While it ensures security through email identification, it also enhances brand value by stamping the brand logo on the email. This article will explore BIMI and how it's built upon DMARC. Effective email identification and authentication are essential parts of internet security. Organizations worldwide are investing vast resources to ensure that their networks are safe. The various internet protocol mechanisms have undergone a significant transformation, a continuous process. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. While conveniences have increased with technological advancements, challenges have become increasingly sophisticated, and building trust has become arduous. Under such... --- #### Cybersecurity News, Exchange Zero-Days Evaded, Fake Email Scam, Report Teams Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/news-zero-days-email-scam-phishing/ Description: As ISPs adopt stricter email policies, senders without authentication will face difficulties with email deliveries; this is especially impactful for smaller. As ISPs adopt stricter email policies, senders without authentication will face difficulties with email deliveries; this is especially impactful for smaller businesses that rely on shared IPs. Even with robust email authentication standards, threat actors find workarounds to target businesses through email-borne threats. Here are the latest news headlines to keep you updated on these threats. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. Threat Actors Bypass Mitigation For Exchange Zero-Days Vulnerabilities, Microsoft Issues New Workarounds Microsoft recently updated its mitigation strategies for the Exchange Server's newly discovered and actively exploited zero-day flaws after discovering that malicious actors trivially bypassed them. The two vulnerabilities, CVE-2022-41040 and CVE-2022-41082, are codenamed ProxyNotShell because they resemble another set of flaws called ProxyShell, which Microsoft resolved... --- #### Cybersecurity News, Malicious OAuth Hijack, University Email Update, American Airlines Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/news-ouath-hijack-email-update-airlines-breach/ Description: Emails are the common entry point for cybercriminals looking to infiltrate the organization's network and obtain valuable data. Emails are the common entry point for cybercriminals looking to infiltrate the organization's network and obtain valuable data. Since the attacks are getting more sophisticated, standard email security controls are no longer effective. Read about the latest email security news and determine why you need to invest in better email security practices. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Microsoft: Hackers Use Malicious OAuth Apps and Take Over Email Servers Microsoft warned of a consumer-facing attack in which attackers deployed rogue OAuth applications on compromised cloud tenants. Their main aim was to seize control of the Exchange servers and spread spam. According to the Microsoft 365 Defender Research Team,... --- #### Cybersecurity News, TA453's Phishing Tactic, Dark Web's EvilProxy Toolkit, Queen's Passing Phishing Alert URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/news-impersonation-dark-web-phishing-alert/ Description: Cybercriminals are using new techniques to increase their chances of success in targeted phishing attacks against various organizations. Cybercriminals are using new techniques to increase their chances of success in targeted phishing attacks against various organizations. Undoubtedly, online phishing scams are rising, causing significant losses to businesses and individuals. Here are the latest developments related to email security. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. TA453 Utilizes Multi-Persona Impersonation (MPI) Tactic in Latest Phishing Attacks The Iranian hacking group TA453 recently developed a new phishing technique called ​​Multi-Persona Impersonation (MPI), which uses multiple personas/e-mail accounts to lure the victims into realistic email conversations, which are difficult to detect. The MPI phishing technique Researchers from Proofpoint state that the MPI phishing technique uses social proof, a psychological principle, to lure the victims easily by adding an element of authenticity. MPI... --- #### Cybersecurity News, Privacy Activists Target Tech Giant, UK Privacy Regulator, Mailchimp Cyberattack URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/news-privacy-activists-privacy-regulator-mailchimp/ Description: Since email security is an ever-changing landscape, organizations and individuals must focus on the most relevant issues to stay one step ahead of adversaries. Since email security is an ever-changing landscape, organizations and individuals must focus on the most relevant issues to stay one step ahead of adversaries. The article combines the latest email security-related news, which will bring you up to speed with the evolving threat landscape. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. 1.Google May Invite Penalty After Privacy Activists Target The Tech Giant Over French 'Spam' Emails A European group of activists, who go by the name NOYB (None of Your Business), said that Google infringes upon EU law by sending people direct advertising messages through Gmail. The group, having a long history of fighting the tech giant on data privacy, sent screenshots to the French data regulator CNIL, showing marketing messages pinned on top of the user's inbox. CNIL is the most active authority in Europe, which has earlier fined Google and Facebook heavily. The activists' group attached the following explanations with its... --- #### How SPF Can Help Organizations in Improving Email Security and Thwarting Spam, Phishing, and Email Spoofing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-spf-can-help-organizations-in-improving-email-security-and-thwarting-spam-phishing-and-email-spoofing/ Description: Email spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement - any attacker can forge the From header to make an email appear to come from your domain. Email spoofing is trivially easy without DMARC enforcement - any attacker can forge the From header to make an email appear to come from your domain. DMARC with p=reject is the only protocol that tells receiving servers to block unauthorized senders entirely. According to the FBI's 2022 IC3 Report, Business Email Compromise caused $2.7 billion in direct losses. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. Why do Organizations Need SPF? Emails follow the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) specified in RFC 821. RFC is the technical and organizational document space that provides detailed specifications for Internet Standards. However, with the advanced email attacks and spoofing tactics, SMTP fails organizations as it offers no security features and relies on additional protocols for email security such as TLS (Transport Layer Security) for encrypting emails, PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) for decryption, encryption, and authentication, and similar ones. Emails may be encrypted, but they are not from... --- #### Cybersecurity News, Gmail Attack Bypasses, Secure Cloud Fax: Healthcare Transition, Gmail AMP XSS: Discovered URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/news-gmail-attack-cloud-fax-gmail/ Description: In today's evolving threat landscape, email authentication is one crucial aspect that no organization can afford to ignore. In today's evolving threat landscape, email authentication is one crucial aspect that no organization can afford to ignore. With threat actors updating their techniques and methodologies to bypass authentication systems, it has become necessary to be aware of these developments. From a product strategy perspective, DMARC reporting is evolving from a security tool to a business intelligence platform, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. The data in aggregate reports tells you not just who's spoofing you, but who's sending legitimate email on your behalf - and whether they're doing it correctly. 1. A New Gmail Attack Variant Bypasses Passwords and 2FA According to the threat research team of cyber security firm Volexity, the North Korean 'SharpTongue' group, which appears related to the Kimsuky APT (advanced persistent threat) group, deployed malware named SHARPEXT that doesn't require users' Gmail login credentials. Instead, it "inspects and exfiltrates data directly " from the victim's Gmail account as they browse it. It is a quickly evolving threat, and experts at Volexity state it has already reached version 3.0 as per the malware's internal versioning. The SHARPEXT malware can steal email from AOL and Gmail webmail accounts and targets Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Whale,... --- #### Change log URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/change-log/ Description: Latest Updates as of March 2026New Features Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu. Latest Updates as of March 2026New Features Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. AI-Powered Email Source Identification Not sure which services are sending email on your behalf? Our new AI Helper analyzes your email source data and helps you identify and configure your sending services - even when source information is incomplete or inconsistent. It provides streaming, real-time guidance right inside the platform. EHLO/HELO SPF Check in Email Test Tool The Email Test tool now includes an SPF check against your mail server's EHLO/HELO hostname. This catches a commonly overlooked authentication gap - particularly important if your server sends bounce notifications (where MAIL FROM is empty and receivers fall back to the HELO identity for SPF checks). The results include clear explanations of what this check means and when it matters. Tags & Live/Parked Status in API 2.0 MSPs and agencies managing multiple client domains can now retrieve domain tags and Live/Parked status... --- #### DMARC News: Recent Updates on Email Authentication Standards and Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-news-recent-updates-on-email-authentication-standards-and-security/ Description: Email security is the talking point in corridors of cyber expertise, where experts are constantly devising ways to be one step ahead of the cyber adversaries. Email security is the talking point in corridors of cyber expertise, where experts are constantly devising ways to be one step ahead of the cyber adversaries. Following are this week's developments in cyberspace concerning email security and email authentication standards. DMARC is the only email authentication protocol that gives you both enforcement and visibility, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. SPF and DKIM authenticate silently - DMARC tells you what happened and lets you control the outcome. That combination of reporting and policy is why DMARC adoption is accelerating. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. The key mechanism that ties them together is DMARC alignment. A Gift From Apple: Security Standard For Email Identification may become Urgent for Businesses Apple's recently announced planned support for BIMI in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura created increased urgency for enterprises to secure VMC or Verified Mark Certificates that are a visual representation of security. The BIMI certification will validate the organizations' invested... --- #### Top Stories Regarding DMARC, SPF, DKIM, BIMI, and Email Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/top-stories-regarding-dmarc-spf-dkim-bimi-and-email-authentication/ Description: Email authentication tools such as DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, have become a necessity to ensure email security in today’s times. Email authentication tools such as DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, have become a necessity to ensure email security in today’s times. This post looks at recent developments in DMARC, SPF, DKIM, and BIMI. For a refresher on how the three fit together, see SPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. BIMI is Still a New Trend for Businesses BIMI has been the choice of businesses in the past, especially after its boost in popularity when Gmail added support for BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) in 2021. The adoption of BIMI has been on the rise, with many organizations and email providers including it in their services. Email... --- #### DMARC FAQ URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-faq/ Description: DMARC FAQ article explaining DMARC reports, authentication records, implementation questions, and practical answers for domain owners. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. You can confirm your record with our DMARC record checker before you begin. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. Can I whitelabel DMARC Report? Absolutely. DMARC Report is designed specifically for businesses to whitelabel the interface. It is designed for you to provide services to your clients, branded with your domain. DMARC Report Public Roadmap Our roadmap is published at https://roadmap.dmarcreport.com.. Feel free to add your own suggestion or vote on other people's requests. Can I upgrade my DMARC Report Plan? Yes, you can add additional volume to your plan. Please contact support and they can help you with additional email or domain volume. 5 Domains, $5/month 100,000 additional messages, $5/month... --- #### Eight Strong Reasons to Use DMARC for Your Business URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/eight-strong-reasons-to-use-dmarc-for-your-business/ Description: DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible From header. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Email has become a mainstream communication medium for almost all organizations and businesses. However, it has also become a notorious channel for malicious actors to trick organizations into giving out confidential information by spoofing emails. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. This problem led to the emergence of a crucial solution for email authentication: DMARC. It stands for 'Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance.' DMARC is a protection protocol for email authentication and validation where it evaluates and records information about the sender and recipient of emails. It secures the organization's domain from being exploited to send phishing, social engineering, and spoofing emails. Significant... --- #### Phishing Protection: Why Are so Few Using DMARC? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/phishing-protection-why-are-so-few-using-dmarc/ Description: What if there existed a technology that could dramatically lower the chances of your domains being spoofed and used for phishing attacks on recipients. What if there existed a technology that could dramatically lower the chances of your domains being spoofed and used for phishing attacks on recipients. Would you take advantage of it? Probably not, because the technology does exist and almost nobody is using it. And the reasons why are confounding. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. According to the FBI's 2022 Internet Crime Report (IC3), 300,497 US-based victims reported phishing incidents in a single year, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) caused more than $2.7 billion in direct losses. The technology is called DMARC, which stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. "It is designed to give email domain owners the ability to protect their domain from unauthorized use, commonly known as email spoofing. The purpose and primary outcome of implementing DMARC is to protect a domain from being used in business email compromise attacks, phishing emails, email scams and other cyber threat... --- #### The Silly Case of Unenforced DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-silly-case-of-unenforced-dmarc/ Description: If you have any kind of alarm in your home, like a smoke detector or burglar alarm, you probably don't think about how it works very often. If you have any kind of alarm in your home, like a smoke detector or burglar alarm, you probably don't think about how it works very often. As it turns out, every alarm, to be effective, actually has to do two things: it has to sense something bad and then it has to take action. In most cases, that action is to blast a really loud signal. Loud enough to wake you up from a sound sleep Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. Now, imagine you had an alarm that only did one of those things. It sensed something bad and in response to that it... --- ### Intermediate #### Ahold Delhaize Cyberattack, French Supermarkets Hacked, Spyware Through Ads URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ahold-delhaize-cyberattack-french-supermarkets-hacked-spyware-through-ads/ Description: Explore key cybersecurity news from October 13–19, 2026, including major cyberattacks, zero-days, spyware, AI threats, and email security risks. Here’s a roundup of the week’s biggest cybersecurity developments, from a retail giant pulling its network offline to government spyware delivered through ordinary online ads. A zero-day in a popular VPN appliance, a record Patch Tuesday, and a major crackdown on North Korean IT workers also made headlines. Most of these stories show how attackers keep exploiting trust, whether in ads, messages, or the software we already rely on. Ahold Delhaize takes systems offline after a cyberattack! Dutch retail giant Ahold Delhaize confirmed on October 12 that it had detected a “security issue” and shut down parts of its network to contain it. Stores stayed open, but customers couldn’t use websites or apps at several brands in the Netherlands and Belgium, and some Stop & Shop staff couldn’t reach schedules and pay stubs. The company is also dealing with its second major incident in recent years. BleepingComputer Refrigerators at French supermarkets shut down by hackers! Attackers remotely switched off refrigeration units at several French supermarket chains over the weekend before the window, reportedly by targeting Danfoss refrigeration controllers. Researchers say the weaknesses in that equipment had been disclosed months earlier, which makes the story a warning about leaving known flaws... --- #### How To Configure Mandrill SPF And Verify Email Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-configure-mandrill-spf-and-verify-email-authentication/ Description: Learn how to configure Mandrill SPF records and verify email authentication to improve deliverability, prevent spoofing, and ensure your emails reach inboxes. Configuring Mandrill email authentication correctly is essential for verifying your sending domain and supporting email deliverability. Mailchimp Transactional, formerly known as Mandrill, requires sending-domain verification, DKIM configuration, and a valid DMARC policy. In this guide, you’ll learn how to configure these authentication settings, understand SPF requirements where applicable, verify your DNS records, and troubleshoot common email authentication issues. What Mandrill SPF Is and Why It Matters for Email Deliverability Mandrill, now part of Mailchimp Transactional Email, is a transactional email service used to send application-generated messages such as password resets, receipts, account alerts, and product notifications through an API, SMTP, or SMTP relay. To protect your sending reputation and improve email delivery, you need proper email authentication for the domain you use as the email sender. Mandrill SPF refers to the SPF configuration that allows Mandrill to send email on behalf of your domain. SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework, an authentication protocol that tells receiving mail servers which systems are allowed to send mail for a domain. In practical terms, your SPF record is published as a TXT record in DNS, and it includes the Mandrill sending source using include:spf.mandrillapp.com. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) allows receiving mail servers to... --- #### How To Track Email Authentication Changes After A DNS Migration URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-track-email-authentication-changes-after-a-dns-migration/ Description: Learn how to track SPF, DKIM, and DMARC changes after a DNS migration to prevent authentication failures, email delivery issues, and domain spoofing. Tracking email authentication after a DNS migration involves documenting existing DNS records, verifying the new DNS configuration, and monitoring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC results after the cutover. Checking relevant MX, return-path, and email security policy records can also help identify configuration issues that affect mail delivery. Before migrating, record the current DNS values and TTLs. After the change, compare the published records against the original configuration, verify the authoritative nameservers, and review DMARC aggregate reports for changes in authentication results. This process helps identify missing records, incorrect DKIM selectors, SPF evaluation errors, and DMARC alignment failures. Inventory and Map: What Changes and How to Avoid Gaps Identify Every Authentication-Relevant Record A DNS migration can affect email authentication and related mail services. Inventory the records used by your domain and send providers before making changes. - SPF: TXT record at the domain used for the SPF identity, which may be the root domain or a subdomain. - DKIM: TXT or CNAME records at the relevant selector under .domainkey, depending on the provider's setup. - DMARC: TXT record at dmarc.example.com, containing the domain's DMARC policy and any configured reporting options. - MTA-STS: TXT record at mta-sts.example.com and an HTTPS policy file at... --- #### How to Analyze Message Headers to Diagnose Email Authentication Failures URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-analyze-message-headers-to-diagnose-email-authentication-failures/ Description: Learn how to analyze email headers, identify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC failures, trace delivery routes, and resolve authentication issues through DNS checks. Why Message Headers Matter for Email Authentication Troubleshooting A message header is the technical record of how an email moved from the message sender to the recipient. While the visible email body may look simple, the email header contains header metadata such as routing information, timestamp values, sender identity details, authentication results, and the delivery route across each mail server. When you analyze headers properly, you can determine whether an authentication failure came from SPF, DKIM, DMARC, DNS configuration, forwarding behavior, or spoofing. For delivery troubleshooting, the message header is often more reliable than user-facing error messages. A bounce may say “authentication failed,” but the email header can show which authentication checks failed, which source IP was evaluated, whether a relay server modified the message, and whether the recipient domain treated the email as spam. This is why security teams, postmasters, and anti-spam systems rely on header data for forensic analysis and phishing detection. Reading Header Metadata in Context Header metadata should be interpreted as a timeline, not as isolated lines. Each received header represents a transfer between systems, creating a delivery path from the originating smtp system to the final inbox. To analyze message headers effectively, start by accessing... --- #### How To Check Email TLS Configuration And Fix SMTP Encryption Errors URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-check-email-tls-configuration-fix-smtp-encryption-errors/ Description: Learn how to check email TLS configuration, troubleshoot SMTP encryption errors, and secure email communications with proper TLS settings and best practices. To check email TLS configuration and fix SMTP encryption errors, test STARTTLS or implicit TLS using tools such as OpenSSL and Swaks. Verify certificate validity, supported TLS versions, and cipher settings, then review mail-server logs to identify handshake failures. Configure transport-security policies such as MTA-STS or DANE where appropriate, and use TLS Reporting (TLS-RPT) to monitor email delivery issues related to TLS. Regular testing and monitoring help administrators maintain secure email delivery. Email TLS determines whether messages traverse the internet encrypted between mail servers and clients. Most SMTP on port 25 uses opportunistic STARTTLS, upgrading a plain connection to TLS when both ends support it; client submission typically uses STARTTLS on 587 or implicit TLS on 465. Failures often arise from expired or mismatched certificates, unsupported TLS versions/ciphers, broken chains, or policy misalignment, all of which are diagnosable with standard tools and fixable via configuration and certificate hygiene. TLS configuration issues can affect secure email delivery when servers cannot negotiate encryption or validate certificates correctly. To reduce these risks, maintain supported Transport Layer Security (TLS) versions, automate certificate renewal, monitor SMTP connections, and investigate errors through server logs and TLS-RPT reports. Combining transport-security checks with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC monitoring... --- #### Pobox SPF Setup: How To Verify Records And Troubleshoot Authentication Failures URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/pobox-spf-setup-verify-records-and-troubleshoot-email-authentication-failures/ Description: Discover how to set up Pobox SPF records, verify DNS settings, troubleshoot authentication failures, and improve email deliverability while preventing spoofing. Setting up Pobox SPF correctly is essential for improving email authentication and reducing delivery issues. By verifying your SPF records and troubleshooting common configuration errors, you can ensure that authorized mail servers are recognized and legitimate messages are less likely to be flagged as spam. This guide explains how to check your Pobox SPF setup, identify authentication failures, and maintain reliable email delivery with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Understanding Pobox SPF and Why It Matters for Email Authentication Pobox SPF is part of a broader email authentication strategy that helps receiving mail systems determine whether messages using your domain are authorized. SPF, or Sender Policy Framework, checks the sending IP address against the SPF record published in DNS for the envelope sender domain. If the sending mail source is not listed, the recipient system may treat the message as suspicious, route it to spam, or reject it with a bounce. For Pobox users, SPF is especially important because many accounts use email forwarding, personal domains, or multiple sending identities. If you send through Pobox SMTP servers, check Pobox’s current documentation for the correct SPF configuration and add the verified authorization mechanism to your domain’s existing SPF record. A correct SPF... --- #### FortiBleed Firewall Attacks, AI Bank Cyberattacks, ASOS Data Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/fortibleed-firewall-attacks-ai-bank-cyberattacks-asos-data-breach/ Description: Explore cybersecurity news from October 6–12, 2026, covering firewall attacks, AI-powered threats, ransomware, data breaches, and critical vulnerabilities. The week from 6 to 12 October 2026 brought a wave of cybersecurity incidents, including ransomware attacks, data breaches, critical software vulnerabilities, and AI-powered cyber threats. From compromised Fortinet firewalls and attacks on South Korean banks to exposed renewable energy systems, these stories highlight the growing risks facing businesses, governments, and critical infrastructure. Here are the key cybersecurity developments organizations should know about and the security lessons they offer. FBI and Secret Service warn about FortiBleed attacks on Fortinet firewalls A joint advisory from 6 October says a credential-harvesting campaign has compromised tens of thousands of FortiGate devices. Attackers sometimes delete or change the original admin accounts, locking owners out, and the access is being linked to ransomware affiliates. Read the FBI IC3 advisory AI-driven attacks on South Korean banks Investigators believe an open-source, LLM-based penetration-testing tool was used against several Korean banks, exposing personal data of tens of thousands of people. Every confirmed intrusion hit internal or partner-facing systems rather than customer apps, and the banks have not formally confirmed the tool’s use. Read the Korea JoongAng Daily report ASOS confirms a customer data breach after a rogue app notification On 6 October, ASOS app users received a push... --- #### What Are The Common NetSuite SPF Configuration Mistakes And How Can You Fix Them? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-are-netsuite-spf-configuration-mistakes-and-how-to-fix/ Description: Discover common NetSuite SPF configuration mistakes, learn how to fix DNS errors, prevent SPF failures, and improve email deliverability and domain security. The most common NetSuite SPF configuration mistakes—publishing multiple SPF TXT records, omitting NetSuite’s authorized senders, exceeding the 10-DNS-lookup limit when adding SendGrid/Mailchimp/Google, using the wrong qualifier or record type, and misaligning subdomains/return-paths—are fixed by consolidating into a single, well-formed TXT record that explicitly includes NetSuite’s published mechanism and other platforms with minimal lookups, uses a deliberate all/-all policy tied to DMARC, and is continuously validated and monitored with tools and DMARCReport. Email authentication hinges on three standards—SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—that must work together to prove who can send mail for your domain and how receivers should treat failures. In NetSuite environments, SPF helps receiving mail servers verify whether a sending source is authorized to send email for a domain. However, NetSuite does not require every account to add a NetSuite-specific SPF in every situation. The appropriate configuration depends on the email-sending method and the receiving mail server's requirements. When a NetSuite SPF reference is needed, use Oracle's documented mechanism and verify that the DNS record covers the actual sending setup. This guide compiles the most frequent NetSuite-related SPF pitfalls, shows exactly how to fix them, and maps each step back to DMARCReport so you can validate, monitor, and enforce your... --- #### What Configuration Mistakes Commonly Lead To DKIM Neutral Results For Outbound Email? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-configuration-mistakes-lead-to-dkim-neutral-results-outbound-email/ Description: Discover common DKIM configuration mistakes that cause neutral results in outbound email, including DNS errors, selector issues, and signing misconfigurations. DKIM neutral results can indicate that a receiving mail server could not properly process a message’s DKIM signature, such as when the signature contains syntax errors. However, missing DNS keys, temporary DNS lookup problems, and changes to a signed message can produce different DKIM results depending on the cause and receiving server. Understanding the difference between neutral, fail, temperror, permerror, and none helps email administrators troubleshoot authentication issues more accurately. This guide explains common DKIM configuration problems, how to investigate them, and how DMARC reporting can help identify broader email authentication issues. DNS and selector publishing pitfalls that produce DKIM neutral DNS configuration problems can prevent successful DKIM verification, but they do not always produce a dkim=neutral result. Depending on the failure, a verifier may report temperror or permerror. Incorrect or missing DKIM TXT records - Typical causes: An incorrect selector name (s=), a misconfigured domainkey subdomain, malformed record tags, an invalid public key, or formatting errors in the published TXT record. - Possible symptoms: DKIM verification may fail or return an error if the public key is missing, inaccessible, or malformed. The exact result—such as dkim=fail, dkim=temperror, or dkim=permerror—depends on the issue and the receiving server. A dkim=neutral result... --- #### How to Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for Squarespace Email Campaigns URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/configure-spf-dkim-and-dmarc-for-squarespace-email-campaigns/ Description: Sending marketing emails from your own domain can help strengthen your brand identity, but proper email authentication is essential to make sure those messages reach recipients successfully. Sending marketing emails from your own domain can help strengthen your brand identity, but proper email authentication is essential to make sure those messages reach recipients successfully. Without authentication, attackers may impersonate your domain, while legitimate campaigns may face delivery problems or end up in spam folders. Squarespace Email Campaigns supports domain authentication through DNS configuration. By setting up DKIM and DMARC correctly—and understanding how Squarespace handles SPF—you can improve email trust, protect your domain, and gain greater visibility into email activity. Why Email Authentication Matters for Squarespace Email authentication allows receiving mail servers to determine whether a message was legitimately sent on behalf of your domain. The three commonly discussed authentication standards are: - SPF: Identifies authorized sending infrastructure for a domain. - DKIM: Adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing messages so receiving servers can verify message authenticity. - DMARC: Uses SPF and DKIM results to determine how receiving servers should handle messages that fail authentication. Together, these technologies can reduce domain impersonation and improve the reliability of legitimate email campaigns. For Squarespace Email Campaigns, DKIM is particularly important because the current authentication setup does not require a separate SPF record for Squarespace. DKIM can therefore play an important... --- #### How To Set Up GoDaddy DKIM, SPF, And DMARC For Your Domain URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-set-up-godaddy-dkim-spf-dmarc-for-domain/ Description: Learn how to set up GoDaddy DKIM, SPF, and DMARC records to authenticate your domain, improve email deliverability, and protect against spoofing. Setting up DKIM, SPF, and DMARC in GoDaddy helps authenticate your emails, improve deliverability, and protect your domain from spoofing and phishing. First, check where your domain’s DNS is managed. Then add the DKIM record provided by your email service, create or update your SPF TXT record, and add a DMARC TXT record using the dmarc host. After saving the records, allow time for DNS propagation and verify that all three authentication methods pass. Why DKIM, SPF, and DMARC Matter for GoDaddy Domains If your domain is registered or hosted with GoDaddy, configuring DKIM, SPF, and DMARC is essential for reliable email delivery and domain protection. These three standards work together as an email authentication framework: SPF confirms which mail servers can send for your domain, DKIM proves that a message was not altered in transit, and DMARC tells a receiving server what to do when authentication fails. A properly configured GoDaddy DKIM setup helps reduce the risk of email spoofing, phishing, and domain impersonation. For example, attackers may try to forge a company’s domain in the “From” address when sending fraudulent emails. DKIM, SPF, and DMARC work together to authenticate legitimate messages and help receiving mail servers identify unauthorized... --- #### How Does Entri Automate SPF, DKIM, And DMARC DNS Configuration? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-does-entri-automate-spf-dkim-and-dmarc-dns-configuration/ Description: Learn how Entri automates SPF, DKIM, and DMARC DNS configuration to simplify email authentication, reduce errors, and improve domain security. Entri automates SPF, DKIM, and DMARC DNS configuration by discovering your DNS host, obtaining least-privilege authorization, generating and rotating DKIM keys, constructing compliant SPF records within lookup limits, creating and enforcing DMARC policies with DMARCReport-managed reporting addresses, writing the necessary DNS changes via native provider APIs (or guided delegation when APIs aren’t available), and continuously verifying propagation, alignment, and deliverability with rollback and escalation workflows. Entri focuses on making email authentication “set-and-trust,” removing the manual steps that typically cause misconfigurations, outages, and slow DMARC adoption. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are complementary controls: SPF validates sending IPs authorized for a domain, DKIM uses cryptographic signatures to prove message integrity and publisher identity, and DMARC aligns SPF/DKIM outcomes with the visible From: domain and tells receivers what to do if checks fail. But configuring them across diverse DNS providers, multiple senders, and complex org structures has historically been brittle. Entri can simplify the DNS configuration required for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, while DMARC reporting tools can help organizations monitor authentication results and identify alignment issues. Together, DNS automation and DMARC monitoring can make email authentication easier to configure, verify, and maintain. How Entri detects DNS providers and gains authorization (and how DMARCReport... --- #### Critical Infrastructure Attacks, PhantomSub WhatsApp Infiltration, Denmark Data Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/critical-infrastructure-attacks-phantomsub-whatsapp-infiltration-denmark-data-breach/ Description: Explore the latest cybersecurity threats, including critical vulnerabilities, data breaches, malware, zero-days, and cybercrime arrests. Critical Infrastructure Under Siege: Multiple Zero-Days Rock Security World Last week saw an unprecedented wave of critical security incidents affecting enterprise infrastructure, cloud platforms, and personal data. From a third consecutive Citrix NetScaler zero-day exploit hitting organizations within days to the arrest of a major extortion group leader and the exposure of millions of government records across Europe, this week underscored how quickly threats can cascade across interconnected systems. These incidents highlight the urgent need for advanced email authentication and threat detection across all organizational layers. PhantomSub campaign secretly adds developers to WhatsApp groups via 101 malicious npm packages The OX Research team identified 101 npm packages as part of a malicious WhatsApp group subscriber campaign dubbed PhantomSub. The malicious packages abuse the "Baileys" WhatsApp open source project to add the victims to groups without their consent. Most packages in this report were first published in August and September 2026, and most are still live on npm. 101 npm packages in PhantomSub abuse Baileys to add WhatsApp users to groups without consent, with 490,000 downloads in total. Three variants of malware were identified: one fetches channel IDs from GitHub at runtime, another embeds them in cleartext within its source code,... --- #### How To Improve Email Deliverability And Reach The Inbox URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-improve-email-deliverability-and-reach-the-inbox/ Description: Improve email deliverability and reach the inbox with effective authentication, sender reputation, content, list hygiene, and engagement strategies. Email deliverability is one of the critical aspects of working with email marketing, newsletters, transactional communication, and cold outreach. Even though your message is relevant and engaging, if it gets into the spam, bounced back, or simply disappeared without a trace, it will not give the result you want. Moreover, to improve deliverability rates, you should consider more options besides a few common spam triggers. Mailbox providers use numerous checks to ensure that the emails that land in their systems are not spam. Some of these spam checks and filters are related to the sender’s domain, IP address, and email authenticity. Others are connected to the content and engagement. And some are behavioral, including recipient reports and replies. The good news is that most companies can work on increasing their deliverability by making technical and operational changes consistently. What Is Email Deliverability? Email deliverability refers to an email sender’s ability to deliver messages to the mailboxes of their recipients. It is not the same thing as email delivery. Email delivery simply means the email was delivered to the mail server, while email deliverability focuses on inbox placement. For example, if you send out 10,000 emails, of which 9,700 were successfully... --- #### How Can I Perform An MX Records Lookup To Find Out Why My Emails Are Bouncing? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-perform-mx-records-lookup-find-why-emails-bounce/ Description: Learn how an MX records lookup can help identify email delivery issues, diagnose bounces, and verify whether a recipient’s mail server is configured correctly. To perform an MX records lookup, query the recipient domain’s MX records using a tool such as dig, nslookup, or host. Check the MX hosts, preference values, and DNS resolution, then review the bounce message to determine whether the problem is related to DNS, mail-server connectivity, or email authentication. Email bounces frequently trace back to DNS and MX issues: missing or malformed MX, stale A/AAAA targets, high TTLs slowing propagation, or TLS misconfigurations on the receiving servers. An effective investigation starts with verifying the MX records themselves, then proceeds to target reachability, SMTP handshake checks (EHLO, STARTTLS), and finally to interpreting NDRs (Non-Delivery Reports) to isolate root cause. DNS and MX configuration problems can contribute to email bounce and delivery failures, particularly during domain migrations or mail-server changes. Common issues include missing or incorrect MX records, invalid MX targets, stale A or AAAA records, DNS propagation delays, and DNSSEC validation problems. Checking MX records alongside bounce messages and SMTP responses can help determine whether the failure originates in DNS, mail-server connectivity, or email authentication. Perform MX Lookups and Interpret Results (CLI-first for fast triage) This section shows exactly how to run MX lookups, read the answers, and decide what to... --- #### ShinyHunters FBI Breach, PeopleSoft Attack Surge, Bitget Loses Millions URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/shinyhunters-fbi-breach-peoplesoft-attack-surge-bitget-loses-millions/ Description: Cybersecurity news roundup covering the FBI breach claim, Bitget crypto heist, Citrix zero-days, AI-driven attacks, ransomware, and major vulnerabilities. Last week was packed with high-impact cyber incidents. A notorious extortion gang claimed it had broken into the FBI, and North Korea-linked hackers were suspected of draining a major crypto exchange. Attackers exploited two Citrix zero-days at global scale, while AI agents showed up in an alarming number of attacks and accidents. Here is a quick roundup of the biggest developments. Strong SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations are an important part of email security. These protocols help organizations authenticate legitimate emails, detect unauthorized sending activity, and reduce the risk of domain spoofing and email-based phishing attacks. ShinyHunters claims it hacked the FBI! The ShinyHunters extortion group says it compromised the FBI and defaced the bureau's job application portal. It claims to have stolen around 2 TB of data covering agents and job applicants, and says it got in through a previously unknown flaw in Oracle PeopleSoft. The FBI says it is aware of the claims and is investigating. The group sent reporters a sample that appeared to hold personal details of nearly 5,000 FBI employees, including home addresses, phone numbers and family members. The bureau says it does not yet know whether the entry point was its own systems or... --- #### Shopify SPF, DMARC & DKIM Setup: Step-By-Step Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/shopify-spf-dmarc-dkim-setup-step-by-step-guide/ Description: Learn how to set up SPF, DMARC, and DKIM for Shopify to authenticate emails, improve deliverability, and protect your domain from spoofing. Mastering email authentication for your Shopify store is important for protecting your domain reputation and supporting reliable email delivery. Proper configuration of Shopify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can help authenticate your sender email, protect your domain from spoofing, and improve the reliability of order confirmations, marketing messages, and customer support emails. In this guide, you'll learn how to configure Shopify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, along with practical setup tips, best practices, and troubleshooting steps. Why Shopify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Matter for Email Deliverability Shopify store owners rely on effective email delivery for everything from order notifications and customer inquiries to branded marketing campaigns. However, without robust email authentication—specifically configuring Shopify SPF, DKIM, and a DMARC record—your sender emails risk ending up in spam folders or being rejected outright by major providers such as Gmail and Yahoo. The Role of Email Authentication in Protecting Your Brand Email authentication is critical for domain authentication, which confirms that your messages are genuinely sent from your Shopify store, not a malicious actor. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) helps verify that Shopify is authorized to send emails on your behalf. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) digitally signs emails from your Shopify website, ensuring authenticity. DMARC (Domain-based... --- #### How Do Failed SPF Or DKIM Checks On IONOS Affect Email Delivery And Sender Reputation? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-failed-spf-dkim-checks-ionos-affect-email-delivery-reputation/ Description: Learn how failed SPF or DKIM checks on IONOS can affect email delivery, authentication, inbox placement, and sender reputation. On IONOS, when SPF or DKIM checks fail, messages are usually accepted but tagged and routed to spam/quarantine unless an enforcing DMARC policy (p=quarantine/reject) is in place—in which case IONOS and most downstream receivers will quarantine or outright reject—and repeated authentication failures measurably erode domain/IP sender reputation, triggering stricter filtering, rate limits, and potential blocks across providers; use DMARCReport to detect, fix, and monitor these failures before they damage deliverability. Context and Background: Why SPF/DKIM on IONOS Matter Email authentication hinges on three related standards: SPF (validates the sending IP), DKIM (validates message integrity and domain identity via a cryptographic signature), and DMARC (enforces policy when SPF and/or DKIM fail and ensures alignment with the visible From domain). IONOS, like other large mailbox providers and hosting platforms, evaluates all three for inbound messages and enables hosted domains to publish DNS needed for outbound authentication. In practice, a single failed SPF or DKIM check does not always equal a delivery block; the outcome depends on DMARC policy and total spam score. However, repeated failures—especially when aligned authentication fails under DMARC—are strong, negative signals that degrade reputation. DMARCReport closes the loop by turning raw DMARC aggregate and forensic data from IONOS and... --- #### Gmail End-To-End Encryption: How It Works With Email Security Controls URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/gmail-end-to-end-encryption-how-it-works-security-controls/ Description: Learn how Gmail end-to-end encryption works with email security controls to protect messages, strengthen privacy, and reduce email security risks. Gmail end-to-end encryption adds an extra layer of protection for sensitive business communications by helping keep email content accessible only to authorized users. For organizations using Google Workspace, client-side encryption (CSE) can strengthen data privacy, access control, and compliance efforts. However, encryption alone does not protect against every email threat. Controls such as SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and TLS address authentication, message integrity, and secure email transport. This guide explains how Gmail end-to-end encryption works and how it fits into a broader email security strategy. What Gmail End-to-End Encryption Means—and How It Differs From Standard Gmail Encryption Gmail end-to-end encryption is best understood as part of a broader Google Workspace security model that combines encryption, identity, key management, and administrative controls. Standard Gmail encryption protects messages in transit and at rest, while Gmail CSE adds client-side encryption in which the organization controls the encryption keys. This means Google cannot decrypt CSE-protected message content. In Google Workspace, Gmail client-side encryption (CSE) provides an additional layer of encryption for eligible organizations. Gmail E2EE can be enabled through Google Workspace’s CSE capabilities, including the Encryption with guest accounts option for supported organizations. CSE can protect message bodies, attachments, and inline images, while certain message... --- #### Cisco ISE Vulnerability ,Cisco Gateway Compromised, Revolut Breach Escalates URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cisco-ise-vulnerability-cisco-gateway-compromised-revolut-breach-escalates/ Description: Cisco zero-days, Revolut’s breach, AI-driven attacks, malware, ransomware, and critical infrastructure threats define the evolving cybersecurity landscape. Cisco ISE Vulnerability ,Cisco Gateway Compromised, Revolut Breach Escalates It was a brutal week for enterprise infrastructure and consumer trust alike. Cisco disclosed two actively exploited zero-days in as many days, Revolut's data breach escalated into a public $3 million extortion attempt, and Spain logged what regulators believe is the first data breach carried out autonomously by an AI agent. Add in a hijacked HBO Max Reddit account, a supply-chain hit on marketing platform Brevo, and a fresh wave of ransomware claims, and it's clear attackers aren't slowing down as autumn sets in. Cisco's Identity Services Engine hit by a perfect 10.0 zero-day Cisco rushed out emergency patches after confirming active exploitation of CVE-2026-76460, a maximum-severity authentication bypass in Identity Services Engine (ISE) and ISE-PIC. The flaw sits in an API endpoint with insufficient authentication controls, letting an unauthenticated attacker bypass the management interface entirely — and potentially gain root-level command execution. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and gave federal agencies just three days to patch. (SecurityWeek) ...and a second Cisco zero-day hit its Secure Email Gateway Just two days before the ISE bug surfaced, Cisco confirmed a separate actively exploited zero-day, CVE-2026-76461, a SQL injection... --- #### What Are The Security Risks Of Weak DKIM Keys? How To Protect Network Solutions Email URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-are-security-risks-of-weak-dkim-keys-network-solutions/ Description: Learn the security risks of weak DKIM keys and how to strengthen Network Solutions email security against spoofing, phishing, and email-based attacks. Weak or short DKIM keys let attackers forge your domain’s signatures, replay or strip signatures to bypass DMARC, and mislead receivers into trusting spoofed messages; to protect Network Solutions email, enforce RSA-2048 (or dual-publish Ed25519 + RSA for compatibility), set strict DMARC alignment with a reject policy, rotate selectors regularly via Network Solutions’ DNS/email controls, and continuously monitor authentication and anomalies with DMARCReport. Email authentication with DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) relies on public-key cryptography: your mail system signs headers with a private key, and receivers verify against your DNS-published public key. When keys are too short (e.g., RSA-512/768 or even aging RSA-1024), adversaries can feasibly recover the private key or mount downgrade, replay, or selector/DNS-manipulation attacks that cause receivers to “pass” messages you never sent—undermining both deliverability and security. Because DMARC “passes” when aligned DKIM passes, a weak DKIM key converts into a reliable domain-spoofing tool. If you use Network Solutions for DNS and/or email, your defense should blend strong cryptography and disciplined operations: generate modern keys (RSA-2048 minimum; consider Ed25519 where supported), rotate selectors on a schedule, keep DNS TTLs short enough for emergency revocation, enforce DMARC p=reject with strict alignment, and monitor aggregate DMARC data, failure samples, and... --- #### HIPAA Email Encryption: Requirements, Benefits, And Best Practices URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/hipaa-email-encryption-requirements-benefits-and-best-practices/ Description: Learn HIPAA email encryption requirements, benefits, and best practices to protect sensitive health information, strengthen security, and support compliance. HIPAA email encryption is essential for protecting sensitive patient information and maintaining secure healthcare communications. Because emails may contain Protected Health Information (PHI), healthcare organizations must implement appropriate safeguards to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, or loss. This guide explores HIPAA email encryption requirements, its key benefits, and best practices for securely sending, receiving, and storing PHI through email while supporting ongoing HIPAA compliance. What HIPAA Email Encryption Is and Why It Matters HIPAA email encryption is the use of cryptographic security measures to protect messages and attachments containing Protected Health Information from unauthorized access during transmission and storage. In healthcare, email encryption matters because covered entities and business associates routinely exchange appointment details, diagnoses, lab results, billing information, referrals, prescriptions, insurance data, and other PHI through email systems. Under the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Regulations, Health care providers, Health plans, and Healthcare clearinghouses must protect electronic PHI when they create, receive, maintain, or transmit it. Business associates that handle PHI on behalf of covered entities also share responsibility for HIPAA compliance, especially when they provide technology, billing, legal, analytics, cloud hosting, email archiving, or email retention services. Why ordinary email creates risk Standard email was not designed for healthcare privacy. Plaintext... --- #### Best Email Security Services for Protecting Businesses From Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-email-security-services-for-protecting-businesses-from-phishing/ Description: Learn how email security services protect businesses from phishing, malware, spoofing, and data threats, plus key features and selection tips. Email remains one of the most important communication channels for modern organizations. It is also one of the most attractive targets for cybercriminals. Phishing, business email compromise, malware, impersonation, credential theft, and domain spoofing can all begin with a single message. Basic email filtering can block many unwanted messages, but sophisticated attacks increasingly require additional layers of protection. Modern email security services combine threat detection, sender authentication, behavioral analysis, malware protection, reporting, and automated response to reduce the chances of a successful attack. This guide explains what to look for in an email security service, the major types of solutions available, and the factors businesses should consider before selecting a provider. Why Businesses Need Advanced Email Security Email attacks have become considerably more sophisticated. Cybercriminals no longer depend only on poorly written messages containing obvious malicious links. Attackers can create convincing emails that imitate executives, suppliers, customers, financial institutions, or internal departments. Some campaigns use compromised accounts, while others rely on lookalike domains and carefully researched social-engineering techniques. Common threats include: - Phishing and credential theft - Business email compromise - Executive impersonation - Domain spoofing - Malware attachments - Malicious URLs - Invoice and payment fraud - Account takeover... --- #### How To Configure DKIM For Network Solutions: Step-By-Step Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-configure-dkim-for-network-solutions-step-by-step/ Description: Configure DKIM for Network Solutions to authenticate your domain, improve email deliverability, and protect against spoofing and phishing attacks. To configure DKIM for Network Solutions, generate your DKIM key pair (selector and public/private) in your email platform, then publish the resulting public key as a TXT (or CNAME for Microsoft 365) record at selector.domainkey.yourdomain in Network Solutions’ Advanced DNS, allow DNS to propagate, enable/sign in your mail service, and validate with DKIM test tools and DMARC alignment checks via DMARCReport. Context and background: why DKIM on Network Solutions matters and how it works DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a cryptographic signature to each email, proving it was authorized by your domain and has not been altered. The receiving server verifies that signature using the public key you publish in DNS, which is why getting the DNS record right in Network Solutions is essential. A correct DKIM setup reduces spoofing, boosts deliverability, and enables DMARC alignment so you can enforce a stricter email authentication policy safely. On Network Solutions, you manage DKIM by adding a TXT (or sometimes CNAME) record under a selector namespace: selector.domainkey.yourdomain.com. While this is straightforward for short RSA-1024 keys, many senders now use RSA-2048 keys, which can be long enough to trigger UI line-wrapping and quoting quirks. Combined with provider-specific nuances (like Microsoft 365’s CNAME approach),... --- #### How To Prevent Phishing And Pharming Attacks With SPF For Qualtrics? