“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” — Jeff Bezos
For both corporations and private persons, domain names are important assets. For sites, email addresses, or other online entities, they act as a distinctive identification. What occurs to these domains after they stop being active, though?
We’ll go over what SPF and DMARC records are, why they’ve been significant, and how to preserve them for dormant domains in this blog.
What are SPF and DMARC records?
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) are two protocols that help authenticate email messages and prevent email fraud. While DMARC adds another layer of authentication by defining how email providers should handle messages that fail SPF or DKIM (Domain-Keys Identified Mail) authentication. SPF allows domain owners to designate which IP addresses are allowed to send emails on their behalf.
Why are SPF and DMARC records essential?
There are various reasons why SPF and DMARC records are crucial. By confirming the legitimacy of email communications, they first aid in the prevention of email fraud. This can shield the reputation of your company and stop your domain from being exploited for phishing or other illegal actions.
SPF and DMARC data are further crucial for email delivery. These techniques are frequently used by email providers to decide whether to distribute emails to recipients’ inboxes or designate them as spam. Your emails may have a higher chance of ending up in the spam folder if your domain lacks an SPF or DMARC record, or if either of these records are incorrectly configured.
What Happens to SPF and DMARC Records for Inactive Domains?
Email and other internet operations cannot be performed on an inactive domain. Maintaining SPF and DMARC records is still crucial in this scenario to stop the domain from being exploited for phishing attempts. The SPF record should be modified to include a “hard fail” method if the domain is no longer utilized to send email. This tells email providers to ignore any messages claiming to originate from the domain. By doing this, you may prevent spammers and other nefarious characters from impersonating your domain.
How to Maintain SPF and DMARC Records for Inactive Domains?
Maintaining SPF and DMARC records for inactive domains is relatively simple. If you’re no longer using the domain for email or other online activities, you can update the SPF record to include a hard fail mechanism and set the DMARC policy to “reject”.
It’s also important to regularly check your SPF and DMARC records to ensure that they remain accurate and up-to-date. This can assist in preventing problems before they happen and guarantee that your domain is protected from email fraud and phishing attacks.
An essential step in preserving SPF and DMARC records for dormant domains is preventing email fraud and preserving your brand’s reputation. Your online assets will be safe and secure from malicious actors if you know what these records are, why they’re essential, and how to keep them for inactive domains. Take the time to check your SPF and DMARC records for inactive domains and make any necessary updates to guarantee the security of your domain.
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