DMARC, SPF, and DKIM
What is DMARC, SPF, and DKIM?
Three email authentication protocols that work together to prevent attackers from sending emails that appear to come from your domain. SPF specifies which servers can send email for your domain. DKIM adds a digital signature to verify the email hasn't been altered. DMARC tells receiving servers what to do when an email fails SPF or DKIM checks.
How email authentication helps prevent BEC →
Why this matters for Canadian businesses
Understanding DMARC, SPF, and DKIM is part of building a security programme that meets the 13 Baseline Cyber Security Controls published by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (ITSM.10.089) — the Government of Canada's recommended minimum standard for small and medium organizations. You can measure your organization against all 13 controls with our free cybersecurity assessment.
For the wider picture on how Canadian small and medium businesses are performing, see The Cybersecurity Canada Report 2026, our annual benchmark of incident rates, breach costs, and regulation affecting Canadian organizations.
Cite This Page
Suggested citation:
Cybersecurity Canada (2026). DMARC, SPF, and DKIM. Retrieved from https://cybersecuritycanada.ca/glossary/dmarc/
Permanent URL: https://cybersecuritycanada.ca/glossary/dmarc/
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