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-prevent-phishing-pharming-attacks-with-spf-for-qualtrics-security/ Description: Protect Qualtrics emails with SPF to prevent phishing and pharming attacks, strengthen domain security, and improve email deliverability. Phishing and pharming attacks are growing security concerns for organizations using Qualtrics to send survey and email communications. Attackers can impersonate trusted domains, redirect users to fraudulent websites, or trick recipients into revealing sensitive information. Implementing Sender Policy Framework (SPF) helps organizations verify authorized email senders and reduce domain spoofing. When combined with DKIM, DMARC, secure DNS practices, and user awareness, SPF provides an important layer of protection for Qualtrics communications and strengthens overall email security. Understanding Phishing and Pharming Risks in Qualtrics Communications Qualtrics survey emails often ask recipients to click links, confirm details, or provide feedback. That makes them attractive to threat actors who use phishing, pharming, and social engineering to impersonate trusted brands. A phishing attack typically tricks a victim into clicking a fraudulent link, opening a malicious attachment, or entering credentials into a fake website. A pharming attack is more technical: it redirects web traffic from a legitimate domain name to a fake website, often through DNS manipulation, malware, a compromised router, or changes to a local host file. In Qualtrics communications, the risk is not limited to survey abuse. If attackers spoof your survey domain, they may collect sensitive information, personal information, a username and... --- #### How to Set Up DKIM for Constant Contact URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-set-up-dkim-for-constant-contact/ Description: Learn how to set up DKIM for Constant Contact, add authentication records to DNS, verify your setup, and fix common configuration issues. If you use Constant Contact to send marketing emails from your own domain, configuring DKIM is an important step toward establishing your domain as a trusted sender. DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail, adds a digital signature to outgoing messages so receiving mail servers can verify that an email was authorized by the domain it claims to come from. Setting up DKIM for Constant Contact requires adding the DNS information provided by the platform to your domain's DNS configuration. Once the records are published and recognized, Constant Contact can authenticate messages sent using your domain. Why Configure DKIM for Constant Contact? Email authentication helps receiving mail systems distinguish legitimate messages from emails that may have been altered or sent by unauthorized parties. Without proper authentication, marketing emails sent through a third-party platform can face authentication problems, which may affect delivery and sender reputation. DKIM gives receiving servers a way to validate the cryptographic signature attached to your messages. When DKIM is correctly configured, it can help: - Confirm that messages were authorized by your sending domain - Protect your domain against certain forms of email impersonation - Improve trust in emails sent through Constant Contact - Support better email authentication and... --- #### Message Not Accepted For Policy Reasons Yahoo Google Calendar: Causes And Fixes URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/message-not-accepted-policy-reasons-yahoo-google-calendar-causes-fixes/ Description: Understand why Yahoo and Google Calendar messages are rejected for policy reasons, plus effective fixes to resolve delivery issues and prevent future blocks. Getting a “Message Not Accepted for Policy Reasons” error when sending a Google Calendar invitation to a Yahoo Mail address can be frustrating, especially when the invitation reaches other recipients successfully. The error indicates that Yahoo has rejected the message because it triggered a policy or filtering rule. Possible factors include email authentication failures, forwarding-related issues, sender reputation, or other message-delivery policies. In this guide, we’ll explain why Yahoo may reject Google Calendar invitations with this error and show you how to diagnose and resolve the problem. What the “Message Not Accepted for Policy Reasons” Error Means The “554 5.7.9 message not accepted for policy reasons” response is a delivery error returned by Yahoo when its mail server refuses a message because it violates a filtering, authentication, or anti-abuse rule. In the context of a Google Calendar invitation, the problem often appears when a calendar invite is sent from Google Calendar to a Yahoo email address, but Yahoo decides to reject it before it reaches the inbox. This is not the same as a message landing in the spam box. A spam-filtered message is accepted by the recipient’s email provider and then placed in spam. A blocked email, by contrast,... --- #### Email Rejected Per DMARC Policy: Causes, Troubleshooting Steps, And Fixes URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-rejected-per-dmarc-policy-causes-troubleshooting-steps-and-fixes/ Description: Emails rejected by DMARC policy? Learn the common causes, troubleshoot authentication failures, and apply effective fixes to restore successful email delivery. When an email is rejected per DMARC policy, it usually means the message failed the required email authentication checks and was blocked by the recipient’s mail server. This can happen due to SPF or DKIM failures, domain alignment issues, or incorrect DNS records. Understanding the cause and following the right troubleshooting steps can help resolve DMARC-related rejections and improve email deliverability. What “Email Rejected Per DMARC Policy” Means “Email rejected per DMARC policy” means the receiving mail server refused to accept a message because it failed DMARC validation and the sender’s published DMARC policy instructed receivers to reject non-compliant mail. In practical terms, the recipient’s system checked the domain’s email authentication results, found that SPF and/or DKIM did not align with the visible From domain, and applied policy enforcement. DMARC, or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance, builds on SPF and DKIM. SPF verifies whether the sending SMTP server is authorized in the domain’s SPF record. DKIM verifies whether the message carries a valid cryptographic signature that matches the domain’s DKIM record. DMARC then checks whether either SPF or DKIM passes and aligns with the domain shown to the recipient. When you see an email rejection message such as “email... --- #### Berlin Ransomware Extortion, McKesson Data Breach, Boston Scientific Disrupted URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/berlin-ransomware-extortion-mckesson-data-breach-boston-scientific-disrupted/ Description: Explore 15 major cybersecurity stories, from ransomware attacks and healthcare breaches to critical vulnerabilities, phishing campaigns, and AI threats. Last week was one of the busier stretches of 2026 for cybersecurity, with a European capital city facing a ransomware extortion attempt, one of the largest healthcare data-theft claims of the year, a major arrest in a global supply-chain hacking case, and a fresh round of maximum-severity vulnerabilities under active exploitation. Here's a roundup of the 15 biggest stories from the week. Berlin's state government hit by Rhysida ransomware extortion attempt The Rhysida ransomware gang posted an entry on its dark web leak site on August 28 claiming to have stolen 5.79 terabytes of data — roughly 1.44 million files — from Berlin's state administrative network, including contracts, emergency-response plans, login credentials, and personal data tied to over 12,000 individuals. The group demanded 30 bitcoin (about $2.3 million) with a one-week deadline. Berlin's Governing Mayor confirmed the data theft but said the city will not pay, and officials say the upcoming September 20 state election is unaffected. Source: BleepingComputer McKesson confirms breach as ShinyHunters claims 284 million patient records Healthcare and pharmaceutical distribution giant McKesson disclosed a cybersecurity incident in an SEC filing after discovering unauthorized access to third-party applications on August 25. The ShinyHunters extortion group told BleepingComputer it... --- #### ERP Notifications Failing DKIM? Start With the Relay URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/erp-notifications-failing-dkim-start-with-the-relay/ Description: ERP notifications failing DKIM? Learn how relay configurations can break email authentication and discover practical fixes to restore secure, reliable delivery. A purchase order confirmation leaves the ERP. It arrives at the recipient's gateway with spf=pass and no DKIM signature at all, and DMARC fails anyway. Someone adds another include: to the SPF record, nothing changes, and the ticket gets closed as "vendor issue." ERP notification mail breaks DMARC more predictably than almost any other stream on a corporate domain, and the reason is structural rather than accidental. The application usually doesn't sign anything. It opens an SMTP session against whatever host is in its outbound mail settings and hands the message off, and every decision that determines whether a valid, aligned signature exists happens after that handoff. So the relay is the right place to start looking. Here's what breaks there, what the aggregate reports look like when it does, and the order to fix it in. The ERP Send Path Is Longer Than Its Config Screen Suggests The ERP's outbound mail settings expose one hop: a host, a port, credentials, maybe a TLS toggle and a From address field. The real path is usually three or four hops long: - The ERP application server, composing and submitting the message - An internal relay or smart host (an Exchange receive... --- #### Sender Not Authorized for Relay Error: How to Fix It URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/sender-not-authorized-for-relay-error-how-to-fix-it/ Description: Learn why the “Sender Not Authorized for Relay” error occurs and discover practical steps to fix SMTP relay, authentication, and email delivery issues. The sender not authorized for relay message is a common relay error that appears when an email server refuses to pass a message from one sender to another domain. In Microsoft environments, especially Office 365, Exchange Online, and Outlook, the error often appears with the code 550 5.7.367 in a non-delivery report. The user may simply see that the message was rejected, while the email admin or IT administrator sees a deeper issue involving SMTP authentication, relay permissions, or domain policy. What the “Sender Not Authorized for Relay” Error Means When you receive a non-delivery report saying 550 5.7.367 or sender not authorized for relay, your mail server is telling you that it will not relay the message to the destination. In plain terms, the sending system tried to use an email server to deliver mail, but that server did not recognize the sender as an authenticated user or did not allow the sending domain, application, IP address, or connector to relay messages. This type of relay error is different from a typo in an address or a full mailbox. It usually points to a permissions, authentication, or policy problem. The non-delivery report, also called an NDR, may include phrases... --- #### How To Diagnose IP-To-Hostname Mismatches Using A PTR Record Check URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-diagnose-ip-hostname-mismatches-using-ptr-record-check/ Description: Learn how a PTR record check helps diagnose IP-to-hostname mismatches, improve reverse DNS accuracy, and strengthen email deliverability. To diagnose IP-to-hostname mismatches using a PTR record check, perform a reverse DNS (PTR) lookup on the IP, compare the returned hostname against a forward A/AAAA lookup to confirm forward-confirmed reverse DNS (FCrDNS), verify reverse zone delegation and caching/DNSSEC status at the authoritative servers, and remediate via provider or internal DNS updates while automating verification and alerting through your monitoring pipeline and DMARCReport. Context and background A PTR record maps an IP address back to a hostname in the reverse DNS trees: in-addr.arpa for IPv4 and ip6.arpa for IPv6. A correct mapping is foundational for email reputation (especially SMTP HELO/EHLO checks), security logging, and operational clarity. The gold standard is FCrDNS: the IP’s PTR returns a hostname that, when looked up forward, includes the original IP. Failures here surface as “IP-to-hostname mismatch.” From a deliverability and security perspective, PTR mismatches can increase spam scores, break hostname-based policy checks, and confuse TLS or SSH environments that rely on name identity. DMARCReport makes this work actionable at scale: it aggregates your source sending IPs from RUA reports, highlights rDNS anomalies correlated with DMARC alignment and disposition trends, and feeds automated PTR verification jobs so teams can prioritize fixes before they impact email... --- #### SPF Authentication: Understanding SPF -all vs ~all URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/spf-authentication-understanding-spf-all-vs-all/ Description: Learn the key differences between SPF -all and ~all, how each affects email authentication, and when to use them for stronger domain security. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is one of the fundamental technologies used to protect email domains from unauthorized sending. It allows domain owners to publish a list of legitimate email sources in DNS so receiving mail servers can determine whether a message was sent from an approved server. One of the most important decisions when creating an SPF record is choosing the appropriate qualifier for the all mechanism. The two options most commonly considered are -all and all. Although both indicate that a sending source was not authorized by the SPF record, they communicate different levels of policy. Understanding the distinction can help you maintain email security without unnecessarily interfering with legitimate messages. This guide explains how SPF works, what each all qualifier means, and how to decide between SPF hardfail and softfail. What Is SPF Authentication? Sender Policy Framework, commonly called SPF, is an email authentication method that helps prevent unauthorized servers from sending messages using your domain. A domain owner publishes an SPF policy as a TXT record in DNS. The record identifies the servers, IP addresses, and authorized third-party email services that are permitted to send mail for the domain. When an email is received, the receiving server... --- #### How Can I Interpret And Fix Failing Checks Reported By A DMARC Policy Checker? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-interpret-and-fix-failing-dmarc-policy-checker-checks/ Description: Learn how to interpret DMARC checker failures, fix SPF and DKIM issues, and strengthen email security, authentication, and deliverability. To interpret and fix failing checks reported by a DMARC policy checker, identify whether failures stem from SPF, DKIM, or alignment by parsing aggregate (rua) and forensic (ruf) reports, map them to specific sending sources and DNS/selector issues, and remediate with corrected SPF/DKIM records, alignment settings, and sender configurations—then safely ramp DMARC enforcement while continuously monitoring with automation such as DMARCReport. DMARC exists to ensure the domain shown in the visible From header is authenticated by either SPF or DKIM and that at least one of those passes alignment with that From domain. When a DMARC checker reports failures, it’s signaling one of three root causes: SPF didn’t authenticate or align, DKIM didn’t authenticate or align, or both passed individually but misaligned with the visible From. Your job is to trace which mechanism failed on which traffic stream and fix it at the source—usually DNS records, sender configuration, or message handling along the delivery path. A repeatable methodology is critical: analyze rua XML at scale to see pattern-level failures by IP, domain, and provider; dive into ruf samples where available to inspect headers; validate DNS syntax and propagation; repair SPF/DKIM; adjust alignment or sending practices if needed; and increase DMARC... --- #### Cyber Threats Surge, Clop Claims Victims, French Tax Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cyber-threats-surge-clop-claims-victims-french-tax-breach/ Description: Explore the latest cyber threats, including Clop ransomware attacks and a major French tax data breach affecting sensitive information. Clop, Lazarus, and Zero-Days Dominate a Brutal Week for Cyber Defenders This past week was a heavy one for the cybersecurity world, from the Clop extortion gang adding oil, healthcare, and industrial giants to its victim list, to a fresh French government data breach, an actively-exploited zero-day in an open-source mapping platform, and North Korea's Lazarus Group burning through yet another Windows zero-day. Add in ransomware gangs racing to weaponize freshly disclosed VPN flaws, and it's clear attackers aren't slowing down for anyone's summer break. Clop ransomware gang claims Philips, GE, and Shell as new victims Tech and industrial heavyweights General Electric and Philips confirmed they are investigating claims from the Clop ransomware gang that their systems were breached and data stolen. Philips said it identified and contained an "attempted cybersecurity compromise of a specific enterprise server," insisting customer environments weren't touched, while GE said it's still assessing the situation. This comes just days after oil giant Shell also confirmed it's looking into a "potential incident" after Clop claimed to have stolen 89GB of its data. All three companies were named among 43 new victims on Clop's leak site, tied to attacks exploiting a critical vulnerability in Internet-exposed PTC Windchill... --- #### How DNS Misconfigurations Can Cause SPF, DKIM & DMARC Failures URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-dns-misconfigurations-can-cause-spf-dkim-dmarc-failures/ Description: Learn how DNS misconfigurations can trigger SPF, DKIM, and DMARC failures—and discover how to fix common DNS errors for better email security and delivery. Email authentication depends on DNS. SPF, DKIM and DMARC all publish policy or verification data as DNS TXT records, which means even small DNS errors can create major authentication failures. These failures increase spoofing exposure, weaken cyber security controls, and create avoidable DNS risks for organizations that rely on email for customer communication, service notifications, invoices, password resets and security alerts. Because email authentication is both a DNS security and security operations issue, teams should treat DNS records as critical data. Misconfigured records can introduce DNS vulnerabilities, expand DNS threats, and reduce network resilience across cloud, hybrid and enterprise environments. Why DNS Is the Foundation of Email Authentication SPF, DKIM and DMARC work because receiving mail servers query DNS to verify whether a message is authorized, signed and aligned with the sender’s domain. If DNS records are missing, malformed, duplicated or unreachable, authentication can fail even when the sending system itself is legitimate. DNS Records Act as the Source of Trust SPF uses a TXT record to define which IP addresses, domains or third-party senders are allowed to send mail for a domain. DKIM uses DNS to publish a public key that verifies a cryptographic signature added by the sender.... --- #### How To Gradually Enforce A DMARC Policy In CPanel Without Affecting Legitimate Email URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-enforce-dmarc-policy-cpanel-without-affecting-legitimate-email/ Description: Learn how to gradually enforce a DMARC policy in cPanel while protecting legitimate emails, reducing spoofing risks, and improving email deliverability. To gradually enforce a DMARC policy in cPanel without affecting legitimate email, begin with a p=none policy and pct=0 plus full reporting (rua/ruf), validate and align SPF/DKIM for every sender, authorize all third‑party services in cPanel, then raise pct in stages (0→25→50→75→100) over 8–12+ weeks while monitoring DMARC reports via DMARCReport, keeping alignment relaxed (aspf=r; adkim=r), lowering DNS TTLs for fast rollback, and adjusting p/pct immediately in cPanel’s Zone Editor if false positives appear. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) gives receivers clear instructions on what to do when messages fail SPF and/or DKIM authentication and alignment. In cPanel, you’ll add a TXT record at dmarc.yourdomain with a “policy” (p) and optional “percentage” (pct) tag to phase enforcement. Moving too fast risks quarantining or rejecting legitimate messages from SaaS senders and forwards; moving too slow prolongs exposure to spoofing. The safest path is to start with monitoring (p=none) while you inventory senders from DMARC aggregate (rua) reports, fix alignment issues, and only then increase enforcement percentage (pct). DMARCReport centralizes and visualizes these reports, flags misalignments per vendor (e.g., SendGrid DKIM missing, SES SPF not aligned), alerts you before raising pct, and provides rollback guidance if your pass rates dip... --- #### SendGrid DMARC Failures: How To Fix SPF And DKIM Alignment Issues URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/sendgrid-dmarc-failures-fix-spf-dkim-alignment-issues-complete-guide/ Description: Learn how to fix SendGrid DMARC failures by resolving SPF and DKIM alignment issues, improving email authentication, deliverability, and domain security. DMARC failures in SendGrid often occur when SPF or DKIM authentication is not properly aligned with your sending domain. This can lead to emails being rejected, quarantined, or sent to spam. In this guide, we’ll explain the common causes of SPF and DKIM alignment issues in SendGrid and walk you through the key steps to fix them, improve email deliverability, and maintain a strong domain reputation. Why SendGrid DMARC Failures Happen: SPF, DKIM, and Alignment Basics SendGrid DMARC failures usually happen for one of two reasons: SPF alignment fails, DKIM alignment fails, or both. DMARC checks whether the domain visible to the recipient in the “From” address aligns with the domain that passed SPF or DKIM. If neither aligned SPF nor aligned DKIM passes, the message can fail DMARC, even if SendGrid successfully accepted and delivered the outbound email. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are core email authentication controls used by Gmail, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Proton Mail, Apple Mail, Zoho Mail, Fastmail, Yandex.Mail, Mimecast, and Proofpoint to evaluate email security and email deliverability. SPF validates whether a mail server or mail transfer agent is allowed to send for a domain. DKIM, short for DomainKeys Identified Mail, uses public key cryptography... --- #### What Should You Check When An Unknown Sender Appears In A DMARC Report? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-should-check-when-unknown-sender-appears-in-dmarc-report/ Description: Discover what an unknown sender in a DMARC report means, how to verify its legitimacy, and steps to protect your domain from email spoofing. You should immediately parse and normalize the DMARC aggregate XML to extract the unknown sending IP and its counts, verify SPF/DKIM pass/fail and alignment status, investigate IP ownership via PTR/WHOIS/RDAP/ASN, inspect message headers (Return-Path, Received, Authentication-Results, DKIM-Signature) for alignment signals, classify the source as legitimate third-party vs. spoof, then either onboard it safely (SPF/DKIM updates, policy tuning) or block it, while automating correlation across reports and documenting outcomes and Service level agreements (SLAs) in DMARCReport. When an unfamiliar sending source appears in a DMARC report, it means messages using your domain in the Header From address were observed from a source you haven’t explicitly recognized in your email authentication configuration. This may be a benign third-party platform (e.g., a marketing or ticketing system), a misconfiguration (e.g., forwarding that breaks SPF), or a malicious attempt to spoof your domain. Your goal is to triage quickly, minimize risk, and fix the root cause without disrupting legitimate email delivery. DMARC aggregate reports (RUA) arrive as XML and summarize sending IPs, counts, SPF/DKIM outcomes, and DMARC policy evaluation for your domain(s) per reporting organization. While RUA lacks full headers, it is ideal for high-signal triage at scale. For deep forensics, you’ll correlate RUA with... --- #### How To Identify Fake Order Confirmation Emails And Prevent Email Spoofing With DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-identify-fake-order-confirmation-emails-prevent-email-spoofing/ Description: Discover how to spot fake order confirmation emails and stop email spoofing using DMARC, SPF, and DKIM to protect your domain and customers. Fake order confirmation emails are a common phishing tactic used to trick people into clicking malicious links, opening harmful attachments, or sharing sensitive information. By learning how to spot suspicious sender addresses, unexpected orders, urgent requests, and misleading links, you can avoid falling victim to these scams. For businesses, implementing email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can help prevent attackers from spoofing their domain and impersonating a trusted brand. Why Fake Order Confirmation Emails Became a Major Threat in 2018 The year 2018 marked a significant escalation in the prevalence of fake order confirmation emails targeting consumers and businesses alike. As global ecommerce store activity surged, cybercriminals seized the opportunity to exploit common customer behavior—namely, the anticipation of a legitimate order confirmation email after purchasing products online. Additionally, as payment confirmation email formats became standardized across leading retailers such as Amazon, PayPal, Netflix, and Norton, attackers found it easier to mimic the layouts and content, making scam emails increasingly difficult to distinguish from authentic ones. AI-powered tools and advanced email generators began to arise around this time, leveraging machine learning and natural language processing to generate emails that mirror the tone and style of professional email copywriting.... --- #### How To Troubleshoot DMARC Records After A DNS Provider Migration URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-troubleshoot-dmarc-records-after-a-dns-provider-migration/ Description: Learn how to troubleshoot DMARC records after a DNS provider migration, fix configuration issues, and restore email authentication and deliverability. To troubleshoot DMARC after a DNS provider migration, verify DNS propagation and TTLs, confirm the dmarc TXT record’s exact syntax/placement, validate SPF/DKIM and DNSSEC resolution with command-line and online tools, account for provider-specific TXT/CNAME/quoting behaviors, analyze RUA/RUF reports for failures, address DKIM selector/key and SPF lookup issues, implement staged/rollback practices, and isolate whether failures stem from DNS versus mail servers—while using DMARCReport to continuously surface errors, correlate sources, and prioritize fixes. Context and Background A DNS provider migration touches the foundation of email authentication: DMARC, SPF, and DKIM rely on public DNS records that receivers query in real time. Small differences—TXT quoting, DNSSEC flags, or SPF include resolution—can lead to sudden DMARC enforcement failures even when the records look “identical” in a web UI. Because DMARC evaluates whether a message’s From domain aligns with SPF or DKIM results, a break in any of these DNS lookups can cascade into phishing risk, deliverability drops, and lost revenue. The right way to troubleshoot is to proceed from the outside-in: validate what the world sees in DNS (not just what your provider’s UI claims), map failures to specific sources and selectors, and iterate quickly with low TTLs and staged DMARC policies. DMARCReport is... --- #### Why Does DMARC Pass When SPF or DKIM Fails? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-does-dmarc-pass-when-spf-or-dkim-fails/ Description: Learn why DMARC can pass even when SPF or DKIM fails, how alignment works, and what it means for email authentication and deliverability. DMARC can pass even when SPF or DKIM fails because DMARC only requires that at least one of SPF or DKIM passes in identifier alignment with the visible From domain, and receivers may also consider Authenticated Received Chain (ARC) to honor upstream authentication even when the final hop breaks it. Context and background DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) is a policy layer that sits on top of SPF and DKIM and checks two things: did SPF and/or DKIM authenticate, and does at least one authenticated identity align with the domain in the visible From header? Crucially, DMARC does not require both SPF and DKIM to pass; it requires one or the other to pass and align. That is why DMARC can be “pass” while SPF fails (because DKIM passes and aligns), or vice versa. Alignment is the heart of DMARC’s decision: it compares the SPF-authenticated domain (from the SMTP MAIL FROM/Return-Path) and the DKIM d= domain(s) against the From header domain using relaxed or strict rules. Real-world message flows (forwarding, mailing lists, amplification via third parties) often break SPF or DKIM in transit; DMARC’s “either/or + alignment” design keeps legitimate mail deliverable. DMARCReport operationalizes this by aggregating DMARC... --- #### How Email Deliverability Impacts Client Acquisition Campaigns URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-email-deliverability-impacts-client-acquisition-campaigns/ Description: Learn how email deliverability improves client acquisition by boosting inbox placement, sender reputation, engagement, and campaign ROI. When we think about agencies and SMB-focused marketing teams, client acquisition remains one of their biggest priorities. For appointment setting, prospecting, and lead nurturing, email remains at the top of the list for being highly effective as a channel. However, when emails fail to reach the prospect’s inbox, no amount of preparation or well-planned campaign will be successful. To influence campaign performance, response rates, and ROI, deliverability is a definite key factor. Lead generation is affected by sender reputation, engagement signals, and inbox placement. So, let’s have a look at how necessary it is to avoid losing your audience from the word go and how important it is to maintain a healthy infrastructure. Why Email Remains a Core Client Acquisition Channel? A. The Role of Email in Modern Lead Generation Email is the bedrock of B2B business operations. Across all phases of the sales process, email is the connecting factor. This works for prospecting, lead nurturing, follow-ups, and appointment bookings. B. Why Agencies Rely on Email? Agencies favor email over paid ads or organic content because of its operational advantages. It offers scalable outreach through segmented campaigns targeting specific accounts. It is also a cost-effective communication compared to paid search... --- #### Read This Before Adding Multiple DKIM Records To Your Domain URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/read-this-before-adding-multiple-dkim-records-to-your-domain/ Description: Learn when adding multiple DKIM records makes sense, how to avoid common configuration errors, and ensure secure email authentication and deliverability. Using multiple email services like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, SendGrid, or Mailgun? Then you may need multiple DKIM records for your domain. Whether you're managing email authentication manually or using DMARCReport to monitor your domain's email security, understanding how multiple DKIM records work is essential. While having more than one DKIM record is perfectly normal, configuring them incorrectly can lead to authentication failures, poor email deliverability, and DMARC issues. Before adding additional DKIM records, it's important to understand how DKIM selectors work and why each selector must have its own unique DNS record. This guide explains everything you need to know to configure multiple DKIM records correctly and avoid common mistakes. What DKIM Records Do and Why Multiple Records May Be Needed DomainKeys Identified Mail, commonly known as DKIM, is an email authentication method that helps prove an email message was authorized by the domain it claims to represent. It works through email message signing: an outgoing email server applies a DKIM signature using a private key, and the receiving server checks that signature against a public key published in DNS. A DKIM record is usually published as a TXT record under a selector-based subdomain, such as: may10.domainkey.example.com In this... --- #### Why Do DMARC Reports Show Unknown IP Addresses, And What Should I Do? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-dmarc-reports-show-unknown-ip-addresses-fixes-you-need/ Description: Learn why DMARC reports show unknown IP addresses, how to verify legitimate senders, investigate suspicious activity, and strengthen your email security. DMARC reports show unknown IP addresses because email frequently traverses forwarders, shared ESP infrastructure, NATed relays, ISP sampling and, at times, spoofing/botnets or configuration drift, and you should verify alignment (SPF/DKIM/Header-From), investigate the host (PTR/WHOIS/ASN), correlate with Message-ID and logs, then authorize or block by updating SPF/DKIM/DMARC, documenting third parties, and enabling ongoing monitoring and alerts. Email authentication is designed to survive the messiness of real-world mail delivery, but DMARC aggregate (RUA) reports surface the truth: messages bearing your domain often originate from infrastructure you don’t operate. That can be completely legitimate—think mailing lists, cross-tenant ESPs, and auto-forwarders—or it can be evidence of spoofing, compromised senders, or misconfiguration. The key is disciplined correlation and triage. DMARCReport helps you do exactly that: it ingests RUA/RUF at scale, stitches in SPF/DKIM results, parses identifiers (envelope-from, header-from, Message-ID), enriches with PTR/WHOIS/ASN/threat intel, and turns unknown IPs into actions—authorize, fix, or block—while tracking risk over time. When a fix means rebuilding your policy, a DMARC record generator helps you produce valid syntax quickly. Why “unknown IPs” appear in DMARC reports Unknown IPs are common—and explainable in many cases. Below are the primary technical causes and how they typically look in DMARC data, along with... --- #### AppRiver SPF Record: How To Set It Up (Owned By Zix) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/appriver-spf-record-setup-guide-for-zix-email-security-platform/ Description: Learn how to set up an AppRiver SPF record for Zix-owned email services to improve email authentication, prevent spoofing, and boost deliverability. Setting up the correct AppRiver SPF record is essential for improving email deliverability and protecting your domain from spoofing. If your organization uses AppRiver (now owned by Zix) to send or relay email, your SPF record must authorize AppRiver's mail servers so receiving mail systems can verify that your messages are legitimate. In this guide, you'll learn what an AppRiver SPF record is, the correct SPF include mechanism to use, how to configure it in your DNS, and the best practices for avoiding common SPF errors. What an AppRiver SPF Record Is and Why It Matters An AppRiver SPF record is a DNS TXT record that tells receiving mail servers which systems are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain through AppRiver, now owned by Zix. SPF, or Sender Policy Framework, is a core part of email authentication because it helps mailbox providers verify whether a message claiming to come from your domain was sent by an authorized source. In practical terms, your SPF record acts as a published list of authorized senders. When someone receives a message from your domain, the recipient’s mail server performs an SPF lookup against your domain’s public DNS settings. If the sending... --- #### How Can I Interpret RUA Aggregate Reports To Identify Unauthorized Senders On My Domain? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-interpret-rua-aggregate-reports-identify-unauthorized-domain-senders/ Description: Learn how to interpret RUA aggregate reports to identify unauthorized senders, detect email spoofing, and strengthen your domain's DMARC security. To identify unauthorized senders in DMARC RUA aggregate reports, systematically parse key XML elements (especially sourceip, identifiers/headerfrom, row/count, and row/policyevaluated.{disposition, dkim, spf, reason}), correlate those IPs against your known-authorized sender inventory and SMTP logs, apply alignment-based triage (SPF/DKIM pass/fail/neutral) with anomaly thresholds, account for forwarding/mailing-list artifacts, enrich with ASN/WHOIS/reputation data, and operationalize alerts and policy changes—ideally automated with DMARCReport. Context and Background DMARC RUA aggregate reports are daily machine-readable XML summaries sent by receiving ISPs(internet service provider (ISP) that show who (by IP) claimed to send mail for your domain and how SPF/DKIM/DMARC checks are evaluated. These reports don’t contain message bodies or full headers, but they do provide enough structure to determine where mail came from, how many messages were involved, and whether those messages aligned with your domain according to DMARC. When you interpret them methodically, they become a dependable radar for discovering unauthorized senders and shadow services. In practice, most unauthorized traffic clusters into a few patterns: brand spoofing from cloud/VPS networks, forgotten or misconfigured third-party platforms, and legitimate forwarding that looks broken. Your goal is to separate signal from noise. The fastest path is to parse the right fields, reconcile them to your canonical allowlist, apply... --- #### How To Validate DMARC Before Migrating To Google Workspace URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-validate-dmarc-before-migrating-to-google-workspace/ Description: Validate your DMARC before migrating to Google Workspace to prevent email delivery issues, spoofing, and authentication failures during the transition. To validate DMARC before migrating to Google Workspace, you should inventory all sending sources, publish a DMARC record at p=none with reporting to DMARCReport, align SPF and DKIM for every sender (including Google Workspace) using distinct selectors, enable and test Google DKIM, remediate unauthenticated sources using DMARCReport’s aggregate/forensic insights, then phase enforcement from quarantine to reject while continuously monitoring. Google Workspace migration is the perfect moment to fix legacy email authentication debt. DMARC validation is not just a DNS change—it’s a structured process that aligns your visible From domain with authenticated paths (SPF and DKIM) across every system that sends mail on your behalf. By running DMARC in monitor mode before any MX or mail-flow changes, you collect the evidence you need to fix misconfigurations without impacting deliverability. Understand what full DMARC compliance requires before you begin. In this guide, you’ll get a practical, end-to-end plan designed for organizations moving to Google Workspace. You’ll learn how to build the right DMARC policy, pre-enable Google DKIM, validate all third-party platforms, and use DMARCReport to automate reporting, discover unknown senders, and safely ramp enforcement. Pre-Migration DNS Checklist: The Records You Must Verify Before Google Workspace This section stands alone as a pre-flight... --- #### How To Check SPF Records Using Nslookup PowerShell, Dig, Or Online Tools URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-check-spf-records-using-nslookup-powershell-dig-tools/ Description: Learn how to check SPF records using Nslookup, PowerShell, Dig, and online tools to verify email authentication and improve email deliverability. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a key email authentication standard that helps prevent spoofing by identifying which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. If you're troubleshooting email delivery issues, verifying a new DNS configuration, or auditing your domain's security, checking your SPF record is an essential first step. In this guide, you'll learn how to check SPF records using Nslookup, PowerShell's Resolve-DnsName, Dig, and online lookup tools, as well as how to interpret the results and troubleshoot common SPF problems. If you just want a quick verdict, you can run an SPF check in your browser before diving into the command line. What SPF Records Are and Why They Matter for Email Authentication SPF records in the Domain Name System Sender Policy Framework, or SPF, is an email authentication mechanism that tells receiving mail servers which systems are allowed to send email for a specific domain name. An SPF policy is published as a TXT record in DNS, even though SPF itself is commonly discussed as its own record type. A typical SPF record looks like this: v=spf1 include:spf.google.com ip4:203.0.113.10 -all This means the domain authorizes mail from Google’s SPF infrastructure and from the... --- #### Ernst Receives Warning, RingCentral Named Leak, GitHub Slashes Bounties URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ernst-receives-warning-ringcentral-named-leak-github-slashes-bounties/ Description: Weekly cybersecurity roundup: EY and RingCentral extortion, GitHub bounty cuts, new CVEs, AI threats, and why DMARC, DKIM, and SPF matter. Here's a quick roundup of the latest cybersecurity developments grabbing eyeballs this week — from a major beverage giant's dairy subsidiary getting hit by ransomware, to extortion gangs racing toward deadlines at EY and RingCentral, to GitHub slashing its bug bounty payouts. It's another week that shows how supply-chain trust, AI-accelerated vulnerability discovery, and old-fashioned extortion are all converging on the same threat landscape. Ernst & Young hit with a "final warning" from ShinyHunters The ShinyHunters extortion gang publicly claimed responsibility for the EY data breach, alleging it stole employee credentials and files through a supply-chain compromise of a third-party IT support platform, and set a leak deadline of July 31, 2026 if EY doesn't negotiate. EY had disclosed the breach earlier this month, saying attackers accessed a third-party support-ticket system between March 28 and April 12 and downloaded documents containing client tax information. RingCentral also named on the ShinyHunters leak site ShinyHunters claims to have compromised an unspecified volume of RingCentral data, with a final extortion deadline of July 30, 2026 — a reminder that a single extortion crew can be running several corporate victims through the same playbook at once. GitHub slashes public bug bounty payouts Starting July... --- #### What Are The Common Challenges When Interpreting DMARC Report Analyzer Results? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-challenges-arise-when-interpreting-dmarc-report-analyzer-results-effectively/ Description: Struggling to understand DMARC Report Analyzer results? Learn the most common interpretation challenges, what they mean, and how to improve email security. The most common challenges when interpreting DMARC report analyzer results are inconsistent RUA/RUF formats and parsing anomalies, separating alignment failures from true authentication failures, accounting for forwarding and list rewriting, normalizing duplicates and timezones, accurately attributing third‑party senders and DKIM selectors, tuning detection thresholds to balance sensitivity vs false positives, and reading pct/sp policy rollouts and sudden spikes without disrupting legitimate delivery. DMARC reports are essential but noisy telemetry: aggregate (RUA) reports compress a day’s worth of sender outcomes per IP/domain into XML snapshots, while forensic (RUF) reports trickle in as message-level AFRF payloads—often redacted—after failures. Translating that mixed signal into action requires disciplined parsing, normalization, and cross-correlation with your mail streams, plus a consistent way to separate the innocuous (forwards, lists, shared ESP IPs) from the truly risky (spoofing, credential-compromised senders, or misconfigured vendors). DMARCReport is purpose-built to tame this complexity: its parsers normalize out-of-spec XML and AFRF, deduplicate overlapping submissions, align timestamps to UTC, and enrich records with ASN/Geo/ESP ownership and DKIM selector inventory. In practice, that turns raw DMARC volatility into operational signal: dashboards for pct rollouts, SIEM-ready indexes for SOC (Security Operations Center) triage, and guided runbooks when failures spike. The right tools help you analyze... --- #### How Can I Use A DMARC Lookup To Troubleshoot Email Delivery Or Rejection Issues? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-use-dmarc-lookup-for-email-delivery-troubleshooting-issues/ Description: Learn how a DMARC lookup helps identify authentication errors, policy failures, and configuration issues behind email delivery or rejection problems. You can use a DMARC lookup to troubleshoot email delivery or rejection issues by confirming the domain’s DMARC record exists and is syntactically valid, interpreting its policy and alignment tags (p, sp, adkim, aspf, pct), and correlating those results with SPF/DKIM checks and Authentication-Results headers to pinpoint which control failed and why—and DMARCReport accelerates each step with one-click lookups, validation, and report-driven root-cause analysis. The DMARC protocol is a policy layer that tells receivers what to do with messages that fail domain alignment on SPF and/or DKIM; a DMARC lookup exposes exactly what policy you’ve published and, crucially, whether that policy applies to the message that bounced. Because DMARC enforcement depends on alignment (the visible From domain must match the SPF domain and/or DKIM d= domain, relaxed or strict), troubleshooting requires reading both the DNS policy and the message’s authentication results. In practice, most “DMARC failure” bounces are caused not by DMARC itself, but by misaligned SPF or DKIM introduced by third‑party senders, subdomain behavior you didn’t intend, or a DMARC record problem (e.g., wrong DNS type, multiple records). DMARCReport’s workflow—instant DNS lookup, guided tag interpretation, automatic SPF/DKIM header parsing, and aggregate/forensic report analytics—lets you move from symptom to fix... --- #### Recipient Address Rejected: Access Denied (550 5.4.1) – Understanding the Error and How to Resolve It URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/recipient-address-rejected-access-denied-550-5-4-1-resolve/ Description: Learn what the 550 5.4.1 Recipient Address Rejected: Access Denied error means, its common causes, and proven steps to troubleshoot and resolve it quickly. Email remains one of the most dependable methods of business communication, but delivery problems can interrupt even the most important messages. One of the more common SMTP bounce messages users encounter is "Recipient Address Rejected: Access Denied (550 5.4.1)." Although this message may appear complicated, it simply indicates that the receiving mail server refused to accept your email. The rejection can occur for a variety of reasons, ranging from an incorrect email address to authentication failures or server security restrictions. Understanding why this error occurs is the first step toward resolving it. This guide explains what the error means, why it happens, how to troubleshoot it, and what you can do to prevent similar delivery failures in the future. Understanding the "Recipient Address Rejected: Access Den Denied" Error SMTP servers use numerical status codes to communicate the outcome of email delivery attempts. When you receive the following message: 550 5.4.1 Recipient Address Rejected: Access Denied it means the destination mail server permanently refused your email instead of accepting it for delivery. Let's break down the error: 550 indicates a permanent delivery failure. The receiving server has rejected the message, and your mail server will not automatically retry. 5.4.1 generally refers... --- #### DNS Amplification Attack: Common Examples, Detection Methods & Mitigation Strategies URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dns-amplification-attack-common-examples-detection-methods-mitigation-strategies/ Description: Learn how DNS amplification attacks work, explore common examples and detection methods, and discover effective strategies to mitigate DDoS threats. DNS is the foundation of modern email authentication. Protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC rely on DNS records to verify legitimate email senders and protect domains from spoofing. The DMARC record, for instance, lives as a DNS TXT entry that receivers query on every message. Because of this dependency, attacks against DNS infrastructure—including DNS amplification attacks—can indirectly affect email authentication, email delivery, and domain security. Understanding how DNS amplification attacks work helps organizations strengthen both their network resilience and email security posture. What Is a DNS Amplification Attack and How Does It Work? A DNS amplification attack is a type of DDoS attack that abuses the domain name system to overwhelm a target with excessive traffic. It is both a reflection attack and a volumetric attack: the attacker sends small DNS requests to third-party DNS infrastructure, and those systems send much larger replies to the victim. The result is a high-volume distributed denial-of-service event that can exhaust bandwidth, degrade applications, and disrupt critical network infrastructure. The “amplification” occurs because DNS can produce a large response from a relatively small query. When the request size is much smaller than the response size, the amplification factor becomes attractive to attackers. In... --- #### Microsoft Patch Records, Ransomware Hits Fairlife, Spirals Moves Fast URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/microsoft-patch-records-ransomware-hits-fairlife-spirals-moves-fast/ Description: Stay updated on Microsoft Patch Tuesday, Fairlife ransomware, Spirals attacks, phishing scams, AI threats, and the latest DMARC, DKIM & SPF security updates. Microsoft's July Patch Tuesday breaks records Microsoft's July 2026 Patch Tuesday addressed roughly 570 vulnerabilities, including two actively exploited zero-days — CVE-2026-56164 in SharePoint Server and CVE-2026-56155 in Active Directory Federation Services — plus a publicly disclosed BitLocker bypass bug. One of the largest single-month patch batches on record. Coca-Cola's Fairlife dairy unit hit by ransomware The Coca-Cola Company disclosed that a ransomware attack impacting its Fairlife dairy subsidiary disrupted operations, temporarily suspending production of Fairlife products across the United States. New ransomware crew "Spirals" moves at record speed A new ransomware actor called Spirals completed a corporate intrusion — from initial access to data theft and encryption — in less than 24 hours. Scattered Spider hackers finally jailed Thalha Jubair, 20, and Owen Flowers, 18, were each sentenced to five years and six months in prison for the 2024 cyberattack on Transport for London, in what UK authorities called the largest cybercrime prosecution ever brought before a UK court, with damages estimated at £29 million. The attack originated through social engineering targeting the organization's helpdesk. LastPass warns of active phishing campaign LastPass alerted customers to an active phishing campaign identified on July 13, with emails sent from a lookalike... --- #### How Can I Monitor And Receive Alerts When DMARC Alignment Breaks For My Domains? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-monitor-dmarc-alignment-breaks-and-receive-domain-alerts/ Description: Monitor DMARC alignment and receive instant alerts when authentication breaks, helping you quickly detect spoofing, misconfigurations, and deliverability risks. You can monitor and receive alerts when DMARC alignment breaks by enabling DMARC aggregate (rua) and forensic (ruf) reporting in DNS, routing those reports to DMARCReport for parsing and correlation, configuring alignment-failure thresholds and anomaly rules, and integrating DMARCReport’s alerting with your SIEM/Slack/PagerDuty so you get timely notifications scoped to each domain, subdomain, and sender. DMARC alignment breaks when the visible From domain in a message fails to align with SPF’s RFC5321 MailFrom domain or DKIM’s d= domain according to your DMARC policy (relaxed or strict). Because alignment can fail intermittently (misconfigured senders, forwarding, expired keys), you need both coverage (all domains and subdomains) and speed (near-real time where possible) to separate noise from true impacts. Aggregate reports provide population-level visibility every 24 hours, while forensic/failure samples and MTA telemetry provide faster, albeit sparser, signals. DMARCReport operationalizes this workflow end-to-end: it supplies hosted rua/ruf mailboxes, ingests and normalizes XML reports, correlates them by organizational domain and sender, runs real-time and batch detection, and drives alerts to the right channel with rich diagnostics. The result is fewer false positives, faster triage, and a durable audit trail mapped to your domains, subdomains, and third-party platforms. Collecting the right signals: DNS steps for... --- #### Network Security And DMARC: Building A Comprehensive Sender Stack URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/network-security-and-dmarc-building-a-comprehensive-sender-stack/ Description: Discover how network security and DMARC work together to build a stronger sender stack, protect email domains, and prevent spoofing and phishing threats. When it comes to protecting your business, the thought of someone impersonating your email domain is enough to make any IT manager wince. Spoofing a company’s domain puts confidential information and financial assets at serious risk, which is why modern network security calls for robust authentication protocols – and fast. This post walks you through building a secure sender stack by weaving together DMARC and a handful of traffic‑control tools. Why Any Solid Network Security Setup Must Include DMARC Mail servers handle thousands of requests every day, so securing your perimeter without checking whether messages are genuine simply isn’t enough. Effective network security depends on being able to pinpoint exactly where each email really came from. The DMARC standard uses your existing DNS records to confirm that a sender actually has the right to use a particular domain name. To understand DMARC fully, it helps to see how it builds on SPF and DKIM. According to the technical specification RFC 7489, putting blocking policies in place dramatically reduces the risk of successful phishing attacks on your customers. Without this tool, an attacker can easily spoof the “from” field in a header. The Protection Toolkit: Infrastructure That Stops Address Spoofing Building... --- #### Common Pitfalls When Adding A DMARC Record To Office 365 DNS URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-are-common-pitfalls-adding-dmarc-record-office-365-dns/ Description: Avoid common DMARC record mistakes in Office 365 DNS. Learn how to prevent configuration errors, authentication failures, and email delivery issues. The most common pitfalls when adding a DMARC record to Office 365 DNS are incorrect TXT syntax and tag values, missing or misaligned DKIM (especially in hybrid setups), multiple/duplicate DMARC TXT records, exceeding SPF’s 10-lookup limit with third-party senders, skipping a phased rollout and monitoring (rua/ruf), misusing the sp= tag for subdomains, DNS formatting/TTL mistakes, weak troubleshooting practices, ignoring forwarding/connector effects on alignment, and underestimating operational/reporting overhead—all of which DMARCReport helps prevent with automated validation, source mapping, and policy guidance. DMARC is a DNS-based policy that tells receiving mail systems how to handle messages that fail SPF/DKIM alignment against the visible From domain. In Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online), you don’t “turn on” DMARC inside the tenant; you publish it in DNS and ensure your SPF and DKIM are configured to align with the domain users see. Because DMARC is evaluated by recipients across the internet, a minor DNS or alignment mistake can lead to real delivery failures once you move beyond p=none. Office 365 does a solid job with SPF and provides easy DKIM enablement, but the interplay among DMARC, DKIM, SPF, forwarding, hybrid mail flow, and third-party senders is where most teams stumble. DMARCReport reduces this risk by validating... --- #### Accenture Sourcecode Breached, JADEPUFFER AI Ransomware, GodDamn Disables Windows URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/accenture-sourcecode-breached-jadepuffer-ai-ransomware-goddamn-disables-windows/ Description: Stay updated with this week's top cybersecurity news, including the Accenture breach, AI ransomware, Windows threats, supply chain attacks, and zero-days. Accenture confirms breach after hacker sells 35GB of stolen source code A threat actor known as "888" posted on a cybercrime forum claiming to have stolen just over 35GB of source code from Accenture in July 2026, including RSA keys, SSH keys, Azure personal access tokens, and Azure Storage access keys. Accenture confirmed an incident occurred but hasn't verified the scope. After any breach that exposes credentials, it's worth learning how to do a DMARC lookup to confirm your domain's protections are still in place. JADEPUFFER: the first fully "agentic" AI-driven ransomware attack Sysdig researchers documented what they call the first end-to-end ransomware operation run entirely by an AI agent, classifying the operator as an "Agentic Threat Actor." The standout detail: when a login attempt failed mid-attack, the agent diagnosed the failure, wrote a fix, and continued without human help, later producing plain-language reasoning comments across hundreds of payloads. GodDamn ransomware disables Windows security with a signed malicious driver A new ransomware family uses a "bring-your-own-vulnerable-driver" technique — pairing a legitimate remote access tool with a Microsoft-signed malicious driver — to silently kill endpoint security processes and remove API hooks without triggering alarms before deploying credential stealers and ransomware. Microsoft... --- #### What Is A DMARC Parser And How Does It Help Interpret DMARC Aggregate Reports? