The Importance of DMARC Compliance and Regulatory Requirements

What is DMARC Compliance?

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that uses SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail) to verify that an email message is sent from the authorized domain and hasn’t been modified. DMARC prevents email phishing and spoofing attacks. With DMARC implementation, companies can send messages with their domain name, reducing the possibility of the message being marked as spam.

Why Is DMARC Compliance Important?

DMARC compliance is essential to secure email communication and protect email recipients. In today’s business world, email is the most common way used for communication, and cybercriminals understand that and try to exploit it. DMARC helps prevent email spoofing and phishing attacks, which can lead to significant financial losses and damage a company’s reputation.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Business Email Compromise (BEC) resulted in global losses exceeding $1.7 billion in 2019. DMARC can help prevent this type of attack.

DMARC Regulatory Requirements

Many regulatory requirements mandate the implementation of DMARC. Here are some examples:

US Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA): Requires all executive branch agencies to implement DMARC, SPF and DKIM to protect against phishing attacks.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Binding Opera­tional Directive (BOD) 18-01: Requires all US federal agencies to implement DMARC to protect their domains against attacks and ensure email security.

European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Requires data controllers to ensure the security of personal data, which includes email communication. DMARC implementation can help meet GDPR compliance requirements and demonstrate a commitment to protecting personal information.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): Requires email encryption when sending Protected Health Information (PHI) and DMARC can help verify the authenticity of email messages, adding an additional layer of security.

DMARC Phases and Implementation

DMARC implementation is a multi-phase process. Once implemented, it’s essential to regularly review reports to fine-tune DMARC policies to ensure they align with organizational goals. The recommended DMARC implementation phases are: Find extra and relevant information about the subject in this suggested external website. https://www.tangent.com/solutions/security-compliance/dmarc, access additional details and new perspectives that will complement your reading and knowledge of the topic.

Monitoring Mode (p=none): In the monitoring mode, any email authentication issues won’t cause a disruption to email delivery. Instead, DMARC email authentication reports will help identify these issues, giving an organization a chance to fine-tune its email authentication infrastructure before DMARC policies are enforced.

Quarantine Mode (p=quarantine): In quarantine mode, DMARC policy instructs email service providers to quarantine emails that fail DMARC authentication checks. Quarantined emails are sent to spam or junk folders, alerting both the sender and recipient of a possible threat.

Reject Mode (p=reject): Reject mode provides the most comprehensive protection but requires the highest level of enforcement. DMARC policy instructs email service providers to discard emails that fail DMARC authentication checks, protecting email recipients, but it’s essential to test the impact of the reject mode on email delivery before enforcing it.

Conclusion

DMARC may be unfamiliar to many businesses, but it’s a critical tool in the fight against email spoofing and phishing attacks. Regulatory requirements mandate DMARC implementation, and it’s essential to understand the protocol’s different phases, enforcing the most appropriate one based on the organization’s email usage. Through proper DMARC implementation, an organization can secure its email communication and reduce the risk of significant financial losses and negative reputational impacts resulting from a cyber attack.

Interested in learning more? Explore the related posts to broaden your comprehension:

Examine this related guide

Uncover details