Insider Insights: The History & Evolution of DMARC - A Conversation with a DMARC Protocol Writer and Global Comparisons with South Africa

Taming Tech, The Podcast

Welcome to Taming Tech, The Podcast episode 7. To read the full transcript of this podcast and get additional information, head over to https://taming.tech/7 for the show notes.

Today, we're going to be talking about SPF DKIM and DMARC, an important tool for improving email security and deliverability. DMARC, which stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, is a way to ensure that the emails you receive are coming from a legitimate source and not from a scammer. In this episode, we'll be discussing what DMARC is, why it's important, and how you can deploy it for your own benefit.

First, let's talk about what DMARC is. Essentially, it's a way to ensure that the emails you receive are actually coming from the domain they claim to be coming from. This is done by using a combination of other technologies like SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). These technologies work together to verify that the sender of an email is who they claim to be. For example, if you receive an email from "[e-mail]," DMARC will check to make sure that the email was actually sent from a Gmail server and not from a server pretending to be Gmail.

Now, you may be wondering why this is important. After all, most of us have become accustomed to receiving spam and other unwanted emails in our inboxes. However, scammers and hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and they're using these tactics to trick people into giving them sensitive information or money. By deploying DMARC, you can help protect yourself from these types of scams and ensure that the emails you receive are actually coming from the people or organizations they claim to be.

But how do you deploy DMARC? The first step is to create a DMARC record for your domain. This record is essentially a set of instructions that tell other email servers how to handle emails sent from your domain. For example, you can specify that all emails sent from your domain should be checked for SPF and DKIM, and that any emails that fail these checks should be rejected or flagged as suspicious.

Once you've created your DMARC record, you'll need to publish it to your domain's DNS server. This is typically done by adding a specific type of DNS record called a TXT record. Once the record is published, other email servers will be able to access it and use it to verify the authenticity of emails sent from your domain.

It's important to note that deploying DMARC alone may not be enough to protect your domain from all types of fraud or spoofing. However, it's an important first step in the right direction. Other steps include implementing SPF and DKIM as well. As well, you should consider using other services like mailgenius that can help you monitor your email deliverability and identify any issues that might be impacting it.

Now, if you're a business owner, you may be wondering how DMARC can benefit you. For one thing, it can help you improve the deliverability of your emails. When you deploy DMARC, you're essentially telling other email servers that your domain is legitimate, which can help ensure that your emails are delivered to the inboxes of your intended recipients. Additionally, by deploying DMARC, you can protect your brand and reputation by reducing the likelihood that your emails will be flagged as spam or rejected by other email servers.

In addition, since DMARC was first launched in 2012, many different services have been developed to help with DMARC deployment and management. For example, dmarcian is a website that provides a variety of tools and resources to help you deploy and manage DMARC. They can help you with everything from creating your DMARC record to monitoring your email deliverability and identifying any issues that might be impacting it.

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