10 Key Terms to Know About DMARC Services

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DMARC Services


Understanding DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) and its related technologies is crucial for protecting your domain from email-based threats. Here are 10 key terms that will help you better understand DMARC and its role in email authentication:

1. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)

DMARC is an email authentication protocol that allows domain owners to protect their domain from email spoofing. It works by ensuring that emails sent from a domain are properly authenticated using SPF and DKIM, and provides instructions on how to handle emails that fail these checks. DMARC also generates reports to provide visibility into unauthorized email activity.

2. SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

SPF is an email authentication technique used to prevent email spoofing. It allows domain owners to specify which IP addresses or mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of the domain. When an email is received, the receiving server checks the SPF record of the sender's domain to verify whether the email came from an authorized source.

3. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

DKIM is another email authentication method that helps ensure the integrity of an email's content. It uses a cryptographic signature to verify that the message has not been altered during transit. The signature is created by the sender's mail server and verified by the receiving server using the public key published in the sender's DNS.

4. Alignment

Alignment in DMARC refers to the matching of the domain in the "From" header of an email with the domain used in SPF and/or DKIM authentication. There are two types of alignment:

  • Strict Alignment: The domain in the "From" header must exactly match the domain in the SPF or DKIM signature.
  • Relaxed Alignment: The domains only need to share the same organizational domain (e.g., subdomains can match the parent domain).

5. DMARC Policy (p=none, p=quarantine, p=reject)

A DMARC policy instructs receiving mail servers on what to do with emails that fail the authentication checks. There are three policy options:

  • None (p=none): No action is taken, but DMARC reports are generated.
  • Quarantine (p=quarantine): Emails that fail are marked as spam or placed in the recipient's junk folder.
  • Reject (p=reject): Emails that fail are outright rejected and not delivered to the recipient.

6. Aggregate Report (RUA)

DMARC aggregate reports provide domain owners with an overview of all email activity for their domain, including which messages passed or failed authentication. These reports are typically sent in XML format and are essential for identifying unauthorized email sources or misconfigurations. The rua tag in a DMARC DNS record specifies where these aggregate reports should be sent.

7. Forensic Report (RUF)

Forensic reports, also known as failure reports, provide more detailed information about specific emails that failed DMARC authentication. Unlike aggregate reports, forensic reports are sent in real-time when an email fails SPF or DKIM checks. The ruf tag in the DMARC DNS record specifies where forensic reports should be sent.

8. DNS (Domain Name System)

DNS is the system used to translate human-readable domain names (e.g., example.com) into IP addresses that computers can understand. DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records are all stored in the DNS as text records (TXT), and receiving mail servers query these records to perform email authentication checks.

9. BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification)

BIMI is an emerging email standard that allows brands to display their logos next to authenticated emails in recipients' inboxes. To use BIMI, a domain must have a DMARC policy of either quarantine or reject. BIMI helps enhance brand recognition and provides recipients with visual assurance that an email is legitimate.

10. DMARC Service Provider

A DMARC service provider is a third-party company that helps businesses implement, manage, and monitor their DMARC authentication and reporting. These providers offer tools for setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, analyzing DMARC reports, and enforcing email authentication policies to prevent spoofing and phishing.

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