DMARC: The First Step to Protecting Your Customers
Did you know that over 80% of companies don’t have their DMARC record in enforcement mode? This means that most businesses leave themselves wide open to email spoofing attacks, putting both their customers and their reputation at risk.
Why Does This Matter?
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is a powerful record that can stop cybercriminals from sending fake emails that appear to come from your company. It builds on SPF and DKIM, two email authentication standards, to verify whether an email is legitimate. If your DMARC policy is set to “p=none” (which means there’s no enforcement), simply said no protection! Attackers can send spoofed emails that look like they’re from you, and your customers will have no way of knowing the difference.
The Danger of a Weak DMARC Policy
If your DMARC record isn’t set up for enforcement, you're leaving the door wide open for bad actors to impersonate your domain. The scary part? All it takes is one simple line of PowerShell, and cybercriminals can send emails from “you”, no account compromise necessary.
Imagine one of your customers gets an email that looks exactly like it’s from your company. They open it, click a link, and unknowingly give away their personal info or worse, their payment details. That’s how easy it is for attackers to exploit a weak DMARC policy. And once customers start getting scammed by what they think are emails from you, trust in your brand takes a major hit.
The Real-World Risks
Spoofing Without Compromise
Attackers don’t need to break into your systems to wreak havoc. With no enforcement on your DMARC policy, they can send fake emails from your domain effortlessly, tricking your customers into thinking those emails are legitimate.Customer Trust Erodes
Once your customers start receiving fraudulent emails “from you,” it’s only a matter of time before they lose confidence in your brand. Trust is hard to build but very easy to lose and if your email security isn’t strong, you’ll be putting it at risk.Financial and Reputational Damage
Customers who fall for phishing emails may end up losing money or compromising their sensitive information. The financial and reputational fallout from a single spoofing attack can be massive.
The Surprising Part? Many Companies Don’t Have DMARC in Place
It’s shocking how many businesses, even with large cybersecurity budgets, don’t have this free protection properly set up. Companies spend millions on firewalls, threat detection systems, and antivirus software but often overlook one of the simplest ways to prevent phishing attacks: a DMARC record that’s configured and enforced.
The Fix: Set DMARC to Enforce
So, how do you make sure your customers and your company are protected?
Implement SPF and DKIM
These two email authentication protocols are the foundation of DMARC. Make sure both are correctly set up for your domain.Monitor Your DMARC Record
Begin by setting your DMARC policy to “p=none”—this is a monitoring-only mode that allows you to gather valuable insights. Use the reports to track which emails are passing or failing authentication, and ensure all legitimate emails are properly authenticated.
Move DMARC to Enforcement Mode
Don’t leave your DMARC policy in “p=none” (monitor-only mode). Set it to “p=quarantine” or “p=reject” to ensure that emails failing authentication checks are blocked or flagged.
Protect Your Customers, Protect Your Brand
Email spoofing is one of the easiest ways for attackers to trick your customers, and if your DMARC isn’t enforced, you’re handing them the keys. With so many companies failing to implement this basic, free protection, don’t make the same mistake. Properly configuring and enforcing your DMARC policy is the first step in keeping your customers safe from phishing and protecting your brand’s reputation. It's a small step that makes a huge difference.
For help implementing or enforcing your DMARC record, contact dustin@127sec.com and ensure your customers are protected from email spoofing!