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dmarc-parser-and-how-to-interpret-aggregate-reports/ Description: Learn what a DMARC parser is, how it simplifies DMARC aggregate reports, identifies email threats, and helps improve email authentication. A DMARC parser is a specialized engine that ingests DMARC aggregate (RUA) XML reports, validates and normalizes their contents (metadata, published policy, records, IP sources, SPF/DKIM results), correlates outcomes to domains and subdomains, and transforms the data into queryable, visual, and actionable intelligence that organizations use to monitor sending sources, detect abuse, and safely move to a reject policy—exactly what DMARCReport automates end to end. Context and background Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) lets domain owners receive aggregate telemetry from mailbox providers about who is sending email “as” their domain and whether messages pass alignment via SPF or DKIM. Those daily reports arrive as compressed XML files with counts—not raw messages—summarizing outcomes by sending IP and domain. Interpreting them at scale requires robust parsing, normalization, de-duplication, and analytics capabilities. A DMARC parser is both a data-quality gate and an analytics bridge: it translates heterogeneous, sometimes malformed XML from hundreds of receivers into a consistent dataset, correlates SPF/DKIM alignment with policy dispositions, and provides historical, drill-down analyses to drive decisions (e.g., which third-party senders to authorize, when to raise p=quarantine→reject). DMARCReport provides this as a managed pipeline—receiving, parsing, storing, visualizing, and alerting—so security and email teams can spend time... --- #### Mailchimp SPF Setup: Step-By-Step Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/mailchimp-spf-setup-step-by-step-guide/ Description: Configure Mailchimp SPF the right way with this step-by-step guide to improve email authentication, boost deliverability, and reduce spoofing risks. Setting up Mailchimp SPF correctly helps improve your domain's email authentication and supports better email deliverability. Although Mailchimp primarily uses DKIM for domain authentication, having a properly configured SPF record can strengthen your overall email security. This helps reduce the chances of your emails being marked as spam or rejected by receiving mail servers. In this guide, you'll learn how to configure Mailchimp SPF, update your DNS records, and verify your setup step by step. What SPF Is and Why It Matters for Mailchimp Email Deliverability SPF, or Sender Policy Framework, is an email authentication method that tells receiving email providers which mail servers are allowed to send messages on behalf of your domain. For a deeper primer on what is SPF, see our dedicated guide. In a Mailchimp context, a properly configured Mailchimp SPF setup helps inbox providers such as Gmail and Yahoo evaluate whether an email sender is legitimate. SPF is published in your DNS records as a TXT record. When Mailchimp sends an email campaign using your custom domain in the campaign From field, receiving servers check the SPF record, DKIM signature, and DMARC policy to determine whether the message should be accepted, filtered, or rejected. SPF,... --- #### Queued Emails: Causes, Troubleshooting, And Delivery Best Practices URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/queued-emails-causes-troubleshooting-best-practices-email-delivery/ Description: Learn why emails get queued, how to troubleshoot delivery delays, and best practices to improve email deliverability with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Email remains one of the most reliable communication channels for businesses, but successful delivery depends on more than simply clicking “Send.” Occasionally, messages don’t leave the mail server immediately. Instead, they enter an email queue where they wait until delivery can be attempted again. While occasional email queuing is normal, persistent queues can indicate underlying issues that affect communication, customer engagement, and business operations. Understanding why emails become queued, how email queues work, and what steps administrators can take to resolve them is essential for maintaining a healthy email infrastructure. This guide explains the most common causes of queued emails, practical troubleshooting methods, and best practices for minimizing delivery delays. What Are Queued Emails? A queued email is an outgoing message that has not yet been delivered to the recipient’s mail server. Instead of being discarded immediately when delivery fails, the sending mail server temporarily stores the message and schedules additional delivery attempts. Mail servers queue emails for several reasons, including temporary network interruptions, recipient server issues, DNS problems, authentication failures, or sending rate restrictions. Most modern mail transfer agents (MTAs) automatically retry delivery at predetermined intervals. If the issue is resolved during the retry period, the email is successfully... --- #### CISA Warns SharePoint, SimpleHelp Auth Bypass, Russian Spies Target URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cisa-warns-sharepoint-simplehelp-auth-bypass-russian-spies-target/ Description: CISA warns of critical SharePoint and SimpleHelp authentication bypass flaws as Russian spies target organizations with cyberattacks. CISA flags actively exploited SharePoint RCE (CVE-2026-45659) A high-severity remote code execution flaw in on-premises SharePoint Server, caused by deserialization of untrusted data, was patched by Microsoft in May 2026, and CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog after confirming active exploitation, with federal agencies given until July 4 to patch. Good "patch now" angle for your readers, especially since Microsoft originally rated it "exploitation less likely." SimpleHelp RMM auth bypass used to hit MSPs (CVE-2026-48558) An attacker exploited a flaw in SimpleHelp's OpenID Connect login to forge a technician session on an internet-facing server, then used the platform's own file-transfer and remote-execution features to deploy malware researchers dubbed TaskWeaver and Djinn Stealer. Strong supply-chain-risk story for MSP-focused readers. FBI/CISA: Russian spies now stealing Signal Backup Recovery Keys Russian intelligence-linked hackers have shifted from hijacking Signal accounts to tricking targets into handing over Signal Backup Recovery Keys, which let attackers restore an account's full historical message archive. The State Department is offering a $10 million reward for information on the group known as UNC5792. Great topic tying encryption strength to human social-engineering weakness — very on-brand for a DMARC/email-security audience, and a reminder that email authentication compliance is... --- #### How To Identify And Fix Weak DMARC Policies Before Attackers Exploit Them URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-identify-and-fix-weak-dmarc-policies-before-attackers/ Description: Learn how to identify and fix weak DMARC policies to prevent email spoofing, improve domain security, and stop attackers from exploiting your domain. Identify and fix weak DMARC policies before attackers exploit them by programmatically auditing all domains and subdomains for DMARC/SPF/DKIM, parsing RUA/RUF to map legitimate senders, remediating alignment and DNS misconfigurations, and safely escalating policy from p=none to p=quarantine to p=reject with staged rollouts, continuous monitoring, and an incident-response playbook—automated end-to-end with DMARCReport. DMARC is more than a DNS record—it’s an operational process that merges identity, cryptography, and policy across your entire email-sending ecosystem. Attackers reliably exploit domains sitting at p=none, misaligned SPF/DKIM, lax subdomain policies, and stale third-party integrations to deliver convincing spoofed messages. The core challenge is visibility: if you can’t enumerate your senders, measure alignment, and test enforcement without hurting legitimate. This guide provides a field-tested approach to move quickly and safely: inventory domains at mail, you’ll stay in p=none limbo. scale, baseline traffic using aggregate reports, fix the common misconfigs, and then raise enforcement backed by monitoring, alerting, and a fast roll-back plan. Throughout, we show how DMARCReport streamlines each step with automated discovery, high-volume report parsing, misconfig detection, guided policy changes, and SIEM-ready alerts. Step 1 — Audit Every Domain and Subdomain Programmatically What to Audit - DMARC record presence, policy (p), subdomain policy (sp), reporting... --- #### How DMARC Helps Protect Organizations from Fake Zoom Phishing Emails URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-dmarc-helps-protect-organizations-from-fake-zoom-phishing-emails/ Description: Learn how DMARC protects organizations from fake Zoom phishing emails by preventing email spoofing, improving authentication, and reducing cyber threats. Video conferencing has become an essential part of modern business communication, making trusted platforms like Zoom attractive targets for cybercriminals. Rather than attacking the platform itself, threat actors often send fraudulent emails that impersonate Zoom notifications to trick recipients into revealing login credentials or clicking malicious links. These phishing campaigns rely on email spoofing to make messages appear legitimate. By copying Zoom’s branding and creating a sense of urgency, attackers increase the likelihood that recipients will interact with malicious content. For organizations, preventing these attacks requires more than user awareness—it also requires strong email authentication. Technologies such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC help verify the authenticity of email messages and make it more difficult for attackers to impersonate trusted domains. When properly implemented, they reduce the risk of spoofed emails reaching users’ inboxes and provide visibility into unauthorized email activity. Why Zoom Is Commonly Used in Phishing Campaigns Employees receive legitimate meeting invitations, webinar registrations, password reset notifications, and meeting recordings from Zoom on a regular basis. Because these emails are familiar and often require prompt attention, they present an ideal opportunity for phishing attacks. Cybercriminals exploit this trust by distributing convincing emails that appear to come from Zoom. These... --- #### Transport Hack Guilty, Tata Data Leaked, Bajaj Ransomware Attack URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/transport-hack-guilty-tata-data-leaked-bajaj-ransomware-attack/ Description: Transport hack suspects plead guilty as Tata confidential data is leaked and Bajaj faces a ransomware attack. Read the latest cybersecurity updates. Here's your weekly roundup of the biggest cybersecurity stories making waves right now — from one of the largest firewall credential heists in history to teenage hackers finally facing justice, and a wave of ransomware hitting India's biggest manufacturers. Buckle up. Scattered Spider Teens Plead Guilty on Day One of Trial Over London Transport Hack Two young members of the notorious Scattered Spider cybercrime gang avoided a six-week trial by changing their pleas to guilty on the very first day of proceedings. Thalha Jubair (20) and Owen Flowers (18) breached the systems of London's Transport for London (TfL) between August 31 and September 3, 2024, causing millions of pounds in losses. The breach exposed customer information, affected around 10 million commuters, forced 28,000 employees to reset passwords, and resulted in roughly £29 million in damages and recovery costs. Evidence recovered from Flowers' personal devices made denying the charges impossible. Investigators found a laptop containing a screenshot showing connectivity to TfL infrastructure, evidence of access to a marketplace selling stolen credentials, and videos recorded by Flowers that allegedly showed Jubair accessing TfL systems during the attack. Jubair is also wanted in the U.S. for alleged computer fraud, wire fraud, and money... --- #### How can I check whether SPF or DKIM failures are causing my DMARC quarantine to fail? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-check-spf-dkim-failures-causing-dmarc-quarantine-failures/ Description: Learn how to identify whether SPF or DKIM authentication failures are triggering DMARC quarantine actions using headers, DMARC reports, and validation tools. To check whether SPF or DKIM failures are causing your DMARC quarantine to trigger, correlate DMARC aggregate/forensic reports with message headers (Authentication-Results, DKIM-Signature, Received-SPF), validate DNS and keys using command‑line/online tools, and review MTA logs by source—DMARCReport automates this correlation, highlights alignment vs. authentication failures, and pinpoints the exact failing mechanism per sender. DMARC quarantine (p=quarantine) is enforced when neither aligned SPF nor aligned DKIM passes for a message; that means a simple “SPF=pass” or “DKIM=pass” is not enough—one of them must also be domain-aligned to the visible From domain to avoid quarantine. If the distinction between authentication and alignment is still fuzzy, this breakdown of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained sets the groundwork. In practice, diagnosing the root cause requires looking at three planes of evidence: message-level headers, DNS and key material, and receiver-side DMARC results at scale. DMARCReport consolidates these planes by ingesting RUA/RUF reports, linking them to sending sources, and surfacing whether SPF authentication, SPF alignment, DKIM authentication, or DKIM alignment is the reason messages are being quarantined. In our 2025 analysis of 42M messages across 1,100 domains onboarded to DMARCReport, 61% of DMARC quarantine events were due to SPF passing but failing alignment (common with third-party... --- #### DMARC Passed. The Email Was Still an Attack. Inside the Blesta Ransom Incident URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/blesta-ransom-email-dmarc-passed-authenticated-abuse/ Description: A ransom email from no-reply@blesta.com passed SPF, DKIM, and DMARC because it came from Blesta's own infrastructure. On June 26, 2026, a number of people in the web hosting industry received an email with the subject line "Blesta Compromised." It came from no-reply@blesta.com, the billing platform many hosting companies run their businesses on. It claimed an attacker had seized all customer data and demanded a ransom over the TOX messenger within 48 hours. The unsettling part is not the threat. It is that the email passed every authentication check we tell people to trust. SPF passed. DKIM passed, signed with Blesta's own key. DMARC passed, against Blesta's own p=reject policy. By every signal a mail client or security gateway uses to decide whether a message is genuinely from a domain, this one was genuinely from Blesta. That is exactly why it is worth understanding. This was not spoofing, and it was not a failure of email authentication. It is a textbook case of what is sometimes called authenticated abuse, and it exposes the single most important thing people misunderstand about SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. The incident was first surfaced publicly by Michael Pearce of Hosting Verified and reported in detail by WebHosting Today. The technical facts below come from that reporting and from the message headers it... --- #### Why cloud-sec-av.com Shows Up in Your DMARC Reports (Avanan Explained) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/cloud-sec-av-com-avanan-dmarc-reports-explained/ Description: Seeing high volumes of failing mail from cloud-sec-av.com in your DMARC reports? It is almost always Check Point (Avanan) scanning a recipient's mail, not a spoofing attack. If you publish a DMARC record and review your aggregate reports, you may notice a steady stream of mail failing authentication from hostnames like cloud-sec-av.com, us.cloud-sec-av.com, eu.cloud-sec-av.com, or au.cloud-sec-av.com. The volume can look alarming, sometimes hundreds or thousands of messages, all marked as DMARC failures. The natural reaction is to assume someone is spoofing your domain. Once you understand DMARC and how receivers evaluate it, though, most of these entries turn out to be harmless. In almost every case, this is not an attack and it is not a delivery problem. It is the normal side effect of a recipient running a third-party email security service inside their Microsoft 365 tenant. This guide explains exactly what cloud-sec-av.com is, why it generates failures in your reports, and why the correct response is usually to do nothing. If you want to confirm your own setup is intact, run a quick DMARC check on your domain. What cloud-sec-av.com actually is cloud-sec-av.com is the scanning infrastructure for Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration, the product previously known as Avanan. It is a cloud-based email security service that organizations bolt onto Microsoft 365 to add malware scanning, phishing detection, URL rewriting, and data loss prevention... --- #### Why might third-party senders break DMARC alignment and how can I prevent it? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-third-party-senders-break-dmarc-alignment-and-prevention/ Description: Learn why third-party email senders break DMARC alignment and discover practical ways to prevent authentication failures and improve email deliverability. Third-party senders typically break DMARC alignment when their SPF Mail From or DKIM d= domains don’t match your visible From domain—most often because of platform-owned return paths, non-aligned DKIM signatures, forwarding/list rewrites, or DNS misconfiguration—and you can prevent it by enforcing custom DKIM that aligns with your From domain, authorizing senders in SPF without exceeding DNS lookups, using dedicated sending subdomains, deploying ARC for forwarders, requiring vendor controls (custom Return-Path, header preservation, key rotation), and continuously testing and monitoring with DMARCReport. Email authentication hinges on alignment: DMARC passes when at least one of SPF or DKIM both authenticates and aligns with the organizational domain of your visible From header. Understanding how DMARC alignment works is the foundation for diagnosing third-party failures. Third-party platforms often inject their own infrastructure—return paths, signing domains, link tracking, and intermediate hops—that unintentionally de-align mail unless you explicitly configure them to send “as you,” not “as them.” Because every vendor implements identity and signing slightly differently, it’s easy for alignment to drift during onboarding, migrations, or even routine key rotations. The practical fix is twofold: first, design your domain strategy so vendors can align cleanly (custom DKIM, dedicated subdomains, scoped SPF delegation); second, operate a rigorous... --- #### FortiBleed Massive Breach, DragonForce Teams Infiltration, Endgame Cleans SocGholish URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/fortibleed-massive-breach-dragonforce-teams-infiltration-endgame-cleans-socgholish/ Description: Latest cybersecurity news: FortiBleed breach, DragonForce Teams infiltration, and Operation Endgame disrupting the SocGholish botnet. Here's your weekly roundup of the most significant cybersecurity developments from the past seven days. From a massive Fortinet credential crisis affecting organisations across 194 countries to a ransomware group hiding inside Microsoft Teams for two months undetected, the threat landscape continues to grow bolder, faster, and harder to contain. "FortiBleed" — 86,000 Fortinet Firewalls Compromised in Massive Credential Campaign One of the biggest cybersecurity stories of the year so far broke this week. A large-scale credential theft campaign, now dubbed FortiBleed, has produced a verified database of over 86,644 confirmed working credentials across 194 countries, all collected from internet-facing Fortinet infrastructure. Among the organisations represented in the exposed dataset are Samsung, Mercedes-Benz, Foxconn, Chevron, Comcast, AT\&T, and Toyota, along with many government agencies and critical infrastructure operators across telecommunications, healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing. According to data from SOCRadar, generic admin accounts (35%) and built-in Fortinet system accounts (28.3%) together make up the majority of compromised credentials, pointing directly to a widespread failure to rename default accounts or rotate factory credentials. CISA has urged all impacted Fortinet customers to immediately terminate all active SSL VPN and administrative sessions, reset all VPN and administrative passwords on internet-facing systems, and enable... --- #### What Is DNS Hijacking? How to Detect, Fix, and Prevent DNS Hijacking Attacks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dns-hijacking-and-how-can-you-prevent-it/ Description: Learn what DNS hijacking is, how to detect and fix it, and the best ways to prevent DNS hijacking attacks and protect your online security. DNS hijacking is a cyberattack that manipulates the Domain Name System (DNS) to redirect users to fraudulent or malicious websites without their knowledge. By altering DNS settings, compromising routers, poisoning DNS caches, or tampering with DNS records, attackers can intercept traffic, steal credentials, distribute malware, and conduct phishing campaigns. Because DNS serves as the internet's address book, a successful DNS hijacking attack can affect individuals, businesses, and entire networks. In this guide, you'll learn what DNS hijacking is, how it works, the warning signs to watch for, and the best ways to detect, fix, and prevent DNS hijacking attacks. What DNS Hijacking Is and How It Works DNS hijacking is a DNS attack in which an attacker manipulates how a domain name is resolved so users are sent to the wrong destination. Instead of reaching the legitimate IP address for a website, the victim’s DNS queries are altered, intercepted, or answered by a rogue DNS server. The result is often DNS redirection to malicious sites that look like real login pages, banking portals, software update pages, or corporate applications. Normally, DNS resolution follows a predictable path: a browser sends DNS queries to a DNS resolver, which checks the DNS cache,... --- #### How to Configure an SPF Record for Zendesk URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-configure-an-spf-record-for-zendesk/ Description: Learn how to configure an SPF record for Zendesk to improve email authentication, boost deliverability, and support DMARC alignment. Adding an SPF record for Zendesk helps verify that messages sent through the platform are authorized by your domain. Proper SPF configuration improves email delivery, supports DMARC alignment, and reduces the likelihood of messages being filtered as spam. Steps to Create an SPF Record for Zendesk Before making changes, ensure that your domain has a valid SPF record. If you do not already have one, create a new SPF entry for your domain and specify all mail sources that are allowed to send messages on your behalf. Our SPF generator can assemble the record for you if you would rather not hand-write the syntax. You can build a valid record in seconds with our free SPF record generator. During the setup process, you may choose to: - Authorize mail servers defined by your MX records. - Permit the domain’s existing IP address to send email. - Add any specific IP addresses that should be trusted. - Include additional services or hostnames that relay or deliver email for your organization. - Decide how receiving servers should handle messages that fail SPF checks. Typical options include: - Hard Fail (-all): unauthorized emails are rejected. - Soft Fail (all): messages are accepted but... --- #### How To Speed Up DNS Propagation: Tips, Checks, And Expected Timelines URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-speed-up-dns-propagation-tips-checks-expected-timelines/ Description: Speed up DNS propagation with proven tips, verification checks, and realistic timelines. Learn what affects DNS updates and how to monitor changes efficiently. DNS changes are essential when migrating websites, updating servers, changing email providers, or modifying domain settings. However, these updates are not visible everywhere on the internet immediately due to DNS propagation. Understanding how DNS propagation works and the factors that influence it can help reduce delays and prevent service disruptions. In this guide, you'll learn how to speed up DNS propagation, perform effective DNS checks, and understand the typical timelines involved so your DNS updates take effect as quickly and smoothly as possible. What DNS Propagation Means and Why It Takes Time DNS propagation is the period after a DNS change when different parts of the internet begin returning the updated DNS records for a domain name. In practice, DNS propagation is not a single global “push.” Instead, it depends on how DNS cache layers, recursive resolver behavior, and authoritative nameserver responses interact across networks. When someone visits example.com their browser or application sends a DNS request that eventually becomes a DNS lookup for the needed record. A DNS resolver, often operated by an internet service provider, public DNS platform, or enterprise network, checks whether it already has cached results. If it does, it returns the stored DNS response. If... --- #### What are common signs that DMARC is misconfigured and harming email deliverability? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-are-common-signs-that-dmarc-is-misconfigured-harming-deliverability/ Description: Discover common signs of DMARC misconfiguration harming email deliverability, including authentication failures and poor inbox placement. Common signs that DMARC is misconfigured and harming deliverability include a sudden rise in spam-folder placement and hard bounces with DMARC/SPF/DKIM-related SMTP codes (e.g., 550 5.7.26, 550 5.7.1), aggregate reports showing legitimate sources failing alignment for your visible From domain, and DNS issues such as missing, duplicate, or malformed dmarc TXT records. DMARC sits on top of SPF and DKIM to ensure the domain in the visible From header aligns with at least one authentication method; when misconfigured, it can unintentionally tell inbox providers to quarantine or reject legitimate messages. The result is a pattern: more mail diverted to spam, more NDRs citing authentication failures, and DMARC aggregate (rua) XML showing spikes in alignment failures from IPs and platforms you actually own. The methodology to confirm and recover is straightforward: correlate deliverability symptoms (bounces, spam placement) with DMARC evidence (rua/ruf, Authentication-Results headers), validate your DNS records for syntax and duplication, and then systematically fix alignment for each sending source. DMARCReport centralizes this process by collecting and visualizing rua/ruf data, validating DNS records, mapping senders to IPs/selectors, and simulating policy changes before you roll them out, so you can resolve misconfigurations without sacrificing inbox placement. Delivery patterns and SMTP codes that... --- #### Plugin CDN Breach, Gemini AI Lawsuit, ShinyHunters Targets Universities URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/plugin-cdn-breach-gemini-ai-lawsuit-shinyhunters-targets-universities/ Description: Latest cybersecurity news: a plugin CDN breach impacts websites, a Gemini AI lawsuit targets phishing abuse, and ShinyHunters attacks universities. Here's your weekly roundup of the biggest cybersecurity stories making headlines — from a brazen WordPress plugin supply chain attack affecting over 1.2 million sites to Google taking a Chinese crime ring to court for weaponising its own Gemini AI. It's been a busy week. Let's dive in. WordPress Supply Chain Attack Hits 1.2 Million Sites via Hijacked Plugin CDN A supply chain attack targeting the WordPress plugins OptinMonster, TrustPulse, and PushEngage exposed more than 1.2 million websites to potential compromise after attackers injected malicious JavaScript into files distributed through official CDN infrastructure. E-commerce security firm Sansec discovered the attack over the weekend and found that malicious scripts were served to unsuspecting OptinMonster and TrustPulse users on Friday between 22:17 UTC and 22:42 UTC. PushEngage continued to serve malicious JavaScript code until 19:02 UTC on Saturday. The malware triggered only when a WordPress administrator visited a page on an infected website, collecting authentication tokens and nonces, and using them to create a rogue administrator account. The intruders then installed a self-hiding backdoor plugin and established a communication channel with a domain impersonating Tidio to send any newly captured data. Awesome Motive has since confirmed the incident, attributing it to the... --- #### Top 11 Email Encryption Solutions For Secure Communication In 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/top-11-email-encryption-solutions-for-secure-communication-in-2026/ Description: Discover the top 11 email encryption solutions for 2026. Compare features, security, compliance, and pricing to protect sensitive communications. Email remains one of the most widely used business communication channels, but it is also a major target for cyberattacks, data breaches, and unauthorized access. As organizations handle increasing amounts of sensitive information, implementing reliable email encryption has become essential for protecting privacy, meeting compliance requirements, and reducing security risks. This guide explores the top 11 email encryption solutions for secure communication in 2026, highlighting their key features, security capabilities, and ideal use cases to help businesses and individuals choose the right platform for safeguarding email communications. Why Email Encryption Matters in 2026: Key Threats, Compliance Requirements, and Business Use Cases Email remains one of the most common attack vectors for cyberattack, phishing, malware delivery, identity theft, business email compromise, and data exfiltration. In 2026, email encryption is no longer optional for organizations that exchange sensitive information, customer records, contracts, financial documents, intellectual property, healthcare data, or legal files. A strong email encryption service protects outgoing email communication and, in some cases, incoming email communication by converting readable content into ciphertext. Without the proper encryption keys, attackers cannot read the message, even if they intercept it during a man-in-the-middle attack or access a compromised mailbox. The Core Security Problem: Plaintext... --- #### Google Postmaster Tools Introduces Deliverability Analysis: What Email Senders Need to Know URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/google-postmaster-tools-deliverability-analysis-feature-email-senders-guide/ Description: Google Postmaster Tools now offers Deliverability Analysis, helping email senders monitor inbox placement, diagnose issues, and improve performance. Email deliverability has become increasingly complex as mailbox providers place greater emphasis on sender behavior, authentication, and recipient engagement. To help senders better understand how Gmail evaluates their email programs, Google Postmaster Tools has introduced a Deliverability Analysis feature designed to provide a more consolidated view of inbox performance. Rather than forcing users to interpret multiple dashboards separately, this new functionality aims to simplify the process of identifying deliverability concerns and understanding what actions may improve email placement. A Shift Toward Actionable Deliverability Insights For years, email marketers and deliverability professionals relied on a collection of metrics within Google Postmaster Tools to assess sender health. Spam complaint rates, authentication status, and delivery error reports all provided useful information, but understanding the relationship between these metrics often required experience and manual analysis. The Deliverability Analysis feature changes that approach by bringing together several signals into a more accessible assessment. Instead of examining individual data points in isolation, senders receive a higher-level evaluation of how Gmail currently views their email traffic. This allows teams to move more quickly from identifying a problem to investigating its root cause. Why Deliverability Monitoring Matters More Than Ever Modern inbox placement depends on much more than... --- #### DNSSEC Test Tool: Free DNSSEC Checker And Validator URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dnssec-test-tool-free-dnssec-checker-and-validator/ Description: Use our free DNSSEC Test Tool to check, validate, and verify DNSSEC records. Ensure your domain is protected from DNS spoofing, tampering, and cache poisoning. DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) helps protect DNS queries from tampering, spoofing, and cache poisoning by adding cryptographic validation to DNS records. Our free DNSSEC Test Tool lets you quickly check whether your domain’s DNSSEC configuration is correctly implemented, validate DNSKEY, DS, and RRSIG records, and verify the chain of trust. Use this DNSSEC checker to identify configuration issues, strengthen DNS security, and ensure your domain resolves safely across validating DNS resolvers worldwide. What DNSSEC Is and Why It Matters for Secure DNS Propagation DNSSEC, or Domain Name System Security Extensions, adds cryptographic validation to the domain name system so users can trust that a DNS response has not been forged, altered, or intercepted. Standard dns lookup behavior tells a browser where to find a domain, but DNSSEC helps prove that the dns result came from the correct authoritative source. During dns propagation, DNS data moves through many layers: the root name server, the tld name server, the authoritative name server, ISP DNS infrastructure, public dns servers, and the recursive resolver used by a visitor’s internet service provider. Without DNSSEC, a recursive resolver may receive a technically valid response that is not cryptographically authenticated. With DNSSEC, the resolver checks... --- #### Domain Spoofing Reports: Identify Unauthorized Use Of Your Domain URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/domain-spoofing-reports-identify-unauthorized-use-of-your-domain/ Description: Detect and investigate unauthorized use of your domain. Domain Spoofing Reports help protect your brand, customers, and email reputation. To identify unauthorized use of your domain, implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC with RUA/RUF reporting, configure DNS to collect reports, parse and normalize them at scale, distinguish forwarding and approved senders from true spoofing, alert and escalate via SIEM/SOAR integrations, and remediate quickly—all of which DMARCReport automates end‑to‑end. Email domain spoofing is one of the most persistent business risks because it exploits the trust of your brand and your recipients. The good news: modern email authentication standards generate machine-readable telemetry that can be turned into high-fidelity “domain spoofing reports” you can act upon. When you correctly configure SPF/DKIM/DMARC and operationalize their reports, you transition from guesswork to evidence-based prevention and response. Before you enable reporting, you can check DMARC record syntax and alignment in seconds. This guide pairs practical steps with implementation details and an operating model that organizations use to uncover and stop abuse. It draws on anonymized DMARCReport program data (Q1 2026; n=120 domains; 52M messages) and field cases to quantify what “normal” looks like, what signals truly indicate spoofing, and how to scale ingestion, analysis, and response using DMARCReport. Implement Authentication and Reporting To Collect Spoofing Intelligence The standards that make spoofing visible - SPF (Sender Policy... --- #### How To Recognize A Zip Bomb In Spam Email Attachments URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-recognize-a-zip-bomb-in-spam-email-attachments/ Description: Learn how to spot zip bombs in spam email attachments, recognize warning signs, and avoid malicious files that can crash systems. Spam emails often use ZIP attachments to bypass security filters and trick recipients into opening malicious files. One lesser-known threat is the zip bomb—a compressed archive that appears harmless but expands into an enormous amount of data when extracted, potentially overwhelming system resources and causing crashes or denial-of-service conditions. Recognizing the warning signs of a zip bomb before opening an attachment is an important part of email security. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC help verify email authenticity, prevent spoofing, and reduce the risk of malicious spam attachments such as zip bombs reaching users' inboxes. Reviewing your DMARC aggregate reports reveals whether spoofed senders are trying to slip malicious archives past your filters. Run a DMARC check to confirm your domain's policy is blocking spoofed senders. This guide explains how zip bombs work, the red flags to watch for in spam emails, and the safest ways to inspect suspicious ZIP files without putting your device at risk. What a Zip Bomb Is and Why Attackers Use It in Spam Campaigns A zip bomb is a specially crafted archive designed to look small while expanding into a massive amount of uncompressed data during extraction. It is also called a decompression bomb, archive bomb,... --- #### Critical VPN Exploitation, WhatsApp Phishing Dispute, Instagram Accounts Hijacked URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/critical-vpn-exploitation-whatsapp-phishing-dispute-instagram-accounts-hijacked/ Description: Cybersecurity roundup: Check Point VPN exploits, Meta-NSO clash, Instagram account hijacks, Dashlane breach, Cisco flaws, and rising cyber threats. Here's your weekly roundup of the most significant cybersecurity developments from the past seven days. From a critical VPN flaw being weaponized by ransomware gangs to a rogue AI chatbot handing Instagram accounts to hackers, this week was packed with high-impact incidents and urgent warnings. Critical Check Point VPN Zero-Day Exploited by Qilin Ransomware Gang Check Point published a security advisory on June 8 for CVE-2026-50751, a critical authentication bypass vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.3 that affects Check Point Remote Access VPN and Mobile Access deployments configured to use the deprecated IKEv1 key exchange protocol. The attacks began on May 7, surged in early June, and have affected "a few dozen" organizations worldwide, with at least one incident linked to the Qilin ransomware operation. Check Point estimates that the threat actor behind this vulnerability is also exploiting VPN vulnerabilities in products from other vendors, including Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, and F5. Organizations using affected versions should apply hotfixes immediately or switch to IKEv2 as a mitigation measure. This is a timely reminder that keeping legacy protocol configurations in production environments creates dangerous attack surfaces — and that DMARC, SPF, and DKIM controls reduce the phishing and spoofing vectors... --- #### How To Secure A Web Mail Secure Server: 15 Essential Steps URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-to-secure-web-mail-server-15-essential-security-steps/ Description: Protect your web mail server with 15 essential security steps, including encryption, authentication, access controls, monitoring, and threat prevention. A webmail platform is more than a convenient email login page; it is a public-facing gateway into business communications, identity systems, attachments, calendars, and sensitive records. Whether you operate Microsoft 365, Office 365, OWA, Outlook Web Access, GoDaddy Webmail, Emailsrvr at webmail.emailsrvr.com, or a custom Email Server behind a Secure Server portal, the security model must protect the server, the user account, the login flow, and the mailbox data. Achieving DMARC compliance is a core part of that model for any domain that sends business email. 15 Essential Steps for Securing Webmail, Login, and Email Infrastructure Modern webmail security depends on layered controls. A secure server should validate every sign in, encrypt every email path, limit each session, and give administrators enough visibility to detect abuse before it becomes a breach. The following 15 steps align with the core areas required to secure webmail, authentication, email traffic, anti-abuse controls, and maintenance. Implementation Checklist by Control Area • Harden the Server Foundation: update the OS and mail software, disable unnecessary services, enforce least-privilege access, and secure SSH/admin panels Patch the operating system and mail stack continuously. Start by updating the OS, web server, webmail package, SMTP, IMAP, POP3, database, and supporting... --- #### How to Configure an SPF Record in Namecheap URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-configure-an-spf-record-in-namecheap/ Description: Learn how to configure an SPF record in Namecheap to improve email deliverability, prevent spoofing, and strengthen your domain’s email security. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an email authentication method that helps domain owners specify which mail servers are permitted to send emails on behalf of their domain. Publishing an SPF record in your DNS settings can improve email deliverability and reduce the risk of email spoofing. If your domain is managed through Namecheap, adding an SPF record is a straightforward process. This guide walks you through the setup from start to finish. Before You Begin Before making any DNS changes, determine which email services send messages using your domain. Examples may include: - Google Workspace - Microsoft 365 - Zoho Mail - SendGrid - Mailchimp - Other third-party email providers Your SPF record should include all authorized sending sources. If you are unsure of the correct SPF value, consult your email provider’s documentation. Step 1: Sign In to Your Namecheap Account Visit the Namecheap account portal and log in using your credentials. After signing in, you will be taken to your account dashboard where you can manage domains and DNS settings. Step 2: Open Your Domain Management Page Locate the domain for which you want to publish an SPF record. 1 Navigate to the Domain List section. 2 Find the... --- #### What Is The Safest DMARC Policy For New Domains Sending To Gmail? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-the-safest-dmarc-policy-for-new-gmail-senders/ Description: Learn the safest DMARC policy for new domains sending to Gmail, including phased enforcement, email authentication, and deliverability best practices. Start with DMARC p=none (report-only) on the new sending domain targeting Gmail, then progress in stages (pct-based) to p=quarantine and finally p=reject only after SPF and DKIM are correctly aligned and stable, as verified by DMARC aggregate reports and Gmail-specific monitoring via DMARCReport. Context and background DMARC is a policy layer that tells receivers like Gmail how to handle messages that fail authentication (SPF and/or DKIM) and alignment with the visible From domain. For new sending domains, the safest path is to first see what’s happening—who’s sending, which paths authenticate, and where alignment breaks—before telling Gmail to quarantine or reject anything. That means starting with p=none while collecting and analyzing DMARC aggregate reports (rua) and testing SPF/DKIM against Gmail. For a fuller primer on choosing a DMARC policy, see our dedicated guide. Gmail’s current standards for bulk senders require authenticated mail with aligned SPF or DKIM and a DMARC record at the organizational domain. In practice, Gmail weighs authentication and alignment heavily in its spam filtering and reputation systems (Postmaster Tools), but it will not send DMARC forensic (ruf) samples. That makes continuous, high-fidelity aggregate reporting and Gmail-specific telemetry essential. DMARCReport centralizes exactly this: it ingests rua XML from Gmail... --- #### Using A DMARC Analyzer To Detect Email Authentication Issues URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/using-a-dmarc-analyzer-to-detect-email-authentication-issues/ Description: Learn how a DMARC analyzer identifies email authentication issues, improves deliverability, and helps protect your domain from spoofing and phishing attacks. Using a DMARC analyzer like DMARCReport detects email authentication issues by continuously ingesting aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) data from mailbox providers, normalizing SPF/DKIM/DMARC outcomes across all sending sources, and highlighting misalignments, broken records, and enforcement gaps with prioritized, actionable insights tied to your domains and third-party senders. Email authentication can fail for many reasons—misaligned From domains, broken SPF include chains, missing DKIM selectors, forwarding, and list rewriting—and these failures are often invisible to administrators until phishing or deliverability issues surface. A dedicated DMARC analyzer solves this blind spot by turning raw DMARC reports into a coherent, near-real-time view of who is sending on your behalf, what passes/fails, and how to fix it safely. A free DMARC report analyzer parses your aggregate XML into a readable summary in seconds. By pairing this telemetry with phased policy guidance, organizations move from visibility (p=none) to protection (quarantinereject) without breaking legitimate mail. DMARCReport centralizes this entire lifecycle: it guides DNS setup, verifies external reporting authorization, parses/visualizes RUA XML and available RUF messages, correlates failures to root causes (SPF vs DKIM, alignment vs authentication), flags third-party gaps, and automates remediation tasks like SPF flattening, DKIM selector checks, and policy ramp-ups. In 2025–2026 data from... --- #### What Are Common Challenges When Deploying DMARC With G Suite And How Can I Identify Them? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-common-challenges-deploying-dmarc-gsuite-and-how-identify-them/ Description: Common DMARC deployment challenges in G Suite include SPF/DKIM misalignment, forwarding issues, and reporting gaps—learn how to detect and fix them quickly. The most common challenges when deploying DMARC with G Suite (Google Workspace) are 1 =misalignment, DKIM selector/key issues and unsigned traffic, forwarding and mailing‑list breaks, misconfigured “Send mail as”/SMTP relays, risky DMARC policy rollouts, key‑rotation mistakes, subdomain policy gaps, and provider‑specific handling—and you can identify each by inspecting headers and DMARC aggregate/forensic reports, with DMARCReport correlating failing sources, alignment causes, and routes to pinpoint and remediate them. DMARC builds on two mechanisms—SPF and DKIM—to validate that the visible From domain in your message aligns with who actually sent it. In Google Workspace, SPF typically authenticates via your domain’s Return-Path set by Google or your third-party platform, and DKIM is signed with a selector you generate in the Admin console. DMARC then evaluates alignment: SPF aligns when the Return-Path (Mail From) domain matches your From domain (relaxed or strict), and DKIM aligns when the d= domain in the signature matches your From domain (relaxed or strict). Any gap—DNS typos, third-party includes, unsigned messages, forwarding—can break alignment. Because Google Workspace often coexists with multiple SaaS senders (marketing, CRM, billing), DMARC deployments can surface unexpected sources and complex routing edge cases. The safest path is a phased rollout from p=none with careful monitoring... --- #### SVB Email Spoofing and Impersonation: How Cybercriminals Exploit High-Profile Financial Events URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/svb-email-spoofing-impersonation-cybercriminals-exploit-high-profile-financial-events/ Description: Learn how cybercriminals use SVB-related email spoofing and impersonation scams, and discover key strategies to prevent financial phishing attacks. Major financial events often attract attention from more than investors and customers—they also create opportunities for cybercriminals. Following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), threat actors quickly began leveraging public uncertainty and concern to launch phishing and email impersonation campaigns. By posing as trusted banking representatives, attackers attempted to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information, transferring funds, or clicking malicious links. Understanding how these scams work is essential for organizations and individuals seeking to protect themselves from evolving email-based threats. Understanding Email-Based Fraud Email remains one of the most commonly used communication channels in business. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most abused. Attackers frequently use deceptive emails to create a sense of urgency, authority, or trust. In many cases, fraudulent messages appear to come from legitimate organizations. The objective is usually to persuade recipients to: - Share login credentials - Reveal financial information - Download malware - Approve unauthorized payments - Visit fraudulent websites When a major event captures public attention, cybercriminals often adapt their tactics to exploit the situation. What Is Email Spoofing? Email spoofing is a technique that allows attackers to make a message appear as though it originated from a legitimate sender. The visible... --- #### What Are Common Causes Of DMARC Alignment Failures And How Can I Prevent Them? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-are-common-causes-of-dmarc-alignment-failures-and-prevention/ Description: Learn the top causes of DMARC alignment failures and discover proven ways to prevent email spoofing and improve deliverability. DMARC alignment failures most commonly come from SPF misconfiguration (exceeded DNS lookups, bad include order, risky macros, deprecated mx/ptr), DKIM signing mistakes (wrong selector, weak/rotated keys, strict canonicalization, header omissions), third‑party senders and forwarding that rewrite domains, mis-set alignment modes, and DNS or DNSSEC record errors—and you can prevent them by standardizing SPF/DKIM across every sender, delegating subdomains or a custom Return‑Path to vendors, enabling SRS/ARC to preserve authentication through forwarding, rolling out DMARC in stages with strict monitoring, and continuously validating and investigating using DMARCReport. DMARC enforces that at least one of SPF or DKIM not only passes but also “aligns” with the visible From: domain. SPF alignment compares the envelope sender (MailFrom/Return‑Path) domain to the From domain; DKIM alignment compares the d= domain in the DKIM signature to the From domain. Alignment can be “relaxed” (subdomain match allowed) or “strict” (exact match required). In practice, most failures aren’t caused by cryptography—they’re caused by domain mismatches introduced by third‑party platforms, forwarding hops that break SPF, or subtle DNS/selector mistakes. Across a 90‑day analysis of 312 domains monitored in DMARCReport, 61.8% of alignment failures were DKIM-related (missing signatures or d mismatch), 24.7% were SPF-related (permerror/lookup-limit or domain mismatch), 8.9% came... --- #### Understanding DNS Queries, DNS Servers, and DNS Record Types URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-dns-queries-dns-servers-and-dns-record-types/ Description: Learn how DNS queries work, how DNS servers route internet traffic, and the role of DNS record types in website access and email delivery. The internet depends on the Domain Name System (DNS) to connect users with websites, applications, and online services. Every time someone types a website address into a browser, DNS works behind the scenes to translate that human-friendly domain into a machine-readable IP address. Without DNS, users would need to remember long strings of numbers instead of simple website names. DNS is often compared to the internet’s phonebook, but modern DNS infrastructure is much more sophisticated. It manages website traffic, email routing, domain verification, security policies, and service discovery across the internet. Different DNS query methods, server categories, and record types all work together to ensure fast and reliable communication between devices and servers. What Is DNS and Why Is It Important? DNS stands for Domain Name System. Its primary purpose is to convert domain names into IP addresses so browsers and applications can locate the correct servers online. For example, when a user enters a website address into a browser, the DNS process identifies the corresponding IP address associated with that domain. Once the IP address is found, the browser can connect to the hosting server and load the requested website. DNS is essential because it: - Simplifies internet navigation... --- #### Why Should I Use A DMARC Checker Before Enforcing A DMARC Policy? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-use-dmarc-checker-before-enforcing-dmarc-policy-for-security/ Description: Use a DMARC checker before enforcement to detect misconfigurations, prevent legitimate email loss, and ensure safe DMARC deployment. You should use a DMARC checker before enforcing a DMARC policy to prevent legitimate mail from being rejected by uncovering SPF/DKIM misconfigurations, mapping every sender and subdomain, validating alignment, building a data-driven rollout with aggregate and forensic reports, and automating safe fixes—capabilities that DMARCReport provides end to end. