Email spoofing and phishing attacks are prevalent dangers in today’s cyber landscape. Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) is a system that aims to combat these threats. Its purpose is to validate emails and prevent your domain from being exploited for fraudulent activities. If SendGrid is your chosen email service provider, setting up DMARC is essential to ensure the delivery of secure and authenticated emails.
In this guide, we’ll take you through the steps to set up DMARC in SendGrid. But before we jump in, let’s briefly discuss what DMARC is and why it’s important.
What is DMARC?
DMARC is a protocol that uses Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) to detect and mitigate email spoofing. Essentially, it allows the email receiver to check that the email was actually sent—and not modified—by the owner of the ‘From’ domain. This way, DMARC helps protect both email senders and receivers from spam, phishing, and other cybercrimes.
How to Set Up DMARC in SendGrid
Setting up DMARC in SendGrid is a three-step process:
1. Set Up SPF and DKIM
Firstly, you need to set up SPF and DKIM records to authenticate your emails properly. Here’s how you can do that:
- Log into your SendGrid account.
- Go to Settings > Sender Authentication.
- Click on Domain Authentication.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to create the records.
2. Generate your DMARC Record
Next, you need to generate a DMARC record. This is a TXT record that should be added to your domain’s DNS. To generate this record, you can use an online DMARC record generator. Here’s an example of what a DMARC record might look like:
_v=dmarc1; p=reject; rua=mailto:[email protected]; ruf=mailto:[email protected]; fo=1
The ‘p=reject’ tells the receiving server to reject emails that fail DMARC checks. The ‘rua’ and ‘ruf’ parameters specify where to send aggregate and forensic reports.
3. Add your DMARC Record to your Domain’s DNS
Lastly, add your generated DMARC record to your domain’s DNS:
- Log into your DNS provider’s site
- Find the option to add a new record.
- Select type TXT, and enter ‘_dmarc’ in the Host/Name field.
- Paste your DMARC record in the Value/Answer/Destination field.
- Save your changes.
And that’s it! You’ve set up DMARC in SendGrid. Remember to check your DMARC reports to ensure your setup is working correctly and to keep an eye on your domain’s email traffic.
Conclusion
Setting up DMARC not only helps protect your domain from spoofing and phishing but also improves your email deliverability. So, don’t wait. Follow the steps in this guide to set up DMARC in SendGrid today. Stay safe and happy emailing!
