In terms of email security, what does DMARC help to accomplish?

DMARC, which stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance, plays a crucial role in email security by helping to authenticate the sender of the email. It builds upon existing email authentication methods, namely SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), to provide a mechanism that allows domain owners to indicate that their emails are protected by these technologies.

When a domain owner implements DMARC, they create a policy that specifies how their email should behave if it fails authentication checks. This includes options for receiving mail servers to either quarantine or reject emails that do not pass SPF or DKIM checks. By doing so, DMARC significantly assists in verifying that the email is indeed sent by the legitimate sender, thereby reducing the risk of spoofing and phishing attacks. When others receive an email that employs DMARC authentication, they can trust that it has not been tampered with and that it originated from the claimed source.

In summary, DMARC directly contributes to email authentication, which is essential for maintaining trust in email communications and preventing malicious activities associated with email spoofing.