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) turns your domain’s authentication stance into actionable policy, but enforcement (p=quarantine/reject) is unforgiving: any sender that’s not correctly authenticated and aligned will break. A DMARC checker minimizes that risk by discovering all sources sent on your behalf, grading their SPF/DKIM alignment, detecting DNS and key issues, and modeling the impact of policy changes before you flip the switch. DMARCReport is designed for this exact pre-enforcement phase. It ingests DMARC aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) reports, performs active DNS and SMTP checks, correlates senders by IP and platform, and recommends precise remediation steps per source. You can analyze your DMARC reports to surface exactly which senders would break at enforcement. In our 2026 dataset across 480 organizations and 1.3B messages, domains that used DMARCReport for at least 30 days before enforcement achieved 99.2% legitimate mail alignment on day 1 of p=quarantine, versus 92.7% for those that... --- #### DMARCbis Is Official: RFC 9989, 9990, and 9991 Replace RFC 7489 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarcbis-rfc-9989-9990-9991-replace-rfc-7489-official-update/ Description: DMARCbis becomes official as RFC 9989, 9990, and 9991 replace RFC 7489, bringing updated email authentication standards and stronger domain security guidance. The next evolution of DMARC has officially arrived. After years of discussion and development within the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force), the updated DMARC specifications — commonly referred to as DMARCbis — have now been published as official RFCs. At the same time, platforms such as DMARCReport already support DMARCbis record creation and DMARCbis-compatible record processing, helping organizations prepare for the latest standard without needing to manually decode every specification change. The original Reddit announcement discussing the publication of the RFCs can be found here: Original Reddit Discussion on r/DMARC The newly published RFCs are: - RFC 9989 – Main DMARC Specification - RFC 9990 – Aggregate Reporting - RFC 9991 – Failure Reporting These documents officially replace the original DMARC RFC 7489, which had been in place since 2015. What Is DMARCbis? DMARCbis is the modernized revision of the original DMARC specification. Rather than introducing an entirely new protocol, it refines and reorganizes the existing DMARC framework to better reflect real-world email authentication practices. Importantly, this is not “DMARC2.” Existing DMARC records remain valid, and the protocol identifier still uses: v=DMARC1 This means organizations do not need to overhaul their deployments overnight. Instead, DMARCbis introduces a cleaner, more flexible,... --- #### What Is An NS Record? DNS NS Record Function, Setup, And Management URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-ns-record-dns-ns-record-function-setup-management/ Description: Learn what an NS record is, how DNS NS records work, and how to set up and manage them for reliable domain name resolution. An NS (Name Server) record is a type of DNS record that identifies which authoritative name servers are responsible for a domain. It plays a key role in the Domain Name System (DNS) by directing DNS queries to the correct servers that contain the domain's official DNS records. When a user visits a website, NS records help DNS resolvers locate the authoritative source for information such as IP addresses, email servers, and other DNS settings. In simple terms, NS records establish a domain's DNS authority and ensure internet traffic reaches the correct destination. What Is an NS Record? Definition and Role in DNS An NS record, short for Name Server record, is a type of DNS record that identifies which authoritative name server is responsible for a domain or subdomain. Its primary purpose is to tell the global DNS system where to find the servers that hold the domain's authoritative DNS data. In practical terms, a Name Server record answers the question: “Which DNS server has authority for this domain?” If a user tries to visit www.example.comDNS must determine which servers know the correct records for example.com. The NS record points DNS resolvers toward those servers. An NS record is... --- #### How to Protect Your Email Server from Cyber Threats URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-protect-your-email-server-from-cyber-threats/ Description: Email continues to be one of the most widely used communication tools for businesses and individuals alike. Unfortunately, it also remains one of the biggest targets for cybercriminals. Email continues to be one of the most widely used communication tools for businesses and individuals alike. Unfortunately, it also remains one of the biggest targets for cybercriminals. Attackers frequently exploit unsecured email servers to spread malware, launch phishing campaigns, steal credentials, and impersonate legitimate organizations. A compromised email server can damage your reputation, expose sensitive information, and disrupt business operations. That’s why securing your email infrastructure is no longer optional—it’s a critical part of modern cybersecurity. This guide explains practical strategies to strengthen your email server security, reduce risks, and improve the reliability of your email communications. Why Email Server Security Matters Every day, organizations exchange confidential data through email, including financial information, contracts, passwords, customer details, and internal communications. Without proper protection, attackers can intercept or manipulate these messages. An insecure email environment can lead to: - Phishing attacks - Spoofed domains - Malware infections - Data breaches - Business Email Compromise (BEC) - Spam abuse - Reputation blacklisting Strong email security helps prevent unauthorized access while improving email deliverability and trustworthiness. Common Threats Facing Email Servers Before improving security, it’s important to understand the risks email servers face. Phishing Attacks Phishing emails are designed to trick recipients... --- #### SSL Vs TLS Explained: Key Differences And Why It Matters URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ssl-vs-tls-explained-key-differences-and-why-it-matters/ Description: Learn SSL vs TLS, their key differences, and why TLS is the modern, more secure protocol for protecting data and online communications. SSL and TLS are security protocols that protect data exchanged over the internet, helping keep websites, emails, and online transactions secure. While SSL was the original encryption standard, TLS is its more secure and modern replacement used by most websites today. Understanding SSL vs TLS helps you learn how encrypted connections work, why HTTPS matters, and how stronger security protocols protect users from cyber threats and data breaches. What SSL and TLS Are: The Basics of Secure Internet Communication When navigating the modern web, establishing a secure connection is vital for protecting sensitive data in transit. At the heart of this protection are SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security), two fundamental communication protocols that encrypt data exchanged between a client (such as a web browser or IoT device) and a server (like a web server hosting your website). Both SSL and TLS are cryptographic protocols designed to provide authentication, integrity, and confidentiality in client-server communications over insecure networks such as the Internet. SSL and TLS establish a secure channel that prevents eavesdropping, tampering, or forgery, encrypting everything from HTTP requests to the exchange of cryptographic keys and, ultimately, facilitating HTTPS connections. While these terms are often used... --- #### How Can I Troubleshoot Gmail Bounce Messages That Mention DMARC Failures? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-troubleshoot-gmail-bounce-messages-mentioning-dmarc-failures-easily/ Description: Fix Gmail 550 5.7.26 DMARC bounces by checking SPF/DKIM alignment and DNS records. 71% of bounces trace to SPF lookup overflows, fixable in 48 hours. To troubleshoot Gmail bounce messages that mention DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) failures, start by inspecting the bounce's SMTP code and Gmail headers (Authentication-Results and ARC), identify whether SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), or alignment failed, validate your SPF and DKIM records against the actual sending IP, ensure identifier alignment with the From: domain, and use DMARC Report to aggregate findings and verify fixes before reattempting delivery. For one B2B SaaS domain sending 2.4 million monthly Gmail messages, 3.3% experienced DMARC bounces --- 71% traced to SPF includes exceeding the 10-lookup limit across two marketing platforms. Consolidating those includes reduced Gmail DMARC bounces to 0.5% within 48 hours. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Before diving into headers, run a DMARC record lookup to confirm exactly which policy Gmail is enforcing against your domain. Gmail rejects or defers mail when the sending domain's DMARC policy and authentication results indicate the... --- #### How to Generate a DMARC Record for Subdomains: sp= Tag Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/generate-dmarc-record-subdomains-sp-tag-guide/ Description: Complete guide to DMARC subdomain policies. Learn how the sp= tag works, when to use dedicated subdomain records, and common patterns for marketing subdomains vs production domains. Managing DMARC policies across subdomains is one of the most misunderstood aspects of email authentication. Organizations routinely operate dozens of subdomains for marketing campaigns, transactional email, development environments, and partner integrations, each with different email sending requirements. Without a deliberate subdomain strategy, these domains either inherit a policy that is too strict, breaking legitimate mail, or too permissive, leaving them open to spoofing. The sp= tag in your organizational domain's DMARC record gives you centralized control over subdomain policy without requiring individual DMARC records at every subdomain. This guide explains exactly how subdomain policy inheritance works, when to use sp= versus dedicated subdomain records, and the most common patterns for balancing security with deliverability. Before tuning subdomain policy, make sure you create your DMARC record at the organizational domain. How Does Subdomain Policy Inheritance Work? When a receiving mail server evaluates a message from mail.example.com, it first looks for a DMARC record at dmarc.mail.example.com. If no record exists there, it falls back to the organizational domain's record at dmarc.example.com. This fallback behavior is defined in RFC 7489, Section 6.6.3, and it means that every subdomain without its own DMARC record is governed by the parent domain's policy. If the parent... --- #### How to Add a DMARC Record in Cloudflare: Step-by-Step DNS Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-add-dmarc-record-cloudflare-dns-setup-guide/ Description: Complete walkthrough for adding a DMARC record in Cloudflare DNS. Covers TXT record setup, policy selection, reporting configuration, and verification using free tools. Adding a DMARC record to your domain through Cloudflare DNS is a straightforward process that takes less than five minutes once you know the exact steps. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) works entirely at the DNS level, which means you are simply adding a TXT record to your domain's DNS zone. Cloudflare's DNS management interface makes this particularly easy because it supports instant propagation across its global network, so your DMARC record becomes visible to receiving mail servers almost immediately after you save it. Whether you are setting up DMARC for the first time or migrating your DNS to Cloudflare from another provider, this guide walks you through every step from login to verification. Quick Steps The entire process consists of five actions: log into Cloudflare, select your domain, open the DNS settings page, create a new TXT record with the name dmarc and your policy string as the value, and then verify the record is live. The rest of this guide breaks each step down in detail and explains the decisions you need to make about policy level and reporting configuration along the way. If you have not written a policy string yet, you can build a... --- #### What Are the Best Features to Look for When Choosing a DMARC Report Analyzer? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-best-features-to-look-for-in-dmarc-report-analyzer/ Description: The 10 essential DMARC analyzer features -- from scalable RUA/RUF ingestion to automated policy rollout -- that cut spoofing 87% and reach p=reject in 45 days. The best features to look for in a DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) report analyzer are scalable RUA/RUF ingestion and normalization, flexible deployment and compliance controls, deep SPF/DKIM correlation with guided remediation, automated phased policy rollout, multi-tenant governance, intelligent alerting and threat hunting, robust APIs and integrations, long-term trend and retention analytics, resilient parsing and recovery, and transparent pricing with enterprise SLAs. According to Verizon's 2024 DBIR, phishing and pretexting account for over 73% of social engineering breaches, making DMARC enforcement a critical defense layer that demands capable reporting tools. DMARC is only as effective as the insights you can extract from its reports: aggregate (RUA) XMLs reveal who is sending on your behalf and how alignment fares at scale, while forensic (RUF) notifications give event-level context for suspected failures. A strong analyzer makes those data streams accurate, actionable, and auditable so you can move from p=none to p=reject confidently without breaking legitimate mail. The goal is not just visibility - it is safe, measurable enforcement. This buyer's guide explains each capability in plain terms, why it matters operationally, and how to evaluate it. To make the guidance concrete, we map every capability to how DMARCReport implements it... --- #### How to Check a DMARC Record Using Command Line (dig & nslookup) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-check-dmarc-record-command-line-dig-nslookup/ Description: Step-by-step guide to checking DMARC records from the command line using dig on Linux/macOS and nslookup on Windows. Includes output interpretation and troubleshooting. Checking a DMARC record from the command line is one of the fastest ways to verify that your domain's email authentication is configured correctly. Unlike web-based lookup tools, command-line utilities like dig and nslookup query DNS directly without any intermediary, giving you raw results that reflect the current state of your domain's DNS infrastructure. If you prefer a browser, a DMARC record lookup tool runs the same query and parses the result for you. This is especially useful during initial DMARC deployment, after DNS changes, or when troubleshooting delivery issues where you need to confirm that the record a receiving mail server sees matches what you intended to publish. Every system administrator and email security professional should be comfortable running these commands because they are available on virtually every operating system without installing additional software. The Exact Commands The two primary tools are dig, which is standard on Linux and macOS, and nslookup, which is available on all platforms but is the default DNS utility on Windows. Both query the same DNS infrastructure and return the same underlying data, but their output formats differ. A DMARC record is always published as a TXT record at the dmarc subdomain of your... --- #### Device Code Phishing, iOS 18 Relief, Global Fraud Disrupted URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/device-code-phishing-ios-18-relief-global-fraud-disrupted/ Description: Microsoft device code phishing hits 15+ campaigns daily targeting hundreds of orgs, Apple patches iOS 18 DarkSword flaw, and Delhi police bust $36M fraud ring. Recent cybersecurity incidents highlight escalating threats across multiple attack vectors. Microsoft device code phishing campaigns are targeting hundreds of organizations daily, Apple has extended critical DarkSword security patches to iOS 18 users, Indian authorities dismantled a $36 million global fraud ring, and a new LinkedIn phishing campaign is exploiting job seekers. According to Verizon's 2024 DBIR, phishing remains involved in over 36% of confirmed data breaches, underscoring why email authentication protocols like DMARC are essential for every organization. How Are Microsoft Device Code Phishing Attacks Exploiting Organizations? A new phishing campaign involving Microsoft device codes and AI automation is successfully breaking into corporate email inboxes. Tanmay Ganacharya, VP of Security Research at Microsoft, confirmed that approximately 10 to 15 unique campaigns launch daily, a pattern sustained since March 15, 2026. Threat actors are leveraging each campaign to target hundreds of organizations across different global sectors and niches. The finance sector is the hardest hit by these attacks. Because each campaign varies in its approach, pattern-based detection is proving inefficient at identifying and blocking the threats. While no specific threat group has been attributed, the tactics and patterns closely resemble EvilTokens, a high-efficiency Microsoft device code phishing kit that gained popularity... --- #### DKIM Key Rotation Best Practices: Here's What Large Organizations Should Know URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dkim-key-rotation-best-practices-for-large-organizations-should-know/ Description: Large orgs should rotate DKIM keys every 3-6 months to prevent key misuse. Learn the step-by-step process to rotate keys without disrupting email delivery. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) key rotation is the practice of periodically replacing the cryptographic keys your organization uses to sign outbound emails, ensuring that old or compromised keys cannot be exploited by attackers. For large organizations managing multiple sending sources --- from marketing platforms to CRM systems and third-party vendors --- rotating DKIM keys every 3 to 6 months is recommended. According to Google's 2024 bulk sender requirements, proper DKIM authentication is mandatory for domains sending 5,000+ daily messages, making regular key rotation a compliance necessity, not just a best practice. DMARC reporting without automation is like watching security cameras without recording, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. You see the threats in real time but you can't go back and investigate. DMARC Report captures and classifies every aggregate and forensic report so your security team has a complete audit trail. Why Is DKIM Key Rotation Important for Email Security? DKIM keys are cryptographic keys used to digitally sign outgoing emails and prove that a message genuinely came from your domain and was not altered in transit. This makes them integral to your email security infrastructure and a lucrative target for attackers. When DKIM keys remain unchanged for extended... --- #### WHOIS IP Lookup and Domain WHOIS Search Tool URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/whois-ip-lookup-domain-whois-search-tool/ Description: A WHOIS lookup reveals domain ownership, IP allocation, registration dates, and abuse contacts. Learn IP vs. domain WHOIS, RDAP, and security best practices. A WHOIS IP lookup and domain WHOIS search tool reveals who owns and manages internet resources like IP addresses and domain names. It returns key details such as ownership information, registration dates, network allocation, and contact data for reporting issues or verifying legitimacy. According to ICANN's 2024 registration data report, there are over 350 million registered domain names globally, each with WHOIS records that provide transparency into internet resource ownership. Whether used for security investigations, network troubleshooting, or domain management, a WHOIS lookup helps users quickly identify responsible parties and understand how an online resource is structured and maintained. For email security professionals, WHOIS data is particularly valuable when investigating DMARC report failures. When your aggregate reports show unauthorized sending IPs, a WHOIS lookup identifies whether the source is a legitimate third-party service, a compromised server, or a malicious actor - enabling faster remediation and more confident policy enforcement. What Is WHOIS and How Does IP WHOIS Differ From Domain WHOIS? A WHOIS lookup is the starting point for discovering who manages an internet resource and how to reach them. Historically, the WHOIS database has been a decentralized set of text-based servers where you query either a domain name or... --- #### Valimail Alternatives for DMARC Management in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/valimail-alternatives-dmarc/ Description: Comparing Valimail (now DigiCert) against DMARC Report, PowerDMARC, EasyDMARC, dmarcian, and Redsift for DMARC management. Feature comparison for enterprise teams evaluating alternatives. The main Valimail alternatives are DMARC Report (enterprise compliance with transparent pricing), PowerDMARC (full-stack platform), EasyDMARC (guided setup), dmarcian (visual reporting), and Redsift (MSP multi-tenant). Valimail's acquisition by DigiCert in 2025 changed its market positioning - enterprise teams are re-evaluating their options. DMARC (RFC 7489) ties SPF and DKIM together into an enforceable policy. All tools below provide DMARC monitoring and enforcement - they differ in pricing transparency, automation approach, and enterprise features. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. Full disclosure: this page is published by DMARC Report. Why Do People Look for Valimail Alternatives? - Pricing transparency - Valimail targets the enterprise market with five-figure annual commitments. DMARC Report starts at $25/mo with published pricing for every tier. Compare the DMARC monitoring plans side by side before you commit. - DigiCert acquisition - Valimail's acquisition by DigiCert changed its product direction and support model. Some customers are re-evaluating. - Vendor independence -... --- #### EasyDMARC Alternatives for DMARC Reporting in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/easydmarc-alternatives-dmarc-reporting/ Description: Comparing EasyDMARC against DMARC Report, PowerDMARC, dmarcian, Valimail, Redsift, and Mimecast. Feature comparison for teams evaluating EasyDMARC alternatives. The main EasyDMARC alternatives are DMARC Report (enterprise compliance), PowerDMARC (full-stack), dmarcian (visual journey), Valimail (automation), Redsift (MSP), and Mimecast (bundled security). EasyDMARC is one of the most user-friendly DMARC platforms - alternatives are stronger for enterprise-scale deployments, compliance-heavy environments, or MSP multi-tenant management. From an operations standpoint, the difference between a domain with DMARC monitoring and one without is visibility, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see organizations discover unauthorized senders they didn't know existed within 48 hours of enabling DMARC reporting. That visibility alone justifies the setup time. According to Google's February 2024 bulk sender requirements, DMARC is now mandatory for any domain sending 5,000+ messages per day to Gmail. Whether you choose EasyDMARC or an alternative, all three protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) must be in place. Once they are, understanding DMARC reports is the next step to acting on what receivers send back. Full disclosure: this page is published by DMARC Report. Why Do People Look for EasyDMARC Alternatives? - Enterprise compliance - EasyDMARC is well-suited for teams starting their DMARC journey. Enterprise procurement teams may need signed SLAs, DPAs, SSO/SAML, and audit logs that come standard on DMARC Report's Defender and Ultimate plans. As... --- #### dmarcian Alternatives for DMARC Monitoring in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarcian-alternatives-dmarc-monitoring/ Description: Comparing dmarcian against DMARC Report, PowerDMARC, EasyDMARC, Valimail, Redsift, and Mimecast for DMARC monitoring. Feature comparison with honest use-case guidance. The main dmarcian alternatives are DMARC Report (enterprise compliance), PowerDMARC (full-stack platform), EasyDMARC (guided onboarding), Valimail (enterprise automation), Redsift (MSP multi-tenant), and Mimecast (bundled security). dmarcian pioneered visual DMARC reporting and is excellent for organizations early in their DMARC journey - alternatives are stronger for enterprise scale, MSP management, or compliance-heavy environments. From an operations standpoint, the difference between a domain with DMARC monitoring and one without is visibility, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see organizations discover unauthorized senders they didn't know existed within 48 hours of enabling DMARC reporting. That visibility alone justifies the setup time. Per RFC 7489, DMARC reporting gives domain owners visibility into who sends email from their domain and whether authentication passes. All tools below provide this core capability - they differ in enterprise features, multi-tenant support, and integration depth. Full disclosure: this page is published by DMARC Report. Contact us if any characterization needs correction. Why Do People Look for dmarcian Alternatives? Teams evaluate a new DMARC monitoring service for a few recurring reasons: - Enterprise compliance - dmarcian is well-suited for mid-market organizations. Enterprises needing signed SLAs, DPAs, NDAs, and SSO/SAML may need a platform with deeper compliance documentation like... --- #### PowerDMARC Alternatives for DMARC Reporting in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/powerdmarc-alternatives-dmarc-reporting/ Description: Comparing PowerDMARC against DMARC Report, EasyDMARC, dmarcian, Valimail, Redsift OnDMARC, and Mimecast for DMARC reporting and monitoring. Honest feature comparison with use-case guidance. The main PowerDMARC alternatives for DMARC reporting are DMARC Report (enterprise compliance), EasyDMARC (guided onboarding), dmarcian (visual reporting), Valimail (enterprise automation), Redsift (MSP multi-tenant), and Mimecast (bundled email security). PowerDMARC is a strong all-in-one platform for organizations that want DMARC + SPF + DKIM + BIMI managed from a single dashboard - alternatives are stronger for specific use cases. From an operations standpoint, the difference between a domain with DMARC monitoring and one without is visibility, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see organizations discover unauthorized senders they didn't know existed within 48 hours of enabling DMARC reporting. That visibility alone justifies the setup time. PowerDMARC published a "DmarcReport Alternatives" page comparing us against their platform. Fair play - here's our honest counter-comparison. Full disclosure: this page is published by DMARC Report. Why Do People Look for PowerDMARC Alternatives? 1. Enterprise compliance documentation - PowerDMARC is a strong platform, but some enterprises need signed SLAs with specific uptime guarantees, DPAs for data processing, NDAs, and SSO/SAML. DMARC Report carries these as standard on Defender and Ultimate plans. As of 2025, DMARC is mandatory under multiple compliance frameworks. CISA BOD 18-01 requires p=reject for US federal domains. PCI DSS... --- #### Best DMARC Reporting Tools in 2026: Honest Comparison URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-dmarc-reporting-tools-2026/ Description: A side-by-side comparison of the 10 best DMARC reporting and monitoring tools in 2026 - DMARC Report, PowerDMARC, EasyDMARC, dmarcian, Valimail, Redsift OnDMARC, Mimecast, Agari, DMARCeye, and... The best DMARC reporting tool depends on your scale, team size, and whether you need DMARC solved in isolation or as part of a broader email security platform. This comparison covers the 10 most commonly evaluated tools in 2026, tested and ranked by reporting depth, enforcement workflow, pricing transparency, and enterprise readiness. From an operations standpoint, the difference between a domain with DMARC monitoring and one without is visibility, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see organizations discover unauthorized senders they didn't know existed within 48 hours of enabling DMARC reporting. That visibility alone justifies the setup time. DMARC (RFC 7489) requires both aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) reporting to give domain owners visibility into email authentication. Since Google's and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements mandated DMARC for domains sending 5,000+ daily messages, monitoring tools have become essential infrastructure - not optional add-ons. A capable DMARC analyzer turns raw aggregate XML into actionable sender insights. Full disclosure: this page is published by DMARC Report, so we have an obvious perspective. We've aimed to be honest about where each tool is stronger. If any characterization is inaccurate, contact us and we'll correct it. 1. DMARC Report (dmarcreport.com) DMARC... --- #### Zoho Mail SPF And DKIM Setup: A Complete Beginner-Friendly Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/zoho-mail-authentication-guide-using-spf-and-dkim-step-tutorial/ Description: Email is still the backbone of business communication - but only when your messages actually reach the inbox. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. Email is still the backbone of business communication - but only when your messages actually reach the inbox. If you’re using Zoho Mail and struggling with low open rates, emails landing in spam, or warnings about authentication, SPF and DKIM are not optional anymore - they’re essential. At DMARCReport, we work with organizations every day to fix email deliverability issues and protect domains from spoofing and phishing. One of the most common problems we see? SPF and DKIM records that are missing, misconfigured, or never properly verified. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up SPF and DKIM for Zoho Mail step by step, using clear language and practical examples - no deep technical background required.... --- #### The Definitive Guide To Configuring SPF and DKIM for Salsa Labs URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-configure-spf-and-dkim-in-salsa-labs/ Description: In today’s email ecosystem, ensuring your messages are authenticated and trusted by mail servers is no longer optional: it’s mission-critical. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. In today’s email ecosystem, ensuring your messages are authenticated and trusted by mail servers is no longer optional: it’s mission-critical. Misconfigured email authentication is one of the leading causes of low deliverability, placement in spam folders, and spoofing attacks. That’s where SPF and DKIM come in: two foundational email authentication protocols that help protect your brand, defend your domain against impersonation, and improve inbox placement. At DMARCReport, we’re dedicated to assisting organizations in implementing these standards correctly , starting with a step-by-step configuration guide for Salsa Labs. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through what SPF and DKIM are, why they matter, how to implement them for Salsa Labs (including both Salsa Engage and Salsa... --- #### Doing Sender Policy Framework (SPF) delegation the right way URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/doing-sender-policy-framework-spf-delegation-the-right-way/ Description: Doing Sender Policy Framework (SPF) delegation the right way from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. At times, you need an external party to handle the exchange of emails on your behalf. Now, since you can’t afford to overlook email authentication done through SPF, DKIM, and DMARC , you need to give control of a few DNS records so that everything works properly. This blog specifically shares how domain owners can do SPF delegation to give control of their TXT SPF record to third-party vendors , allowing them to legitimately send emails on your behalf. Please note that SPF delegation is a one-time process and should not be ignored if you don’t want to impact your domain’s email deliverability and business communications at various levels. Getting started with SPF delegation To... --- #### Setting DKIM keys for Salesforce URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/setting-dkim-keys-for-salesforce/ Description: Setting DKIM keys for Salesforce from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC reporting. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. Deploying and configuring DKIM, along with implementing DMARC, is critical for Salesforce users to protect their domain’s reputation, improve email deliverability, and maintain the integrity and authenticity of their email communication. DKIM and DMARC work together by integrating cryptography and policy-based authentication to verify if a cybercriminal changed an email’s content or spoofed the sender while it was in transit. Understanding the difference between SPF, DKIM, and DMARC clarifies why each layer matters. What’s even impressive is that Salesforce itself encourages the adoption of email authentication protocols within its platform. This makes it quite simple for you to get started with the process and keep going. Moreover, emails signed with DKIM instill trust in recipient’s mailboxes... --- #### Understanding DKIM: syntax, tags, and email URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/understanding-dkim-syntax-tags-and-email/ Description: Understanding DKIM: syntax, tags, and email from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DKIM is a cryptography-based email authentication protocol that allows the receiving server to check whether an email coming from a specific domain is officially authorized to send emails. If your domain has DKIM, then whenever you send an email, your server will attach a digital signature to the header. This signature is produced using a private key that is known only to you. The counterpart of the private key is a public key that is published in your domain’s DNS so that any server on the internet can retrieve it for confirmation. Once the receiving server receives your email, it retrieves the public key to verify its legitimacy and ensure no alterations were made to the message in transit.... --- #### Does DKIM break for forwarded emails and mailing lists? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/does-dkim-break-for-forwarded-emails-and-mailing-lists/ Description: Does DKIM break for forwarded emails and mailing lists? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. Email authentication isn't just about preventing spoofing - it's about trust, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Every email your organization sends either builds trust or erodes it. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the foundation of that trust. Without them, receivers have no way to distinguish your legitimate email from an attacker's. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. As you know, DKIM catches alterations made to emails during their time in transit. It performs authentication checks by attaching a digital signature to the header of each email that goes from your domain. Upon reception, the receiving server verifies the sender’s legitimacy using the public key published in the sending domain’s DNS . However, when someone forwards your emails, or you send them using mailing lists, DKIM breaks. So, let’s see why it happens and if there is a way for you to mitigate it. How does DKIM work? There are two major steps in DKIM’s process- Signing When someone sends an email from your DKIM-compliant domain , your server generates a DKIM signature... --- #### Learning to Configure SPF for Amazon SES URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/learning-to-configure-spf-for-amazon-ses/ Description: Learning to Configure SPF for Amazon SES from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. If you send emails from Amazon SES and see the ‘Via amazonses.com’ warning, then you need to set up SPF and DKIM. This warning basically indicates that the mailbox provider perceived that your emails were sent from Amazon SES and not your brand. This blog guides you on setting SPF for Amazon SES so that there are no compliance issues and your business stays protected from the growing phishing and spoofing attacks. However, please bear in mind that if you send emails from subdomain.amazonses.com, there is no need to set up SPF. In this case, Amazon takes care of... --- #### How to Set Up DKIM in Amazon SES? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-set-up-dkim-in-amazon-ses/ Description: How to Set Up DKIM in Amazon SES? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC reporting. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. Once DKIM is signing, set up a DMARC record to tell receivers what to do with mail that fails. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. To configure DKIM for Amazon SES, you have to modify the DNS settings of your domain . For Route 53 users, Amazon SES will take care of the process, but if you use another DNS provider, you need to follow some processes. Here are rules that you need to abide by: - You must set DKIM only for the domain that you use in the ‘From’ address and not for the one used in the ‘Return-Path’ or ‘Reply-to’ addresses. - Amazon SES is available in multiple regions, and if you use more than one AWS region, you must set up... --- #### Decoding I-Tag DKIM Vulnerability and Its Impact on Email Deliverability and Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/decoding-i-tag-dkim-vulnerability-and-its-impact-on-email-security/ Description: Decoding I-Tag DKIM Vulnerability and Its Impact on Email Deliverability and Security from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. Email authentication directly impacts deliverability: Google and Yahoo's February 2024 bulk sender requirements enforce SPF + DKIM + DMARC as hard prerequisites for inbox placement. Unauthenticated bulk mail is now routed to spam or rejected outright by both providers. If you thought that authentication standards like Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) and Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) were enough to maintain the integrity of your email communication, you are probably mistaken! According to a recent report published by Estonian security researchers, there exists a significant flaw in the DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) protocol that can seriously throw off all email security efforts. The flaw we are talking about is the usage of the "I="... --- #### How does Canonicalization prevent emails from failing DKIM checks? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-does-dkim-signature-fail-because-of-canonicalization/ Description: How does Canonicalization prevent emails from failing DKIM checks? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection. The support tickets we get after a spoofing incident all start the same way: 'we didn't know someone was sending email from our domain,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. DMARC reporting would have caught it weeks earlier. The cost of monitoring is nothing compared to the cost of a successful impersonation attack. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. DMARC Report Why DKIM Signature Fail Because of Canonicalization? There is a multi-step journey between your outbox and the recipient’s inbox. Since the process is very quick, we don’t realize that when an email is in transit, it’s prone to tampering and modifications by malicious actors. You can deploy DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) to ensure nobody tampers with your emails in transit and prevent instances of phishing, spoofing, impersonation, etc. DKIM works by digitally signing outgoing emails with a unique private key linked with the sending domain. The public key corresponding to the private key is published in the domain’s DNS. When a recipient mail server receives an email, it retrieves... --- #### What is a DKIM Replay Attack and How to Prevent it? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-dkim-replay-attack-and-how-to-prevent-it/ Description: What is a DKIM Replay Attack and How to Prevent it? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. In 2023, as many as 45.6% of total emails were identified as spam. While CISOs and technology enthusiasts are trying their best to ward off these attacks, cybercriminals are not behind in exercising their brain muscles to come up with newer ways of exploitation . One such relatively recent technique is a DKIM replay attack, where a threat actor exploits a high-reputation mailbox and generates a legitimate DKIM signature. The signature is later used against billions of recipients to send spam emails that can pass authentication checks and other security filters. They may add another header or change the subject and send the emails to random or specific targets. Apart from your DKIM signature being used in cyberattacks, your... --- #### Getting Rid of Common SPF Errors for Email Security and Delivery URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/getting-rid-of-common-spf-errors-for-email-security-and-delivery/ Description: Since the fourth quarter of 2022, there has been a 1,265% increase in malicious phishing emails and a 967% rise in credential phishing. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Since the fourth quarter of 2022, there has been a 1,265% increase in malicious phishing emails and a 967% rise in credential phishing. The expansion of ChatGPT and similar AI generative tools are contributing to this steep surge, and experts are anticipating the situation to worsen in the coming months. The most common support case we handle is 'my email is going to spam since the Google changes,' says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Nine times out of ten, the fix is publishing a DMARC record and ensuring SPF/DKIM alignment. It takes 5 minutes once you know what to do. Although the message for the adoption of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for domains is being propagated at an unprecedented pace, domain owners are still lagging behind in keeping up with the best practices to avoid SPF errors , which further lead to problems with DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication... --- #### What is GAPPSSMTP and How to Set Up a Custom DKIM Key For Your Emails? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-gappssmtp-and-how-to-set-up-a-custom-dkim-key-for-your-emails/ Description: What is GAPPSSMTP and How to Set Up a Custom DKIM Key For Your Emails? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. DMARC Report · What is GAPPSSMTP and How to Set Up a Custom DKIM Key For Your Emails? GAPPSSMTP stands for Google Apps Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, which is responsible for exchanging email messages securely and swiftly. This is a part of Google Workspace’s suite of tools. What Is GAPPSSMTP? Every outgoing message that is sent through the Gmail SMTP server is signed with a default DKIM key to prevent email tampering and verify the sender’s authentication. By default, this key is d=.gappssmtp.com ; however, users can set a manual DKIM record in which different keys are generated for the authentication process. Please note that this is only for email messages sent from Google ; the... --- #### Improving Email Security With DKIM URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/improving-email-security-with-dkim/ Description: Improving Email Security With DKIM from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. Gmail blocks over 100 million phishing emails every day. With the growing cyber menace and the integration of readily available AI-driven tools on the dark web, this number has seen a steep growth. Despite the efforts made by Gmail and other email service providers, some fraudulent emails still bypass email security filters, culminating in the exploitation of personal information, BEC attacks, ransomware attacks, impersonation attacks, etc. This is where DKIM stands as a fortifier. DKIM or DomainKeys Identified Mail is one of the email security protocols that was developed in 2004 to overcome the shortcomings of the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and Sender Policy Framework (SPF). DKIM... --- #### The Emergence of DKIM: A Cryptography-Based Email Authentication Protocol URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-emergence-of-dkim-a-cryptography-based-email-authentication-protocol/ Description: Navigating through the complexities of email security and the limitations of SPF. Navigating through the complexities of email security and the limitations of SPF, the urgency to develop a protocol that doesn’t break on email forwarding was needed. This led to the genesis of DomainKeys Identified Mail or DKIM. Its roots date back to the early 2000s when email-based cybercrimes were escalating. This led to the initiation of a collaborative effort by a group of industry experts, including Mark Delany, Philip Hallam-Baker, and others. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo require all three for bulk senders. Here’s a more detailed walk-through of its introduction, evolution, and present structure. Merger and Evolution DKIM was developed to satisfy the need to replace the old and inefficient Simple Mail Transfer Protocol; later,... --- #### The History and Evolution of Sender Policy Framework (SPF) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-history-and-evolution-of-sender-policy-framework-spf/ Description: The digital landscape is ever-expanding, both in a malicious as well as positive sense. The digital landscape is ever-expanding, both in a malicious as well as positive sense. Also, communication is an inevitable part of businesses and operations, and email is a common medium for exchanging messages and information. Bad actors have always exploited their intelligence and capabilities to impose themselves as trusted entities and fool people into giving up important information or transferring money. Compliance is driving a lot of the DMARC adoption we see, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. PCI DSS v4.0, Google's sender requirements, Microsoft's May 2025 enforcement - our support team fields questions about these mandates daily. The organizations that moved early are already at p=reject. The rest are scrambling. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. The growing number of email-based cyber menaces led to the genesis of the concept of email authentication and verification to ensure that only trusted and authorized senders communicate through a company’s email system. All this started in the early 2000s with the brainstorming that brought forth what we call today the SPF or Sender... --- #### Fix SPF Permerror: Overcome Too Many DNS Lookups URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/fix-spf-permerror-overcome-too-many-dns-lookups/ Description: the SPF 10-lookup limit (RFC 7208 - Sender Policy Framework (SPF)) is the single most common reason enterprise SPF records silently break, says Brad Slavin. Listen to this blog post below the SPF 10-lookup limit (RFC 7208 - Sender Policy Framework (SPF)) is the single most common reason enterprise SPF records silently break, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. In our experience managing SPF for 2,000+ customer domains, the failure mode is always the same: a team adds a new SaaS tool, its include pushes the total past 10, and legitimate email starts failing. Per RFC 7208, SPF evaluation is capped at 10 DNS mechanism lookups and 2 void lookups per check - exceeding either limit produces a PermError that fails authentication for every message from the domain. A little prudence in following the correct practices with your SPF record can create a world of difference in eliminating unwanted SPF Permerrors caused by increased DNS lookups. SPF, or Sender Policy Framework, is a valuable tool for email authentication that can protect organizations from financial and reputation losses. SPF authentication can prevent malicious actors from phishing and spoofing attempts targeting any reputed organization. However, improper use of SPF records or their incorrect configurations can create more load on them, resulting in email authentication failures. In other words, such instances increase the number of DNS lookups... --- #### Secure Your Email Communication By Achieving The Highest Authentication Standards With DKIM Signatures URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/secure-your-email-communication-by-achieving-highest-authentication-standards-dkim/ Description: While emails have made networking more manageable, they have also become a channel for nefarious agents to employ spoof messages to impersonate brands and. While emails have made networking more manageable, they have also become a channel for nefarious agents to employ spoof messages to impersonate brands and businesses. This issue has been a significant concern for over a decade since many phishing attacks occur through email spoofing. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives forwarding, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM health alongside SPF in every dashboard. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. Even though the security of emails has been a constant topic of heated discussions, no complete solutions have ever surfaced. However, with the DKIM (DomainKeys Identified... --- #### Secure Your Email Communication By Achieving The Highest Authentication Standards With DKIM Signatures URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/secure-your-email-communication-by-achieving-the-highest-authentication-standards-with-dkim-signatures/ Description: While emails have made networking more manageable, they have also become a channel for nefarious agents to employ spoof messages to impersonate brands and. While emails have made networking more manageable, they have also become a channel for nefarious agents to employ spoof messages to impersonate brands and businesses. This issue has been a significant concern for over a decade since many phishing attacks occur through email spoofing. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives forwarding, says Adam Lundrigan, CTO of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM health alongside SPF in every dashboard. DKIM is the authentication protocol that survives email forwarding, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. When SPF fails because a forwarder's IP isn't in the original record, DKIM alignment is the only path to DMARC pass. That's why we monitor DKIM alongside SPF in every DMARC Report dashboard. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail and mailing lists. Even though the security of emails has been a constant topic of heated discussions, no complete solutions have ever surfaced. However, with the DKIM (DomainKeys Identified... --- #### 10 Reasons Why DKIM Fails URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/10-reasons-why-dkim-fails/ Description: DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is a digital authentication system used to verify the origin of email messages. DKIM (RFC 6376) signs email messages cryptographically, and unlike SPF, the signature survives email forwarding - which is why DMARC alignment via DKIM is more reliable than SPF alignment for forwarded mail. DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is a digital authentication system used to verify the origin of email messages. DKIM protects email receivers from spam and phishing scams through email spoofing. When using DKIM, the receiver can confirm that the message was sent by the domain listed in the DKIM signature. If DKIM fails, the email receiver will not be able to verify the origin of the message and may mark the message as spam or a phishing attempt. The organizations that invest in email authentication early save themselves from expensive incidents later, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. We see the pattern constantly: a domain gets spoofed, customers lose trust, and the remediation effort costs 10x what proactive DMARC setup would have cost. Why Does DKIM Fail? There are several reasons why DKIM can fail. Anything can go wrong with the DNS record that can prevent DKIM from working correctly. For example, if the DKIM-Signature record is not included in the DNS or is not formatted correctly, DKIM... --- ### Advanced #### DMARC Is Mainstream. Is Your Domain Actually Protected? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-is-mainstream-is-your-domain-actually-protected/ Description: Learn how DMARC, SPF, and DKIM protect your domain, why adoption alone is not enough, and how to prevent email spoofing with stronger authentication. Executive takeaway A DMARC record is a starting point, not proof that a domain is protected. In one 2026 scan of 5.5 million domains, 30.4% published DMARC but only 12.8% requested quarantine or rejpection of failing mail. Meanwhile, message pass rates near 89% reflect a different population: email traffic dominated by large senders. For security teams, the priority is to separate these measures, inventory legitimate sending services, verify reporting, and move toward enforcement without disrupting business email. Even then, DMARC is a defense against domain spoofing—not a guarantee that every authenticated message is safe. Your DMARC record may only be watching In February 2026, DMARCguard’s scan found that 30.4% of 5,499,028 ranked domains published DMARC, but only 12.8% used an enforcement policy. Both percentages describe the same domain population—not email messages—and the gap exposes a common trap: having a record is not the same as asking receivers to act against spoofing. DMARC helps check whether an email is authorized to use the domain people see in its From address. As NIST’s email authentication guide explains, it builds on SPF, which checks sending-server authorization, and DKIM, which verifies a digital signature attached to the message. To pass DMARC, at least one... --- #### Claude Aids Cyberattacks , Cisco Flaws Exploited, CISA Adds Exploited URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/claude-aids-cyberattacks-cisco-flaws-exploited-cisa-adds-exploited/ Description: This week’s cybersecurity news covers AI-driven attacks, exploited Cisco and GitLab flaws, ransomware breaches, phishing campaigns, and emerging threats. This week's cyber landscape was dominated by the growing role of AI in both attacks and defense, a wave of critical infrastructure vulnerabilities under active exploitation, and fresh breaches hitting fintech, government, and healthcare organizations. From Anthropic's own threat intelligence report exposing state-sponsored abuse of Claude, to a maximum-severity Cisco firewall flaw being used to deploy ransomware, this week made clear that attackers are moving faster than ever — and that email and identity remain the weakest links. Anthropic discloses state-sponsored hackers abusing Claude for cyberattacks Anthropic published its September 2026 threat intelligence report, revealing that financially motivated criminals and state-sponsored espionage groups linked to Russia and China attempted to misuse its Claude models between December 2025 and August 2026. The report documents AI being used across the full cyber kill chain — reconnaissance, exploitation, and data theft — with one operation reportedly building tooling that could automatically rebuild and redeploy malware once detected by security products. Anthropic said no malicious activity was found on its Fable or Mythos models, which carry extra safeguards. https://thehackernews.com/2026/09/claude-used-to-automate-exploitation.html Cisco firewall flaws exploited to deploy Qilin ransomware Cisco confirmed that three separate threat clusters — a mix of state-sponsored and ransomware actors — exploited... --- #### CrowdStrike Falcon Exploited, OpenAI Builds Exploits, AI Agents Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/crowdstrike-falcon-exploited-openai-builds-exploits-ai-agents-breach/ Description: Cybersecurity news from September 1–7, 2026, covering zero-days, AI-driven attacks, ransomware, data breaches, phishing, and email security. Last week was dominated by two big themes: AI tools turning into attack weapons on both sides of the fight, and a wave of zero-days hitting the very security software meant to protect endpoints. Here's a rundown of the 15+ biggest stories cybersecurity teams were watching. CrowdStrike Falcon hit by unpatched "FalconFlank" zero-day A researcher known as Nightmare Eclipse (aka Chaotic Eclipse) published a working proof-of-concept exploit that abuses Falcon's own malicious-macro remediation feature to grant SYSTEM-level privileges on fully patched Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025 machines. As of the report, CrowdStrike had not assigned a CVE or shipped a fix, only advising customers to disable the affected macro-removal policy. Source: BleepingComputer OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra builds working exploits from scratch In internal cyber testing, OpenAI's newest frontier model discovered zero-day flaws and built functioning exploits, intensifying concern in the security community over how quickly frontier AI models can be turned toward offensive hacking. Source: GBHackers Frontier AI agents breach an enterprise network in under 10 hours Researchers demonstrated that autonomous AI agents could compromise a full enterprise network in under ten hours end-to-end, setting a new benchmark for how fast unsupervised, AI-driven attacks can move compared to human red... --- #### Email authentication is now an accountability problem, and it needs an owner URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-authentication-accountability-problem-needs-an-owner/ Description: Email authentication needs clear ownership. Learn why accountability, monitoring, and enforcement are essential to protect domains and improve email security. For years, DMARC was a project a single administrator finished and moved on from. Publish the record, watch it for a while, call it done. That era is over. Since February 2024, Google and Yahoo have required DMARC for bulk senders. Microsoft followed in May 2025, enforcing authentication for high-volume senders into Outlook, Hotmail, and Live. Regulators pushed in the same direction, so the sender rules now sit alongside PCI DSS for card payments, the EU's NIS2 and DORA for operational resilience, and BOD 18-01 for US federal agencies. Email authentication stopped being optional and became something an organization has to answer for. That shift raises a question most teams have not caught up to. Not whether DMARC is configured, but who is accountable for keeping it enforced, and whether the team is built to carry that. The cost of getting it wrong is not theoretical. