Spam email messages have been a scourge since the Internet’s inception, and they’ve only gotten worse as the number of connected devices and people using the Internet has increased. Despite several efforts to develop anti-spam tools, a significant number of unwanted messages are still sent every day.

Fortunately, it seems like things are changing recently, with the widespread adoption of three relatively new tools: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Let’s have a quick look at each of these tools and what they achieve.

What are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC?

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is a DNS text entry that displays a list of servers that are authorized to send mail for a particular domain. Since the owners/administrators are the only ones permitted to add/change the main domain field, the fact that SPF is a DNS entry can also be considered a way to enforce the fact that the list is authoritative for the domain.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) can be thought of as a way to ensure that the messages’ content is authentic, that is, that it hasn’t been updated since they left the original mail server. The introduction of the traditional public/private key signing protocol adds an extra layer of trustability. 

The domain’s owners add a DNS entry with the public DKIM key, which receivers can use to verify that the message’s DKIM signature is right, while the server will sign the entitled mail messages with the corresponding private key on the sender side.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) empowers SPF and DKIM by stating a simple policy for each of the aforementioned tools and allowing to set an address to submit information about the mail message statistics gathered by receivers against a particular domain.

How do they work?

All these tools rely heavily on DNS after the setup phase is finished, as explained below:

SPF

The receiving mail server retrieves the HELO message and the sender address upon receipt. The receiving mail server then performs a TXT DNS query against the alleged domain SPF entry. The SPF entry data is then used to validate the sender server. If the search fails, the sender server receives a rejection message.

DKIM

When sending an outgoing message, the domain infrastructure’s last server checks its internal settings to see if the domain used in the “From:” header is in its “signing table.” If the procedure does not end here, a new header named “DKIM-Signature” is applied to the mail message by using the private part of the key on the message content. 

The main content of the message cannot be changed from here on because the DKIM header will no longer fit. Upon receipt, the receiving server will perform a TXT DNS query to retrieve the key used in the DKIM-Signature sector. The DKIM header check result can then be used for deciding if a message is fraudulent or trustworthy.

DMARC

Upon receipt, the receiving mail server checks the DMARC record for any current DMARC policies and/or DKIM checks in the domain used by the SPF.

If either or both of the SPF and DKIM checks pass while remaining consistent with the DMARC policy, the check is considered successful; otherwise, if the DMARC check fails, based on the action published by the DMARC policy, it is marked as failed. If the check fails, based on the action published by the DMARC policy, different actions are taken.

Where Should You Start With Email Authentication?

The first move is to chat with your email support team on how to ensure that your emails are authenticated. 

We strongly advise using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication for your messages, regardless of how you go about it. You’ll be able to acronym like the best of them while maintaining the safety and security of your brand’s reputation.

In Conclusion

ProDMARC assists you in ensuring DMARC implementation with both the company and third-party vendors. ProDMARC, as a product built on a mission to achieve safe and spoofing-free email networks across the entire internet room, allows DMARC reporting, providing volumes and patterns of outbound mails, including phishing campaigns, and yields proof for outbound mails’ reliability in terms of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC compliance. Get Started with top-class cybersecurity solutions for your business at ProgIST. Get in touch with us for the best cybersecurity solutions.

Phishing and malware attacks are often carried out via email. According to a May 2016 cyber threat report by an Internet security technology company, the Locky ransomware was solely responsible for a 412 percent rise in malware emails in March compared to February. Although knowledge and preparation are the most universally successful countermeasures, according to a recent report from a popular technology website, even that is extremely difficult. 

A combination of training and technical developments is most likely needed. One of the above concerns the validity of emails. Can you depend on the sender’s address in an email? In most cases, no, but DMARC allows you to do so.

To begin, an email has two sender addresses: 

1. One is the “envelope” address, which is used as the return address if the email is not sent. The MAIL FROM SMTP comma is used to communicate between MTAs. The “envelope” address, which is used as a return address in the event that the email is not sent. The MAIL FROM SMTP command is used to communicate between MTAs.

2. The email address that you see in your email app is the address written in the letter itself. It’s communicated in the form of a “From” header.

What is DMARC?

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) is a free and open technical specification that aligns SPF and DKIM frameworks to authenticate an email. Domain owners, large and small, can combat business email compromise, phishing and spoofing by implementing DMARC. 

With DMARC you can tell the world how to handle the unauthorized use of your email domains by instituting a policy in your DMARC record. 

