Essentially, DMARC allows a domain owner, who is also the sender of email messages, to instruct email providers not to deliver unauthorized messages that appear to originate from their domain . As you might have guessed, this is a useful mechanism to prevent phishing and spoofing attacks. From a technical perspective, DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is a system based on DKIM and SPF authentication that helps receiving servers (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo, Libero, etc.) to Know what to do when a message can't be embellished . It does this by allowing the sender of the email to publish a " policy " to tell receiving servers how to handle authentication problems. Additionally, DMARC provides a reporting mechanism for actions taken, based on the policy. It thus coordinates the results of DKIM and SPF and specifies under which circumstances the sender's e-mail address, often visible to the final recipient, Financial institutions and other businesses subject to phishing and impersonation attacks can better protect E-Commerce Photo Editing Service themselves by implementing a DMARC policy. Incorrectly setting up a DMARC record can have a significantly negative effect on deliverability, not only for emails sent through us, but also for all communications sent from a DMARC-compliant domain (e.g., emails employees to external recipients). This means that we recommend consulting a deliverability expert for proper DMARC policy implementation. BIMI BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) represents the near future of email marketing. Currently, it has only been adopted by Verizon Media Group (in other words, Yahoo! & AOL) but with a commitment from Google. BIMI is a vendor-neutral standard that allows brands to display their verified logo in the recipient 's inbox for fully authenticated emails (DMARC). BIMI encourages major brands to adopt proper email authentication, especially DMARC, when sending mass messages to consumers. Senders who commit to implementing DMARC are rewarded with the display of their logo . This improves both recognition and trust. In summary As you may have noticed, our advice is to take control beforehand. We are sure that this series of implementations is destined to pay off in terms of abuse protection and sending quality. In fact, it is not enough to send.

Phishing cases reported during the current emergency Best practices to defend against phishing Authentications: what they are and what they are used for In summary Why are abuse attempts on the rise? Because, at the moment, the recipients are more vulnerable. Let's look at the steps companies can take and the benefits of DKIM, DMARC and, in the future, BIMI. Cybercriminals are always trying to exploit difficult times to pass on their frauds , whether phishing , scams , or other types of abuse. The weeks we have experienced are indeed no exception. What is the basis of this "momentum" of cybercriminals? They hope that the inbound filter will loosen over these weeks, which is an unfounded assumption, and that recipients will become more vulnerable and inclined to interact with communications in their inbox. This second hypothesis is indeed justified, as our previous blog post shows. There, we reported how Image Masking Service March open rates and clicks were significantly higher than averages for the rest of the year. We have always been at the forefront of combating all manner of email abuse by adding to the discussion and doing everything in our power to prevent the spread of fraudulent communications. Today we want to give you a better idea of ​​what phishing attempts look like, as well as some pointers on how to fight cybercrime . MailUp has built strong, global relationships with ISPs and blacklists over the years. We all constantly share information on policies, practices and issues. Anyone wishing to help MailUp provide a better service or collaborate is welcome. Please email us at abuse@mailup.com . Phishing cases reported during the current emergency We have become aware of numerous abuse attempts, even if they did not affect the MailUp infrastructure. These can be grouped into two macro categories :

Sending to outdated, inaccurate, or bogus email addresses causes bounces : Most of your emails bounce because many addresses in purchased databases are not active. A bounce rate below 2% is optimal, but beyond this threshold, your reputation as a sender is in danger. Commitment decreases Another big problem you will face if you decide to buy databases for Email Marketing concerns the engagement of recipients with your messages : it is unlikely that people who do not know you, who are not not voluntarily subscribed to your newsletter or your offers from your company, are interested in what you have to tell them. Negative feedback is generated If new contacts in your database that you acquired for a fee and not organically do not open your emails (because they come from an unknown sender or because they see your message as an invasion from their inbox), ISPs will receive negative feedback about your business. What are the consequences of purchasing mailing lists? First and foremost, your reputation as a sender will be in question. Related to this is your deliverability , which will also start to suffer (ISPs carefully monitor user response to emails and a high number of soft and physical bounces E-Commerce Photo Editing Service will tag you as a spam sender, relegating your messages to the inbox spam). But buying mailing lists without profiles of people who haven't requested to receive your messages can pose another problem: spam reports . The consequences here are also very serious: not only will your reputation as a sender be affected, affecting your future sendings, but also your brand reputation , one of the most important values ​​online today. Even professional email marketing platforms despise buying mailing lists: before sending out, many of them ask you if the contacts are opt-in. This check helps ESPs avoid risking their reputation as well (in fact, sending IPs are also implicated when it comes to spam reports). The final consequence to consider is the legal repercussions you could face if the names you purchased are not fully GDPR compliant: you can expect steep fines if privacy laws are breached. Building Email Lists Organically: Why It's the Best Solution Now you know how sending e-mails to databases purchased online works, how much it costs and what the consequences are. You can go in this direction and put your sender and brand reputation at risk, or you can consider building your email marketing contact lists organically.