Why It Is Crucial To Check DMARC Records For Your Domain

What Is A DMARC Record?

The first step in implementing DMARC is creating a DMARC record. Hence it is essential for anyone who looks forward to using DMARC to understand what a DMARC record is.

A DMARC record defines the rulesets for a domain or the policies a domain owner chooses. It means that all email receivers with the DMARC setup would track whether an email originated from the domain itself. A DMARC record uses a Domain Name System (DNS) entry to regulate, erase and block all messages sent from outside the registered domain policy. It categorizes emails as per the email domain’s policy by looking at the SPF and DKIM status. A DNS manager looks for the domains in a format with a predefined prefix, like ‘_dmarc.domain1.com’ after registering a DMARC record in the DNS.

Once a record is set up, it is essential to check if the DMARC record is implemented correctly or not.

Why Is It Necessary To Check DMARC Record?

Since most official communication occurs via email, protecting a domain from being impersonated and misused by malicious third parties is essential. It is also vital to have a spam detection service that ensures that no fraudsters can manipulate the employees with a seemingly genuine payment request in a BEC scam or a CEO fraud.

DMARC is the solution to all such email security issues, and therefore it is vital to check the DMARC record to verify that it is valid and complies with the policies of the domain. A DMARC tester facilitates effortless DMARC lookup, which helps in quick and reliable email delivery, safety against fraudsters, and the ability to monitor domain usage online.

What Does A DMARC Record Check Do?

Although a DMARC policy doesn’t always guarantee that a suspicious email rejected by the domain won’t reach the recipient’s inbox (owing to the operation of local policies), it is adequate to a significant extent. There are three DMARC policies that a DMARC record check can perform:

• None: The ‘None’ or ‘Monitor’ policy gives insight into who the email sender is without impacting or preventing its deliverability.
• Quarantine: The ‘Quarantine’ policy goes beyond the ‘None’ policy and marks an email that fails the DMARC checks as spam. It ensures enhanced protection against spoofing by preventing non-compliant emails from reaching the recipient’s primary inbox.
• Reject: The ‘Reject’ policy sends DMARC reports and rejects emails that fail the DMARC checks from being delivered. Such emails are stopped and dismissed right at the initial stage and do not even stand a chance of reaching the recipients’ mailbox.

Benefits Of Using A DMARC Analyzer (Checker)

Since a DMARC analyzer enables DMARC check and email security, it is essential to incorporate it into the overall anti-phishing measures. Below given are a few important reasons why one must consider a DMARC analyzer:

• Efficient ‘Reject’ Policy: One of the primary reasons behind conducting a DMARC test is to create a ‘Reject’ policy that is quick to function, user-friendly, and facilitates governance and visibility across email channels. A DMARC analyzer provides an overview and easy-to-understand graphical presentation of data. Furthermore, DMARC analyzers can integrate with video presentation tools, and video presentation maker – allowing you to create compelling and informative summaries of DMARC data for stakeholders with varying technical backgrounds.
• Convenient And Guided Deployment: A paid DMARC analyzer program can come with dedicated specialists and DMARC deployment experts who guide and manage DMARC projects by mitigating risks and blocking phishing emails
• Controlling Damage From Phishing Attempts: A comprehensive DMARC analyzer can even enable organizations to closely monitor their email channel and look out for phishing attacks. If an attempt has already been launched, it helps gain insight into the attack and warn customers well in advance, thereby reducing the chances of their falling for the phishing scams.

How To Perform A DMARC Test

A DMARC analyzing software can test DMARC, provided the following prerequisites are met:

• The first step is to generate a DNS record or make sure you have one by checking your DNS records.
• If you did not find relevant DMARC records for your domain, generate them for the business’s domain; you can use a DMARC generator for the same.
• Now go back to the ‘Manage DNS’ section in the DNS provider settings.
• For all domain(s) approved, add a new TXT record and store it.
• Once the first DMARC reports show up, validate the DMARC record (the process might take up to 72hours)
• Once DMARC is set up for one domain, it can be added to other domains using the same value to link it with the DMARC analyzer account. Reports will start coming in within three days (72 hours).

Final Words

SPF and DKIM do a fine job as email authentication tools, but DMARC connects them and ensures increased security. Implementing DMARC in the DNS record enables a domain to gain insight into its email channel and monitor the DKIM, SPF, and DMARC results. The three DMARC policies ensure that malicious emails from unknown sources are handled with caution. A DMARC analyzer can be an effective measure to uphold the reputation of a business and keep adversaries at bay, provided the DMARC lookup is done diligently and the record is configured accurately.