DMARC Policies

The three DMARC policies are:

p=none

It keeps track of your email traffic. There will be no further action taken.

p=quarantine

Unauthorized emails are routed to the spam folder.

p=reject

The final strategy and the ultimate aim of DMARC implementation. This policy prohibits unauthorized email from ever being delivered.

Why Use DMARC for Email?

Email is involved in more than 90% of all network attacks, and without DMARC, deciding whether an email is real or false can be difficult. By combating phishing, spoofing, CEO fraud, and Business Email Compromise, DMARC helps domain owners protect their domain(s) from unauthorized use.

The operator of an Internet domain will tell the world that “anything I send is easy to recognize using DMARC—feel free to drop fake email that pretends to be me” by always sending DMARC compliant email.

Instead of attempting to screen out malicious emails, why not provide operators with a way to quickly recognize legitimate emails? This is where DMARC shines as an anti-spoofing technology. The promise of DMARC is that it will replace the inherently flawed “filter out evil” email protection model with one that “filters in good.”

Benefits of DMARC

To ensure that your customers can trust your emails

Essentially, you want everyone on the internet to be able to trust your email messages without having to worry about cybercrime or the problems that cyber-attacks might create for your business. To trick their victims into giving up details, cybercriminals are increasingly using well-known brands to send out email blasts with their logo. This is something that a DMARC check can help you stop.

To protect your brand

Another reason to use DMARC is to safeguard your carefully cultivated brand image from irreversible damage. When it comes to building and retaining a strong brand, nothing is more important than confidence, so imagine cybercriminals impersonating you. Email reports would list you as the sender, and the receiver may not be aware that the message is not genuine. DMARC aids in the prevention of spam.

To prevent C-level fraud

Finally, DMARC email provides security against C-Level attacks. These are commonly referred to as ‘Whaling’ and are carried out for the purpose of gaining authority and access within a corporation. Since they are identical in nature, whaling attacks are often confused with phishing attacks. You can use DMARC to influence the deliverability of Whaling attacks and thus add “trust” to your domain.

Conclusion

Previously, protecting an organization from email attacks needed only a protected email gateway with anti-spam services. Today, this isn’t enough, as companies face a slew of cyber-threats. Email authentication is advantageous to businesses who believe their credibility and trust are essential in today’s business world.

ProDMARC is a reliable and practical DMARC email protection solution that has been specifically designed to meet the evolving business needs of organizations. We provide 100 percent DMARC security by blocking phishing attempts, notifying you as soon as possible, and reducing false positives to 0%. As a consequence, the organization’s efficiency and deliverability increase. Contact us for the best cybersecurity solutions.

Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting & Conformance, or DMARC, protects an organization’s trusted domains from email spoofing. Due to the exponential growth of email fraud, and the fact that domain spoofing attacks account for a significant percentage of these attacks, it’s no wonder that many businesses are looking to introduce DMARC authentication to ensure that emails sent on their behalf are legitimate.

In fact, the Department of Homeland Security recently required that all civilian government agencies complete the DMARC implementation within a short timeframe, and urged private companies to do the same.

Many companies have not yet adopted DMARC because it is difficult to enforce and there is a high risk of DMARC problems, such as blocking legitimate email. To better help companies and agencies protect their trusted domains, we have identified five common mistakes made when deploying DMARC authentication.

Mistake #1: Don’t account for all legitimate mail streams, including third-party senders

Many senders, including third parties, send emails on behalf of other organizations. It can be difficult to recognize all of the legitimate senders, particularly when various departments within a company use third party email senders, such as marketing, sales, and human resources. 

However, if all legitimate senders are not detected and allowed to send an email on behalf of the company, essential communications may be blocked, causing business disruption. Stakeholders from all related agencies should be consulted and active.

Mistake #2: Let a subdomain inherit the top-level domain’s policy

DMARC implementation is usually focused on the top-level domain (ex: acme.com), and organizations can neglect the importance of configuring unique policies for each of their subdomains (ex: mail.acme.com). The DMARC policy that is applied to the top-level domain is immediately applied to subdomains. If all subdomains are separately accounted for, this can result in accidental blocking of legitimate email.

Mistake #3: Don’t have a system or tool in place to parse the data from DMARC records

The receiving email service providers’ DMARC aggregate reports provide important details about your email ecosystem, but they are not easy to understand. If you can arrange data in a way that adds meaning, it’s just data. Furthermore, keeping up with the sheer volume of reports sent and collating all of the data in a timely way can be difficult.

