Why DMARC Is Getting So Much Attention Right Now

DMARC has been around for years, but IT teams are talking about it more lately because email authentication has moved from “good practice” to “operational requirement.” Stricter mailbox provider rules and ongoing spoofing make DMARC part of basic email reliability.

This guide covers what DMARC is, why attention has spiked, and how IT teams and MSPs can roll it out safely.

‍

What Is DMARC

DMARC stands for Domain based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance. It is an email authentication standard that helps protect your domain from being spoofed, and it provides reporting so you can see who is sending mail that claims to be from your domain. 

DMARC tells receiving mail servers what to do when a message uses your domain in the From address but fails authentication checks.

‍

The Problem DMARC Solves

Without DMARC, attackers can send emails that look like they came from your company. That creates three common outcomes:

• Phishing campaigns that borrow your brand credibility
• Deliverability issues for legitimate mail when domain reputation is damaged
• Higher risk of business email compromise attempts, especially around invoices and payments

DMARC reduces direct domain spoofing by letting you publish rules that receivers can enforce, and by generating reports that make unauthorized senders visible.

‍

How DMARC Works

DMARC builds on two mechanisms:

• SPF checks whether the sending server is authorized to send for your domain.
• DKIM verifies message integrity using a cryptographic signature.

DMARC then checks whether SPF or DKIM passed, and whether the authenticating domain aligns with the domain in the From header. Google’s sender guidance describes DMARC passing as requiring authentication by SPF or DKIM and alignment with the From domain. 

In short:

1. A message arrives claiming to be from your domain.
2. The receiver checks SPF and DKIM.
3. DMARC checks alignment and applies your policy.
4. The receiver delivers, routes to spam, or rejects.
5. You receive reports showing what happened.

‍

DMARC Policies in Plain English

DMARC is published as a DNS TXT record and includes a policy value:

• p=none: monitoring only, nothing is blocked due to DMARC
• p=quarantine: failing mail is typically treated as suspicious and sent to junk
• p=reject: failing mail is rejected outright

Most teams start with p=none, fix alignment issues, then move to quarantine and eventually reject. Google’s bulk sender documentation recommends full DMARC alignment and notes it may become a requirement for senders over time. 

Example record:

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

Why IT Teams Are Talking About DMARC More Recently

The current DMARC wave is driven by concrete changes that affect almost every organization that sends email at scale.

1) Mailbox providers raised the floor for authentication

Mailbox providers increasingly expect senders to implement authentication standards, and enforcement can mean junk placement or rejection.

• Google publishes sender guidelines that include DMARC as part of modern authentication expectations.
• Yahoo’s sender best practices emphasize authenticating mail as baseline sender hygiene.
• Microsoft announced new requirements for high volume senders targeting Outlook.com, stating that domains sending over 5,000 emails per day will need SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, with non compliant mail first routed to junk and potentially rejected later. 

This is why DMARC is no longer “just for marketing.” Password resets, onboarding messages, invoices, alerts, and ticket updates all depend on reliable inbox placement.

2) Email driven fraud keeps producing major losses

Email remains one of the easiest channels for attackers to scale phishing and business email compromise. The FBI’s IC3 reporting highlights record losses from internet enabled crime. 

Threat reporting also continues to point to phishing, spoofing, and BEC as major drivers of financial damage, which keeps authentication and anti spoofing controls in the spotlight. 

3) SaaS sprawl turned email identity into an operational problem

Most organizations now have many systems sending email on behalf of the domain: sales tools, marketing automation, ticketing systems, monitoring alerts, HR portals, billing tools, and older on premise apps.

DMARC reporting exposes these senders immediately. Teams turn on reports and discover systems they did not know were sending as the domain. That visibility is valuable, but it forces a decision: align the sender, or accept that enforcement will block it.

‍

Common Misconceptions That Slow Adoption

Misconception: DMARC blocks all phishing.
Reality: DMARC governs messages that claim to be from your domain. Lookalike domains and compromised accounts still require filtering, MFA, and user training.

Misconception: Turning on DMARC will break email immediately.
Reality: p=none is monitoring only. Breakage usually happens when teams enforce quarantine or reject before they inventory and align all legitimate senders.

Misconception: DMARC fixes deliverability by itself.
Reality: Authentication helps, but deliverability also depends on complaint rates and sender behavior. Yahoo and Microsoft guidance highlight broader best practices beyond authentication. 

‍

How a New IT Team Should Handle DMARC

Even with prior experience, treat each environment as unique.

1. Baseline: confirm current DMARC, SPF, and DKIM state, and identify DNS ownership.
2. Inventory: list every system that sends mail as the domain, include finance and HR vendors.
3. Monitor: set DMARC to p=none and capture reports.
4. Align: fix SPF or DKIM alignment for legitimate senders.
5. Enforce: move to quarantine, then reject once reports show low risk of blocking business critical mail.
6. Own it: schedule a weekly report review and a lightweight approval path for new senders.

‍

What to Check Alongside DMARC

DMARC is a policy layer, so validate the supporting fundamentals:

• SPF coverage and lookup limits: exceeding DNS lookup limits can cause SPF failures even when the record looks correct.
• DKIM selectors and keys: document selectors, and use strong keys where supported.
• Reputation signals: authentication does not automatically fix complaint rates or blocklist issues.
• Shadow sender detection: treat new DMARC report sources as a change control trigger.

‍

Industry Impact in One Minute

DMARC is most urgent anywhere email is tied to money, identity, or regulated data. Healthcare and public sector teams care because impersonation can harm patients or citizens and erode trust. Finance and invoice heavy operations care because spoofed email is a common entry point for payment diversion. SaaS and support orgs care because authentication failures can break password resets and billing notices.

‍

Practical Next Steps Checklist

• Publish p=none and start collecting reports.
• Ensure each legitimate sender passes SPF or DKIM with alignment.
• Simplify SPF and document DKIM selectors.
• Move to quarantine after a sustained clean reporting period.
• Assign an owner who reviews reports weekly and approves new senders.

‍

Where Level Fits, Keeping It Operational

DMARC projects often stall because they touch multiple teams and many tools. A workable approach is to treat email identity like any other operational asset: inventory it, monitor it, and include it in onboarding and change processes.

Teams that already run disciplined IT operations often find DMARC easier to maintain. If you use a platform like Level to standardize workflows, extend that discipline to email security: when a new tool is onboarded, check whether it sends mail and confirm alignment.

‍

Final Takeaway

DMARC is being discussed more because it now sits at the intersection of security, compliance, and deliverability. Providers have raised authentication requirements, email fraud remains costly, and modern SaaS stacks create hidden senders that can damage domain trust.

For IT teams and MSPs, the most reliable approach is monitor first, build a real sender inventory, fix alignment, enforce gradually, and assign ownership.