What is the purpose of DMARC?

DMARC, which stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance, is primarily designed to enhance the security of email communications by preventing email spoofing. It achieves this by allowing domain owners to specify how their emails should be authenticated and what actions should be taken if an email fails the authentication checks.

When an email is sent, DMARC checks the alignment of two important email authentication protocols: SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). If the email fails these checks, DMARC can provide instructions to the receiving mail server about how to handle the message—for instance, to quarantine it or reject it altogether. This helps protect recipients from phishing attacks and ensures that only legitimate emails from the domain are delivered.

While the other options touch upon aspects of email and security, they do not accurately capture the primary function of DMARC. Improving encryption standards, accelerating email delivery, or ensuring compliance with data protection regulations are not the core objectives of DMARC. It is specifically tailored to authenticate messages and combat the act of email spoofing effectively.