Cyber attacks are happening fast with M&S, Co-op and Pearson all being hit. Your brand’s reputation is everything—and email impersonation is one of the fastest ways to damage it. Attackers have new tools such as AI to help them. Whether it’s phishing attacks targeting your customers or spoofed messages pretending to be from your company, the fallout can be devastating. The good news? There’s a proven way to take back control of your email domain and protect your brand from fraud: DMARC.
What is DMARC?
DMARC stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance. It’s an email authentication protocol designed to give domain owners the ability to protect their domain from unauthorized use—commonly known as email spoofing.
In simpler terms, DMARC helps ensure that when someone sends an email from your domain, it’s actually from you—not a scammer pretending to be you.
Why Email Impersonation Is a Serious Threat
Imagine your customers receiving an email that looks like it came from your company, urging them to reset their password or confirm a credit card number. They trust your brand, so they click—and just like that, their information is stolen.
This isn’t just bad for your customers. It’s bad for business. Here’s what email impersonation can lead to:
Loss of customer trust
Brand damage
Legal and regulatory consequences
Blocked emails and reduced deliverability
How DMARC Work to Stop Email Impersonation
DMARC builds on two existing protocols—SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). These help verify that the sender is authorized and the message hasn’t been tampered with. DMARC takes it a step further by:
Telling email receivers what to do if a message fails SPF and/or DKIM (e.g., reject it, quarantine it, or allow it).
Sending you reports about who is sending email on your behalf.
This means you get full visibility into your domain’s email activity and the power to stop fraudulent messages in their tracks.
Implementing DMARC: A Step-by-Step Overview
Set up SPF and DKIM for your domain. These are prerequisites for DMARC.
Publish a DMARC record in your domain’s DNS. Start with a policy like
p=noneto collect data safely.Analyze the reports you receive to identify legitimate and illegitimate sources.
Adjust your policy over time to move from
nonetoquarantineorreject, actively blocking spoofed messages.Keep monitoring to maintain strong protection and avoid disrupting legitimate traffic.
The Payoff: Stronger Security, Greater Trust
Implementing DMARC isn’t just about blocking bad emails. It’s about taking control of your domain and sending a clear message to customers: You take their security seriously.
You’ll benefit from:
Fewer phishing attacks
Improved email deliverability
Stronger brand reputation
Insight into your email ecosystem
Final Thoughts
Email impersonation isn’t going away—but you can fight back. DMARC is a powerful, widely supported tool to protect your domain, your customers, and your brand.
Ready to take the first step? Start by checking if your domain has a DMARC record—and if it doesn’t, make it a top priority.
If you need help our team have the tools and know-how and can help you quickly and easily.
Secure your brand. Stop email impersonation. Get started with DMARC today.
