DMARC

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that protects domain owners and email recipients from spam, phishing, and spoofing attacks.It builds on existing email authentication protocols, SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), to provide a more robust framework for verifying the authenticity of emails.

Here's how DMARC works:

1. Policy Definition: Domain owners publish a DMARC policy in their DNS records, specifying how they want email receivers to handle emails that fail authentication checks.This policy can instruct receivers to do nothing ("none"), quarantine suspicious emails (e.g., move them to spam folders), or reject them altogether.

2. Authentication Checks: When an email receiver receives an email, it checks the email's SPF and DKIM records to verify that the email was sent from an authorized server and that the message hasn't been tampered with in transit.

3. DMARC Alignment: The receiver also checks whether the "header from" address (the address displayed to users) aligns with the SPF and DKIM authentication domain.This prevents attackers from spoofing the "header from" address while using a different domain for authentication.

4. Policy Enforcement: If the email fails authentication or alignment checks, the receiver applies the domain owner's DMARC policy, either doing nothing, quarantining, or rejecting the email.

5. Reporting: Email receivers send reports to domain owners about emails that fail DMARC checks, providing valuable data about potential spoofing or phishing attempts.

DMARC helps protect domain reputation, prevents email spoofing and phishing attacks, and improves email deliverability for legitimate emails. By implementing DMARC, organizations can significantly enhance their email security posture and protect their users and brand.

ThreatNG can assist organizations in implementing and managing DMARC by providing valuable information about their email infrastructure and potential vulnerabilities. Here's how ThreatNG's features can help with DMARC:

External Discovery and Assessment

ThreatNG's external discovery capabilities can identify all internet-facing email servers and domains associated with the organization, ensuring that DMARC policies are implemented for all relevant domains. Its external assessment capabilities help evaluate the security posture of these email assets, including:

• Email Intelligence: ThreatNG's Domain Intelligence module includes an Email Intelligence section that analyzes the organization's email security presence, including DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records. This helps identify domains missing these essential email authentication protocols, making them vulnerable to spoofing and phishing attacks.

• Identifying Potential Spoofing Targets: ThreatNG can identify domains not protected by DMARC or have misconfigured DMARC policies, making them potential targets for spoofing attacks.

Investigation Modules

ThreatNG's investigation modules enable deep dives into specific email assets or areas of concern to gather more detailed information for DMARC implementation and management. For example:

• Domain Intelligence: This module provides detailed information about domain names, subdomains, and associated email configurations, helping identify potential vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that could affect DMARC implementation.

• Email Intelligence: This section within the Domain Intelligence module analyzes the organization's email security presence, including the presence and configuration of DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records.

Reporting

ThreatNG's reporting capabilities clearly overview the organization's email infrastructure, identified vulnerabilities, and DMARC implementation status. This information can be used to communicate with stakeholders, track progress, and identify areas for improvement.

Continuous Monitoring

ThreatNG's continuous monitoring capabilities ensure that the DMARC implementation and email security posture remain up-to-date by continuously scanning for new threats, vulnerabilities, and changes in the organization's email infrastructure.

Working with Complementary Solutions

ThreatNG can integrate with other security solutions to enhance DMARC implementation and management. For example, ThreatNG can complement:

• Email Security Gateways: ThreatNG can provide external context and threat intelligence to email security gateways, helping them identify and block spoofed or phishing emails more effectively.

• DMARC Reporting Tools: ThreatNG can integrate with DMARC reporting tools to provide a more comprehensive view of DMARC compliance and potential spoofing attempts.

Examples of ThreatNG Helping with DMARC

• Identifying a Missing DMARC Record: ThreatNG could locate a domain missing a DMARC record, making it vulnerable to spoofing attacks. This allows the organization to implement a DMARC policy for that domain and protect its users and reputation.

• Detecting a Misconfigured DMARC Policy: ThreatNG could detect a domain with a misconfigured DMARC policy that is not effectively blocking spoofed emails. This allows the organization to correct the policy and improve its email security posture.

• Monitoring DMARC Compliance: ThreatNG can continuously monitor DMARC compliance across all of the organization's domains, providing alerts if any issues are detected. This allows the organization to proactively address potential vulnerabilities and maintain a strong email security posture.

By combining its powerful external discovery, assessment, and monitoring capabilities with comprehensive threat intelligence and investigation modules, ThreatNG provides a valuable toolset for implementing and managing DMARC. This enables organizations to protect their email domains from spoofing and phishing attacks, improve email deliverability, and enhance their overall cybersecurity posture.