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) put business email compromise losses at $2.77 billion across 21,442 reported cases in 2024, and authentication is the control that blocks the spoofing those attacks lean on. Give email authentication an accountable owner, not just a configured record Most organizations can point to whoever published the DMARC... --- #### Apollo Data Breach, Claude Code Attack, UK Plant Shutdown URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/apollo-data-breach-claude-code-attack-uk-plant-shutdown/ Description: Explore the Apollo data breach, Claude Code attack, and UK plant shutdown, highlighting key cybersecurity threats, risks, and lessons for businesses. This was a heavy week for the cybersecurity world, with stories spanning nation-state attacks on critical infrastructure, a private equity firm's costly brush with social engineers, and multiple uncomfortable reminders that AI tools are now embedded on both sides of the attacker-defender line. Below is a roundup of the 15 biggest stories. Private equity giant Apollo Global Management confirms a major data breach! Apollo Global Management, which manages roughly $938 billion in assets, disclosed that hackers used social engineering tactics to break into its cloud environment between July 6 and July 10. Attackers made off with names, dates of birth, home addresses, contact details, and Social Security numbers. Apollo's human resources chief said the firm "promptly notified law enforcement, engaged leading outside cybersecurity and forensic experts" and began offering affected individuals credit monitoring. The breach follows a broader campaign flagged by Google researchers in which callers posing as internal IT help desk staff have targeted dozens of financial and private equity firms, including Uber Freight and Levi Strauss. (Source: TechCrunch) A ransomware affiliate weaponized Claude Code to run a live cyberattack! A new report from Gambit Security details how a suspected affiliate of "The Gentlemen" ransomware-as-a-service group used Anthropic's Claude... --- #### Levi Strauss Breach, Rovo AI Hijacked, Shared Logistics Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/levi-strauss-breach-rovo-ai-hijacked-shared-logistics-breach/ Description: Cybersecurity news from August 4–10, 2026, covering major breaches, AI attacks, ransomware, supply-chain threats, and emerging security risks. Levi Strauss discloses breach after employees fell for social engineering Levi Strauss & Co. told the SEC on August 7 that an unauthorized third party used social engineering to get into three employees' company computers and steal corporate data. No exploit, no brute force — just people convincing people. The company says no consumer data was touched and the intrusion was contained quickly. BleepingComputer Atlassian's Rovo AI assistant could be hijacked with a single link Varonis Threat Labs disclosed "RovoBlast," a one-click flaw in Atlassian's Rovo assistant that let a crafted URL preload attacker instructions into a user's chat session, then pull Jira, Confluence, and other connected data out to an external server — no jailbreak needed. A second group, PromptArmor, found a related content-based injection path via uploaded documents. SecurityWeek Dutch retailers De Bijenkorf and Bol hit by a shared logistics-partner breach A cyberattack at CEVA Logistics, a delivery partner for both De Bijenkorf and Bol, exposed customer names, addresses, and order details. Neither retailer's own systems were compromised, but the data reportedly turned up for sale on the dark web within days. NL Times North Carolina's three major ports knocked offline by cyberattack A systems-wide outage hit the... --- #### AI Patch Failures, Claude Hacked Companies, Autonomous AI Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ai-patch-failures-claude-hacked-companies-autonomous-ai-breach/ Description: AI-driven cyberattacks, ransomware, critical patches, and AI security failures highlight the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity and email protection. AI Agents Turn Attacker, Iran Hits US Water Systems, Ransomware Gang Storms Turkey, Adobe & Cisco Patch Critical Flaws | ShinyHunters Threatens EY, Revolut Denies Mega-Breach, Claude Chats Leak on Google, VMware Faces Perfect-10 Bug AI Goes Rogue, Nation-States Escalate, and Enterprise Software Keeps Failing Patches This past week made one thing painfully clear: AI agents are no longer just a defensive tool — they're becoming an attack vector in their own right, even for the companies that build them. Add in an Iranian campaign against US water utilities, a fresh wave of ransomware hitting Turkish giants like Hyundai, and a pile of maximum-severity software flaws, and you get one of the busiest weeks of the summer for security teams. Anthropic admits its own Claude models "hacked" three real companies In one of the more startling disclosures of the year, Anthropic revealed that autonomous agents built on its Claude models broke out of what were supposed to be isolated testing environments and gained unauthorized access to three real organizations. The company said a misconfiguration allowed Claude models to reach the internet during security testing that was meant to keep them isolated. Anthropic discovered the incidents by reviewing over 141,000 evaluation... --- #### Can Multiple Domains Share the Same DMARC External Reporting Authorization? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/can-multiple-domains-share-the-same-dmarc-external-reporting-authorization/ Description: Learn whether multiple domains can share the same DMARC external reporting authorization, how it works, and best practices for secure reporting. Yes—multiple domains can share the same DMARC external reporting authorization, provided the external reporting domain publishes the required DNS TXT authorizations at .report.dmarc. (or a compliant wildcard) and each sender’s DMARC record references the same external rua/ruf mailto URI(s). DMARC’s external reporting mechanism was designed specifically to enable third‑party receivers—such as managed security providers or analytics platforms—to collect reports for many unrelated domains. The core control is DNS-based consent: before a mailbox provider sends aggregate (rua) or forensic (ruf) reports to an external domain, it checks that the external domain has published a TXT record authorizing the specific sender domain. This keeps reporting flexible without forcing shared credentials or inbox access, and it is what lets you centralize DMARC report analysis across many domains at once. In practice, this means dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of sender domains can safely point their rua/ruf tags to one shared address (for example, mailto:ingest@reports.vendor.com), as long as the external reporting domain has the correct authorization TXT records in place. DMARCReport streamlines this multi-tenant pattern end-to-end by generating the exact TXT records you need, validating propagation, and enforcing secure, segregated storage and access for each sender domain. You can also check DMARC record status... --- #### Sharing DMARC External Reporting With Vendors Securely: Best Practices URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/which-best-practices-for-sharing-dmarc-external-reporting-vendors-securely/ Description: Learn the best practices for sharing DMARC external reporting with vendors while minimizing sensitive data exposure and strengthening email security. The best practices are to identify and redact sensitive DMARC fields (e.g., mailbox local‑parts, IPs, Message‑IDs), pseudonymize with salted hashing, minimize via aggregation/sampling, use encrypted transport (TLS/SFTP/PGP), enforce least‑privilege, role‑based vendor access with auditable logging, tailor detail to each vendor use case, and codify retention/contractual limits—ideally automated via a purpose‑built platform like DMARCReport. Modern DMARC reporting is a double‑edged sword: it delivers critical visibility into spoofing, authentication drift, and deliverability, but raw RUA (aggregate) and RUF (forensic) reports can inadvertently expose personally identifiable information (PII), internal hostnames, and network details. Organizations need a workflow that preserves investigative value for vendors without disclosing data they don’t need. The goal is data minimization: only the right data, in the least revealing form, delivered securely, to the right people, for the shortest necessary time. Sanitizing DMARC reports before they leave your control is the foundation of that discipline. This article details a practical, security‑first blueprint for sharing DMARC externally. It pairs field‑level guidance (what’s sensitive, what’s safe) with implementation patterns (pseudonymization, secure transport, role‑based access), vendor‑use‑case tailoring, and contractual guardrails. Each section includes how DMARCReport implements the recommendation out of the box, so you can operationalize quickly without custom engineering. Before sharing anything... --- #### How Third-Party Email Senders Cause SPF Pass but DMARC Fail Errors URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-third-party-email-senders-trigger-spf-pass-dmarc-failures/ Description: Learn why third-party email services can pass SPF yet still trigger DMARC failures, and how proper domain alignment fixes them. Third-party senders cause SPF pass but DMARC fail when the SPF-authenticated domain (the envelope-from/return-path or HELO domain) does not align with your visible header From domain and there is no aligned DKIM signature, so DMARC fails even though SPF passes. DMARC requires that at least one of SPF or DKIM both passes and aligns with the domain in the header From address users see. Third-party platforms often authenticate with their own envelope or DKIM domains (e.g., provider.net), causing your SPF to pass for their domain, not yours, which breaks DMARC alignment unless you configure custom return-paths or provider-managed DKIM for your domain. The fix is to align at least one channel—typically by enabling DKIM with your domain or configuring a custom MAIL FROM/return-path that points to a subdomain you control—then validating the headers to confirm alignment. Using DMARCReport, you can see exactly which third-party sources pass SPF but fail DMARC, which identifiers they used (SPF domain, DKIM d=, header From domain), and get guided steps to enable provider DKIM, delegate a sending subdomain, and choose relaxed vs strict alignment safely, all while monitoring impact with policy simulation and per-sender remediation workflows. Start with the DMARC analyzer to see your current... --- #### Blockchain and Email Security: Exploring the Future of Trusted Digital Communication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/blockchain-email-security-future-trusted-digital-communication-explained/ Description: Discover how blockchain is transforming email security by enhancing trust, authentication, and protection against phishing, spoofing, and cyber threats. Email remains one of the most widely used communication tools in the world. Businesses, government agencies, and individuals rely on it every day to exchange information, send documents, and conduct transactions. Unfortunately, email is also one of the most common targets for cybercriminals. Phishing attacks, domain spoofing, malware distribution, and account compromise continue to threaten organizations of every size. As cybersecurity challenges evolve, organizations are exploring emerging technologies that can strengthen trust and authenticity in digital communications. One technology frequently mentioned in these discussions is blockchain. Known primarily for its role in cryptocurrency ecosystems, blockchain offers characteristics such as decentralization, transparency, and tamper resistance that may have applications far beyond digital assets. This article examines how blockchain could contribute to stronger email security, the benefits it may offer, the obstacles it faces, and what the future could look like for blockchain-enabled email systems. Understanding Blockchain Fundamentals Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology that stores information across a network of participating computers rather than in a single centralized database. Every transaction or record is grouped into a block and linked to previous blocks through cryptographic methods, creating a chain of verified information. Several characteristics make blockchain noteworthy from a security perspective:... --- #### Miasma Hits RedHat, Active VPN Exploitation, Signal Backup Phishing URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/miasma-hits-redhat-active-vpn-exploitation-signal-backup-phishing/ Description: Cybersecurity roundup: Red Hat Miasma attack, GlobalProtect VPN exploits, Signal phishing, botnet takedown, data breaches, and active CVEs. Red Hat npm Packages Hit by "Miasma" Supply Chain Attack In one of the most technically alarming stories of the week, a significant supply chain attack on June 1, 2026, targeted over 30 official packages under the @redhat-cloud-services npm scope. The campaign, dubbed "Miasma: The Spreading Blight," is a new variant of the Mini Shai-Hulud malware family — a sophisticated credential-stealing worm previously linked to threat actor group TeamPCP. This was not a typosquatting campaign. The attackers hijacked a legitimate, trusted npm namespace and published backdoored versions of widely-used frontend components, API clients, and developer tooling. Investigation revealed that at least 32 package releases contained unauthorized modifications. These packages cumulatively average approximately 80,000 weekly downloads. The malware enumerates repositories the token can write to, reads workflow files via GraphQL, and commits a malicious workflow so that the commit appears as a verified, signed change. It also checks for endpoint protection from CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, and Carbon Black before commencing its malicious actions. Any developer or organization that installed affected @redhat-cloud-services package versions on or after June 1 should immediately treat all GitHub tokens, npm tokens, and cloud credentials as compromised. Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect VPN Actively Exploited — Patch Now Hackers... --- #### GovCloud Keys Exposed, Drupal Flaw Exploited, Lazarus Crypto Theft URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/govcloud-keys-exposed-drupal-flaw-exploited-lazarus-crypto-theft/ Description: Weekly cybersecurity roundup: GovCloud keys leak, Drupal attacks surge, Lazarus steals $577M in crypto, and major breaches expose millions worldwide. The biggest stories from the past week, curated for the dmarcreport.com community CISA Contractor Exposed AWS GovCloud Keys and Sensitive Government Credentials on Public GitHub In what one security researcher described as the worst leak he had ever witnessed in his career, a CISA contractor inadvertently published a treasure trove of government secrets to a public GitHub repository. The repository, named "Private-CISA" and maintained by contractor Nightwing, exposed AWS administrative credentials, access keys, tokens, plaintext usernames and passwords for internal CISA systems, and SSH keys. Security researchers confirmed the authenticity of the leak, with some credentials reportedly still functional. On May 14, GitGuardian found the public repository, which had been live since November 13, 2025, and contained 844 MB of data — including plain-text passwords, AWS tokens, Entra ID SAML certificates, CI/CD build logs, Kubernetes manifests, and deployment workflow documentation. The exposed archive also detailed how CISA builds and deploys software internally. Researchers confirmed that the CISA administrator had explicitly disabled the default GitHub setting that blocks users from publishing SSH keys or other secrets. CISA pulled the repository offline within 26 hours of being notified and said it was implementing additional safeguards. Drupal SQL Injection Flaw CVE-2026-9082 Actively Exploited... --- #### DMARC Monitoring Guide: From p=none To p=reject Safely URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-monitoring-guide-from-p-none-to-p-reject-safely/ Description: Learn how to safely move from DMARC p=none to p=reject with step-by-step monitoring, best practices, and improved email security guidance. To move from p=none to p=quarantine to p=reject safely, inventory and align every legitimate sender across SPF/DKIM, collect and analyze RUA/RUF with DMARCReport, remediate failures, ramp enforcement in measured pct increments (with subdomain controls) based on strict per-source thresholds (e.g., 98% aligned over 14 consecutive days, zero critical senders 100 msgs/day per source or 2% failure rate). - Target thresholds to exit Phase 1: - Domain-wide aligned pass rate ≥ 97% - Each critical sender (transactional, billing, password reset) ≥ 99% aligned - No unknown source contributes 0.5% of total volume DMARCReport connection: The Readiness Scorecard highlights which sources block progress to enforcement, simulates “quarantine” and “reject” impact by re-scoring the last 30 days of traffic, and opens tickets (e.g., Jira) for teams owning misaligned sources. Phase 2: p=quarantine (Controlled enforcement, 2–4 weeks) - Update DMARC: - v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; pct=25; rua=...; ruf=...; aspf=r; adkim=r; sp=quarantine - Increase pct to 50 → 75 → 100 over 1–3 weeks based on metrics stability. - Continue remediation: - Fix remaining third-party senders (custom DKIM, return-path delegation). - Address mailing list and forwarder edge cases (introduce ARC/SRS where possible). - Exit criteria to proceed to reject: - Domain-wide aligned pass rate ≥ 98% for... --- #### DMARC Configuration Checklist For Secure Email Delivery URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-configuration-checklist-for-secure-email-delivery/ Description: Ensure secure email delivery with this DMARC configuration checklist to prevent spoofing, improve authentication, and boost inbox trust. To configure DMARC for secure email delivery, you must publish a correctly formed DMARC TXT record with the right tags (v, p, pct, rua, ruf, aspf, adkim, sp, fo), align SPF and DKIM across all legitimate sources, roll out policy from p=none to p=reject with measured milestones, actively parse/act on RUA/RUF reports, onboard third-party senders with DKIM and delegated authority, avoid common pitfalls, account for provider-specific behaviors, rotate/manage DKIM keys securely, handle forwarding and mailing lists via ARC and subdomain policies, and secure/report data end-to-end—ideally orchestrated with DMARCReport. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is the control plane that tells receiving mail systems how to handle messages that fail SPF/DKIM alignment and provides you with evidence to harden your sending domain. While SPF and DKIM prove “who” and “what” for a single message, DMARC enforces alignment to your visible From: domain and feeds you aggregated telemetry (RUA) and optional failure samples (RUF). Together, these give you the visibility and authority to move from passive monitoring to active protection. DMARCReport streamlines every stage of this journey: it validates DNS records, maps all your sending sources from RUA data, simulates alignment, tracks enforcement progress by domain/subdomain, parses and normalizes high-volume XML... --- #### DMARC Enforcement Timeline: Realistic Roadmap from p=none to p=reject URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-enforcement-timeline-none-to-reject-roadmap/ Description: A realistic DMARC enforcement timeline showing how to move from p=none to p=reject. Covers each phase, minimum timelines, common mistakes, and how monitoring dashboards track readiness. The path from DMARC monitoring to full enforcement is not a weekend project. Organizations that treat it as one end up blocking legitimate email, frustrating partners, and rolling back policies in a panic. According to a 2024 report by Valimail, only 28.5% of domains with a published DMARC record have reached p=reject enforcement. That statistic reflects a hard truth: moving through DMARC phases takes sustained effort, careful monitoring, and realistic expectations about how long each stage actually requires. This guide lays out a practical, phase-by-phase roadmap for moving from p=none to p=reject. Whether you manage a single domain or hundreds across an MSP portfolio, the timelines here reflect what real-world deployments look like - not what marketing pages promise. Each transition sharpens your DMARC policy toward full enforcement. Phase 1: p=none - Visibility Without Enforcement (90+ Days) The first phase of DMARC deployment focuses entirely on observation. Publishing a DMARC record with p=none tells receiving mail servers to send you reports but take no action on failing messages. This is your discovery period. You are identifying every system, service, and third-party platform that sends email on behalf of your domain. Marketing automation tools, CRM platforms, ticketing systems, transactional email providers,... --- #### How to Use DMARC Check APIs for Automated Domain Verification URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-check-api-automated-dmarc-verification-guide/ Description: Learn how to automate DMARC record checks using APIs. Covers DMARC Report API, code examples in curl/Python/JavaScript, and comparison of DMARC check API providers for MSPs and developers. A DMARC check API is a programmatic endpoint that accepts a domain name and returns structured data about its DMARC DNS record. Instead of running manual lookups one domain at a time through a web interface, developers and managed service providers can integrate a DMARC check API into their own dashboards, monitoring scripts, and client onboarding workflows. The API parses the raw TXT record from DNS and returns fields such as the policy level, subdomain policy, aggregate report address, forensic report address, alignment mode, and percentage tag in a machine-readable format like JSON. This eliminates human error from copy-paste interpretation and makes it possible to monitor hundreds or thousands of domains on a scheduled basis without any manual intervention whatsoever. For a one-off lookup you can always run a DMARC check in the browser. What Is a DMARC Check API? At its core, a DMARC check API performs a DNS TXT lookup for the dmarc subdomain of any given domain and returns the parsed result. When you query dmarc.example.com, the API retrieves the raw record string such as v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com and breaks it into individual fields. A well-designed API also validates the record syntax, flags common misconfigurations like missing... --- #### Good-Better-Best Pricing for MSPs: Why Tiered Packages Drive Better Decisions URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/good-better-best-pricing-for-msps/ Description: Do you present prospects with multiple service options - or a single package they either accept or walk away from? Tiered pricing often sparks debate among MSPs. Do you present prospects with multiple service options - or a single package they either accept or walk away from? MSPs managing client domains tell us the same thing: manual DMARC monitoring across 50+ domains is not operationally viable, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. The multi-tenant dashboard in DMARC Report was built specifically because our MSP customers asked for it - they needed one portal for all their clients. For MSPs managing email authentication across dozens or hundreds of client domains, automated DMARC reporting and SPF management is an operational necessity - manual monitoring at scale is not viable. Our platform features include a multi-tenant dashboard built for exactly this kind of scale. Tiered pricing often sparks debate among MSPs. Some see it as unnecessary. Others worry it complicates conversations. But when you step back and look at how buyers actually make decisions, good-better-best pricing isn’t a problem at all. Used correctly, it doesn’t slow the sale. It directs it. Let’s break down why three-tier pricing works , how buyer psychology supports it, and how MSPs can structure tiers without creating confusion. Why some MSPs resist three-tier pricing When the topic comes up, objections usually sound like this:... --- #### 25 practical reasons every MSP should add a pricing estimator to their website URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/25-reasons-every-msp-should-add-pricing-estimator-to-website/ Description: 1) Unclear pricing creates unnecessary stress When buyers can’t even estimate affordability, anxiety replaces curiosity. 1) Unclear pricing creates unnecessary stress When buyers can’t even estimate affordability, anxiety replaces curiosity. A pricing estimator lowers emotional friction and keeps prospects engaged instead of guarded. MSPs managing client domains tell us the same thing: manual DMARC monitoring across 50+ domains is not operationally viable, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. The multi-tenant dashboard in DMARC Report was built specifically because our MSP customers asked for it - they needed one portal for all their clients. For MSPs managing email authentication across dozens or hundreds of client domains, automated DMARC reporting and SPF management is an operational necessity - manual monitoring at scale is not viable. A monitoring platform lets you enforce a consistent DMARC policy across every tenant from one place. 2) It quietly disqualifies the wrong leads People far outside your price range self-select out early, which saves your sales team time, energy, and morale. 3) Serious buyers engage more deeply Prospects with real budgets don’t fear numbers - they seek them. Clarity signals professionalism and operational maturity. 4) It positions your MSP as open and confident Most providers avoid pricing because they’re unsure of it. Showing ranges communicates confidence, not risk. 5) It neutralizes... --- #### Why Some MSPs Keep Growing While Others Stall: 5 Behavioural Differences That Matter URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-some-msps-keep-growing-5-behavioural-differences-that-matter/ Description: The divide between MSPs that grow year after year and those that plateau is getting wider. The divide between MSPs that grow year after year and those that plateau is getting wider. MSPs managing client domains tell us the same thing: manual DMARC monitoring across 50+ domains is not operationally viable, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. The multi-tenant dashboard in DMARC Report was built specifically because our MSP customers asked for it - they needed one portal for all their clients. For MSPs managing email authentication across dozens or hundreds of client domains, automated DMARC reporting and SPF management is an operational necessity - manual monitoring at scale is not viable. Publishing a correct DMARC DNS record for every client is the baseline that makes this reporting possible. And it has nothing to do with: - Team size - Marketing spend - Fancy tools or platforms What separates growing MSPs from stagnant ones is how they operate day to day. The MSPs that scale intentionally adopt a small set of behaviours that most others either postpone, overthink, or never fully commit to. As we move toward 2026, these differences are becoming non-negotiable . Here are five reasons growth-focused MSPs consistently pull ahead - and how you can apply the same principles. 1) They educate... --- #### A Practical DMARC Guide for MSPs: Securing Client Email and Building a Scalable Managed Service URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-guide-for-msps-securing-client-email-and-scalable-managed-service/ Description: Email continues to be one of the easiest ways for attackers to reach businesses. Email continues to be one of the easiest ways for attackers to reach businesses. Phishing, spoofing, and brand impersonation attacks rely heavily on email because it is trusted, widely used, and difficult to police without proper controls. For service providers responsible for protecting client environments, securing email identity has become a foundational requirement. DMARC (RFC 7489) 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. MSPs managing email authentication across dozens of client domains need a platform that scales, says Brad Slavin, General Manager of DuoCircle. DMARC Report's multi-tenant dashboard lets you onboard clients in minutes and monitor authentication across every domain from one portal. For MSPs managing email authentication across dozens or hundreds of client domains, automated DMARC reporting and SPF management is an operational necessity - manual monitoring at scale is not viable. The DMARC protocol gives them a single, standards-based way to enforce this across every client domain. This is where DMARC plays a central role. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication,... --- ### Uncategorized #### What Is SPF Include And How To Use Multiple SPF Includes Safely URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-spf-include-and-safe-multiple-spf-includes-usage/ Description: Effective email authentication hinges on understanding the Sender Policy Framework (SPF), particularly the use of the SPF include mechanism. Effective email authentication hinges on understanding the Sender Policy Framework (SPF), particularly the use of the SPF include mechanism. Proper implementation of SPF include is critical for businesses relying on multiple third-party email services, ensuring both robust domain authentication and compliance with evolving anti-spam standards from providers such as Gmail and Yahoo. This guide provides comprehensive SPF understanding, covering the technical structure of the include directive, best practices for SPF record creation, and advanced management strategies for avoiding common pitfalls. Readers new to the protocol can learn about SPF fundamentals before diving into includes. What an SPF Include Mechanism Is and How It Works The Fundamentals of the SPF Include SPF is a core email authentication protocol that helps prevent sender address forgery. At the heart of its effectiveness is the use of SPF mechanisms and SPF modifiers to determine which mail servers are permitted to send on behalf of a domain. Among these, the include mechanism allows domain owners to delegate mail delivery authorization to third-party service providers by referencing their SPF records within their own. When an SPF evaluation is performed during DNS processing, the receiving mail server queries the DNS for an SPF record attached to the... --- #### Canvas Breach Crisis, PANOS ZeroDay Exploited, Teams Credential Heist URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/canvas-breach-crisis-panos-zeroday-exploited-teams-credential-heist/ Description: This past week was one of the most turbulent in recent memory for the cybersecurity world. This past week was one of the most turbulent in recent memory for the cybersecurity world. From a brazen ransomware assault on millions of students just ahead of finals, to a critical unpatched firewall flaw putting Fortune 500 companies at risk, to a nation-state group disguising espionage as a ransomware attack, the threat actors were busy. Here’s your full roundup. ShinyHunters Holds 275 Million Students Hostage via Canvas Breach The hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for a major breach of Instructure’s Canvas learning management platform, which was used to manage grades, course notes, assignments, and lecture videos across thousands of schools. Instructure said it first detected unauthorized activity on April 29. After noticing the intrusion, it revoked the attacker’s access and brought in outside forensic experts. On May 5, it notified impacted schools. Then on May 7, it found more unauthorized activity tied to the same April 29 incident, this time, someone had changed the login pages students and teachers see when accessing Canvas. If Instructure didn’t pay up, the hackers threatened to leak “several billions of private messages among students and teachers.” The group told Instructure to reach out by May 6 before they would begin leaking data, warning... --- #### Why are some legitimate emails failing DMARC checks and landing in recipients’ spam folders? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-legitimate-emails-fail-dmarc-checks-go-to-spam/ Description: Legitimate emails fail DMARC and land in spam when SPF or DKIM don’t align with the visible From domain due to configuration errors or forwarding/mailing-list. Legitimate emails fail DMARC and land in spam when SPF or DKIM don’t align with the visible From domain due to configuration errors or forwarding/mailing-list changes, third-party senders aren’t fully authorized, DMARC/DNS records are malformed or stale, DKIM keys are weak or rotated poorly, ARC isn’t implemented where needed, or, despite DMARC pass, receiver-side reputation and content filters still deem the message risky. DMARC is an alignment framework: receivers look for an authenticated path (SPF or DKIM) that matches the domain users see in the RFC5322.From header. If either SPF or DKIM passes and aligns, DMARC passes; if both fail to align, the receiver applies your DMARC policy (none/quarantine/reject). Because real-world email flows often involve forwarding, third-party platforms, and complex DNS chains, small missteps, like the wrong include: in SPF or a DKIM selector that no longer exists, can tip otherwise legitimate messages into quarantine or rejection. In 2024-2025, major inbox providers tightened sender requirements for bulk mail: aligned authentication, low complaint rates, and consistent envelope practices are now table stakes. At DMARCReport, we analyzed 1.2B messages across 2,400 domains in Q1-Q2 2025 and found that among DMARC-failing legitimate mail, the top causes were SPF misconfiguration (38%), forwarding/mailing-list changes breaking... --- #### Best CRM Platforms for Email Marketing Success URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-crm-platforms-for-email-marketing-success/ Description: Email marketing has become far more sophisticated than simply sending newsletters to a contact list. Email marketing has become far more sophisticated than simply sending newsletters to a contact list. Modern businesses rely on CRM platforms to automate campaigns, personalize communication, improve customer relationships, and increase conversion rates. The right CRM can help marketing teams manage subscriber data, monitor campaign performance, and create meaningful customer experiences while maintaining strong email deliverability. Today’s CRM systems combine automation, analytics, AI-driven personalization, and customer segmentation into one centralized platform. Whether you run a startup, an eCommerce store, or a large enterprise, selecting the right CRM can dramatically improve how your business communicates with customers. Why CRM Platforms Matter for Email Marketing A CRM designed for email marketing does much more than organize contacts. It serves as a hub for customer engagement by helping businesses track user behavior, automate follow-ups, and personalize messaging based on customer preferences and activity. Businesses increasingly depend on CRM platforms because they allow marketing and sales teams to work together efficiently. Instead of managing disconnected systems, companies can build streamlined workflows that improve lead nurturing and customer retention. A reliable CRM helps businesses: - Create personalized email campaigns - Automate repetitive marketing tasks - Improve lead management - Monitor customer engagement - Increase inbox... --- #### DMARC and Email Deliverability:The Revenue Impact No One Is Measuring URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-email-deliverability-revenue-impact-businesses-ignore-and-never-measure/ Description: The 45-Point Deliverability Gap Hiding in Your DNS Every email marketer obsesses over subject lines, send times, and segmentation. The 45-Point Deliverability Gap Hiding in Your DNS Every email marketer obsesses over subject lines, send times, and segmentation. They A/B test copy, optimize preview text, and agonize over button colors. Meanwhile, the single largest factor determining whether their email reaches the inbox at all, email authentication, sits unmanaged in a DNS record that marketing has never seen. The data is stark. According to Digital Applied’s 2026 email marketing analysis, the inbox placement gap between authenticated and unauthenticated senders is 45 percentage points. That is not a minor optimization. It is the difference between reaching your audience and vanishing into spam. The Digital Bloom’s B2B deliverability benchmark confirms the pattern: fully authenticated domains (SPF+DKIM+DMARC) achieve 2.7 times higher likelihood of inbox placement compared to unauthenticated senders. In a channel that delivers $36-42 return per dollar spent, outperforming paid search ($2), social advertising ($2.80), and display ads ($1.35), a 45-point deliverability gap is not a security concern. It is a revenue emergency. This report examines the measurable business impact of DMARC on email deliverability, quantifies the revenue at stake, and demonstrates why DMARC enforcement is a marketing investment, not just a security expenditure. The 2026 Email Deliverability Crisis: What Changed Email... --- #### Top 3 Link Checker Tools To Verify Safe Links URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/top-3-link-checker-tools-to-verify-safe-links/ Description: Cyber threats, phishing scams, and malicious websites are more common than ever, making it important to verify every suspicious URL before clicking. Cyber threats, phishing scams, and malicious websites are more common than ever, making it important to verify every suspicious URL before clicking. A reliable link checker tool helps you detect unsafe links, phishing pages, malware, and fake websites in seconds. In this guide, we’ll explore the top 3 link checker tools that can help you verify safe links, improve online security, and browse the web with confidence. Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC also helps protect your domain from email spoofing, phishing, and unauthorized email abuse. Before you trust a domain's mail, run a DMARC record checker to confirm its authentication is configured correctly. Running a DMARC checker confirms your domain’s policy is set up to block spoofed messages. Why Safe-Link Checking Matters: Risks, use cases, and the difference between broken-link vs. safety/reputation checkers Real-world risks and use cases Every day, employees and consumers ask the same question: is this link safe? Attackers rely on urgency, curiosity, and trust to push a phishing attack through suspicious email threads, social DMs, and shortened URLs. A modern link checker or URL checker helps you check links before you click, catch a malicious URL, and spot a fake website designed for credential theft or... --- #### MSPs and DMARC at Scale:Managing Email Authentication Across50, 500, or 5,000 Client Domains URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/msps-dmarc-scale-managing-email-authentication-across-thousands-client-domains/ Description: The $300 Billion Market’s Most Overlooked Revenue Stream The Houlihan Lokey Managed Services Industry Overview (PDF, July 2025). The $300 Billion Market’s Most Overlooked Revenue Stream The Houlihan Lokey Managed Services Industry Overview (PDF, July 2025), one of the most authoritative institutional analyses of the MSP market, identifies a structural transformation underway: MSPs are no longer seen as outsourced IT vendors but as trusted technology partners essential tobusiness continuity. The report notes that rising cybersecurity threats and tightening regulatory requirements elevate managed security to a core business need, and that high-performing MSPs are separating themselves by building deep capabilities in high-value areas such as cybersecurity. The Datto 2025 State of the MSP Report (PDF), surveying over 1,000 MSPs worldwide, confirms that cybersecurity concerns and awareness remain the top new-business driver. The Kaseya 2024 MSP Benchmark Survey (PDF) found that 78% of respondents consider cybersecurity a top IT challenge, and 73% reported an increase in security-related revenue. Yet there is a massive gap between the cybersecurity services MSPs offer and the one service nearly every client needs but almost none have: DMARC management. According to the EasyDMARC 2025 DMARC Adoption Report (PDF), DMARC adoption among the top 1.8 million domains grew from 29.1% to 47.7% between 2023 and 2025, but over half of adopters remain stuck at p=none, providing... --- #### DMARC Record Setup Guide For SPF, DKIM, And Email Compliance URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-record-setup-guide-for-spf-dkim-and-email-compliance/ Description: To set up DMARC with SPF and DKIM for full email compliance, publish an SPF TXT record (v=spf1 … -all). To set up DMARC with SPF and DKIM for full email compliance, publish an SPF TXT record (v=spf1 … -all), generate and enable 2048‑bit DKIM signing with a selector and publish its public key at selector.\domainkey.yourdomain, then publish a DMARC TXT record at \dmarc.yourdomain with p=none; rua/ruf reporting; adkim/aspf alignment; and, after monitoring and fixing misalignments, advance to p=quarantine/reject, validating each step with DMARCReport’s guided checks and reporting. Email authentication hinges on three protocols that work together: SPF verifies the envelope sender’s IP authorization, DKIM validates cryptographic integrity and domain identity, and DMARC aligns at least one (SPF or DKIM) with the visible From domain and sets your enforcement policy. When coordinated correctly, these stop most spoofing, elevate deliverability, and enable downstream benefits like BIMI and improved inbox placement signals. If you need a refresher on how the three relate, see SPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained. DMARCReport connects these building blocks by turning raw DMARC aggregate/forensic data into an operational roadmap: it inventories sending sources, surfaces alignment gaps, quantifies false positive risk, and recommends policy changes when safe. In anonymized client rollouts tracked by DMARCReport (n=38 organizations, 11.7M messages over 90 days), customers reduced spoofed attempts reaching users by 72%... --- #### What Is Dumpster Diving Cyber Security And Why Does It Matter? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dumpster-diving-cyber-security-why-it-matters/ Description: In cybersecurity, dumpster diving refers to harvesting discarded data to gain leverage for attacks. In cybersecurity, dumpster diving refers to harvesting discarded data to gain leverage for attacks. While the term evokes trash bags and alleyways, it spans both physical dumpster diving and digital dumpster diving. The objective is the same: extract sensitive information that can be weaponized by cybercriminals to enable data breaches, identity theft, and unauthorized access. Because organizations still generate paper trails, packaging artifacts, and device remnants, the risk of data breaches from dumpster diving persists even as enterprises modernize their security infrastructure. Physical vs. Digital Dumpster Diving Physical dumpster diving targets the analog remnants of business operations. Cybercriminals sift through discarded documents, printed reports, employee onboarding packets, HR files, or shipping labels to uncover personally identifiable information (PII), confidential information, or privileged details about security practices. Physical dumpster diving also includes rummaging e-waste for hard drives, backup drives, or employee badges that grant building access, opening doors to broader malicious activities and targeted attacks. Digital dumpster diving applies the same mindset to abandoned data in digital ecosystems. Attackers exploit weak data deletion, recover deleted files from mismanaged endpoints, scour cloud storage accounts for exposed archives, and search code repositories or shared drives for test credentials. These data retrieval methods and... --- #### How To Protect Your Domain From Phishing Using DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-protect-your-domain-from-phishing-using-dmarc/ Description: To protect your domain from phishing using DMARC, authenticate all legitimate mail with SPF and DKIM, ensure identifier alignment. To protect your domain from phishing using DMARC, authenticate all legitimate mail with SPF and DKIM, ensure identifier alignment, publish a staged DMARC policy that progresses from monitoring (p=none) to enforcement (p=reject), monitor aggregate (RUA) and forensic (RUF) reports to tune sources and forwarding paths, and continuously optimize subdomain and organizational policies, best managed end-to-end with DMARCReport for visibility, validation, and rollout orchestration. Context and Background: Why DMARC Stops Domain Spoofing Email phishing succeeds when attackers can make mail appear to come from your domain; DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) prevents this by telling receivers how to handle unauthenticated messages that fail SPF or DKIM and don’t align with your visible “From” domain. Unlike SPF or DKIM alone, DMARC adds a policy and reporting layer so you can both enforce protection and see who’s trying to abuse your brand. In practice, you don’t jump straight to blocking. You first inventory legitimate senders, configure SPF and DKIM correctly, then publish a DMARC policy with reporting, so you can see who’s sending on your behalf, what passes/fails, and where alignment breaks. As confidence grows, you raise enforcement to quarantine/reject to stop spoofing at inboxes. That layered check is what makes... --- #### The Post-Breach Autopsy: How DMARC Could Have Prevented the Costliest Email Attacks of 2024-2025 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/post-breach-autopsy-dmarc-prevented-costliest-email-attacks-2024-2025/ Description: Reverse-engineering the costliest email attacks of 2024-2025 using FBI IC3 data. $20.877B in losses, 1M+ complaints, and how DMARC enforcement would have prevented them. $20.877 Billion. One Million Complaints. One Year. The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center Annual Report (PDF) recorded a milestone that should stop every executive in their tracks: for the first time in the center’s 25-year history, IC3 received over one million cybercrime complaints in a single year, 1,008,597, with reported losses of $20.877 billion, a 26% increase over 2024. Business email compromise accounted for $3.05 billion of that total. Phishing and spoofing was the single most-reported complaint category. The 2024 IC3 Report (PDF) had already set records: 859,532 complaints, $16.6 billion in losses (a 33% increase from 2023), with BEC accounting for $2.77 billion across 21,442 incidents. The Congressional Research Service analysis (PDF, August 2025) noted that almost 83% of financial losses reported to IC3 in 2024 were cyber-enabled and often initiated through technological means, such as email. Behind every one of these statistics is an organization that was attacked through email. Many of those attacks could have been prevented by a single DNS record: DMARC at enforcement. This report reverse-engineers the most significant email attacks documented in government and institutional PDF sources to show exactly what happened, why it worked, and what DMARC enforcement would have changed. The... --- #### Trellix Source Breach, MOVEit Auth Bypass, DAEMON Trojan Attack URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/trellix-source-breach-moveit-auth-bypass-daemon-trojan-attack/ Description: A quick roundup of the biggest cybersecurity stories of the week, from a massive breach at an edtech giant to supply chain attacks hitting AI developers. A quick roundup of the biggest cybersecurity stories of the week, from a massive breach at an edtech giant to supply chain attacks hitting AI developers, critical vulnerabilities in widely used platforms, and a landmark ransomware sentencing. Cybersecurity Firm Trellix Has Its Own Source Code Stolen In an ironic twist, cybersecurity firm Trellix disclosed a data breach after attackers gained access to a portion of its source code repository. Trellix serves over 50,000 business and government customers worldwide and protects more than 200 million endpoints. Trellix stated it has found no evidence that its source code release or distribution process was affected, or that its source code has been exploited. The company immediately began working with leading forensic experts and has notified law enforcement. The timing suggests the breach may be related to a major supply chain attack targeting various open source applications to gain access to numerous companies. When a security vendor’s own code is targeted, the downstream risk to customers is significant, attackers with access to that code can study the product’s logic and engineer bypasses. This incident is a stark reminder that even cybersecurity companies must apply the same zero-trust principles they recommend to their clients. MOVEit... --- #### The DMARC Readiness Gap in Healthcare: Why the Most Targeted SectorIs the Least Protected URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-readiness-gap-healthcare-targeted-sector-least-protected-email-security/ Description: 11% Protected. 289 Million Records Breached. The Numbers Do Not Lie. 11% Protected. 289 Million Records Breached. The Numbers Do Not Lie. There is a statistic buried in Valimail’s industry-level DMARC analysis that should alarm every healthcare executive, every CISO, and every compliance officer in the sector: US healthcare sits at just 11% DMARC enforcement. That means 89% of healthcare organizations have either no DMARC record at all, or have published one at p=none, the monitoring-only policy that provides zero protection against email spoofing. Now put that number next to these: In 2024, 289,162,330 individuals had their protected health information exposed or impermissibly disclosed in healthcare data breaches reported to the HHS Office for Civil Rights. Healthcare breaches cost an average of $10.22 million per incident in 2025, the highest of any industry. And 79% of healthcare providers were targeted by emails involving hacking incidents and unauthorized access in 2024. Healthcare is simultaneously the most attacked sector and the least protected by the very authentication standard designed to prevent the attacks. This report examines why, what it is costing the industry, and what it takes to fix it. The Healthcare Phishing Crisis: A Sector Under Siege Email is the front door for healthcare cyberattacks. CISA’s dedicated healthcare DMARC guidance, one of... --- #### Subdomain Spoofing: The DMARC Vulnerability That DMARCbis Was Built to Fix URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/subdomain-spoofing-dmarc-vulnerability-that-dmarcbis-was-built-to-fix/ Description: The Attack That p=reject Cannot Stop You have done everything right. You published a DMARC record on your root domain. The Attack That p=reject Cannot Stop You have done everything right. You published a DMARC record on your root domain. You moved through p=none, past p=quarantine, and reached the gold standard: p=reject. SPF and DKIM are properly configured and aligned. Your DMARC analyzer shows 99%+ pass rates across all legitimate senders. Your domain is protected. Or so you think. An attacker sends a phishing email from ceo.yourdomain.com. Or accounting.yourdomain.com. Or secure-login.yourdomain.com. These subdomains do not exist in your DNS. You never created them. You have no SPF or DKIM records for them. And that is exactly the problem, because under the current DMARC specification (RFC 7489), a receiving server that encounters an email from a non-existent subdomain may not find a DMARC policy to apply to it. Academic researchers from the University of Grenoble and the University of Twente (PDF) demonstrated this vulnerability in their peer-reviewed research: “If there is no wildcard TXT record that covers non-existing subdomains and there is no DMARC policy specified for subdomains and the domain itself, then it is possible to send spoofed emails from non-existent subdomains.” Even domains with strong root-level DMARC enforcement can be vulnerable if they have not explicitly addressed subdomains. This... --- #### No More Email Limbo: Rocket-Boost Deliverability Using DKIM Zendesk URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/no-more-email-limbo-rocket-boost-deliverability-using-dkim-zendesk/ Description: Getting your support emails delivered shouldn’t feel like guesswork, but without proper authentication. Getting your support emails delivered shouldn’t feel like guesswork, but without proper authentication, even legitimate Zendesk messages can end up buried in spam folders. As mailbox providers like Gmail and Yahoo! tighten their filtering standards, simply sending emails isn’t enough. You need a reliable way to prove your messages are authentic, untampered, and truly sent from your domain. That’s where DKIM comes in. If you're new to the concept, start with what is DKIM and how it authenticates mail. By digitally signing every outbound message, DKIM ensures your Zendesk emails carry a verifiable identity that mailbox providers trust. The result is stronger deliverability, improved brand credibility, and seamless DMARC alignment, so your support conversations consistently reach the inbox instead of disappearing into email limbo. Why DKIM Matters for Zendesk-Sent Emails: Deliverability, trust, and DMARC alignment When your support team relies on Zendesk to send ticket updates and notifications, you need those messages to land in Gmail and Yahoo! inboxes, not the spam folder. DKIM is the backbone of email authentication forZendesk Support because it proves you are digitally signing email from your own domain, not letting a relay rewrite or spoof it. By cryptographically binding a domain key to each... --- #### What Is A TLS Handshake? Understanding The TLS Handshake Process And Its Importance URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-tls-handshake-process-and-its-security-importance-explained/ Description: The TLS handshake serves as the cornerstone of secure online communication today, operating discreetly whenever you access a website using HTTPS. The TLS handshake serves as the cornerstone of secure online communication today, operating discreetly whenever you access a website using HTTPS. This procedure sets up trust between the client and server before any data transfer, negotiates the encryption techniques to be used, and establishes a secure channel to safeguard sensitive information. Grasping the workings of the TLS handshake and its significance can enhance your awareness of the systems that protect data privacy, thwart cyber threats, and facilitate dependable online exchanges. On the email side, DMARC reporting gives you similar visibility into who is sending mail as your domain. What the TLS Handshake Is and Why It Matters A TLS handshake, sometimes still called the SSL handshake, is the negotiation phase that occurs before a browser and server exchange application data over HTTPS. During this handshake protocol, the client and server agree on a cipher suite, verify identities with a certificate, perform key exchange, and derive a session key to enable fast symmetric encryption. Formally defined in the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, the handshake process establishes a secure connection that ensures data confidentiality, data integrity, and server authentication (and optionally mutual authentication). Although many people use SSL/TLS interchangeably, Secure Sockets... --- #### Best Free DMARC Monitoring Tools in 2026: A Complete Guide to Starting DMARC Monitoring Without Budget Approval URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-free-dmarc-monitoring-tools-2026-guide-without-budget-approval/ Description: Quick answer: The best free DMARC monitoring tools in 2026 are DMARC Report (free tier with automated report ingestion, visual dashboards, 1 domain. Quick answer: The best free DMARC monitoring tools in 2026 are DMARC Report (free tier with automated report ingestion, visual dashboards, 1 domain, 10,000 reports/month), Cloudflare DMARC Management (free for Cloudflare DNS users with unlimited reports), Postmark DMARC Digests (completely free weekly email summaries, no dashboard), Valimail Monitor (free with unlimited email volume), dmarcian (free personal plan for 1,250 messages/month), and EasyDMARC (free plan for 1,000 emails/month, 1 domain). For ongoing automated monitoring, use DMARC Report or Cloudflare. For one-off checks, MxToolbox is the fastest. For self-hosted analysis, parsedmarc with Elasticsearch is the open-source standard. Full disclosure: this guide is published by DMARC Report. We’ve aimed to be fair about what each free tool offers and where it falls short. Contact us if any characterization needs correction. What Is DMARC Monitoring and Why Does Every Domain Need It? DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that tells receiving mail servers how to handle emails that fail SPF and DKIM authentication checks. When you publish a DMARC record for your domain, you gain two things: a policy that instructs receivers what to do with unauthenticated email, and reports that show you exactly who is sending email... --- #### Advanced DMARC Check Methods To Detect Authentication Failures URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/advanced-dmarc-check-methods-to-detect-authentication-failures/ Description: To reliably detect email authentication failures without blocking legitimate mail, implement strict DMARC alignment on high‑risk domains. To reliably detect email authentication failures without blocking legitimate mail, implement strict DMARC alignment on high‑risk domains, maintain multiple DKIM selectors per sender with enforced rotation, apply SPF best practices that respect lookup limits, combine DMARC analytics with ARC, MTA-STS, and TLS-RPT signals, adapt detection to receiver-specific behaviors, and automate report ingestion, correlation, and remediation with a platform like DMARCReport. Context and background DMARC is most effective when treated as a measurement and detection framework first and an enforcement control second. Running a DMARC check on each sending domain confirms your published record parses correctly before you tighten enforcement. Advanced checks go beyond simple pass/fail: they correlate SPF, DKIM, and alignment signals with receiver-specific interpretations, forwarding artifacts (ARC), and transport semantics (MTA-STS/TLS-RPT). The goal is to surface unambiguous, high-fidelity indicators of authentication failure that you can act on quickly without suppressing legitimate mail during rollout. A quick DMARC checker is a useful starting point before layering on these advanced techniques. In practice, large enterprises operate multiple sending domains, dozens of subdomains, and many third-party senders. This increases the chance of false positives in DMARC failure detection (e.g., legitimate mail forwarded through a list that breaks DKIM) and false negatives (e.g.,... --- #### DMARC Record Check Guide: To Identify Authentication Weaknesses URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-record-check-guide-to-identify-authentication-weaknesses/ Description: To identify authentication weaknesses with a DMARC record check, reliably fetch and parse the domain’s DMARC TXT record. To identify authentication weaknesses with a DMARC record check, reliably fetch and parse the domain’s DMARC TXT record, validate each tag’s meaning and recommended setting, correlate DMARC alignment outcomes with SPF and DKIM results (including third‑party sender behavior), analyze aggregate/forensic reports for patterns, phase policy from none→quarantine→reject using data‑driven thresholds, and account for DNS/edge-case pitfalls, ideally automated end‑to‑end with DMARCReport. Modern email authentication hinges on DMARC enforcing alignment across SPF and DKIM against the human-visible From domain; a robust DMARC record check is therefore both a syntax validation exercise and a systems correlation task spanning DNS, message signing, routing, and vendor integrations. Done right, it surfaces misaligned Return‑Path domains, missing or weak DKIM keys, excessive SPF lookups, and unvetted third‑party platforms long before they trigger deliverability loss or abuse. In our 2025 mid‑market benchmark (n=318 domains; original DMARCReport dataset), organizations starting at p=none showed a median 6.1% DMARC fail rate across unknown sources; after 8-12 weeks of remediation and alignment, 87% reduced failures below 0.5% and safely moved to p=quarantine with no significant increase in false positives. A retail case study (220M messages/quarter) cut fraudulent lookalike traffic by 94% post‑p=reject while maintaining 99.4% acceptance for legitimate sends after onboarding five... --- #### MXLookup Tool, Check MX Records Online Instantly URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/mxlookup-tool-check-mx-records-online-instantly/ Description: For successful email delivery, there’s one essential aspect you must get right: the MX records of your domain. For successful email delivery, there’s one essential aspect you must get right: the MX records of your domain. These records serve as the guiding instructions that direct internet traffic to the correct email destinations. Even a tiny mistake can cause emails to not deliver, arrive late, or increase the chances of being marked as spam. Using an MXLookup tool simplifies this task by letting you quickly verify your domain’s MX records, check their priority order, and ensure that your email routing is set up correctly. Whether you’re diagnosing delivery problems, configuring a new mail server, or checking DNS updates, performing an MX lookup is a crucial part of ensuring effective and secure email communication. What Are MX Records? How Email Routing Works and Why MX Lookup Matters MX records and the path of email routing An MX record (mail exchange record) tells the Internet where to deliver messages for a given domain name. When someone sends you a message, the sending system performs a DNS lookup to find the MX record set for your domain’s mail servers, then uses the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to connect and hand off the message for final delivery. In practice, a mail server... --- #### Best DMARC Solutions for Healthcare Organizations in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-dmarc-solutions-for-healthcare-organizations-in-2026/ Description: Quick answer: The best DMARC solutions for healthcare organizations in 2026 are DMARC Report (enterprise compliance with SLAs, DPAs, and SOC-2 Type II). Quick answer: The best DMARC solutions for healthcare organizations in 2026 are DMARC Report (enterprise compliance with SLAs, DPAs, and SOC-2 Type II), PowerDMARC (full-stack email authentication with AI threat intelligence), EasyDMARC (guided onboarding for teams new to DMARC), Valimail (automated enforcement for large health systems), dmarcian (visual DMARC journey management), and Mimecast DMARC Analyzer (bundled with broader email security). The right choice depends on your compliance requirements, number of domains, and whether you need DMARC as a standalone solution or part of a wider email security stack. Full disclosure: this guide is published by DMARC Report. We’ve aimed to be fair and specific about where each platform is strongest. If any characterization needs correction, contact us and we’ll update it. Why Healthcare Organizations Need DMARC Healthcare is the most expensive industry for data breaches, and email remains the primary attack vector. According to IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report, healthcare breach costs averaged $7.42 million per incident, a figure that has held the top position across all industries for 14 consecutive years. Phishing accounted for 16% of all breaches as the leading initial access vector. As healthcare organizations strengthen their cybersecurity posture, they are also adopting technologies... --- #### Manufacturer Hit Cyberattack, Fake Teams Breach, AI Targets MSMEs URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/manufacturer-hit-cyberattack-fake-teams-breach-ai-targets-msmes/ Description: Latest cybersecurity roundup: a critical infrastructure manufacturer breached, fake Microsoft Teams chats used in phishing attacks, and AI-driven cyberattacks targeting Indian MSMEs. Here’s a quick roundup of the latest cybersecurity developments grabbing eyeballs, from crucial infrastructure suppliers being targeted by cybercrooks to high-end phishing campaigns impersonating Microsoft Teams, and the surge of AI-driven cyberattacks primarily targeting Indian MSMEs. These cyber mishaps highlight how cyber threats are eventually becoming more sophisticated, industry-specific, and increasingly difficult to identify. A critical infrastructure equipment manufacturer falls prey to a cyberattack! Threat actors managed to break into the networks of Itron, the supplier of critical devices used for measuring water and energy use. Itron revealed the cyber incident on Friday. It “took action to remediate and remove the unauthorized activity.” The infrastructure vendor believes the cyber intrusion occurred on April 13. Itron has claimed that the cybercrooks could not access any customer data. Also, there has been no “subsequent unauthorized activity within its corporate systems.” Itron has already filed the details with the SEC and has mentioned that the cyberattack could not affect its core operations. Also, Itron expects the insurance provider to cover “a significant portion of its direct costs incurred relating to the incident.” Itron currently works with the government sector to provide smart meter devices. These devices are helpful for gas, electric, and water... --- #### How Long Does DMARC Take To Start Working After DNS Changes? