Case Study on Malware Distribution can be Prevented through SimpleDMARC
Tags: email, security, dmarc, tooling
Published: 2023-03-14 09:14:48


[Email Malware distribution](https://www.firewalls.com/blog/security-terms/email-malware-distribution) is a significant threat to businesses and individuals. Cybercriminals use various methods to distribute malware, including through phishing emails. These emails appear to be from a legitimate source, such as a bank or government agency, but in reality, they are fraudulent and designed to trick people into clicking on links or downloading attachments that contain malware. 

This case study will demonstrate how SimpleDMARC can help prevent malware distribution by allowing domain owners to configure [DMARC](https://support.google.com/a/answer/2466580?hl=en#:~:text=DMARC%20helps%20protect%20users%20from,t%20pass%20SPF%20or%20DKIM.&text=DMARC%20provides%20extra%20protection%20of,spam%2C%20spoofing%2C%20and%20phishing.) policies to reject or quarantine emails that fail DMARC checks.

The Problem:

Malware distribution through phishing emails is a significant problem for businesses and individuals. These emails can cause a lot of damage, from stealing sensitive information to disrupting business operations. Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it more challenging to detect and prevent these attacks. Many organizations are struggling to protect themselves from these types of attacks, which can be costly and damaging.

The Solution:
[SimpleDMARC](https://simpledmarc.com) is a cloud-based email authentication and anti-spoofing service that helps prevent email fraud and abuse. This service enables domain owners to configure DMARC policies to reject or quarantine emails that fail DMARC checks. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a protocol that uses authentication methods to verify the identity of email senders. By enabling DMARC policies, domain owners can prevent phishing emails and other malicious messages from reaching their intended recipients.

The Implementation:

A large financial institution was experiencing a high volume of phishing emails that were designed to trick customers into giving up their login credentials. The emails looked like they were coming from the bank and included a link that directed the recipient to a fake login page where their credentials would be stolen. The bank knew that this was a significant problem and that they needed to take action to protect their customers.
The bank decided to implement SimpleDMARC to help prevent these types of attacks. The implementation process involved configuring the DMARC policies to quarantine any email that failed DMARC checks. This meant that any email that was identified as fraudulent would be marked as spam and sent to the recipient's spam folder rather than their inbox. This policy helped prevent many of the fraudulent emails from reaching their intended targets, as they were either blocked or marked as spam by email providers that check DMARC records.

The Results:

The implementation of SimpleDMARC had a significant impact on the financial institution's ability to prevent phishing attacks. The bank was able to prevent a high volume of fraudulent emails from reaching their customers. Additionally, SimpleDMARC provided detailed reports on email traffic, including information on the volume of emails sent, the domains and IP addresses of sending servers, and the authentication status of each email.
These reports helped the bank identify the sources of the fraudulent emails and take appropriate action to block them. For example, SimpleDMARC identified several IP addresses that were responsible for sending a large volume of emails that failed DMARC checks. The bank was able to block these IP addresses at their firewall, which prevented any further emails from those sources from reaching their systems. They also alerted the email providers and law enforcement agencies about the fraudulent activities, which helped prevent similar attacks against other organizations and individuals.

The Benefits:

SimpleDMARC provides several benefits to organizations looking to protect themselves from phishing attacks and other forms of email fraud. By implementing DMARC policies, domain owners can prevent fraudulent emails from reaching their intended targets. Additionally, SimpleDMARC provides detailed reports on email traffic, which can help organizations identify the sources of fraudulent emails and take appropriate action to block them.

Conclusion:
Phishing attacks and other forms of email fraud can cause significant harm to businesses and individuals. SimpleDMARC is a cloud-based email authentication and anti-spoofing service that can help prevent these types of attacks. By enabling DMARC policies, domain owners can prevent fraudulent emails from reaching