Mistake #4: Don’t understand SPF and DKIM alignment

DMARC alignment prevents spoofing of the “header from” address by:

1. Matching the “header from” domain name with the “MFROM” domain name used during an SPF check, and
2. Matching the “header from” domain name with the “d=domain name” in the DKIM signature.

Proper alignment guarantees that the transmitting identity is authenticated in relation to the domain that it appears to be. Third-party email senders, once again, present additional obstacles. Third-party vendors, for example, typically have their own “MFROM” domain. As a result, they pass SPF but not SPF alignment. DKIM is in the same boat. DKIM can be passed by third-party vendors, but not DKIM alignment.

Mistake #5: Use improper DMARC syntax or content

Although there are instructions for generating DMARC records, they can be confusing at times. Improper formatting and/or content, as well as incorrect policy values, are also popular. To prevent DMARC issues, keep the following in mind:

• Don’t forget to use “_dmarc.”
• If you have multiple reporting addresses – separate with a comma, don’t include a space after the comma, and ensure the second address starts with MailTo:
• Use correct policy values (example: use “none” instead of “monitor”)
• Check for typos
• Missing characters or extra characters

Mistake #6: Believing in the myth of “partial enforcement”

Unless a percentage is defined with the pct= tag, a DMARC policy applies to 100% of all mail by default. Unfortunately, if you use p=quarantine and set a percentage lower than 100, some spoofed messages will still get through. There is no such thing as DMARC compliance that is “partial.” While there are ways to use percentages usefully, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’re fully protected if your pct= tag specifies anything less than 100%.

Mistake #7: Immediately going to a full ‘Reject’ policy

We often see businesses implement DMARC and then instantly switch to a complete “Reject” policy. Going to a complete “Reject” policy right away is a common blunder because it will almost certainly result in the loss of valid email. We suggest deploying DMARC policies in phases. Begin by tracking your traffic and searching for anomalies in your files, such as unsigned messages or whether you’re being spied on. 

Adjust your strategy to dmarc quarantine in small steps until you’re satisfied with the outcome. Once again, keep an eye on the results, this time in both your spam capture and your DMARC files. Adjust your policy to ‘Reject’ until you are certain that all of your messages have been signed. Be sure to keep an eye on all reviews to ensure that the results are satisfactory.

Mistake #8: Forgetting about subdomains

Subdomains are set to follow the key regulation (e.g. p=reject) by default. Domain owners often concentrate on bringing their main domain to DMARC compliance while deferring the work required to bring subdomains into enforcement by setting a subdomain policy of “sp=none.” Unfortunately, this means that spoofing of certain subdomains is still possible. Phishing emails sent from whatever@example.com won’t get through, but xyzz@mail.example.com will. To be at enforcement, subdomains need to be protected, just like the main organizational domain.

Mistake #9: Omitting a reporting address

One of the most critical features of DMARC is that it provides domain owners with aggregate data reports on email authentication status, including passes and failures. You won’t get this data if you don’t provide a reporting address (via a rua= tag), and you won’t know about authentication failures or potential domain impersonation (spoofing) attacks. The reporting address makes it possible for the DMARC record to specify how to report these failures.

Mistake #10: Misconfigured SPF records

The SPF record is a DNS txt record that includes a list of approved senders’ IP addresses, rules referring to other forms of DNS records, and instructions referencing SPF records from other territories. Although there are several ways to set up an SPF record incorrectly, one of the most common errors is creating a record that allows the receiving domain to perform more than 10 domain lookups for each message it receives. If a domain’s SPF record requires too many lookups, some or all emails sent from that domain may not authenticate successfully.

Some domain owners “flatten” their SPF record by pulling all the IP addresses of authorized sending services forward into the primary SPF record to get around this restriction in the standard. Instead of including identical DNS lookups, a flattened SPF record lists a bunch of IP addresses directly. However, this presents a new issue: the need to keep the flattened list of IP addresses updated in case the email-sending service you’re using adds or eliminates IP addresses.

Conclusion

DMARC authentication is a useful method for preventing email theft in organizations. The method of implementing a DMARC implementation plan is a journey, but the benefits of preventing phishing and email spoofing attacks are numerous.

ProDMARC is a DMARC email protection solution that gives companies the visibility, resources, and services they need to easily and confidently incorporate DMARC.