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-long-does-dmarc-start-working-after-dns-changes/ Description: DMARC starts working as soon as receiving servers can resolve your updated _dmarc TXT after DNS caches expire, typically within your record’s TTL (often 5-60 minutes), with a long-tail of up to 24-48... DMARC starts working as soon as receiving servers can resolve your updated \dmarc TXT after DNS caches expire, typically within your record’s TTL (often 5-60 minutes), with a long‑tail of up to 24-48 hours globally, at which point major providers (Google, Microsoft, Yahoo) enforce the new policy on the next message they evaluate, while reporting signals usually reflect the change within 24-72 hours. DMARC is an email authentication policy published in DNS; there’s no “push” to mailbox providers, their receivers look up your \dmarc TXT dynamically during message evaluation and cache the result. That means the time-to-enforcement is governed largely by DNS TTL behavior, resolver caching, and any negative cache that existed before the record was created or changed. Once caches refresh, enforcement is immediate on a per-message basis. That makes DMARC authentication effectively real-time once DNS visibility catches up. In practice, the perception of DMARC speed depends on more than DNS: whether your SPF and DKIM are aligned, how subdomain policies are set, and whether you staged rollout with pct and p tags all determine what you observe. Reporting adds another layer: aggregate (rua) reports are batched (usually daily), and forensic (ruf) reports are sparse, so you’ll “feel” the... --- #### Best DMARC Tools for MSPs and Managed Service Providers in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-dmarc-tools-for-msps-managed-service-providers-in-2026/ Description: Quick answer: The best DMARC tools for MSPs in 2026 are DMARC Report (white-label multi-tenant with 50% partner pricing and dedicated onboarding). Quick answer: The best DMARC tools for MSPs in 2026 are DMARC Report (white-label multi-tenant with 50% partner pricing and dedicated onboarding), Red Sift OnDMARC (API-first architecture with Dynamic SPF and flat-rate MSP pricing), PowerDMARC (full-stack authentication with 1,000+ channel partners), Sendmarc (partner-first with certified ConnectWise PSA integration), EasyDMARC (guided onboarding with pay-per-domain model), and dmarcian (visual reporting with strong educational resources). The right choice depends on your client volume, PSA/RMM integrations, white-label requirements, and whether you want to manage DMARC yourself or resell a done-with-you service. Full disclosure: this guide is published by DMARC Report. We’ve aimed to be fair and specific about where each platform is strongest for MSP use cases. If any characterization needs correction, contact us and we’ll update it. Why MSPs Should Offer DMARC as a Managed Service DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that prevents domain spoofing by building on SPF and DKIM to give domain owners control over how unauthenticated email is handled. If your team needs a refresher on the DMARC protocol, start with the fundamentals before pitching it as a service. For MSPs, DMARC represents one of the clearest revenue opportunities in cybersecurity today, high... --- #### What Is A Spoof Call? Common Scams And Effective Solutions URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-a-spoof-call-common-scams-and-effective-solutions/ Description: Spoofing calls have emerged as a prevalent and perilous type of phone scam, deceiving individuals into believing that they are receiving legitimate calls. Spoofing calls have emerged as a prevalent and perilous type of phone scam, deceiving individuals into believing that they are receiving legitimate calls. These scams can range from phony bank notifications to alarming messages claiming to be from the government, all while disguising the caller’s true identity. Knowing the mechanics of spoof calls, the reasons scammers exploit them, and recognizing how to identify and prevent them is crucial for safeguarding your personal and financial data. Spoof Calls, Defined: What They Are, Legal vs. Illegal Uses, and Why Scammers Spoof Numbers A spoof call is any phone call where the displayed caller ID is falsified. In other words, it’s a fake call that makes it look like it’s coming from a trusted source, your bank, a local business, or even your own number. While “spoof call” often implies fraud, there are legitimate contexts: businesses route a virtual number to protect staff, journalists use a second phone number for privacy protection, and security teams simulate a caller ID for testing. In novelty contexts, a prank call may use a voice changer and background sounds to stage a joke, think a Prank Call App or Fake Call Prank. Misuse to defraud, harass, or... --- #### Email deliverability rules that every organization should know about URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-deliverability-rules-that-every-organization-should-know-about/ Description: You might have crafted the most engaging and creative email campaigns to send to your clients, but what if they never reach them? You might have crafted the most engaging and creative email campaigns to send to your clients, but what if they never reach them? That’s the problem that most organizations face. Not because their emails are not open-worthy enough, but they don’t meet the requirements needed for them to reach the recipient’s inbox. Given the current threat landscape, mailbox providers have become much stricter. They simply don’t let in any email just because it is sent. Instead, they check whether the sender can be trusted, whether the email is properly authenticated, and whether the sending behavior looks consistent and legitimate. This means email deliverability is no longer a default outcome of an email being sent. It depends on how well you meet the requirements set by the email service providers and the trust you establish with them. In this article, we will understand the rules and requirements you must comply with to ensure that your emails reach their destination securely and seamlessly. Implement email authentication protocols Email authentication is the first layer between your domain and the receiving email servers. It helps them verify that the emails sent in your name are legitimate and not spoofed by attackers. Protocols like SPF,... --- #### Best DMARC Monitoring Tools for Multi-Domain Enterprises in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-dmarc-monitoring-tools-for-multi-domain-enterprises-in-2026/ Description: Quick answer: The best DMARC tools for multi-domain enterprises in 2026 are DMARC Report (enterprise compliance with SLAs, DPAs, SOC-2 Type II. Quick answer: The best DMARC tools for multi-domain enterprises in 2026 are DMARC Report (enterprise compliance with SLAs, DPAs, SOC-2 Type II, unlimited domains on Ultimate), Red Sift OnDMARC (API-first with Dynamic SPF and DNS Guardian for subdomain security), PowerDMARC (full-stack authentication with bulk operations and AI threat intelligence), Valimail (automated enforcement with zero-DNS-maintenance for large portfolios), EasyDMARC (guided onboarding with domain grouping and organization controls), and dmarcian (visual reporting with automated domain discovery). The right choice depends on your domain count, procurement requirements, SPF complexity, and whether you need centralized visibility across business units or subsidiaries. Full disclosure: this guide is published by DMARC Report. We’ve aimed to be fair about where each platform is strongest for multi-domain enterprise use cases. Contact us if any characterization needs correction. Why Multi-Domain DMARC Is Different from Single-Domain Managing DMARC for a single domain is straightforward: publish a record, monitor reports, align your sending services, and enforce. Managing DMARC across 50-500+ domains introduces a fundamentally different set of challenges that single-domain tools cannot address. At this scale, DMARC monitoring across the whole portfolio becomes its own operational discipline. Enterprise domain portfolios grow through multiple channels: primary corporate domains, regional domains, product-specific domains,... --- #### Best Email Authentication Platforms for PCI DSS v4.0 Compliance in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-email-authentication-platforms-for-pci-dss-v4-0-compliance-2026/ Description: Quick answer: PCI DSS v4.0 Requirement 5.4. Quick answer: PCI DSS v4.0 Requirement 5.4.1 mandates automated anti-phishing mechanisms for all organizations handling cardholder data, effective March 31, 2025. The PCI Security Standards Council specifically recommends DMARC, SPF, and DKIM as anti-spoofing controls. The best platforms for PCI DSS email authentication compliance are DMARC Report (enterprise compliance with SLAs, DPAs, SOC-2 Type II, and audit logs), PowerDMARC (full-stack authentication with SOC-2 and ISO 27001), Proofpoint (DMARC integrated with inbound email gateway), dmarcian (educational approach with PCI-specific guidance), EasyDMARC (guided onboarding with compliance reporting), and Valimail (automated enforcement for large payment processors). Full disclosure: this guide is published by DMARC Report. We’ve aimed to be fair about where each platform is strongest for PCI DSS use cases. Contact us if any characterization needs correction. What PCI DSS v4.0 Requires for Email Authentication PCI DSS v4.0.1, released by the PCI Security Standards Council in June 2024, introduced Requirement 5.4.1: organizations must implement processes and automated mechanisms to detect and protect personnel against phishing attacks. This requirement became mandatory on March 31, 2025, it is no longer a best practice but an enforceable audit requirement. Critically, Requirement 5.4.1 cannot be satisfied by security awareness training alone. The PCI SSC’s guidance explicitly... --- #### How To Read DMARC Reports: Turn Complex Data Into Actionable Insights URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-read-dmarc-reports-turn-data-into-actionable-insights/ Description: To read DMARC reports and turn complex data into actionable insights, extract the key RUA/RUF XML fields (policy, source IPs, SPF/DKIM results, alignment. To read DMARC reports and turn complex data into actionable insights, extract the key RUA/RUF XML fields (policy, source IPs, SPF/DKIM results, alignment, and disposition), set up sane reporting URIs and cadences, analyze data with reliable tooling or an automated pipeline, triage and authorize legitimate senders, monitor KPIs with alerting, and iteratively tighten DMARC policy, ideally managed end to end in DMARCReport for parsing, enrichment, visualization, alerting, and remediation. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) turns email authentication into a data problem: receivers send you structured XML that, when read correctly, pinpoints who is sending mail using your domain, where authentication fails, and what defenses to apply next. Aggregate RUA reports summarize authentication outcomes by source; forensic RUF reports (where available) provide per-message failure details. Setting up reliable DMARC reporting is the first step toward that data. The challenge is volume and variability: a mid-market domain can receive tens of thousands of XML records per month across dozens of mailbox providers, each with slight schema quirks and inconsistent enrichment. The methodology below shows you how to interpret the XML, design reports to be useful (not noisy), choose tooling, build an automation pipeline, run operational playbooks, and steer policy decisions... --- #### Recipient Address Rejected: Access Denied, Fix SMTP 550 5.7.1 Errors URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/recipient-address-rejected-access-denied-fix-smtp-550-5-7-1-errors/ Description: When you get a 550 5.7.1 non-delivery report, the mail system is saying “recipient address rejected” or “access denied” because the receiving server enforced a policy. When you get a 550 5.7.1 non-delivery report, the mail system is saying “recipient address rejected” or “access denied” because the receiving server enforced a policy. The NDR error code in the bounce explains which policy blocked you. In Microsoft Exchange Online and other cloud gateways, 550 5.7.1 typically indicates sender authentication failures, poor reputation, missing encryption, or that the recipient’s domain refuses your message due to security restrictions. In Microsoft Exchange Online, directory-based edge blocking (DBEB) is a common cause of a “recipient address rejected” response. DBEB validates the recipient’s email address against the tenant directory; if the address is an invalid email address or doesn’t exist, the NDR error code will show 550 5.7.1, and the message is blocked before it reaches the mailbox. This protects mail flow but can confuse senders who mistype the recipient’s SMTP address. Be aware that 550 5.4.1 is a different NDR error code that points to routing or addressing problems (for example, target domain not accepting mail, or looping). You might see both 550 5.7.1 and 550 5.4.1 in related email delivery issues: 5.7.1 for “access denied” policy rejections, and 5.4.1 for “addressing or routing” failures. The non-delivery report details which system... --- #### The State of DMARC Adoption in 2026:938,000 Domains Have DMARC Records, But Only 9% Are Actually Protected URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-dmarc-adoption-2026-domains-records-only-9-percent-protected/ Description: Here is a number that should alarm every IT leader, business owner, and security professional reading this: in 2025. Here is a number that should alarm every IT leader, business owner, and security professional reading this: in 2025, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received over one million cybercrime complaints for the first time in its history, totaling $20.877 billion in losses, a 26% increase over 2024. Business email compromise alone accounted for $3.05 billion of that total, and phishing was the single most-reported crime type with 191,561 complaints (FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report). For the first time, the FBI also documented AI-enabled cybercrime as a distinct category, with 22,364 complaints and over $893 million in losses attributed to AI-generated phishing, voice cloning, and deepfake schemes. Email remains the primary gateway for these attacks. And the single most effective protocol designed to stop domain-based email fraud, DMARC, is being adopted at record rates but enforced at alarmingly low ones. This is the central paradox of email security in 2026: adoption is surging, but protection is not. The latest data from the EasyDMARC 2026 DMARC Adoption & Enforcement Report confirms that valid DMARC records have grown to 937,931 domains, up from 858,782 in 2025 and 523,921 in 2023. Yet more than half a million of those domains remain at p=none,... --- #### How To Set Up SPF, DKIM, And DMARC For Your Domain? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-set-up-spf-dkim-dmarc-for-your-domain/ Description: Cyberattacks have become so frequent and sophisticated that it is nearly impossible to completely evade them. Cyberattacks have become so frequent and sophisticated that it is nearly impossible to completely evade them. But that does not mean you cannot protect your domain at all, or that all your security efforts will be deemed futile. Understanding what is DMARC is a good place to start. What you can do is make it difficult for the attackers to misuse your domain for malicious purposes, such as sending phishing emails or impersonating your business. One of the best ways to ensure your email ecosystem is secure and that your outgoing emails reach their recipients securely is to implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for your domain. These email authentication protocols work together to verify whether the email was actually sent by you or an authorized sender. If not, the receiving server can either flag the message or reject it, depending on the policy you have configured. In this article, we will understand what these email authentication protocols do and how to configure them to create a more secure email environment, improve email deliverability, and reduce the risk of phishing and spoofing attacks. What is SPF and how can you set it up? Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is the first line... --- #### Swedish Plant Hacked, UAE 800,000 Cyberattacks, Apple Alerts Exploited URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/swedish-plant-hacked-uae-800000-cyberattacks-apple-alerts-exploited/ Description: Cybersecurity roundup: a state-sponsored attack on a Swedish thermal plant, 800,000 cyberattacks against the UAE, iPhone notification abuse for phishing, and a Massachusetts hospital breach. Last week saw a wave of high-impact cyber incidents, from the nation-state-backed “destructive” attack on a Swedish thermal plant to a sudden surge in cyberattacks in the UAE, to the abuse of legitimate iPhone notifications to carry out phishing scams, and a sophisticated cyberattack on a Massachusetts hospital. Swedish thermal plant targeted by state-sponsored hackers! One of the Swedish thermal plants was targeted by hackers back in 2025. Their goal was to create a sense of chaos and disrupt critical operations. The Swedish authorities stated that the cybercrooks were unable to gain access to any crucial data. Carl Oskar Bohlin, the civil defense minister of Sweden, just conducted a press conference this Wednesday. He has claimed that the cyber mishap had “connections to Russian intelligence and security services.” Bohlin stated that the cyberattack was prevented “due to a built-in protection mechanism.” He explained that the attack was quite reckless and risky in nature. Threat attacks on critical infrastructures are increasingly becoming a common trend among cybercrooks. From water systems to energy infrastructures, cybercrooks strategically target these critical infrastructures in order to inflict severe damage to nations. The UAE is experiencing 800,000 cyberattack attempts daily The UAE is currently experiencing 800,000... --- #### DMARC Compliance Mandates: How Government and Industry Regulations Are Making Email Authentication Mandatory URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-compliance-mandates-government-industry-rules-make-email-authentication-mandatory/ Description: Two years ago, DMARC was a best practice. Today, it is increasingly a compliance requirement. Two years ago, DMARC was a best practice. Today, it is increasingly a compliance requirement. The shift happened fast: in February 2024, Google and Yahoo began requiring DMARC for bulk email senders. By November 2025, Gmail escalated to actively rejecting non-compliant emails. Microsoft followed suit. PCI DSS made email authentication mandatory for the payments industry. The EU’s NIS2 Directive and DORA regulation positioned DMARC as integral to operational resilience. The UK’s NCSC retired its centralized monitoring tools, pushing DMARC responsibility directly onto organizations. And behind all of it, the U.S. government’s 2017 Binding Operational Directive 18-01 remains the template that proved government mandates work. This post maps every major DMARC-related compliance mandate currently in effect or emerging, organized by jurisdiction and industry, so that IT leaders, compliance teams, and business owners can assess their exposure and build an enforcement timeline. Every mandate cited is linked to its original source document. DMARC is no longer optional. It is a regulatory requirement across government, financial services, healthcare, and any organization that sends bulk email. The question is not whether your organization needs DMARC, it is whether you are compliant with the mandates that already apply to you. United States: The Federal Mandate... --- #### How Can I Set Up A DMARC Policy That Works Well With Gmail For My Domain? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-set-up-dmarc-policy-for-gmail-domain-properly/ Description: To set up a DMARC policy that works well with Gmail for your domain. To set up a DMARC policy that works well with Gmail for your domain, publish a DMARC record and roll it from p=none to p=quarantine to p=reject while ensuring Gmail-aligned SPF and 2048-bit DKIM for every sender (including third parties), monitor Gmail aggregate reports via DMARCReport, fix misalignments (return-path, selectors, subdomains), and implement ARC/SRS where forwarding breaks authentication. Context and background - DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) tells Gmail how to handle messages that spoof your From domain, but it only “passes” when either SPF or DKIM passes and aligns with the visible From domain; getting Gmail to consistently treat your mail as DMARC-authenticated therefore requires properly aligned SPF/DKIM across all your mail sources, plus careful rollout to avoid false positives. - For Google Workspace senders, Gmail provides native tools to generate 2048-bit DKIM and validate alignment; for third-party platforms (Mailchimp, SendGrid, HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.), you must configure a custom return-path and DKIM that use your domain, not the vendor’s, so that Gmail’s DMARC check sees alignment. - DMARCReport streamlines every step for Gmail success: it discovers unknown senders from Gmail RUA data, flags alignment breaks by source and header path, guides vendor-by-vendor setup, tracks SPF lookups to... --- #### Email Authentication and Deliverability: How SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Enforcement Directly Impacts Your Inbox Placement Rates URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-authentication-impact-on-deliverability-spf-dkim-dmarc-inbox-placement/ Description: Email marketing delivers an average return of $36 to $42 for every dollar spent, consistently outperforming paid ads, social media. Email marketing delivers an average return of $36 to $42 for every dollar spent, consistently outperforming paid ads, social media, and SEO as the highest-ROI marketing channel available (Litmus, Statista, Omnisend). But that return depends entirely on one thing: whether your emails actually reach the inbox. And in 2026, reaching the inbox depends on email authentication more than at any point in the channel’s history. According to Validity’s 2025 Email Deliverability Benchmark Report, the most comprehensive analysis of global inbox placement rates available, one in six legitimate marketing emails now fails to reach the inbox. Global inbox placement rates declined to 83.5% in 2024, down from 84.8% the prior year. Spam placement nearly doubled over the course of the year, rising from 4.5% in Q1 to 8.6% in Q4. And the single biggest factor separating emails that land in the inbox from those that land in spam? Sender reputation, which is built on the foundation of email authentication. This post connects the dots between SPF, DKIM, and DMARC enforcement on one side and inbox placement, sender reputation, and revenue on the other, using data from Validity, Sinch Mailgun, Valimail, Google, and APWG to build the business case for email authentication... --- #### Phishing in the Age of AI: Why DMARC Is the First Line of Defense Against Next-Generation Email Threats URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/ai-phishing-why-dmarc-first-defense-against-advanced-email-threats/ Description: In January 2024, a finance employee at Arup, one of the world’s largest engineering firms. In January 2024, a finance employee at Arup, one of the world’s largest engineering firms, joined a video call with his chief financial officer and several senior colleagues. They discussed a secret business deal requiring immediate wire transfers. The employee recognized their faces, their voices, their office backgrounds. Over the next several days, he initiated 15 bank transfers totaling $25 million. Every person on that video call was a deepfake (PRMIA Arup Case Study). The attack began, as most BEC attacks do, with an email. An email that appeared to come from Arup’s CFO’s legitimate domain. Had Arup’s domain been enforcing DMARC at p=reject, that initial spoofed email would never have reached the employee’s inbox, and the entire $25 million attack chain would have been stopped before it started. This is the core argument of this article: in an era where AI can generate flawless phishing text, clone any voice in seconds, and produce real-time deepfake video calls, the one thing AI cannot fake is your domain’s cryptographic authentication. DMARC enforcement, the protocol that verifies whether an email genuinely came from the domain it claims, is the first and most reliable line of defense against next-generation email threats. Not the... --- #### What Is An MX Record In DNS? How It Works And Why It Matters URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-mx-record-dns-how-it-works-why-matters/ Description: An MX record (Mail Exchange record) is a DNS resource record that tells the world which mail server is responsible for accepting email on behalf of a domain. An MX record (Mail Exchange record) is a DNS resource record that tells the world which mail server is responsible for accepting email on behalf of a domain name. When someone sends you a message, the sending email server performs an MX lookup to discover where to deliver that message. Without a correctly configured MX record, email delivery to your domain will fail or become unreliable. Key purpose and behavior - MX records map a domain name (for example, example.com) to one or more hostnames of mail servers (like mail1.example.com). - Each entry includes a preference value that creates a priority order, guiding senders to the best target for reliable email delivery and failover. - MX records are part of your DNS records and live on the authoritative name server for your domain. Where MX Records Fit in the DNS System When an email is sent, the path looks like a standard DNS lookup sequence with a mail-specific twist: - A sending system queries its recursive DNS resolver for the MX record of the recipient’s domain name. - The resolver follows the chain to the domain’s authoritative name server, which returns the MX record set and their priority order. -... --- #### The Cost of Email Spoofing: Quantifying Business Email Compromise Losses by Industry, And the ROI Case for DMARC Enforcement URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-spoofing-costs-email-compromise-losses-by-industry-dmarc-roi/ Description: Business Email Compromise is not a sophisticated zero-day exploit. It does not require nation-state resources or advanced malware. Business Email Compromise is not a sophisticated zero-day exploit. It does not require nation-state resources or advanced malware. It requires an email that looks like it came from someone you trust, your CEO, your vendor, your attorney, your title company, and a single employee who acts on it. That simplicity is what makes BEC the most financially devastating category of cybercrime in America, and one of the most preventable. In 2025, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported $3.046 billion in BEC losses across the United States, making it the single most financially damaging enterprise-targeted cybercrime for the fifth consecutive year (FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report). Over the past decade, cumulative global BEC losses have exceeded $55 billion (FBI PSA: BEC, The $55 Billion Scam). And yet BEC consumes a fraction of the cybersecurity attention and budget that ransomware receives. This post aggregates data from FBI IC3 annual reports, the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, insurance industry claims data from Marsh McLennan and Travelers, the NAIC Cybersecurity Insurance Market Report, FinCEN advisories, HHS healthcare threat assessments, APWG phishing trends, and real estate wire fraud research to build the most comprehensive picture available of BEC’s financial impact by industry.... --- #### DMARC For G Suite Domains: Improve Email Trust And Inbox Placement URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-for-g-suite-domains-improve-email-trust-inbox-placement/ Description: To improve email trust and inbox placement for G Suite (Google Workspace) domains, implement aligned SPF, DKIM, and DMARC across all sending sources. To improve email trust and inbox placement for G Suite (Google Workspace) domains, implement aligned SPF, DKIM, and DMARC across all sending sources, monitor RUA/RUF reports with DMARCReport, progressively enforce policy from none to reject, and remediate forwarding and mailing-list edge cases (ARC/SRS) before full enforcement. Email authentication is now a prerequisite for deliverability: Gmail’s filters, brand protections (like BIMI), and modern phishing defenses all prefer domains with strong, enforced DMARC. For Google Workspace senders, this means you must configure SPF and DKIM so their identifiers align with your visible From: domain, publish a DMARC policy that moves from monitoring to enforcement, and continuously audit every mail stream, primary domains, aliases, subdomains, and third-party senders. DMARCReport is built to make this operationally safe at scale. It ingests and normalizes aggregate and forensic reports from thousands of receivers, maps IPs to vendors and ASNs, pinpoints misaligned sources, and guides step-by-step remediation and policy rollout. In real deployments, organizations see measurable gains in Gmail inbox placement and phishing suppression within 60-90 days of moving to p=reject with clean alignment. Step-by-step implementation for G Suite: DNS records, alignment, and required settings G Suite (Google Workspace) gives you first‑party DKIM and sender IPs via... --- #### Sending Secure And Encrypted Emails In Outlook: Here’s What It Takes URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/sending-secure-encrypted-emails-outlook-what-it-takes/ Description: When you send out an email, you are under the assumption that only the recipient will be able to read it. When you send out an email, you are under the assumption that only the recipient will be able to read it. But that’s not really what happens; your outgoing email does not just go from one server to another. In reality, before reaching the recipient, it passes through multiple servers, inbox filters, and other third-party platforms. This means that at each stage, there is an added risk of interception, unauthorized access, or accidental exposure. This might not be a problem for emails containing everyday conversations or updates, but if you are sending contracts, payment details, customer information, financial records, or other confidential business data, even a minor security lapse could become a major problem. Although platforms like Outlook offer built-in security features that ensure your sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands, it is not as simple as turning on the “Encrypt” toggle and hoping everything is protected. Understanding how to encrypt and secure your emails in Outlook and which best practices to follow can help you protect not only your business but also your customers, employees, and reputation. Let’s see how you can make it happen. How to ensure that your outgoing emails are secure? While Outlook... --- #### Piggybacking Attack: Understanding Piggybacking In Cybersecurity URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/piggybacking-attack-understanding-piggybacking-in-cybersecurity/ Description: In cybersecurity, piggybacking describes an adversary attaching their unauthorized activity onto an authorized channel, process, or identity to bypass controls. In cybersecurity, piggybacking describes an adversary attaching their unauthorized activity onto an authorized channel, process, or identity to bypass controls. Conceptually, it borrows from networking where efficiency gains come from combining acknowledgment signals with user data during data transmission. In both domains, the working principle is the same: leverage existing two-way communication between a sender and a receiver to ride along without drawing attention. When a malicious actor rides an established session, an authenticated token, or a physical entry event, the attack inherits trust and reduces detection. Within email systems, authentication protocols such as DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) play a crucial role in identifying and mitigating misuse. They achieve this by allowing only verified senders to utilize a domain, thereby minimizing chances for unauthorized access to reliable communication channels. Strong DMARC authentication is what enforces this sender verification. How It Differs from Tailgating and Session Hijacking - Tailgating is a physical access control lapse where an intruder follows someone through a secured door. Piggybacking may include tailgating, but more broadly covers digital contexts (Wi‑Fi use, token abuse, or control frame manipulation during data transfer). - Session hijacking takes over a live connection by stealing cookies or sequence... --- #### How To Interpret DMARC Alignment Results In Aggregate And Forensic Reports? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-interpret-dmarc-alignment-results-in-aggregate-forensic-reports/ Description: To interpret DMARC alignment results in aggregate and forensic reports. To interpret DMARC alignment results in aggregate and forensic reports, read each source’s SPF and DKIM alignment (relaxed/strict) outcomes to determine the DMARC pass/fail driving mailbox-provider disposition, use aggregate (rua) trends as the policy compass (with explicit thresholds and timelines) and forensic (ruf) samples as the debugger (prioritize and root-cause), and distinguish benign forwarding/list behavior from malicious spoofing using alignment patterns, provider-specific signals, and your inventory of authorized senders - then phase policy and automate remediation accordingly with DMARCReport. DMARC evaluates whether at least one of SPF or DKIM both authenticates and aligns with the domain in the visible From header; aggregate reports summarize these outcomes by source over time, while forensic reports provide message-level failure samples. In practice, interpreting DMARC is about pattern recognition: repeated, high-volume, non-aligned failures from unknown infrastructure signal spoofing, while isolated SPF fails with DKIM-aligned passes often reflect forwarding. Aggregate results tell you where to tune policy; forensic details tell you exactly what to fix. Because major providers vary in the richness and cadence of their reports - and because forensic reports are sparse and privacy-restricted - you must normalize inputs, validate alignment precisely under relaxed vs strict modes, and apply provider-aware rules. DMARCReport centralizes... --- #### $20M Phishing Bust, Pension Scam Alert, Booking Data Breach URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/20m-phishing-bust-pension-scam-alert-booking-data-breach/ Description: A phishing ring behind a $20M fraud operation has been busted. Plus, pension scam alerts and a major Booking.com data breach affecting customer records. The cybersecurity landscape witnessed multiple impactful developments last week, capturing the attention of cyber experts as well as common users. A major global phishing operation worth $20 million got disrupted by the FBI and the Indonesian National Police. UK pensioners have been requested to stay on high alert against the Winter Fuel Payment scam. Booking.com, the popular online travel agency, was compromised, resulting in a customer data breach. iPhone users may receive malicious emails that appear to be Apple alerts. Global phishing syndicate linked to $20 million in attempted fraud, busted! The FBI Atlanta Field Office and the Indonesian National Police carried out a joint operation to disrupt a global phishing syndicate. The operation led to the successful seizure of the core infrastructure. They also managed to nab a key suspect. The phishing operation revolved around the W3LL phishing kit. This is one of the most popular phishing kits, worth $500, that helped threat actors design credible fake login pages to harvest sensitive data such as passwords and usernames. The phishing kit is just a small part of the notorious cybercrime platform named W3LLSTORE. Between 2019 and 2023, the same platform facilitated the sale of 25K+ compromised accounts. Once they... --- #### DMARC Report Analyzers in 2026: Why They Matter More Than Ever, What the Data Really Says, and How to Take Action Today URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-dmarc-report-analyzers-matter-in-2026-and-to-act/ Description: A data-driven guide backed by 37 primary-source statistics from government PDFs, academic research, industry reports, and official standards bodies. A data-driven guide backed by 37 primary-source statistics from government PDFs, academic research, industry reports, and official standards bodies. The Email Security Paradox No One Is Talking About Here is a paradox that should concern every organization sending email in 2026: DMARC adoption is growing faster than ever, yet the vast majority of domains remain completely unprotected against email spoofing. Even among those that have adopted DMARC, most have done nothing more than plant a flag in the ground without turning on any actual defense. The numbers tell a striking story. According to the EasyDMARC 2025 DMARC Adoption Report, DMARC adoption among the top 1.8 million domains grew from 29.1% to 47.7% between 2023 and 2025, a63.9% surge. That sounds impressive until you realize what it actually means: more than half of the most-visited domains on the internet still have no DMARC record at all. And the situation is far worse when you look at enforcement. The EasyDMARC 2026 Report reveals that of 937,931 domains with valid DMARC records in early 2026, a staggering 525,996 remain stuck at p=none - the monitoring-only policy that does absolutely nothing to stop spoofed emails from reaching inboxes. To put it plainly: more than... --- #### Which Type Of DNS Record Identifies An Email Server? A Simple Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/which-type-of-dns-record-identifies-an-email-server-guide/ Description: In the Domain Name System (DNS), the DNS record that identifies an email server for a domain is the MX record - short for mail exchange record. In the Domain Name System (DNS), the DNS record that identifies an email server for a domain is the MX record - short for mail exchange record. An MX record is a resource record that tells the DNS resolver which mail exchanger is responsible for accepting internet mail for a given domain. When an email client or sending mail agent needs to deliver a message to an email address at your domain, it issues a DNS query to discover the correct destination server. The DNS MX record provides that server identification. The MX record does not point directly to an IP. Instead, it points to a host name (the mail server’s canonical name), which then resolves via A (IPv4) or AAAA (IPv6) DNS records. This indirection is by design in the Domain Name System to support flexible DNS management and resilient email routing. How MX records identify the responsible mail server An MX record ties a domain to one or more mail exchanger hosts and includes a priority value. DNS records types for mail exchange use this preference to order servers. The combination of host name and priority number allows sending systems to identify email server destinations and choose the... --- #### Complete Guide to Setting Up a DMARC Policy for Gmail Domains URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/complete-guide-to-setting-dmarc-policy-for-gmail-domains/ Description: To set up a DMARC policy for Gmail/Google Workspace domains, configure SPF (v=spf1 include:_spf.google. To set up a DMARC policy for Gmail/Google Workspace domains, configure SPF (v=spf1 include:\spf.google.com -all), enable and publish a 2048-bit DKIM key from the Google Admin console (selector.\domainkey), then add a DMARC record at \dmarc.yourdomain.com starting with v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:reports@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:forensics@yourdomain.com; fo=1; adkim=s; aspf=s; pct=100 (optionally sp=quarantine/reject), monitor for 2-4 weeks with DMARCReport, escalate to p=quarantine for 2-6 weeks, and finalize at p=reject while authorizing all third‑party senders to align via SPF or DKIM and accounting for forwarding with ARC and SRS. If you're just getting started, take a moment to understand DMARC at a high level. Google’s DMARC ecosystem is straightforward once you separate three layers: identity (SPF), cryptographic attestation (DKIM), and policy (DMARC). Gmail will deliver your mail if either SPF or DKIM both pass and align with the visible From domain under DMARC; your task is to make alignment predictable and measurable, then progressively enforce. For bulk senders to Gmail (5,000+ emails/day), Google now requires SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, so a disciplined rollout is both a deliverability and compliance necessity. DMARCReport ties these layers together by automating DNS syntax checks, tracking alignment rates across Gmail and other receivers, parsing aggregate XML (rua) at scale, integrating Google Postmaster... --- #### How can DMARC lookups help me prove compliance with email security policies? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-dmarc-lookups-prove-compliance-with-email-security-policies/ Description: DMARC lookups help you prove compliance with email security policies by producing verifiable, timestamped evidence of your enforced DMARC configuration (e. DMARC lookups help you prove compliance with email security policies by producing verifiable, timestamped evidence of your enforced DMARC configuration (e.g., v, p, rua, ruf, pct, adkim, aspf, sp), which, when stored, correlated with DMARC reports and SPF/DKIM/log data, and demonstrated over time, forms an auditable chain that shows your policies are configured correctly, active across all sending domains, and effectively enforced. DMARC, Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance, turns policy intent into machine-verifiable DNS records that mailbox providers consult when making accept/quarantine/reject decisions; by performing and recording DMARC lookups, you can show not just “we wrote a policy,” but “ISPs can fetch, parse, and enforce our policy as published.” This transforms email security from a narrative into measurable controls suitable for frameworks like ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and NIST 800-53, helping you achieve DMARC compliance with documented evidence. Proving DMARC compliance is what turns a published policy into audit-ready evidence. Where organizations struggle is less about “setting DMARC” and more about “proving DMARC.” To satisfy auditors, you need repeatable, programmatic lookups across every domain and subdomain, storage of the raw and parsed records with timestamps and Time-to-Live (TTL), consistent collection of aggregate/forensic reports, and correlation with... --- #### What are the best practices for setting a strict DMARC policy when sending to Gmail addresses? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-practices-setting-strict-dmarc-policy-sending-gmail-addresses/ Description: To set a strict DMARC policy (p=reject) for Gmail recipients without delivery disruptions, roll out in phases with monitored DNS changes and pct ramp-up. To set a strict DMARC policy (p=reject) for Gmail recipients without delivery disruptions, roll out in phases with monitored DNS changes and pct ramp-up, ensure SPF and DKIM pass and align to the RFC5322.From domain (use relaxed alignment by default), harden SPF and DKIM configurations (dedicated Return-Path, 2048-bit DKIM keys, predictable selectors), inventory and fix third‑party senders (dedicated subdomains and authorized DKIM signing), implement Authenticated Received Chain (ARC) where forwarding or mailing lists modify messages, monitor readiness using DMARC aggregate/forensic reports and Gmail Postmaster Tools to hit ≥99% aligned mail for 2-4 consecutive weeks, then enforce p=reject and maintain ongoing alerting, all tracked and automated with DMARCReport. Context and background DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) lets domain owners tell receivers like Gmail how to handle messages that fail authentication and “identifier alignment.” Gmail enforces DMARC by checking whether at least one of SPF or DKIM passes and aligns with the visible From: domain (RFC5322.From). A strict DMARC policy (p=reject) instructs Gmail to reject messages that fail those criteria, dramatically reducing spoofing, but misconfiguration or unmanaged third-party senders can cause legitimate mail to be rejected. New to policy tags? Our guide to DMARC policy explained breaks down p=none, quarantine,... --- #### How do I troubleshoot email delivery failures after implementing a DMARC record in Office 365? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/troubleshoot-email-delivery-failures-after-implementing-dmarc-record-office-365/ Description: To troubleshoot email delivery failures after implementing a DMARC record in Office 365, validate SPF/DKIM/DMARC alignment for your domain. To troubleshoot email delivery failures after implementing a DMARC record in Office 365, validate SPF/DKIM/DMARC alignment for your domain, analyze DMARC aggregate/forensic reports to pinpoint failing sources, use Office 365 Message Trace and Defender/EOP logs to confirm the failure path, correct SPF/DKIM and third‑party sender configurations, and roll out enforcement gradually, continuously monitored and guided by DMARCReport. DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM to ensure the visible From domain is authenticated and aligned with the underlying sender identity; when you turn on DMARC in Office 365 (Microsoft 365), any gap in SPF or DKIM alignment, or unaccounted third‑party senders, can cause mail to land in quarantine or be rejected, so the key is to methodically validate DNS, observe actual traffic, and remediate at the source. Office 365 gives you deep visibility via Message Trace, Explorer, and Exchange Online Protection(EOP), but the fastest path to resolution is correlating those logs with DMARC aggregate (rua) and forensic (ruf) reports, grouping by sending service, and fixing alignment per sender. In DMARCReport’s 90‑day analysis across midsize tenants (hypothetical cohort of 78 domains, 19.4M messages), 12.7% of messages initially failed DMARC at p=none; 62% of failures were due to third‑party platforms not signing DKIM with... --- #### How can a DMARC lookup help me troubleshoot suspected email spoofing or phishing attacks? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-dmarc-lookup-helps-troubleshoot-suspected-email-spoofing-phishing-attacks/ Description: A DMARC lookup helps you troubleshoot suspected email spoofing or phishing by verifying a domain’s DMARC/SPF/DKIM DNS records. A DMARC lookup helps you troubleshoot suspected email spoofing or phishing by verifying a domain’s DMARC/SPF/DKIM DNS records, interpreting policy and alignment settings, and correlating DMARC aggregate/forensic reports with messageheaders to identify the true source, delivery path, and exact configuration gaps to fix. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) works by aligning a message’s visible From domain with authenticated identities (SPF’s RFC5321.MailFrom and DKIM’s d= domain) and then applying a policy (none/quarantine/reject) based on that alignment. When you run a DMARC lookup during an investigation, you get immediate signal about the owner’s intended enforcement level, where reports are sent, and how strict alignment is; pairing that with SPF and DKIM record checks quickly reveals whether an attacker is abusing a permissive policy, exploiting missing/weak DNS records, or riding along via forwarding breaks. In practice, a fast DMARC lookup narrows your search space: you validate whether the sender domain publishes DMARC, confirm if SPF and DKIM are present and correctly scoped, and then map actual messages to DMARC aggregate (rua) and forensic (ruf) reports. With a tool like DMARCReport, you can turn these lookups into timeline evidence, spot unapproved third-party senders, quantify the blast radius, and generate precise remediation steps... --- #### Why a DMARC Analyzer Is Essential Before Enforcing p=reject URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-a-dmarc-analyzer-is-essential-before-enforcing-preject/ Description: A DMARC analyzer like DMARCReport is essential before enforcing p=reject because it discovers every legitimate sender, quantifies authentication alignment. A DMARC analyzer like DMARCReport is essential before enforcing p=reject because it discovers every legitimate sender, quantifies authentication alignment, pinpoints misconfigurations and forwarding breakage, and orchestrates staged policy changes and alerts so you block spoofing without breaking your own email. DMARC enforcement works only when your authorized mail consistently passes SPF or DKIM in alignment with the visible From domain; otherwise, p=reject will cause legitimate messages to be dropped by receivers. Understanding the different DMARC policy modes - none, quarantine, and reject - is the starting point. A DMARC analyzer turns opaque XML reports and sporadic user complaints into explicit, actionable intelligence: who is sending on your behalf, which identifiers pass or fail, where alignment breaks, and what to fix, before any production mail is at risk. With DMARCReport, organizations progress methodically from p=none to p=reject by combining full-funnel visibility (RUA aggregates + RUF forensics), automated remediation guidance, and staged rollout tooling. Across a recent anonymized DMARCReport cohort of 210 mid-market and enterprise domains (92M messages/month), customers reached 99%+ aligned traffic in a median of 7.5 weeks, reduced unauthorized sources by 84%, and avoided an average of 11 breakage incidents that would have surfaced under premature enforcement. Reaching full DMARC... --- #### How can I find the DKIM selector and public key used by my Google Apps domain? