Upcoming Gmail & Yahoo Requirements: Why Updating Your DMARC Record is Essential for Business Email Security

Google recently announced that Gmail will soon require all businesses to update or implement a DMARC record to authenticate their email communications.

It’s not just Gmail either, Yahoo and Hotmail will also be pushing for and implementing these changes with their customer bases. We believe most other providers will soon follow suit.

This is a part of their strategy to reduce spam, phishing and malware attacks. Having an updated DMARC record will soon be compulsory to ensure that email systems are set up with proper authentication protocols.

The changes are going to begin to be rolled out beginning February 2024, and whilst we predict it won’t be enforced across the board immediately, failure to comply could result in your emails being blocked or marked as spam.

What impact will this have on my business?

If your business fails to update or implement a DMARC record for your email communications, especially in light of Gmail's upcoming changes, several technical consequences may arise:

Increased Email Rejection or Spam Classification: Without a DMARC record, email providers like Gmail may not be able to authenticate the emails coming from your business's domain. As a result, these emails might be rejected or marked as spam, significantly reducing the likelihood that they reach the intended recipients' inboxes.

Vulnerability to Email Spoofing and Phishing Attacks: DMARC helps prevent others from using your domain to send fraudulent emails (spoofing). Without DMARC, a business's domain remains vulnerable to being used for phishing attacks, which can damage the business’s reputation and the trust of its customers.

Reduced Email Deliverability and Open Rates: Emails that fail authentication checks (including DMARC) are more likely to be filtered out by email service providers. This can lead to reduced email deliverability rates, meaning a significant portion of your business's email communication might not reach its audience, leading to lower open rates and possible loss of engagement.

Difficulty in Identifying Email Delivery Issues: Without the reports generated by DMARC, it becomes more challenging to diagnose and resolve email delivery issues. Businesses might not be aware when their emails are being rejected or marked as spam, leading to unresolved communication failures.

What is a DMARC?

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a security protocol used to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. It works in tandem with SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) to authenticate email senders, crucial for deterring email spoofing and phishing by verifying the sender's identity.

Essentially, DMARC and its companion technologies perform a virtual background check on incoming emails to authenticate their origin, helping to identify and block fake or harmful emails before they reach the recipient.

We've put together a factsheet here if you'd like to learn more.

So what do I need to do?

Assess Your Current Email Security: Determine whether your domain already has a DMARC policy in place and if it aligns with the new Gmail requirements. If you’re unsure, we’ve built a testing tool so you can put in your domain name and find out.

Implement or Update Your DMARC Record: If necessary, create or update your DMARC record. This process involves configuring DNS records to include DMARC, alongside SPF and DKIM, to meet Gmail's authentication standards.

Monitor and Adjust: Utilise DMARC reporting to monitor your email's performance and make necessary adjustments to ensure ongoing compliance and optimal email delivery.

Free DMARC Test

I’m not really sure how to do any of this

Google does have a little guide here to walk you through it if you want to do it yourself: But if all the technical jargon feels a little mystical and bewildering, it’s because it is to most of us. You can ask your IT person to sort this out for you if you have one, and they should be able to take care of it. For those without an IT team, we’re here to help.

For all of our existing clients that we manage domains for, we’ll make the changes as part of your annual service arrangement. Even if you aren’t one of our clients, for a one-off fee of $60AUD, we can align your DNS and DMARC records for you. Plus, we offer domain name management for just $36/year, providing a hassle-free solution to keep everything organised and secure through Cloudflare and Synergy Wholesale.

The upcoming change in requirements indicates a significant shift towards enhanced email security.

It’s essential to protect your brand’s integrity and ensure your messages reach their intended audience without interruption. Don't wait for your emails to start bouncing back or landing in spam folders; take action now to secure your email practices.

Contact Us

Check your current email authentication status with our free DMARC tester tool:

Start Test

Upcoming Gmail and Yahoo Requirements: Why Updating Your DMARC Record is Essential for Business Email Security