Best Practices for Implementing DMARC in Email Campaigns

by Daniel Raymond · October 24, 2024

Protecting global email campaigns from spoofing attacks is undoubtedly challenging. But, every problem has a solution, remember?

Table of Contents

Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) is the solution here. DMARC ensures that your global email campaign remains phishing-free. It ensures the authenticity and deliverability of the emails.

According to a Global Cyber Alliance report, most businesses (around 80%) have not yet implemented DMARC in their infrastructure. This has made them vulnerable to cyberattacks.

It highlights the importance of proper implementation of DMARC in improving email security. With the best practices, you can secure your brand’s reputation while gaining customer trust. The purpose of this article is to explain the best practices that must be considered while implementing DMARC in your global campaigns.

5 Global Considerations for DMARC Implementation

Many factors need to be considered while implementing DMARC. It is essential to show compliance with the regulatory bodies and local laws. Here are some considerations for better DMARC implementation.

1. Start with a “none” Policy Level to Ensure Correct Setup.

It is recommended to start the implementation process by setting up the DMARC policy to ‘none’. It helps verify the Sender Policy Framework and DKIM authentication protocols. With a “none” policy, the domain assesses unauthorized third-party systems that can send emails on behalf of your domain.

The successful running of DMARC with a “none” policy allows you to assess third parties that send emails on behalf of your organization. You can then move to the p=reject policy for further operations.

2. Ensure Proper Syntax for DMARC Records

The proper syntax is essential for DMARC records. The correct TXT record must start with ‘_dmarc’. Set up the correct policy level while avoiding typos. There must be proper spacing between command and semicolons in SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols.

3. Consider Subdomain Policies

Separate policies must be assigned to subdomains. For this, you must understand how subdomains are treated under DMARC. The p tag is used for both main domain and subdomains. For separate subdomain policies, the “sp” tag is used to control policies.

4. Protect Inactive Domains with a “Reject” Policy

Some domains are not used regularly to send emails. These domains must be protected by setting the policy to “reject”. This won’t allow any unauthorized emails to exploit the inactive domain.

5. Consolidate DMARC Reports Across Multiple Domains

While managing DMARC on multiple domains, DMARC reports are sent from the domains to a single domain. This is done by creating an additional DNS TXT record. This centralizes DMARC reporting efforts.

5 Best Practices for Ensuring DMARC Success

Mere implementation of DMARC for effective prevention against phishing is not enough. There’s a need to incorporate the best strategies to keep a check on DMARC working.

1. Regular Verification of SPF Records

Make sure that your SPF records are up-to-date. Ensure that there are any IPs or netblocks that are authorized to send emails on behalf of your organization. Check the content of the records you have kept for vendors. The previous errors in reports must also be checked to make improvements.

2. Authorizing SPF Updates

The changes in SPF records must be done with the approval of the DMARC project owner. In case of any unexpected changes, alerts must be generated by the email domain. The changes must be properly addressed and understood for better working of SPF.

3. Tracking DKIM Key Rotations

DKIM keys ensure that the email contents have not been altered. This public-private key pair signs email messages. This key is continuously replaced with a new key to enhance the security of the email domain.

The key rotation is supposed to be done after a few months or annually. If not rotated, there must be some issue with the DKIM authentication.

4. Review of DMARC Information

The new email sources must be checked for their authenticity. The aspects including tracking vendor consolidations, changes in email volume, and email delivery patterns must be considered.

5. DMARC Report Monitoring

Regular DMARC report monitoring is essential to check if your domain is under a phishing attack. Additionally, these reports provide detailed insights into the proper working of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing DMARC

If you are not using DMARC in your email security infrastructure, you are missing something. Here is a detailed guide on how to set up DMARC on your domain.

1. Get Your Domain Ready for DMARC Setup

Before setting up DMARC, activate SPF and DKIM on your domain. In the ESP setting of your DNS provider, add a DNS TXT record for SPF. Similarly, in the case of DKIM, copy the DKIM record from ESP and paste it into your TXT DNS file.

Pre-set a Mailbox: You need a mailbox to receive XML reports. This mailbox must not be linked with your other email addresses. XML records are usually in large quantities depending on the size of the business. You can also use a third-party service to manage these reports.

Audit Sending Domains: It is not easy to remember the whole list of IP addresses of senders. To manage this you need to roll out the domain management function. This audits your domain and makes it easy to identify the unauthorized domain from the list.

2. Select the Right DMARC Policy

DMARC policies allow you to choose how your domain reacts to spam emails. It provides three solutions for the emails that don’t match the DMARC record. The policies include none, quarantine, and reject.

3. Add the DMARC TXT Record to Your DNS

After specifying the DMARC policy, you can publish your TXT record. Here’s how to do it.

Open the domain host DNS settings in the management console.
Move to the DNS hostname section and add the record name like “_dmarc.yourdomainname.com”.
After this, add your DMARC record under the DNS record value.
Save the changes.

4. Review and Interpret Your DMARC Reports

After setting up the DMARC record you will start receiving reports in your mailbox. The reports will provide you the details about the emails that have passed or failed SPF and DKIM authentication. XML reports are not easily understandable. DMARC report analyzers are used to convert these reports into human understandable format.

5. Implement Your DMARC Strategy Gradually

The DMARC report must be upgraded gradually. It must begin with p=none. This policy gives enough time to collect email reports and analyze them for better understanding. It lets messages be delivered normally and identifies authentic senders.

The policy is moved to p=quarantine. It makes the suspicious emails enter the spam folder. Finally, the policy is then moved to p=reject. It only lets authentic emails reach your inboxes.

6. Track the Performance of Email Authentication

Monitoring the performance of DMARC is as essential as implementation. The new Google and Yahoo email requirements have made it mandatory to monitor authentication success rate. It is essential to monitor what percentage of emails are passing authentication checks.

Conclusion

Implementing DMARC in global campaigns is essential in maintaining email security. It protects brands and ensures reliable communication with customers. Proper configuration of SPF and DKIM is essential before implementing DMARC. It safeguards domains from spoofing and phishing attacks.
The continuous monitoring and analysis of DMARC reports is essential. With the best practices, and partnering with a reliable DMARC provider, businesses can optimize successful email campaigns across the globe. The implementation has been made easier with PowerDMARC. It helps businesses secure their domains from hackers.