Email Authentication in 2026: Why SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Are Now Non-Negotiable

The problem

A huge amount of business fraud starts with email impersonation:

• Fake supplier invoices
• “CEO” payment requests
• Password reset scams

The fix is not only training. It’s proving your emails are real.

The three controls that protect your domain

1. SPF
   • Lists which mail servers are allowed to send as your domain
2. DKIM
   • Adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing mail
3. DMARC
   • Tells receiving systems what to do if SPF/DKIM fail and where to send reports

Google Workspace includes guidance for setting up DMARC to protect your domain from spoofing.[1]

Why 2026 is the tipping point

Email providers are getting stricter.

If your domain isn’t properly authenticated:

• Legit emails can land in spam
• Marketing tools might stop delivering
• Spoofing becomes easier to pull off successfully

A practical DMARC rollout (without breaking your tools)

1. Start with “p=none”
   • Collect reports, see who is sending as your domain
2. Fix what you discover
   • Add missing senders to SPF
   • Enable DKIM for every platform
   • Update third‑party tools (CRMs, newsletters, quoting tools)
3. Move to enforcement
   • Set DMARC to quarantine, then reject

Signs you need to act this month

• Clients say your emails go to junk
• You send invoices by email
• You use multiple tools that send email (marketing, quoting, support)
• Someone in finance has already seen a “change bank details” email scam

Quick checklist

• [ ]  SPF includes all approved senders
• [ ]  DKIM enabled for every mail platform
• [ ]  DMARC reporting enabled
• [ ]  DMARC moved toward enforcement (quarantine/reject)

What Clyk can do

• Audit SPF/DKIM/DMARC end-to-end
• Fix delivery issues caused by misconfiguration
• Reduce invoice fraud risk with anti-impersonation controls

Want us to run a domain email-auth health check?