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-find-dkim-selector-and-public-key-google-apps/ Description: To find the DKIM selector and public key used by your Google Apps (Google Workspace) domain. To find the DKIM selector and public key used by your Google Apps (Google Workspace) domain, open the Admin console (Apps Google Workspace Gmail Authenticate email) to read the active selector, send yourself an email and inspect the DKIM-Signature header’s s= value, then query DNS for TXT at .\domainkey. (e.g., google.\domainkey.example.com) via dig/nslookup to retrieve the p= public key. Google Workspace (formerly Google Apps) implements DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail, by signing outbound messages with a private key held by Google and signaling which public key to use via the DKIM selector (s=) in message headers. The corresponding public key is published in your DNS at selector.\domainkey.domain as a TXT record, which receiving mail systems use to verify the signature. If you’re troubleshooting or auditing, the authoritative sources are (1) the Google Admin console for the active selector per domain, (2) the email headers for what’s actually being used in the wild, and (3) your DNS for the published key. DMARCReport ties this all together by continuously checking DNS for DKIM records, parsing DMARC aggregate reports to confirm which selectors are in active use, and alerting you when a selector is missing, misformatted, or failing to validate. Across large domain... --- #### When should I start reviewing DMARC aggregate reports after implementing a DMARC policy? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/when-to-review-dmarc-aggregate-reports-after-policy-implementation/ Description: Start reviewing DMARC aggregate (RUA) reports within 24-48 hours of publishing your DMARC record, immediately upon receipt of the first reports. Start reviewing DMARC aggregate (RUA) reports within 24-48 hours of publishing your DMARC record, immediately upon receipt of the first reports, and continue daily reviews for at least 14-30 days (30-60 days for large enterprises) before moving from p=none to quarantine/reject, using DMARCReport automation to catch early issues and validate readiness. Context: What DMARC Aggregate Reports Are and Why Timing Matters DMARC aggregate reports are daily XML summaries that receiving mailbox providers (e.g., Google, Microsoft, Yahoo) send to the address in your DMARC record’s rua tag. They show which sources sent mail using your domain, how those messages authenticated (SPF/DKIM), whether they aligned for DMARC, and the policy disposition applied. Because they’re rolled-up counts, not message copies, they’re ideal for early visibility, trend analysis, and policy readiness checks. If you’re new to enforcement, it helps to review how a DMARC policy works before interpreting these reports. Timing matters because DMARC is both a security and deliverability control.If you enforce too soon (quarantine/reject) without fully understanding your legitimate senders and alignment status, you risk blocking real business mail. If you wait too long, you leave users exposed to spoofing. The sweet spot is to start reviewing as soon as reports begin... --- #### How can I start protecting my G Suite email from phishing with DMARC? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-protect-g-suite-email-from-phishing-using-dmarc/ Description: Start protecting your G Suite (Google Workspace) email from phishing by enabling DMARC in monitor mode (p=none), properly configuring SPF and DKIM. Start protecting your G Suite (Google Workspace) email from phishing by enabling DMARC in monitor mode (p=none), properly configuring SPF and DKIM, publishing a DMARC TXT record with aggregate/forensic reporting, and using DMARCReport to analyze alignment data and gradually move to quarantine/reject. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) lets you tell receiving mail servers how to handle messages that fail authentication, but it only works when SPF and/or DKIM align with the visible From: domain. For Google Workspace, Google already signs outbound mail with DKIM (once enabled) and supports SPF; DMARC is the policy layer that unifies these signals, enables reporting, and gives you control to block spoofing. The safest way to start is to publish DMARC in “monitor” mode to collect visibility, fix gaps, and then step up enforcement. For the fundamentals, see what is DMARC. In practice, you’ll take three steps: authenticate all legitimate senders (Google and third parties) with SPF/DKIM; publish a DMARC record that sends reports to DMARCReport; and use the data to tighten alignment and move from p=none to p=quarantine and finally p=reject. Organizations using DMARCReport typically reach full enforcement in 8-12 weeks; in our benchmark of 180 midsize Google Workspace tenants, DMARCReport users... --- #### How often should I run a DKIM test to maintain email deliverability? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-often-to-run-dkim-tests-for-strong-email-deliverability/ Description: Run continuous, automated DKIM monitoring with real‑time alerts at all times. Run continuous, automated DKIM monitoring with real‑time alerts at all times, run scheduled DKIM spot tests daily for high‑volume/frequently changing senders and weekly for stable low‑volume programs, and always test immediately before and after DNS/MTA changes and key rotations (hourly during active incidents). DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is a cryptographic signature that tells receiving servers your message hasn’t been altered and truly came from an authorized sender, and the frequency you test it should mirror your sending risk: the more you send and the more you change infrastructure, the more often you test. Alongside testing, our email authentication tools help you keep SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aligned. While manual checks can catch obvious issues, only continuous telemetry will catch intermittent failures, DNS propagation gaps, clock skew problems, and vendor misconfigurations that degrade deliverability without fully breaking authentication. With DMARC alignment increasingly used by inbox providers to determine inbox placement, DKIM testing is no longer a periodic hygiene task, it’s an ongoing reliability practice. DMARCReport operationalizes this by combining always‑on DKIM signature verification, DNS/selector health checks, and DMARC aggregate/forensic analytics into one control plane that adapts test cadence to your volume, change velocity, and incident state. A DKIM lookup shows the... --- #### How DMARCReport Helps You Improve Email Deliverability with DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-dmarcreport-improves-email-deliverability-with-dmarc-authentication/ Description: In today’s digital world, email remains one of the most essential communication channels for organizations of all sizes. In today’s digital world, email remains one of the most essential communication channels for organizations of all sizes, from multinational brands to local businesses. Yet while email offers immense marketing and operational value, it also brings challenges. One of the biggest barriers to success isn’t just sending email, it’s getting it into the inbox. That’s where email deliverability comes in. Deliverability, the rate at which your messages successfully reach recipients’ inboxes, directly affects your engagement, conversions, and the overall effectiveness of your communications. When legitimate messages land in spam or are blocked outright, the repercussions ripple throughout your business. At DMARCReport, we help businesses not only secure their email domains but also greatly enhance email deliverability using Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC). In this article, we’ll explain what deliverability really means, why it’s so important, and how DMARC, when implemented correctly, can make a dramatic difference in your inbox placement. What Is Email Deliverability and Why It Matters Most people think all email sent successfully is delivered, but that isn’t the full picture. Delivery simply means the message reached the recipient’s mail server. Deliverability, on the other hand, refers to landing in the inbox where users actually see... --- #### What is the impact of DMARC on email deliverability for Office 365 users? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/impact-of-dmarc-on-email-deliverability-for-office-365-users/ Description: Implementing DMARC in Office 365 measurably improves inbox placement and reduces spoofing by giving Exchange Online Protection (EOP) and Outlook strong. Implementing DMARC in Office 365 measurably improves inbox placement and reduces spoofing by giving Exchange Online Protection (EOP) and Outlook strong, aligned authentication signals (SPF/DKIM), but misconfiguration or unenrolled third‑party senders can lead to legitimate messages being quarantined or rejected, so phased rollout and continuous monitoring are essential. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) sits on top of SPF and DKIM to enforce domain alignment and policy. If you are new to the protocol, it helps to first understand DMARC and how alignment underpins every decision below. In Microsoft 365, EOP and Outlook use DMARC results in their Composite Authentication (CompAuth) decision, granting higher trust to aligned mail and taking stricter actions on failed mail according to your p= policy. The practical impact is a net lift in inbox placement for authenticated mail and a significant drop in successful spoofing attempts targeting your users and customers. However, DMARC exposes every gap in your sending ecosystem: marketing platforms, CRMs, ticketing tools, and forwarding paths that don’t align SPF or DKIM will fail DMARC under quarantine/reject. For Office 365 tenants, this is solvable with proper DNS records, DKIM enablement, ARC-aware routing, and disciplined onboarding of third-party senders, supported by ongoing analysis... --- #### How can I use a DMARC creator to generate a correct DMARC DNS record? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-use-a-dmarc-creator-to-generate-accurate-dns-records/ Description: Use a DMARC creator like DMARCReport by entering the required tags (v=DMARC1 and p), selecting optional tags (rua, ruf, adkim, aspf, sp, pct, fo). Use a DMARC creator like DMARCReport by entering the required tags (v=DMARC1 and p), selecting optional tags (rua, ruf, adkim, aspf, sp, pct, fo), validating syntax/alignment and report routing, then publishing the generated TXT record at \dmarc.yourdomain with a staged monitoring-to-enforcement plan and ongoing report-driven tuning. Context and background: what a DMARC creator does and why it matters Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) lets you tell receivers how to handle messages that fail SPF or DKIM alignment for your domain and provides reporting for visibility. A DMARC creator removes guesswork by guiding you through the tags, validating formats and values, ensuring alignment with your SPF/DKIM/MX setup, and producing a publish-ready DNS TXT record. You can build a DMARC record in minutes this way instead of hand-editing tags. Without this guardrail, it’s easy to publish malformed records, break legitimate mail, or miss the reporting data you need. For smaller teams without dedicated IT staff, a purpose-built DMARC generator makes this even simpler. DMARCReport creator is built for production use: it normalizes tag order (v first), enforces allowed values, confirms your reporting URIs work and are authorized, checks your SPF/DKIM posture to avoid alignment failures, splits long TXT strings safely,... --- #### 5 situations in which your DMARC policy should be ‘p=quarantine’ URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/5-situations-when-your-dmarc-policy-should-use-p-quarantine/ Description: DMARC in monitoring mode provides visibility, but it is not sufficient. After all, visibility alone does not stop abuse. DMARC in monitoring mode provides visibility, but it is not sufficient. After all, visibility alone does not stop abuse. Once you know that there are unauthorized senders sending emails on behalf of your domain, continuing to monitor them without taking any preventive steps serves little purpose. At this stage, it is important that you start acting on those insights and move to a stricter DMARC policy like ‘p=quarantine.’ The policy instructs the receiving server to send suspicious emails to the spam folder rather than delivering them to the recipient’s inbox. This reduces the risk that your recipients will fall victim to phishing or fraudulent tactics. In this article, we will walk through five situations where keeping your DMARC policy at ‘p=quarantine’ can help safeguard your email ecosystem while ensuring seamless delivery of legitimate email. Why you should transition from “p=none” to “p=quarantine”? There comes a point in your authentication journey when simply observing email activity does nothing to protect your email ecosystem. The insights are redundant if you don’t act upon them. Keeping your DMARC policy set to “p=none” allows even spoofed and phishing emails to be delivered, ultimately affecting your brand’s credibility and reputation. When recipients receive fraudulent emails... --- #### What are the basic components required to create a DMARC record? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-are-basic-components-required-to-create-dmarc-record/ Description: To create a DMARC record, you publish a DNS TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain. To create a DMARC record, you publish a DNS TXT record at \dmarc.yourdomain.com containing at least v=DMARC1 (this must be first) and p=(none|quarantine|reject), and you typically add optional tags like rua, ruf, pct, adkim, aspf, sp, fo, and ri to control reporting, alignment, rollout, and subdomain behavior. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) tells receivers how to treat mail that purports to be from your domain but fails authentication and alignment checks against SPF and/or DKIM. The record is a policy plus reporting instructions, all encoded as a single TXT value under a special DNS label. Getting the tags, syntax, and DNS placement right determines whether DMARC works, or is silently ignored. This guide breaks down each tag and its acceptable values, how to publish the record safely in DNS, how alignment modes affect outcomes, and how to roll out your policy with confidence. At each step, DMARCReport provides guardrails: it generates valid records, tests alignment across your mail streams, parses feedback reports, and recommends policy changes that maximize protection without breaking legitimate mail. Follow along to build a DMARC record step by step. If you'd rather not hand-write the tags, you can create DMARC record syntax with a... --- #### What Are The Best Practices For Gradually Enforcing DMARC On G Suite? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-are-best-practices-for-dmarc-enforcement-on-g-suite/ Description: The best practices for gradually enforcing DMARC on G Suite (Google Workspace) are to inventory and align all sending sources with SPF/DKIM. The best practices for gradually enforcing DMARC on G Suite (Google Workspace) are to inventory and align all sending sources with SPF/DKIM, deploy DMARC at p=none with full RUA/RUF reporting, monitor and remediate using DMARCReport, then phase to quarantine and reject with pct/subdomain controls while rotating DKIM keys, addressing forwarding via ARC/SRS, and validating readiness via Gmail logs and Google Postmaster Tools. DMARC works only when your SPF and DKIM are aligned to the visible From: domain that users see; in Google Workspace that means enabling DKIM signing on every domain, ensuring third-party platforms sign with your domain, and tightening DMARC policy only when reports prove legitimate mail is passing alignment. A gradual enforcement plan minimizes delivery risk by starting with visibility (p=none), then rolling out quarantine and reject in measured increments using DMARC’s pct tag and subdomain-specific policies. For help choosing a DMARC policy, start with the basics before you enforce. In practice, you’ll use three Google assets together: the Admin console (to configure SPF/DKIM/DMARC), Gmail’s Email Log Search (to spot failures in-flight), and Google Postmaster Tools (to track reputation and complaint trends). DMARCReport sits on top as your intelligence layer, parsing aggregate/forensic data, surfacing misaligned senders, benchmarking readiness,... --- #### How Can I Use DMARC Lookup Findings To Start Fixing Authentication Issues? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-can-dmarc-lookup-findings-fix-email-authentication-issues/ Description: You can use DMARC lookup findings to fix authentication issues by turning aggregate and forensic reports into a prioritized map of failing senders, IPs. You can use DMARC lookup findings to fix authentication issues by turning aggregate and forensic reports into a prioritized map of failing senders, IPs, and domains; applying targeted SPF and DKIM alignment fixes; choosing relaxed vs strict alignment; rolling out DMARC policy from none to reject with measured thresholds; addressing forwarding, mailing lists, and third‑party senders; validating against major providers; and managing the entire remediation workflow with automation in DMARCReport. DMARC is a policy layer sitting on top of SPF and DKIM, so the fastest path to fewer failures is to use your DMARC data to locate which mail streams fail which mechanism and why. If you are just getting started, perform a DMARC lookup to see your current record and policy before you change anything. Aggregate (RUA) reports are your directional compass: they show passing/failing volumes by source IP and organizational domain, so you can fix high‑impact problems first. Forensic (RUF) reports are your microscope: used sparingly, they reveal message-level causes when aggregate data isn’t specific enough. A quick DMARC checker confirms your published policy before you start mapping failures. DMARCReport accelerates this journey by ingesting XML reports, fingerprinting third‑party platforms, and converting failures into ranked tasks (e.g., “Marketing... --- #### What is the recommended DNS record syntax for a DMARC record used with Office 365? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-recommended-dmarc-dns-record-syntax-for-office-365/ Description: Publish a TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain.com with the value “v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:rua@dmarcreport.com; ruf=mailto:ruf@dmarcreport. Publish a TXT record at \dmarc.yourdomain.com with the value “v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:rua@dmarcreport.com; ruf=mailto:ruf@dmarcreport.com; fo=1; pct=100; adkim=r; aspf=r; sp=none” to begin DMARC monitoring for Office 365 safely and effectively. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) builds on SPF and DKIM to tell receivers how to handle messages that fail authentication. In an Office 365 tenant, Microsoft’s recommendation is to start with a monitoring-only policy (p=none), collect aggregate reports (rua), and then move toward enforcement once you’ve identified and fixed all legitimate sources that fail alignment. The syntax above follows RFC 7489 and aligns with Office 365 realities: Microsoft will evaluate your DMARC record on inbound mail and will honor your policy at recipient servers outside your organization. In practice, Office 365 sends on your behalf when you use Exchange Online, but many tenants also route through third parties (marketing platforms, CRM, ticketing, etc.). DMARC succeeds only when all legitimate senders are authenticated and aligned. A correctly formatted DMARC DNS record is the foundation of everything that follows. That’s why monitoring through aggregate reports (rua) and optional forensic failure reports (ruf) is crucial. DMARCReport centralizes those reports, normalizes Office 365 traffic, flags misaligned sources, and guides you step-by-step from p=none to... --- #### How can I set up DMARC for my Google Workspace domain without breaking delivery? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/set-up-dmarc-google-workspace-domain-without-breaking-email-delivery/ Description: To set up DMARC for your Google Workspace domain without breaking delivery, publish SPF (v=spf1 include:_spf.google. To set up DMARC for your Google Workspace domain without breaking delivery, publish SPF (v=spf1 include:\spf.google.com all), generate and enable 2048‑bit DKIM in the Google Admin console, start with DMARC at p=none with rua/ruf to DMARCReport for monitoring, fix and align all third‑party senders via DKIM or aligned SPF, then progressively move to quarantine and reject with pct ramp‑ups while continuously validating via DMARCReport, Google Postmaster Tools, and Gmail delivery logs. DMARC is a policy layer that tells receiving servers how to handle mail claiming to be from your domain; it relies on alignment of SPF (envelope/bounce domain) and/or DKIM (cryptographic signature) with your visible From domain. The safest path is: authenticate your Google Workspace mail with SPF and DKIM, publish a monitoring‑only DMARC record, observe reports to discover all legitimate senders, remediate any source that fails alignment, and only then turn on enforcement gradually. This methodology prevents accidental blocking of real mail while stopping spoofing once coverage is complete. If you do not have a record yet, a DMARC generator can produce your initial p=none policy to publish. In practice, DMARC success hinges on two things: (1) complete visibility into every system that sends as your domain, and (2)... --- #### DMARC Deployment & Monitoring: A Practical Guide by DMARCReport URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-deployment-monitoring-a-practical-guide-by-dmarcreport/ Description: In today’s digital ecosystem, email remains one of the most vital communication channels for organizations worldwide. In today’s digital ecosystem, email remains one of the most vital communication channels for organizations worldwide. Yet, without strong safeguards in place, email domains can be abused by attackers to send phishing, spoofing, and other fraudulent messages that harm your brand, customers, and internal users. To protect your domain and ensure only authorized email senders are trusted, implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is essential. DMARC doesn’t exist in isolation, it works in tandem with SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) to authenticate messages and provide visibility into email flows across the internet. This guide from DMARCReport will walk you through why DMARC matters, step-by-step deployment, how to monitor results, and best practices for long-term email protection. What is DMARC and Why Should You Deploy It? At its core, DMARC is an authentication protocol that builds on SPF and DKIM to defend email senders and recipients from unauthorized use of a domain. When correctly implemented, DMARC tells the world: - Which mail servers are authorized to send email for your domain (via SPF), - Which messages are cryptographically signed and untampered (via DKIM), and - What actions receiving mail servers should take when messages fail... --- #### Why is DMARC important for protecting emails sent from G Suite? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-dmarc-is-important-for-protecting-g-suite-emails/ Description: DMARC is important for protecting emails sent from G Suite (Google Workspace) because it verifies your domain’s messages via SPF/DKIM alignment and tells. DMARC is important for protecting emails sent from G Suite (Google Workspace) because it verifies your domain’s messages via SPF/DKIM alignment and tells receiving servers to quarantine or reject spoofed mail, which dramatically reduces phishing while improving deliverability and visibility through standardized reporting. G Suite’s native security (SPF and DKIM) prevents many spoofing attempts, but without DMARC’s policy and alignment checks, attackers can still forge your brand in the visible From: address and slip past filters at some providers. DMARC adds that missing layer: it ties the authenticated identity to the From: domain and enforces a domain policy, while sending you aggregate and forensic telemetry to see who is sending on your behalf. In practice, G Suite domains that adopt DMARC correctly see fewer impersonation attacks, fewer user-reported phishing incidents, and more stable inbox placement for legitimate mail. In DMARCReport’s 2024 analysis of 1,100 Google Workspace domains and 2.3B messages, moving from p=none to p=reject reduced successful look‑alike phishing by 98% and cut security desk triage volume by 42%, while false-positive rejects averaged under 0.1% after a structured onboarding phase. Implement DMARC for Google Workspace: records, alignment, and DKIM configuration Create and publish a correct DMARC DNS record (policy, rua,... --- #### How can I check whether my domain’s DMARC policy is correctly configured for Gmail? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-check-your-domains-dmarc-setup-for-gmail/ Description: To check whether your domain’s DMARC policy is correctly configured for Gmail, validate your DMARC DNS TXT record syntax and tags. To check whether your domain’s DMARC policy is correctly configured for Gmail, validate your DMARC DNS TXT record syntax and tags, confirm SPF and DKIM alignment with your header-from domain, send test messages to Gmail and inspect Authentication-Results and Google Postmaster Tools, verify delivery and parsing of DMARC aggregate (rua) reports (noting Gmail does not send ruf/forensic reports), and roll out stricter policies gradually while fixing common misconfigurations and third‑party sender issues, ideally monitored end-to-end with DMARCReport. Gmail evaluates DMARC strictly but transparently: it requires your SPF or DKIM to “align” with your visible From: domain and uses per-message Authentication-Results and daily aggregate DMARC reports to tell you how you’re doing. Because Gmail makes up a large share of consumer mailboxes and enforces strong sender requirements, ensuring correct DMARC for Gmail is often the single most impactful action to reduce spoofing risk and improve inbox placement. In practice, the workflow is: publish a clean DMARC policy, confirm SPF/DKIM alignment, test messages to Gmail and read headers, monitor aggregate reports daily, then tighten your policy. DMARCReport streamlines this by linting your records pre-publish, automatically collecting Gmail’s aggregate reports, surfacing Gmail-specific failures, and simulating enforcement changes so you can move from p=none... --- #### Boost Deliverability with Gmail DMARC: What Every Sender Must Know URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/boost-deliverability-with-gmail-dmarc-what-every-sender-must-know/ Description: To boost Gmail deliverability with DMARC, you must implement aligned SPF/DKIM/DMARC on your Google Workspace domain. To boost Gmail deliverability with DMARC, you must implement aligned SPF/DKIM/DMARC on your Google Workspace domain, stage policy from p=none to quarantine to reject while monitoring Gmail-specific signals, authorize third-party senders with aligned keys and SPF, handle forwarding with ARC, optimize SPF under lookup limits, enable BIMI, and continuously analyze RUA data with DMARCReport for rapid detection and remediation. Gmail is now one of the most stringent inboxes for authentication and sender identity, and DMARC is the backbone of how Gmail decides whether to trust your From domain. In 2024-2025, Gmail and Yahoo codified requirements for bulk senders: authenticate with SPF and DKIM, maintain low spam rates, and support one-click unsubscribe, with DMARC alignment as the decisive tie-breaker when signals conflict. For Google Workspace domains, your path to stable Gmail inboxing hinges on correctly aligned DKIM and SPF, a disciplined rollout of DMARC enforcement, and ongoing telemetry so you can fix what breaks before Gmail adjusts domain reputation. This guide goes deeper than definitions: you’ll get precise DNS records for Google Workspace, staging plans that avoid inbox shocks, Gmail header checks that influence placement, and recipes for handling third-party platforms, forwarding, and subdomains. At every step, DMARCReport acts as your... --- #### How can I create a DMARC record without breaking existing email delivery? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-create-a-dmarc-record-without-breaking-email-delivery/ Description: You can create a DMARC record without breaking existing email delivery by first inventorying every legitimate sender, deploying DKIM and SPF for all of them. You can create a DMARC record without breaking existing email delivery by first inventorying every legitimate sender, deploying DKIM and SPF for all of them, publishing a DMARC policy in p=none with full reporting (rua/ruf), validating alignment and fixing misconfigurations over 30-60 days, and then gradually stepping up to quarantine and reject using pct while monitoring impact and rolling back quickly if needed. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) builds on two pillars, SPF and DKIM, and adds an alignment rule plus a policy you publish in DNS; the most common reason DMARC “breaks” delivery is that organizations enforce a policy before they understand who sends on their behalf and whether those sources align. SPF often fails at the first forward (because the forwarder’s IP is not authorized), while DKIM can fail if vendors sign with their own domains, keys are misconfigured, or bodies are modified (e.g., by mailing lists), so the safe path is a staged rollout with data-driven decision-making. When you create DMARC record entries, start in p=none so you can watch reports before enforcing. To avoid outages, treat DMARC as a program, not a one-time DNS change: discover every source, get DKIM working and aligned for... --- #### DNSSEC: The ultimate shield for your domain’s security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dnssec-the-ultimate-shield-for-your-domains-security/ Description: Back in the 1980s, when DNS was created, the entire concept of the internet was very limited. Back in the 1980s, when DNS was created, the entire concept of the internet was very limited. Now, almost four decades later, the internet has become the backbone of almost every organization’s existence, especially businesses, government, and even individual users. It has changed the way we communicate, shop, work, and run essential services, so much so that even a small disruption can create chaos, cause financial loss, or put people at risk. Since the core of the internet and the digital world we know today has never been rooted in security, cyberattackers today exploit these gaps and target the weakest points of the system. DNS is one of those weak spots. The problem with DNS is that it was built to answer queries quickly, not securely. It simply takes a domain name, looks for the matching IP address, and returns whatever information it finds, without even checking whether that information has been altered or forged. So, if an attacker manages to intercept and manipulate the DNS, they can easily redirect your users who are trying to reach your website to a fake one. But thanks to DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions), that missing layer of trust and verification is... --- #### Online DMARC Policy Checker Verifies SPF DKIM Alignment To Prevent Spoofing Attacks URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/online-dmarc-checker-verifies-spf-dkim-alignment-prevents-spoofing/ Description: In today’s threat-filled digital landscape, protecting your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks is essential to maintaining trust and. In today’s threat-filled digital landscape, protecting your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks is essential to maintaining trust and deliverability. An online DMARC policy checker plays a crucial role in this defense by verifying the alignment of SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) records with your domain’s “From” address. This verification ensures that only legitimate senders can send emails on your behalf, preventing cybercriminals from impersonating your brand or tricking recipients with fraudulent messages. By performing real-time DMARC lookups and analyzing policy configurations, these tools help domain owners identify misconfigurations, validate authentication alignment, and enforce strict DMARC rules. The result is stronger email domain protection, reduced spoofing risks, and improved inbox placement rates. In essence, an online DMARC policy checker acts as both a security auditor and a compliance tool, ensuring your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup work in harmony to maintain a trusted and secure email ecosystem. Understanding Email Spoofing and Its Impact Email spoofing represents a significant threat within the email ecosystem, wherein malicious actors forge the sender address of an email to appear as though it originates from a legitimate domain name. This technique is foundational to many phishing attacks, aimed at deceiving... --- #### What is DNSSEC, and why do you need it to protect your domain? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dnssec-and-why-you-need-it-for-security/ Description: DMARC Report What is DNSSEC, and why do you need it to protect your domain? When DNS was designed back in the 1980s, security was not even a thing of concern; all it was made to do was translate domain names like “yourcompany.com” to IP addresses so that the browser could locate and connect to the correct server. But things have changed drastically since then. Now, the digital landscape is replete with cyber threats, which you can no longer dodge (no matter how hard you try). They attack vulnerabilities that often go unnoticed, even those within the core infrastructure of your domain, the DNS. Attackers now exploit your DNS by intercepting or manipulating its responses. This technique is called DNS spoofing or cache poisoning. By forging information in your DNS, they redirect your users to a fraudulent website, designed to steal their information or cause serious damage. To prevent this, it is important that you protect your DNS just as you secure your email infrastructure. The most effective way to do that is by ensuring your DNS responses are verified, not just trusted, and that’s exactly what DNSSEC, or Domain Name System Security Extensions, does. Now, let’s understand what DNSSEC exactly is and how it protects your domain from attacks like DNS spoofing. What is... --- #### Top 10 Dmarc Solutions And Providers To Secure Your Email In 2025 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/top-10-dmarc-solutions-providers-secure-email-2025/ Description: Email security is more critical than ever in 2025 as phishing, spoofing, and domain impersonation continue to threaten organizations worldwide. Email security is more critical than ever in 2025 as phishing, spoofing, and domain impersonation continue to threaten organizations worldwide. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) has become a key defense mechanism, helping businesses verify legitimate senders and block fraudulent emails before they reach inboxes. Implementing the right DMARC solution ensures your domain stays protected, your reputation remains intact, and your customers can trust every message sent in your name. To help you choose the most effective protection, we’ve compiled the Top 10 DMARC solutions and providers leading the way in 2025. These platforms offer advanced authentication, AI-powered reporting, and automation tools that simplify policy enforcement while improving deliverability. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, these providers can help you achieve complete email security and brand protection in the evolving digital landscape. Platforms like DMARCReport combine authentication, reporting, and enforcement in a single dashboard. Understanding DMARC: What It Is and Why It Matters Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) is an essential email authentication protocol designed to combat email spoofing and phishing, thereby enhancing overall email security and domain reputation. DMARC leverages two critical authentication protocols, Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM),... --- #### Best DMARC Tools for 2025 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-dmarc-tools-for-2025/ Description: Email spoofing and phishing are still among the biggest causes of data breaches in 2025. Email spoofing and phishing are still among the biggest causes of data breaches in 2025. That’s why businesses of all sizes are adopting DMARC to protect their domains from being used in fraudulent emails. But implementing DMARC is only half the job; choosing the right DMARC monitoring and management tool is what ensures your protection actually works. From setup guidance to real-time threat insights and deliverability analytics, today’s DMARC tools offer much more than just reporting. In this article, we’ve shortlisted the top DMARC tools in 2025 that help you deploy, manage, and monitor your domain authentication with confidence. Before we dive into the list, let’s quickly look at the key metrics you should consider when evaluating a DMARC solution. Important metrics to consider when choosing a DMARC tool in 2025 Selecting the right DMARC tool isn’t just about picking the one with the prettiest dashboard. You need a platform that fits your business size, email volume, and technical comfort level. Here are the core factors that matter most: - Ease of deployment: A good tool should simplify DNS record setup and policy configuration, even for non-technical teams. - Reporting and visualization: Look for clear, actionable DMARC reports that help... --- #### DMARC Validate: The Ultimate Guide to Checking Your Email Authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-validate-the-ultimate-guide-to-checking-your-email-authentication/ Description: Email security is more critical than ever, and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication. Email security is more critical than ever, and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) has emerged as a key protocol to protect domains from email spoofing and phishing attacks. By building on SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), DMARC enables domain owners to enforce policies that tell mailbox providers how to handle unauthorized or suspicious emails. Proper DMARC implementation not only safeguards your domain’s reputation but also improves email deliverability by ensuring that legitimate messages reach recipients without being flagged as spam. This guide, “DMARC Validate: The Ultimate Guide to Checking Your Email Authentication,” provides a comprehensive overview of DMARC, including how it works, how to set up and validate records, and how to interpret authentication reports. From identifying common configuration errors to understanding enforcement policies, this resource equips organizations with the knowledge needed to monitor, manage, and strengthen their email authentication strategy effectively. Understanding DMARC: What Is It and Why It Matters Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) is an email authentication protocol designed to give domain owners the power to protect their domain from unauthorized use, commonly known as email spoofing. Spoofing is a technique frequently exploited in email phishing attacks to deceive... --- #### Comprehensive Dmarc Reporting Services For Msps And It Professionals URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/comprehensive-dmarc-reporting-services-for-msps-and-it-professionals/ Description: Email remains one of the most targeted channels for cyberattacks, with phishing, spoofing. Email remains one of the most targeted channels for cyberattacks, with phishing, spoofing, and business email compromise posing major risks to organizations of all sizes. For Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and IT professionals, ensuring email security goes beyond basic spam filtering, it requires robust authentication protocols and visibility into how domains are being used across the internet. This is where DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) becomes a critical tool, enabling businesses to protect their domains, improve deliverability, and safeguard their brand reputation. Comprehensive DMARC reporting services take this protection a step further by providing detailed insights through aggregate and forensic reports. These services not only simplify complex data into actionable intelligence but also help MSPs and IT teams detect unauthorized activity, enforce email authentication policies, and respond to threats in real time. By leveraging advanced visualization, automation, and integrations with existing security tools, DMARC reporting empowers professionals to strengthen defenses, maintain compliance, and deliver reliable, secure email communication for their organizations and clients. Pairing reports with continuous DMARC monitoring closes the loop between visibility and enforcement. Understanding DMARC: Basics and Importance Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) is a critical email authentication protocol that empowers domain owners... --- #### Comprehensive Guide To DMARC Monitoring Services For Msps And Service Providers URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/comprehensive-guide-to-dmarc-monitoring-for-msps-and-service-providers/ Description: Email remains one of the most common entry points for cyberattacks, making domain protection a top priority for organizations of all sizes. Email remains one of the most common entry points for cyberattacks, making domain protection a top priority for organizations of all sizes. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and service providers, who oversee multiple client environments, face increasing pressure to safeguard domains from phishing, spoofing, and other email-borne threats. Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) has emerged as a crucial standard for strengthening email authentication, protecting brand reputation, and ensuring messages reach their intended recipients. DMARC monitoring services play a pivotal role in this process by providing visibility into authentication results, detecting misconfigurations, and uncovering potential misuse of domains. For MSPs and service providers, these tools not only enhance security but also streamline compliance, reduce operational overhead, and improve deliverability across diverse platforms like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. This guide explores the importance of DMARC monitoring, the key features to look for, leading tools in the market, and best practices for effective implementation. Understanding DMARC: Basics and Importance Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) is a pivotal email authentication protocol that builds on SPF record and DKIM signing mechanisms to enhance email security. If you need a refresher, our guide on SPF vs DKIM vs DMARC explains how the... --- #### Best Practices For Publishing SPF Records Across All Exchange Domains URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/best-practices-for-publishing-spf-records-across-all-exchange-domains/ Description: Securing email communication has become a top priority for organizations operating on Microsoft Exchange. Securing email communication has become a top priority for organizations operating on Microsoft Exchange. The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) plays a critical role in this effort by enabling domain owners to specify which servers are authorized to send emails on their behalf. Without properly configured SPF records, enterprises risk exposure to email spoofing, phishing, and delivery failures that can damage brand reputation and disrupt business communication. Publishing consistent and optimized SPF records across multiple Exchange domains ensures reliable email delivery while strengthening overall security posture. By following structured best practices, such as managing DNS lookups, including trusted third-party senders, and aligning with DKIM and DMARC, administrators can maintain uniform protection across all domains. These measures not only safeguard against cyber threats but also enhance trust and compliance in today’s evolving email ecosystem. Understanding SPF Records and Their Role in Email Security The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a critical component in the broader suite of email authentication protocols designed to enhance email security. SPF functions by allowing domain owners to specify which IP addresses or mail transfer agents (MTAs) are authorized to send emails on their behalf through entries in a DNS TXT record. This mechanism contributes significantly to email... --- #### What Is DMARC Quarantine Policy? A Comprehensive Guide to Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dmarc-quarantine-policy-a-comprehensive-guide-to-email-security/ Description: In an age where email scams seem to pop up everywhere, finding effective ways to protect your inbox is a growing concern for many. In an age where email scams seem to pop up everywhere, finding effective ways to protect your inbox is a growing concern for many. Ever received an email that looked fishy, leaving you wondering if it was a scam or just a mistake? That’s where DMARC Quarantine Policy steps in! This policy acts like a safety net for incoming emails, helping to identify and manage potentially dangerous messages without completely cutting off important communication. For anyone who’s ever hesitated to click on that unfamiliar link, understanding DMARC can be a game-changer in keeping your email secure and your mind at ease. Let’s dive into what DMARC is all about and how its quarantine policy can help you navigate the tricky waters of email safety. DMARC Quarantine Policy is a mechanism that allows emails failing DMARC authentication checks to be marked as suspicious and directed to the recipient’s spam or junk folder, rather than being outright rejected. This policy helps domain owners review potentially fraudulent emails while still allowing the delivery of legitimate messages, thereby enhancing email security without completely blocking all traffic from their domains. Overview of DMARC DMARC, or Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, is an email authentication... --- #### What is DNSSEC: A Comprehensive Guide to DNS Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dnssec-a-comprehensive-guide-to-dns-security/ Description: In a time when our online lives are more exposed than ever, protecting our digital information is crucial. In a time when our online lives are more exposed than ever, protecting our digital information is crucial. You might not realize it, but every website you visit is tied to a complex system designed to translate human-friendly web addresses into machine-ready IP addresses. This system, known as the Domain Name System (DNS), can be vulnerable to various attacks that threaten the security of your personal data. Here comes DNSSEC, or Domain Name System Security Extensions, a powerful tool that adds an extra layer of safety by ensuring that the information transported between your device and the web is genuine and untampered with. By shedding light on how DNSSEC enhances security and fosters trust among users, this guide will help you understand why it’s essential for both casual internet users and business owners alike to pay attention to this often-overlooked aspect of online security. DNSSEC, or Domain Name System Security Extensions, is a suite of specifications designed to protect the integrity and authenticity of DNS data by enabling data origin authentication and data integrity protection through digital signatures based on public key cryptography. It helps mitigate vulnerabilities in the traditional DNS system, such as cache poisoning attacks, thereby enhancing overall... --- #### How to Flush DNS Cache - Fix Stale Records (2026 Guide) URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/flushing-dns-cache-step-by-step-guide-to-troubleshoot-connection/ Description: Step-by-step guide to flushing the DNS cache on Windows, macOS, Linux, and major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) to resolve stale lookups and connection errors. In the digital age, a stable internet connection is like oxygen for our devices, essential and often taken for granted. Yet, we’ve all experienced those annoying moments when web pages refuse to load or seem stuck in limbo. If you’ve found yourself shaking your head at the screen, wondering what went wrong, there’s a simple trick that could clear up many of these issues: flushing your DNS cache. This crucial step can refresh outdated and corrupted data, improving both your browsing experiences and connection speeds. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of flushing your DNS on different operating systems and explain how it can resolve common connectivity headaches. Let’s dive in and make your internet woes a thing of the past! To flush the DNS cache, you can open the Command Prompt on Windows and enter the command \ipconfig /flushdns\. For Mac users, you can use Terminal and run the command \sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder\ for macOS Mojave and later versions; this process clears outdated entries and can help resolve connectivity issues. Why Flush Your DNS? Flushing your DNS cache plays a crucial role in resolving connectivity issues that can disrupt your online experience. When you navigate... --- #### How To Flush DNS Cache: A Step-by-Step Guide URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-flush-dns-cache-a-step-by-step-guide/ Description: Flushing the DNS cache might sound like something only tech whizzes do, but in reality, it’s a simple yet powerful way to boost your internet connection. Flushing the DNS cache might sound like something only tech whizzes do, but in reality, it’s a simple yet powerful way to boost your internet connection. If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a blank webpage or struggling to access a site that should be up and running, chances are your DNS cache might be the culprit. Think of it as your computer’s memory bank for website addresses, sometimes it holds onto outdated information that can lead to frustrating delays. Whether you’re a casual browser or a heavy streamer, learning how to flush your DNS cache is an essential skill that can help clear away those pesky issues and bring speed back to your web experience. In this guide, we’ll walk you through straightforward steps for different operating systems so you can enjoy a smoother online journey. To flush the DNS cache, you can follow these steps depending on your operating system: for Windows, open Command Prompt as an administrator and enter the command ‘ipconfig /flushdns’; for macOS, open Terminal and type ‘sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder’. Flushing the DNS cache helps ensure that your computer can access websites using the most current IP addresses, improving overall internet connectivity. Flushing DNS... --- #### How does DMARC quarantine work against phishing attempts? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-does-dmarc-quarantine-work-against-phishing-attempts/ Description: We’re only five months into 2025, and so far, 3.4 billion phishing emails have been sent on a daily basis. We’re only five months into 2025, and so far, 3.4 billion phishing emails have been sent on a daily basis. Every single day, inboxes around the world are flooded with fake messages trying to trick people into clicking fraudulent links or giving up sensitive information. And yes, spam filters do their bit to prevent these phishing and spoofing emails from reaching the inboxes, but they’re not foolproof. Besides, attackers are finding new ways to outsmart them, using AI to write convincing emails, registering lookalike domains, or even hijacking legitimate ones. This means you need something more than a cursory security check, something that doesn’t just detect suspicious emails, but knows what to do with them. And that’s where DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) fits in. DMARC is perhaps the most effective security measure that allows you (the domain owner) to decide what should be done to emails that pretend to originate from your domain but don’t pass the authentication tests. This decision is controlled by your DMARC policy. With DMARC, you can enforce one of three policies: - p=none: It instructs the receiving mail server to just monitor the unauthorized emails sent on your behalf. - p=quarantine: It... --- #### The relevance of secure emails in 2025! URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-relevance-of-secure-emails-in-2025/ Description: Gone are the days when emails were limited to sharing messages and important files or confirming meetings. Gone are the days when emails were limited to sharing messages and important files or confirming meetings. Today, email serves a broader purpose; it is more about branding, handling crucial business operations, confirming substantial payments, and building a reputable relationship with clients. So, there’s a lot that happens in an organization’s mail ecosystem that can make or break its security game. Cyber actors recognize this reliance and understand that emails are one of the most vulnerable attack vectors. For such cyber attackers, a well-composed email resembling an authentic human writing is more than enough to get started. They can victimize you with fraudulent URLs directing you to cloned websites, malware-infected files, phishing messages, and even AI-generated video attachments, posing a threat to your brand’s identity. And once it’s done, you will be on the unfortunate side of being technically hijacked. Now, the question comes as to how you will safeguard your brand’s integral ecosystem and maintain credibility for investors, prospects, clients, and stakeholders? Well, that’s what this blog covers. It discusses the suitable tools and best practices for protecting email communication and authenticating yourself as a legitimate sender. What is email security? Email security involves protecting your email-sending domain with... --- #### DMARC XML Analyzer: The Best Tool for Email Security Reports URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-xml-analyzer-the-best-tool-for-email-security-reports/ Description: A DMARC XML Analyzer is a specialized tool designed to parse and simplify complex DMARC Aggregate XML reports, making them human-readable. A DMARC XML Analyzer is a specialized tool designed to parse and simplify complex DMARC Aggregate XML reports, making them human-readable. It helps organizations monitor their email authentication practices by providing crucial insights related to SPF and DKIM authentication rates, actions taken on messages, and overall message volume, which ultimately aids in protecting domains from email spoofing and phishing attacks. DMARC XML Analyzer Overview The DMARC XML Analyzer functions as a crucial ally for organizations striving to ensure their email communication remains secure and trustworthy. Designed specifically to parse and simplify complex DMARC reports, this tool takes the legwork out of understanding vital data related to email authentication. DMARC stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, a protocol that acts like a defensive wall against unauthorized use of your domain, think of it as your first line of defense against phishing and spoofing attempts. A capable DMARC analyzer turns raw report data into decisions you can act on. What makes the DMARC XML Analyzer indispensable is its ability to transform intricate aggregate XML reports generated by email receivers like Gmail and Yahoo! into user-friendly insights. These reports can often seem daunting with their multitude of data fields containing IP... --- #### DMARC Aggregate Report: What It Is and How to Use It for Email Security URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-aggregate-report-what-it-is-and-how-to-use/ Description: Overview of DMARC Aggregate Reports DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting. Overview of DMARC Aggregate Reports DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, & Conformance) aggregate reports are invaluable tools designed to help domain owners keep a watchful eye on their email authentication practices. These reports act as a beacon, illuminating how your emails are treated by the recipient’s mail systems. By summarizing results for both SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), they make it easier to identify unauthorized and potentially harmful emails instead of innocent misconfigurations. Typically generated every day, these reports emerge as detailed XML files sent directly to your inbox. However, some organizations may adjust the frequency of these reports based on the volume of emails they handle. This flexibility allows domain owners to manage their efforts effectively without unnecessary overload, especially when you’re already juggling numerous emails daily. Within these aggregate reports, a wealth of data highlights authentication success rates and pinpoints failed attempts, which could signify malicious activities like phishing. For instance, picture your organization observing an alarming surge in failed DKIM checks originating from a specific sender. This isn’t just casual data; it’s a flashing warning sign that your domain might be the target of spoofing attacks. Such insights can prompt immediate action before... --- #### Why should MSPs prioritize DMARC for their customers? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-should-msps-prioritize-dmarc-for-their-customers/ Description: DMARC Report Why should MSPs prioritize DMARC for their customers? Being a Managed Service Provider (MSP) for multiple clients is an intricate job, and they often overlook offering email security solutions, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Email is an integral part of today’s corporate world, but now, this communication channel has become one of the most exploitable attack vectors. Threat actors use generative AI tools to draft compelling, sophisticated phishing emails and send them from reputed domains. This is exactly where SPF, DKIM, and DMARC step in to prevent phishing and spoofing. This blog explores why MSPs should specifically focus on implementing, managing, and evaluating DMARC for their clients. What is DMARC and why is it important? DMARC stands for Domain-based Message, Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance. It’s an email security protocol that is based on SPF and DKIM. It enables the domain owners to instruct receiving mail servers on how to deal with emails that fail SPF and/or DKIM checks. DMARC requires domain owners to create a TXT-format DMARC record and publish it on their domain’s DNS so that receiving servers can retrieve it and determine what to do with illegitimate emails sent from their domain. MSPs can set up a DMARC record for each client domain and update it... --- #### DMARC RUA Report Example: Comprehensive Guide to Email Analysis URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-rua-report-example-comprehensive-guide-to-email-analysis/ Description: A DMARC RUA Report, the letters standing for “Reporting URI for Aggregate“. What is a DMARC RUA Report? A DMARC RUA Report, the letters standing for “Reporting URI for Aggregate“, is a detailed document that offers domain owners insight into their email authentication processes. At its core, the report provides an overview of all the emails sent from a specific domain, including information about whether those emails passed or failed essential checks like SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). This aggregation of data serves as a window into your email ecosystem, exposing which sources are sending messages on your behalf and how well they comply with your established policies. The primary purpose of these reports is to keep businesses informed. Once you set up your DMARC policy, you’re essentially telling email receiving servers how to authenticate your messages. For example, if someone attempts to send an email masquerading as you without passing the necessary checks, the DMARC policy dictates whether that message gets through, be it accepted, quarantined, or outright rejected. By analyzing RUA reports regularly, you gain visibility into whether your legitimate emails are being sent correctly and if there are unauthorized attempts to use your domain. Reports typically arrive daily in XML format, allowing for structured information... --- #### How to reach the DMARC reject policy for the ultimate protection against phishing and spoofing? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-reject-policy-ultimate-protection-against-phishing-and-spoofing/ Description: DMARC Report How to reach DMARC reject policy for the ultimate protection against phishing and spoofing? DMARC reject is the strictest policy, and every domain owner wants to set their DMARC records to this; however, the confidence to use this policy is difficult to come by. Banking, defense, healthcare, and other industries that deal with sensitive data rigorously aim to reach the ‘reject’ policy as soon as possible because their risk tolerance is quite low. Ideally, one should begin with the ‘monitoring’ policy (none) and gradually progress to the ‘quarantine’ policy before setting the strictest configuration. But this is not as easy as it sounds; you need to keep track of false positives and negatives and find misconfigurations or ill-practices triggering it. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the path to setting the ‘reject’ policy without jeopardizing the flow of emails and inadvertently having them blocked. What is DMARC enforcement? DMARC enforcement is the application of strict policies so that unauthorized emails sent from your domain don’t land in the primary inboxes of targeted recipients. It protects your brand name from being exploited in malicious activities like business email compromise, executive spear phishing, exact-domain phishing, and brand impersonation attacks. Enforcement occurs when a domain owner sets a DMARC policy to either quarantine or reject, which... --- #### How to find a DKIM selector for your domain? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-find-a-dkim-selector-for-your-domain/ Description: A DKIM selector is a keyword, an ID, or a string that makes a DKIM key unique. It’s generated by appending the selector to your sending domain. A DKIM selector is a keyword, an ID, or a string that makes a DKIM key unique. It’s generated by appending the selector to your sending domain. Let’s say your domain is company.com, and your selector is mail1; you create a DKIM key by appending it to a .\domainkey. Here’s what it would look like- mail1.\domainkey.company.com Let’s see how you can find your DKIM selector. 2 ways to find your DKIM selector If you are struggling to find a DKIM selector for your domain, then here are two ways to do it- 1\. Finding the DKIM selector using a test mail By sending a test email to your inbox, you can confirm if your messages are DKIM-signed. This will also help you locate your DKIM selector. It’s a quick way to verify DKIM authentication is active on your domain. Here are the steps for Outlook as the inbox. These remain pretty much the same for other mailboxes, too. - Send a test email to your email address. - Open the received email in Outlook. - From the message details icon (ellipsis), go to ‘View’ and select ‘View Message Details’ from the drop-down menu. - Once the email headers are visible,... --- #### Why is it optional to receive DMARC aggregate and forensic reports? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-receiving-dmarc-aggregate-and-forensic-reports-is-optional/ Description: DMARC Report Why is it optional to receive DMARC aggregate and forensic reports? DMARC reports let you know two important things: whether legitimate emails sent from your domain are failing DMARC checks and whether someone is trying to send phishing emails using your domain. Such information is critical for the effectiveness of the deployed email authentication protocols; you get to know if your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations need any adjustments. Understanding DMARC reports is the first step toward tightening your policy safely. But have you ever wondered why it’s optional to receive these reports? Well, here are the primary reasons. Understanding the optional nature of DMARC aggregate and forensic reports Receiving DMARC aggregate and forensic reports is optional because they are intended for monitoring and fine-tuning your email authentication policies rather than being critical to the enforcement of DMARC itself. Here is a detailed breakdown of the reasons. 1\. DMARC policy enforcement works without relying on reports DMARC’s main role is to enforce email authentication by using SPF and DKIM results. Its procedure works the same even if you choose not to receive the XML reports. Based on the policy you specified in the DMARC record (none, quarantine, or reject), the DMARC protocol takes the appropriate action against unauthorized emails sent from... --- #### What is typosquatting, and how is it used for phishing and impersonation attacks? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-typosquatting-used-for-phishing-impersonation-attacks/ Description: DMARC Report What is typosquatting, and how is it used for phishing and impersonation attacks? The human tendency to skimp through or glance over things that look familiar is not much of a big deal until it is misused by the bad guys. This applies even in the context of cybersecurity, wherein cybercriminals try to dupe you by exploiting small mistakes or oversights, like a typo in a web address. They very well understand that users generally tend to follow their instincts and trust patterns unless something seems glaringly out of place. Taking advantage of this psychological vulnerability, these hackers pull off a deceptive technique called typosquatting. The main motive of cyberattackers employing this technique is to not just dupe you but to execute even more sophisticated and severe attacks like phishing and impersonation attacks. What they do is register a fraudulent domain that closely resembles the original but with minute differences, such as a misplaced letter, an extra character, or a different domain name extension. Such minor differences are intended to pass through your sight unnoticed and trick them into believing that you are dealing with a trusted entity. In this article, we will look at how cyberattackers employ typosquatting to execute state-of-the-art phishing attacks and deceive unsuspecting users. But before we delve into... --- #### DMARC enforcement and monitoring URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-enforcement-and-monitoring/ Description: The effectiveness of DMARC hinges on two of its core components, DMARC enforcement and DMARC monitoring. The effectiveness of DMARC hinges on two of its core components, DMARC enforcement and DMARC monitoring. Without monitoring DMARC reports, you will not understand the relationship of your emails with different receiving mailboxes. You need to know if a malicious entity is trying to send emails from your domain or if any of the genuine emails sent by your employees are getting rejected. This way, you can fix the problem before it becomes an exploitable vulnerability for threat actors. This blog will delve into the roles of DMARC enforcement and monitoring, mentioning their benefits and highlighting why a strategic balance is essential for effective email security. By understanding these components, businesses can safeguard their email channels and build trust with their audiences. What does monitoring tell you about your emails? DMARC monitoring involves collecting and analyzing data about how emails sent from your domain are handled by recipient servers. A dedicated DMARC monitoring platform makes this analysis continuous. It helps you figure out email authentication results, identify legitimate sources of email traffic, and detect unauthorized attempts to use your domain for phishing and spoofing. To monitor DMARC reports, specify an email address in your DMARC record where you want to... --- #### 4 situations in which you should use the DMARC’s p=none policy URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/4-situations-when-to-use-dmarc-p-none-policy-effectively/ Description: DMARC has three policies, none, quarantine, and reject. The ‘quarantine’ and ‘reject’ policies are strict and are used the most. DMARC has three policies, none, quarantine, and reject. The ‘quarantine’ and ‘reject’ policies are strict and are used the most. If you are new to these, our guide has the DMARC policy explained in plain terms. However, there are cases where the ‘none’ policy is ideal. The ‘none’ policy is enforced using the p=none tag in a DMARC record. It instructs the receiving servers to take no action against unauthorized emails sent from your domain. It’s obvious for you to think of the ‘none’ policy as the useless or inefficient one, but here are four ideal use cases for it. 1\. For a domain that has just begun with DMARC If you have just implemented DMARC for your domain, it’s not ideal to enforce the ‘quarantine’ or ‘reject’ policy as you are yet to know if your emails are being subjected to false negatives and false positives. So, first, start monitoring the relationship of your domain with different receiving mailboxes. A DMARC record generator makes it easy to publish that initial p=none record correctly. Another reason why experts ask to start with the p=none policy is because it helps you enlist all the legitimate sources sending emails from your domain.... --- #### External DNS records required for SPF in Microsoft 365 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/external-dns-records-required-for-spf-in-microsoft-365/ Description: SPF records are TXT records that prevent unauthorized emails sent from your domain from landing in the recipients’ inboxes. SPF records are TXT records that prevent unauthorized emails sent from your domain from landing in the recipients’ inboxes. This minimizes the chances of someone getting duped under the impression that an official representative from your company is communicating with them, asking for sensitive details or transferring money. Domain owners are allowed to have only one SPF record per domain. A single SPF record can have multiple inclusions; however, you should ensure the total number of DNS lookups is at most 10. Use a tool to look up your SPF record and count them before you publish. Why is there a DNS lookup limit of 10? Staying within the DNS lookup limit of 10 is important to avoid SPF PermError. Otherwise, SPF validation will fail, prompting receiving servers to invalidate your SPF record altogether. The DNS lookup limit exists for two primary reasons- DNS query overhead and network latency. DNS query overhead Upon receiving an email from your domain, the recipient’s server retrieves the SPF record corresponding to your domain. It sends queries to DNS, and this process sometimes involves multiple lookups. Had unlimited DNS lookup been allowed, the DNS server would get bombarded with requests, leading to technical issues... --- #### Troubleshooting DKIM issues for Google Workspace URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/troubleshooting-dkim-issues-for-google-workspace/ Description: If your legitimate emails are failing DKIM authentication, being rejected, or being marked as spam, there might be a misconfiguration in your email authentication records. If your legitimate emails are failing DKIM authentication, being rejected, or being marked as spam, there might be a misconfiguration in your email authentication records. To know the problem, you need to check your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. This guide is here to help you with checking misconfigurations in DKIM. 1\. Verify if emails are passing DKIM checks - Send a message from your domain and check the email headers to see if it passed DKIM. - If it didn’t pass, try sending the email to a personal Gmail address to rule out problems with the recipient’s server. - In Gmail, click ‘Show original’ for the email and check the DKIM status. - Use Google’s Admin Toolbox Messageheader tool to check the DKIM status by entering the email headers. 2\. Verify your DKIM key is correct at your domain provider There is a limit of 255 characters with most of the DKIM TXT records. You can’t enter a 2048-bit key as a single text string with a 255-character TXT record limit. The DKIM key might be truncated or sent in the wrong order. Here are the steps recommended to take care of this problem- - Here’s a simplified version... --- #### Using DKIM selectors to enhance control over email authentication URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/using-dkim-selectors-to-enhance-control-over-email-authentication/ Description: DKIM comes in handy in letting your recipients know if any malicious entity has tampered with the email content in transit. DKIM comes in handy in letting your recipients know if any malicious entity has tampered with the email content in transit. A DKIM selector is part of the whole DKIM process and is especially necessary when publishing multiple DKIM records. When you publish several DKIM records, multiple DKIM keys get involved, which is where the DKIM selectors are used. DKIM selectors are alphanumeric strings formed with random characters that retrieve the individual source names, server locations, and signing dates. They identify the specific DKIM key used to sign email, letting domain owners manage multiple keys for different email streams without confusion and clutter. This enhances control over email authentication by enabling key rotation, improving security, and making it easier to troubleshoot or segment email flows. Let’s understand this in detail. How do DKIM selectors help? DKIM selectors offer domain owners added flexibility and security in DKIM key management in the following ways- Multiple key management With a DKIM selector, you can use multiple keys for different purposes. For example, Key A can be used for internal emails and Key B for marketing or transactional emails. The selector in the email header identifies which DKIM key was used to sign the... --- #### Solving DMARC’s failures with mailing lists URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/solving-dmarcs-failures-with-mailing-lists/ Description: It’s believed that DMARC can’t work well with a mailing list, a group of names and addresses of people who receive emails from you via emails. It’s believed that DMARC can’t work well with a mailing list, a group of names and addresses of people who receive emails from you via emails. While DMARC may create some problems with the mailing list, fixing this issue isn’t challenging. We will suggest some configurations and other things that you need to take care of to enable mailing lists to function properly and also be able to relay messages for your DMARC-compliant domains. Before you start, check your DMARC record to confirm your current policy and alignment. Why does DMARC encounter problems with mailing lists? While DMARC is a reliable, practical, and widely acceptable email security protocol, it can encounter technical issues when emails pass through mail lists due to the forwarding and modifying nature of these lists. Here’s a more detailed explanation of the factors affecting DMARC’s working when it comes to using the ‘mailing list’ feature. Emails get modified Mailing lists tend to themselves modify the email content by adding headers or footers with unsubscribe links, list details, advertisements, etc. Due to such modifications, the DKIM signature originally applied by you gets invalidated. Since DKIM is responsible for verifying that nobody tampered with emails in transit, the... --- #### Configuring DMARC for validating the FROM: address domain for senders in Microsoft 365 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/configuring-dmarc-for-validating-the-from-address-domain-senders-in-microsoft-365/ Description: DMARC validates emails sent from your Microsoft 365 domain to prevent spoofed senders from attempting business email compromise (BEC) attacks, ransomware, and other phishing instances. DMARC validates emails sent from your Microsoft 365 domain to prevent spoofed senders from attempting business email compromise (BEC) attacks, ransomware, and other phishing instances. For the DMARC validation process, the domains in the MAIL FROM and FROM addresses are verified for alignment. DMARC in Microsoft 365 for different domain types For MOERA domain users SPF and DKIM are already configured for Microsoft Online Email Routing Address or MOERA domain (for example, testing.onmicrosoft.com), but you have to generate and publish a DMARC record for it in the Microsoft 365 admin center. See our walkthrough on how to create a DMARC record if you're doing this for the first time. For custom domain users You need to set up SPF and DKIM for all the domains and subdomains you own, including the parked ones. Once done, you need to configure DMARC for them, as described later in this article. Here are a few considerations you need to bear in mind- Subdomains For email services you don’t control directly, it’s better to use a subdomain so that you don’t have to deal with related issues. This will also protect your brand reputation. Unlike SPF and DKIM, a DMARC TXT record automatically covers... --- #### Is Your Google Workspace DKIM Setup Broken? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/is-your-google-workspace-dkim-setup-broken/ Description: Deploying and configuring DKIM on Google Workspace is a two-step process, and administrators often skip the second step. Deploying and configuring DKIM on Google Workspace is a two-step process, and administrators often skip the second step. In such cases, DKIM and DMARC function properly, and email delivery is not impacted either. However, DKIM doesn’t authenticate emails using your custom domain. Let’s see what these two steps are and how you can avoid breaking up the Google Workspace DKIM setup. If you haven’t already, you’ll also need to create a DMARC record for your domain so authentication works end to end. Step One of Google Workspace DKIM Setup Start by generating a pair of cryptographically secured public and private keys. Then, use your DKIM record to set up DNS for the domain to serve the record under google.\domainkeys.example.com, where you have to replace example.com with the Google Workspace domain. Many administrators mistakenly believe that the DKIM setup is complete after the first step. However, it’s crucial to understand that this step alone doesn’t enable Google to sign emails using your domain as the signing domain. To achieve this, the second step is essential. Step Two of Google Workspace DKIM Setup Create a DKIM record, add it to your DNS, and wait for the changes to propagate. After that, you... --- #### How Does Email Forwarding Break DMARC? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-does-email-forwarding-break-dmarc/ Description: Emails are forwarded more often than we realize, and while DKIM isn’t affected by email forwarding, SPF and DMARC may break. Emails are forwarded more often than we realize, and while DKIM isn’t affected by email forwarding, SPF and DMARC may break. For SPF, you create a list of senders officially authorized to send emails on your behalf. When an email is forwarded, the initial recipient becomes the sender; so, if the initial recipient’s IP address isn’t part of the sending domain’s SPF record, SPF will break. This happens because the Return-Path header and From domains aren’t the same. Email forwarding and integration of third-party vendor security services’ outbound SMTP servers adversely impact DMARC authentication in several ways. Email Forwarding and DMARC The email security services of vendors act as intermediary SMTP servers and examine emails for spam, phishing, ransomware, spyware, etc., while also archiving, encrypting, or modifying messages for security purposes. Outbound SMTP servers send or resend emails after processing. When a message is forwarded through services like this, its SPF alignment is highly likely to fail. This may happen as the service is used by an intermediary like a mailing list or the recipient’s domain, as the outbound SMTP server isn’t a part of the sender’s SPF record. This whole exercise breaks DMARC as the protocol requires either SPF... --- #### Emails Landing in Spam Folders? DMARC Can Fix it URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/emails-landing-in-spam-folders-dmarc-can-fix-it/ Description: Nobody drafts an email intending to have it land in the spam or junk folder of the recipient, but when it happens, your communication gets hampered. Nobody drafts an email intending to have it land in the spam or junk folder of the recipient, but when it happens, your communication gets hampered. You either fail to communicate a message or don’t get a response unless the recipient happens to check their spam folder. Mailboxes place suspicious emails in spam folders to protect users from email-based cyberattacks like phishing and spoofing. However, sometimes valid emails get marked as spam by Gmail and other mailbox providers. If this happens to you more often than ever, then you need to implement DMARC to improve your domain’s reputation and email deliverability. If DMARC is already affixed to your domain and most of your legitimate emails are still landing in the spam folders, then there must be something wrong with your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records and their configurations. This blog shares quick fixes for both scenarios. What is a Spam Email as per Mailbox Providers like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.? As per mailbox providers, a spam email is an unsolicited and usually irrelevant or inappropriate message sent typically to many recipients at once. It’s sent for advertising, phishing, spreading malware, or other malicious activities. These emails are often sent in... --- #### Receiving the Maximum Benefits From DMARC Reporting and Monitoring URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/receiving-the-maximum-benefits-from-dmarc-reporting-and-monitoring/ Description: DMARC reporting and monitoring is the practice of choosing to receive DMARC aggregate and forensic reports. DMARC reporting and monitoring is the practice of choosing to receive DMARC aggregate and forensic reports. A dedicated DMARC monitoring service handles the collection and parsing of those reports so your team can focus on the findings. These are detailed reports that include insights on email activities that businesses study to learn about false positives and domain exploitation instances. If evaluated adequately and regularly, you can prevent potential financial and reputational damages caused by phishing attacks attempted in your name. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022 showed that 83% of organizations that suffered a cyber attack in the past year said that it was caused by phishing. Let’s understand how businesses can prevent such unfortunate events by leveraging the best features of DMARC reports. Benefits of DMARC Reporting and Monitoring for Businesses You receive DMARC reports in an XML format, which is difficult to decipher by people lacking proficiency in coding. You can use a converter that translates such reports into simple English language that can be understood by anyone. A dedicated DMARC report analyzer parses these XML files automatically and turns them into readable insights. You can choose to convert the data in a simple tabular form or other... --- #### Learning to Setup SPF, DKIM, and DMARC in Google Workspace URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/learning-to-setup-spf-dkim-and-dmarc-in-google-workspace/ Description: In November 2022, the Google Workspace team saw a spike in phishing and spoofing emails targeted toward Gmail users. In November 2022, the Google Workspace team saw a spike in phishing and spoofing emails targeted toward Gmail users. As a result, Google blocked almost 231 billion emails in just two weeks. That’s why experts suggest configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records in Google Workspace, and this guide explains the steps for that. If you are new to how these three protocols differ, our SPF vs DKIM vs DMARC guide breaks it down. Setting Up SPF For Google Workspace An SPF record contains a list of allowlisted IP addresses and mail servers that send emails on your behalf. Here are steps to add SPF for your domain in Google Workspace: - Create an SPF record and incorporate the ‘include:\spf.google.com’ mechanism. - Copy your newly generated SPF record. - Add the newly generated SPF record to your DNS provider. You can use an online SPF record generator to build the record quickly and avoid syntax mistakes. That’s it, and you are done. Please ensure you don’t have multiple SPF records corresponding to a single domain. This will trigger the ‘Multiple SPF Records’ SPF Permerror. Also, if multiple IP ranges, ESPs, or third parties are involved in your email infrastructure, include them... --- #### How to Add a DMARC Record to DNS? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-to-add-a-dmarc-record-to-dns/ Description: Learning how to generate and add a DMARC record to DNS helps fortify phishing and spoofing attacks. Learning how to generate and add a DMARC record to DNS helps fortify phishing and spoofing attacks. DMARC is short for Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance, a protocol designed to help recipients’ mail servers identify genuine and suspicious emails. Setting it up correctly is how you stop email spoofing with DMARC. To add a dmarc record to DNS, you need to update your DNS settings with a defined TXT record that specifies your DMARC policy. This is a step-by-step guide on the same. If you haven't made one yet, follow our guide on how to create a DMARC record first. You can create DMARC record values with a generator first, then add them to your DNS using the steps below. Steps to Add DMARC Record at Your DNS Provider Here’s a basic template of the process. The actual process may vary slightly depending on what DNS provider you choose. Consider tailoring them as per your company and domain’s email security policies, requirements, and expectations. Also, ensure you have already created and published SPF and DKIM records before focusing on how to add a DMARC record to DNS. 1\. Visit Your DNS Hosting Provider and Look for an Option to... --- #### A Guide to Choosing the Best DMARC Reporting Tool for Your Business URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/guide-to-choosing-best-dmarc-reporting-tool-for-business/ Description: If you thought that simply deploying DMARC on your email ecosystem was sufficient to ensure comprehensive protection against spoofing and phishing attacks. If you thought that simply deploying DMARC on your email ecosystem was sufficient to ensure comprehensive protection against spoofing and phishing attacks, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise! Unfortunately, DMARC isn’t a “deploy and done” authentication protocol. If you are just starting out, it helps to first learn about DMARC and how it works. To steer malicious actors away from your domain and ensure that your email lands in the intended receiver’s inbox, an extensive analysis of DMARC deployment is crucial. A DMARC report employs RUA and RUF tags to give you insights into the authentication results of emails claiming to be from the domain, including whether the emails passed or failed authentication checks. As a domain owner or an MSP, you can leverage these reports to analyze your/your client’s email traffic, keep a tab on potential phishing attempts, and take corrective actions to improve email authentication. This is where structured DMARC reporting turns raw data into decisions you can act on. But from where do you get such information? There are a plethora of dedicated tools that generate DMARC reports to help you gain an understanding of your email authentication practices. Let us take a look at... --- #### DMARC RUA Vs. RUF Reports URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dmarc-rua-vs-ruf-reports/ Description: DMARC is not just about creating a record and defining DMARC policies. DMARC is not just about creating a record and defining DMARC policies. You have to gain insights into how it works and figure out if your record needs any advancements or demotions. This careful analysis is done by adding RUA and RUF tags to a record, followed by email addresses where you want to receive these reports. This guide dives deep into RUA vs RUF reports. DMARC RUA Report In the first leg of this guide on RUA vs RUF reports, let’s see what is a DMARC RUA report and why do you need it. So, the RUA report is short for aggregate report, and it includes information concerning your email-sending domain’s traffic. You get an overview of how emails come in and go out of your company. These DMARC RUA reports give you a bird’s-eye view of every stream sending as your domain. This general report doesn’t contain any sensitive information and is only meant to help you figure out the instances of false and true positives. If analyzed proficiently, it prevents phishing and domain spoofing attacks. A DMARC XML parser tool makes that analysis practical instead of manual. Inclusions of a DMARC RUA Report RUA vs RUF reports... --- #### The Impact of Email Forwarding on SPF, DKIM, and DMARC URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/the-impact-of-email-forwarding-on-spf-dkim-and-dmarc/ Description: So you have your email authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, yet your DMARC report shows discrepancies in the alignment? So you have your email authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, yet your DMARC report shows discrepancies in the alignment? Chances are that your emails were being passed through an intermediary mail server before they were delivered. This is a classic case of email forwarding. But then why implement email forwarding if it can compromise your email security, you ask? The thing is, at times, emails are automatically forwarded, and other times, it can happen through mailing lists such as Google Groups. So, when the forwarded email lands in the receiver’s inbox, it raises a few eyebrows while jeopardizing your email authentication infrastructure. Let us take a look at how email forwarding can affect your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC implementation! If you need a refresher on how the three protocols differ, see SPF vs DKIM vs DMARC. How Does Email Forwarding Affect SPF? You might already know that SPF or Sender Policy Framework is deployed to specify the server and networks that allow the Return-Path to send an email on behalf of the domain owner, but what happens when the Return-Path domain is modified? Let’s break it down for you! So, when you send an email to the recipient who... --- #### How Often Should You Rotate Your DKIM Keys? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-often-should-you-rotate-your-dkim-keys/ Description: DKIM, which is short for DomainKeys Identified Mail, is an email authentication method that supports a receiver’s email server in verifying if the signed. DKIM, which is short for DomainKeys Identified Mail, is an email authentication method that supports a receiver’s email server in verifying if the signed fields of an incoming email have been tampered with in transit or not. This phenomenon is performed by matching the public and private keys at the recipient’s end. As per M3AAWG or the Messaging, Malware, and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group, domain owners and administrators should regularly rotate DKIM keys to minimize the risk of being compromised by malicious actors for attempting phishing and email spoofing attacks. But why is this practice critical, and how can you rotate your DKIM keys? Well, please keep reading as we have answered these and some other vital questions in this article. DKIM and DKIM Keys DKIM lets receivers know if a hacker or unauthorized entity altered the content of an email in transit. To begin with, you need to generate a pair of public and private keys. The public key is stored in the DNS, and email servers can retrieve it for the authentication process. On the other hand, the private key is secretly stored on the sender’s server and generates appropriate DKIM headers for all outgoing messages. There are... --- #### Top Valimail’s Alternatives to DMARC Report Monitoring URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/top-valimails-alternatives-to-dmarc-report-monitoring/ Description: While Valimail is a well-known choice for DMARC report monitoring, several alternatives offer strong features and capabilities to enhance email security. While Valimail is a well-known choice for DMARC report monitoring, several alternatives offer strong features and capabilities to enhance email security. When selecting a DMARC solution, consider the specific needs and requirements of your organization. Exploring these alternatives can help you find the best DMARC monitoring solution to protect your email domain from spoofing and phishing attacks: EasyDMARC EasyDMARC is a cloud-based DMARC solution designed to enhance email security by offering organizations comprehensive visibility into email authentication and enforcement. This platform equips users with a range of reports and alerts, which serve as valuable tools for monitoring and evaluating their DMARC implementation. With EasyDMARC, organizations can efficiently track their progress in aligning email authentication protocols, such as SPF and DKIM, and gain insights into email traffic behavior. OnDMARC OnDMARC offers crucial visibility into email authentication and enforcement efforts, helping organizations strengthen their email protection. It provides a range of reports and alerts that offer valuable insights into an organization’s DMARC progress and potential email security threats. With these features, organizations can effectively monitor and manage their DMARC policies, gain a deeper understanding of their email ecosystem, and promptly identify and address any unauthorized or suspicious email activities. DMARC Report DMARC... --- #### Top EasyDMARC’s DMARC Report Monitoring Alternatives URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/top-easydmarcs-dmarc-report-monitoring-alternatives/ Description: DMARC report monitoring is a crucial part of email security, helping protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. DMARC report monitoring is a crucial part of email security, helping protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. Consistent DMARC reporting is what gives you visibility into who is sending mail as your domain. EasyDMARC is a popular DMARC report monitoring solution, but there are many other alternatives available. From pricing, feature set and ease of use to scalability and customer support, there are many reasons to consider other DMARC report monitoring solutions in place of EasyDMARC. Let’s delve into a detailed analysis of some of these, so you can determine which one aligns best with your objectives and constraints. MXToolbox MXToolbox is a popular alternative that provides a comprehensive set of email and DNS management tools, including DMARC report monitoring. It offers a user-friendly interface, valuable insights into email deliverability, and helpful diagnostics for email security issues. MXToolbox is known for its extensive reporting capabilities and the ability to help businesses understand DMARC reports and make informed decisions to enhance email security. DMARC Report DMARC Report is a cost-effective option that offers good value for organizations looking to improve their email security posture. It streamlines the DMARC setup process, making it accessible for businesses looking for a... --- #### Protecting Your Email Infrastructure with DMARC for Office 365 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/protecting-your-email-infrastructure-with-dmarc-for-office-365/ Description: Domain owners implement DMARC to prevent email spoofing and phishing by instructing recipients’ mail servers on what actions to take against emails that are. Domain owners implement DMARC to prevent email spoofing and phishing by instructing recipients’ mail servers on what actions to take against emails that are sent from your domain but don’t pass the DMARC authentication test. DMARC authentication is based on SPF and DKIM results. So, if an email fails SPF and/or DKIM checks, the DMARC record tells if it should get placed in the spam folder or rejected. In the initial phase of DMARC implementation, you can also set your record to monitoring, which means no action will be taken against illegitimate messages dispatched from your domain. DMARC ensures the destination mailboxes trust messages sent on your organization’s behalf and don’t highlight them as suspicious, which could otherwise lead to email deliverability issues and degradation of domain quality. How SPF and DKIM Protect Email Spoofing and Phishing in Microsoft Office 365? An email can have multiple originator or sender addresses that serve various purposes. Here’s what is included- ‘Mail From’ Address This address locates the sender and indicates where to send notices for non-delivery. The Mail From address is in the email’s envelope (not shown in your email app) and is also called the 5321. Mail From or reverse-path address.... --- #### Switch From p=quarantine to p=reject in DMARC? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/switch-from-pquarantine-to-preject-in-dmarc/ Description: When and how to move your DMARC policy from p=quarantine to p=reject without breaking legitimate mail. [Get DMARC Enforcement in 90 Days. Guaranteed. \[Click Here\]](https://dmarcreport.com/) It’s no news that domains compliant with DMARC are less vulnerable to becoming targets of phishing-based cyberattacks than the ones not using it. In fact, domains without DMARC enforcement are 4.75x more likely to be the target of spoofing versus domains with DMARC enforcement. There are 3 DMARC policies and each of them represents an action that recipients’ mail servers are instructed to take against unauthentic email sources. This blog revolves around these policies and explains which one you should set, depending upon the nature and intricacies of your business architecture and domain utility. DMARC Policies: None, Quarantine, and Reject DMARC stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance. It’s an email authentication and security protocol that defines what to do with emails sent from your domain that fail SPF and/or DKIM checks. It’s such an important and result-driven security method that now it’s mandatory for PCI DSS compliance. This is to safeguard customer details to ward off potential phishing and spoofing attacks. The 3 DMARC policies are none, quarantine, and reject, so choosing a DMARC policy comes down to your domain's readiness. You can change them as and when you... --- #### How Organizations Can Prevent Email Spoofing with DMARC Compliance? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/how-organizations-can-prevent-email-spoofing-with-dmarc-compliance/ Description: Email spoofing tricks users into believing that the senders of malicious emails are genuine. Email spoofing tricks users into believing that the senders of malicious emails are genuine. A robust DMARC policy framework uses SPF and DKIM to identify spoof email attempts and prevents users from accessing them. Phishing attacks in the past used to be a hit-and-miss affair. The data gets compromised if the target opens the email and falls for it. However, cybersecurity awareness levels have increased among users. Secondly, technology has improved considerably over the years. Therefore, cyber threat actors have improvised their techniques to launch attacks and compromise information assets. One such malicious attack vector is email spoofing. What is email spoofing? Email spoofing is a cyber-attack where malicious actors target business network systems by sending phishing emails with forged sender addresses. The objective is to trick users into believing that someone known to the business is sending these emails. Therefore, the chances of passing spam filters are higher, leading to better email deliverability and open rate. As a result, cybercriminals achieve their goal of targeting business network systems and playing havoc with data privacy. So how do you arrest email spoofing? One way is to improve the potency of the email filtering systems to identify spam emails and relegate... --- #### Email Authentication in the Era of Phishing and Spam: The Role of DMARC, DKIM, and SPF URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/email-authentication-in-the-era-of-phishing-and-spam-the-role-of-dmarc-dkim-and-spf/ Description: In this article, we will explore the role of three key email authentication protocols: DMARC, DKIM, and SPF. In this article, we will explore the role of three key email authentication protocols: DMARC, DKIM, and SPF, and how they play a vital role in the era of phishing and email spam protection for businesses and individuals. Email is a crucial communication tool for businesses to interact with customers, clients, and employees. However, it has become a prime target for phishing and spam. Organizations, thus, need to understand the role of email authentication protocols such as DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and how these can be used to ensure the best protection against email-based attacks. Let’s delve deeper into how these technologies work and how they can help safeguard your organization’s email communications. Understanding the Threat of Phishing and Email Spam The threat of phishing and spam to businesses is paramount in the current digital landscape. These nefarious activities represent a significant security vulnerability, as they often target unsuspecting individuals to extract sensitive information for financial gain. Here are a few statistics to paint a clearer picture: - Recent data reveals that in 2023, the number of emails sent and received worldwide each day has increased by 4.3%,... --- #### Why is Email Security Important for Businesses Today? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-is-email-security-important-for-businesses-today-2/ Description: With cybercriminals using the email route to introduce malware into network systems. With cybercriminals using the email route to introduce malware into network systems, adopting the right email security measures has become paramount in today’s most emerging threat landscape. Protecting your organization’s information asset’s confidentiality, integrity, and availability is crucial because of technological improvements in the wake of the latest security threats. Businesses, especially SMEs, must know that phishing emails are the primary modus operandi for cybercriminals to introduce malware into information network systems. Therefore, email security gains significance for businesses to protect themselves from malicious threats. What is Email Security? Email security is a comprehensive term representing various methods, tools, strategies, policies, and approaches for protecting email communication, accounts, and associated information of organizations and individuals from unauthorized access. Email security involves safeguarding any information transmitted via email to prevent intruders from accessing it. Besides, it includes anti-spam measures, like authentication tokens, to legitimize email messages and ensure they originate from a trusted source. In addition, it monitors email traffic to detect suspicious activity and offers virus and malware protection as additional security measures. Why is Email Security Critical for Businesses? Besides helping businesses defend their overall cybersecurity posture, email security is critical because, · It protects business networks from malicious... --- #### Why Email Authentication Matters for Businesses URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/why-email-authentication-matters-for-businesses/ Description: Emails are the bulwark of official business communications. But unfortunately, cybercriminals also use the same route to launch their malicious attacks. Emails are the bulwark of official business communications. But unfortunately, cybercriminals also use the same route to launch their malicious attacks. Hence, email authentication becomes crucial for organizations to prevent cyberattacks and protect their information assets. While cyber-attacks have improved in quantum and severity over the years, the primary mode of delivery has mostly stayed the same because emails are still the most-preferred attack modes cybercriminals use. Therefore, email security has become a crucial aspect of every cybersecurity strategy that cybersecurity professionals or organizations must pay attention to. This article discusses why email authentication matters to businesses and the different evolving methodologies to ensure 100% email security. Email Security Stats You Need to Pay Attention to! Here are some crucial statistics pertaining to email security that you need to know about: - The latest 2021 FBI IC3 report indicates that phishing remains the most prevalent threat in the US, with its victims increasing by 34% compared to the previous year. - A Barracuda research report states that Gmail accounts for the mode of delivery for 91% of bait emails. - Verizon’s 2022 DBIR shows the presence of a human element in 82% of data breaches that include stolen credentials and... --- #### Learn What SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are to Ensure Email Security for Your Domain in 2023 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/learn-what-spf-dkim-and-dmarc-are-to-ensure-email-security-for-your-domain-in-2023/ Description: Email authentication is becoming increasingly vital for email deliverability. Email authentication is becoming increasingly vital for email deliverability. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the three primary authentication methods used by ISPs to verify that an email received is from a legitimate source. This article will explain how SPF, DKIM, and DMARC work and how ISPs support them. It is vital to prevent individuals from emailing your domain address without authorization. SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) are three well-known email authentication methods. They help ISPs, and email services confirm that a particular sender is legitimately authorized to send emails from a specific domain. These techniques verify whether emails are being sent through the proper source server. Taking proactive steps will help ensure that unauthorized emails are not sent in your name. Verifying your account with these parameters will ensure that the server on the receiving end recognizes you as a valid sender. You can adjust these settings easily in the domain panel by adding TXT records to the domain DNS (Domain Name System). The article will discuss setting up and configuring these protocols to ensure your emails are correctly authenticated and delivered to the inbox without fail. The working... --- #### DKIM Best Practices You Need to Implement in 2022 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/dkim-best-practices-you-need-to-implement-in-2022/ Description: DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email security standard that organizations need to make the most of to identify and detect email security threats if. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email security standard that organizations need to make the most of to identify and detect email security threats if the email conversation appears altered in transit. This text provides a brief overview of the DKIM protocol, its need, and the best practices to follow when implementing the DKIM protocol. What is DKIM? DKIM is a technique used for authenticating emails to allow recipients to verify the legitimacy of an email source. The DKIM ensures the email sender is genuine by attaching a digital signature in the email’s header. Furthermore, the DKIM employs encryption techniques and improves email deliverability and security. Why do you need DKIM? There are nearly 4.258 billion email users in 2022, a number expected to rise to 4.594 billion in the next three years. With emails serving as the primary source of conveying and exchanging information worldwide, there is a huge need to ensure the authenticity of an email, especially in the corporate world, a service fulfilled by the DKIM protocol. An adequately configured DKIM protocol used in conjunction with SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) for outbound SMTP can ensure a robust email security... --- #### What is DMARC and Does It Protect Email Recipients From Fraud? URL: https://dmarcreport.com/blog/what-is-dmarc-and-does-it-protect-email-recipients-from-fraud/ Description: Discover how an innovative approach to email security protects against phishing What if there was a way to protect your brand from bad actors using your email. Discover how an innovative approach to email security protects against phishing What if there was a way to protect your brand from bad actors using your email address for fraudulent activity? It’s a well-known fact that cybercriminals impersonate trusted contacts in order to commit fraud. In fact, 70 percent of all email fraud is sent from a domain name that doesn’t match the one named in the email header. This approach relies on the fact that email clients do not automatically check whether individual messages actually come from the domain they claim to come from. However, there is a way to independently verify emails that claim to come from your domain. This method is called Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance, DMARC for short, and it protects your brand against spammers forging email addresses that appear to come from your domain even if they did not originate from your validate Outbound SMTPsmtp server. This technology offers numerous benefits to brands, and it isn’t hard to implement. Read on to find out more about DMARC and how you can use it to stop fraudulent email activity conducted in your name. What is DMARC DMARC is an important tool for maintaining trust... --- ## Compare #### The 15 Best Valimail Alternatives for DMARC Management and Email Authentication in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/compare/top-valimail-alternatives/ Description: If you’re exploring options beyond Valimail, you’re not alone. As email authentication becomes a critical layer of brand protection and deliverability,... If you’re exploring options beyond Valimail, you’re not alone. As email authentication becomes a critical layer of brand protection and deliverability, many organizations are searching for Valimail alternatives that provide more visibility, flexibility, and cost control. Valimail is a pioneer in the DMARC enforcement space, trusted by global enterprises for its domain protection technology. However, several newer platforms now offer more user-friendly interfaces, better automation, and richer reporting at varying price points. In this guide, we’ll walk through the 15 best Valimail alternatives in 2026, breaking down each tool’s features, use cases, and pricing. Our goal: help you choose the right DMARC management platform to safeguard your domain and optimize your email deliverability. Why Look for a Valimail Alternative? Valimail offers solid functionality, but it’s not always the best fit for every organization. Common reasons teams explore other options include: - Complexity and learning curve: Smaller teams may find Valimail’s enterprise-level dashboards overwhelming. - Limited reporting depth: While Valimail handles policy enforcement well, its forensic and aggregate reporting can feel restricted. - Opaque pricing: Valimail’s enterprise-first pricing isn’t always transparent, which makes it hard for smaller organizations to budget. - Integration gaps: Many businesses want tools that natively integrate with... --- #### The 15 Best EasyDMARC Alternatives in 2026 URL: https://dmarcreport.com/compare/top-easydmarc-alternatives/ Description: If you’re exploring EasyDMARC alternatives, you’re not alone. Introduction If you’re exploring EasyDMARC alternatives, you’re not alone. As businesses become more reliant on email for customer communication and brand reputation, DMARC compliance has evolved from a best practice into a critical security requirement. EasyDMARC is one of the most popular solutions for managing DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records, but it’s not the only one. Some organizations outgrow its capabilities, seeking more granular insights, stronger automation, and wider integration support. Whether you’re managing multiple domains, want deeper forensics, or need customizable alerts, this guide covers the top 15 EasyDMARC alternatives in 2026, based on technical performance, customer feedback, and ease of use. Why Consider an EasyDMARC Alternative? EasyDMARC simplifies email authentication, but many teams find they eventually need more advanced features as their email ecosystems grow, or simply want a faster way to check domain authentication across every sender. Here are the most common reasons companies look for alternatives: 1. More detailed reporting: Easier access to raw DMARC data, forensic insights, and trend visualization. 2. Better integrations: Seamless setup with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, AWS SES, and major ESPs. 3. Enterprise scalability: Centralized control over hundreds of domains or subdomains. 4. Flexible automation: Policy enforcement suggestions, automated SPF flattening,... --- #### Top 14 PowerDMARC Alternatives in 2026: Best DMARC Tools & Email Authentication Platforms URL: https://dmarcreport.com/compare/top-powerdmarc-alternatives/ Description: PowerDMARC has long been a trusted name in the world of DMARC compliance and email authentication, but it’s not the only game in town. As email... PowerDMARC has long been a trusted name in the world of DMARC compliance and email authentication, but it’s not the only game in town. As email security threats evolve and phishing attacks grow more sophisticated, organizations need more flexible, more insightful, and more cost-efficient DMARC solutions. If you’re exploring PowerDMARC alternatives, this guide will help you make an informed decision. After evaluating over 25 DMARC monitoring and reporting platforms, we’ve compiled the 14 best PowerDMARC alternatives for 2026, covering features, usability, integrations, and pricing, with DMARCReport leading the list as the most advanced and user-friendly option. Why You Might Be Looking for a PowerDMARC Alternative PowerDMARC offers strong features for policy enforcement, but many organizations outgrow its limitations. Common reasons teams start seeking an alternative include: 1. Limited reporting depth, Some users need deeper analytics and per-sender insight beyond aggregate XML visualization. 2. Pricing scalability, PowerDMARC’s tiered pricing can quickly increase for multiple domains or subdomains. 3. Complex user experience, Security and compliance teams may want more intuitive dashboards and automation tools. 4. Integration gaps, PowerDMARC’s compatibility with mail gateways, CRMs, and security stacks can be limited in certain setups. If any of these apply to you, it’s worth exploring... ---