How to Set Up DMARC on Zoho Mail and Prevent Email Spoofing

Imagine you receive an email from your CEO asking for payments, login credentials, or sensitive files. You do the needful. Boom! You are now a victim of email spoofing. This can cost a company millions in fraud, data loss, and reputational damage.

That’s where DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) comes in as your best defense. Implementing DMARC on Zoho ensures that emails sent from your domain are verified and trusted by recipients.

Zoho is a popular platform for business email. However, like all email services, its security depends on how you configure your domain settings. Without protections like DMARC, even reputable businesses are vulnerable to impersonation.

In this article, we will dive step-by-step through the Zoho DMARC setup, understand why it matters, highlight common pitfalls, and check whether your email domain is spoofed.

What is DMARC And Why Should It Matter for Zoho?

DMARC is an email authentication protocol that builds on two pre-existing standards, SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). It verifies when someone sends an email with your domain. If the email was not authorized, DMARC instruct the receiving mail server what to do with it:

• Deliver it anyway (p=none).
• Quarantine it (p=quarantine).
• Reject it (p=reject).

Additionally, DMARC generates reports, which allow you to see if anyone is trying to abuse your domain. 

Why DMARC Should Matter to Zoho Users

Prevents Email Spoofing and Phishing: DMARC for Zoho protects emails from spoofing that impersonates your domain name.

Prevents Business Email Compromise (BEC): DMARC stops attackers from impersonating executives to trick employees into transferring money.

Builds Trust: Customers and partners will trust emails sent from your domain.

Supports Compliance: Many regulations, including GDPR and HIPAA, require strong Zoho email authentication.

For example, if an attacker tries to send an email that looks like an invoice from “[email protected],” DMARC will notice that the email did not come from your authorized server, and the receiving mail server will either reject or quarantine it.

Prerequisites for Setting Up DMARC on Zoho

Before setting up DMARC, make sure you have completed the following prerequisites:

Zoho Admin Account: You need to be a Zoho administrator or super administrator to gain access to Zoho Mail’s Admin Console.

DNS Management Access: DMARC is set up at the domain level, via the domain’s DNS setting. This may reside in Zoho (if you are hosting your domain there) or your domain registrar.

SPF and DKIM Configuration: DMARC is dependent on SPF and DKIM for its purpose.

• SPF: Let other mail servers know what servers are authorized to send email for your domain or name.
• DKIM: Signs your email messages with a digital signature to let your recipient know that the messages have not been altered.

In most cases, Zoho business or educational accounts have SPF set up automatically, but it’s always good to double-check that you have SPF working properly. Without having SPF and DKIM configured, DMARC without proper SPF and DKIM is meaningless…it’s like putting a security system on a house without walls.

Step-By-Step Guide: Setting Up DMARC on Zoho Business Email

In your Zoho Admin Console, setting up DMARC is a must for preventing email spoofing Zoho, along with protecting your brand against phishing malware. This is how you can wrap up your Zoho DMARC setup:

Step 1: Sign in to your Zoho Admin Console

Go to admin.zoho.com and sign in with your admin username and password. Once signed in, go to “Email,” then “Domains.” You should see your business domain in your domains section.

Step 2: Find Your DNS Settings

To go to the DNS Settings from the Admin Console, find the Mail Administration section. Then click on your domain details. This should give you access to your DNS settings. If you use a third-party registrar (like GoDaddy or Namecheap) for your domain, you’ll log into your registrar’s panel and go to the DNS Management section.

Step 3: Create a DMARC Record in the DNS

In your DNS settings, you will create a TXT record for DMARC. The normal syntax for a standard DMARC record is as follows:

v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:[email protected]

• v=DMARC1—this specifies the version.
• p=quarantine—this tells the receiving servers what to do with suspicious emails. 
• rua—this provides the report address for the aggregate reports.

You can also change the policy (none, quarantine, or reject) as you see fit, based on your level of protection desired.

Step 4: Save and Validate

Copy the DMARC TXT record you generated, navigate to your domain registrar’s DNS settings, and create a new TXT record. Once you do that, you need to save the changes and allow for DNS propagation, which can take up to 48 hours. You can confirm your domain is properly protected by testing your DMARC record with Threatcop’s spoof check tool. 

Verify your domain’s security now by using Threatcop’s tool to ensure it is protected from spoofing.

How to Check if Your Zoho Email Domain Can Be Spoofed

Even after setting up DMARC, it’s smart to verify if attackers can still spoof your Zoho domain. Threatcop’s spoof check tool analyzes your domain’s Zoho email authentication setup and shows you.

Go to Threatcop’s Email Spoofing Checker. Enter your domain name. The tool scans your domain to identify vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit to send fake emails appearing to come from your address. 

By analyzing your DNS records, it quickly determines if your configurations are strong enough to prevent email spoofing Zoho. The tool generates a clear report, showing whether your Zoho email is safe or at risk, and offers actionable recommendations to strengthen your domain’s defenses.

Verify your domain now and see if your Zoho email is vulnerable to spoofing using Threatcop’s tool.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Setting Up DMARC

Setting up DMARC is a powerful step toward Zoho email security, but even small mistakes in configuration can leave your Zoho domain exposed.

Incorrect Syntax in DMARC Record

One misplaced semicolon or missing quote mark can break your entire DMARC policy. Email systems are picky about syntax. Double-check every character in your DMARC record.

Not Setting Up SPF/DKIM First

DMARC for Zoho relies on SPF and DKIM being properly configured. Without these in place, your DMARC policy cannot function effectively, leaving your domain vulnerable.

Not Monitoring DMARC Reports

Enabling DMARC is just the start. Regularly review DMARC aggregate reports to spot unauthorized senders or unusual activity. Monitoring helps you fine-tune policies and prevent domain misuse.

Best Practices for Maintaining Email Security with DMARC

To maximize the effectiveness of DMARC for Zoho in protecting your Zoho domain, it’s important to follow a few best practices consistently.

Regular Monitoring

Businesses should continuously monitor their DMARC reports. These reports provide insights into who is sending emails on behalf of your domain. Look for:

• Unexpected IP addresses are sending email from your domain
• High failure rates on legitimate email sources
• New services or platforms you forgot to authorize

Stronger Policies

When first implementing DMARC, start with p=none to monitor activity without affecting email delivery. Once you are confident in your configuration, move to stricter policies like p=quarantine to see how your legitimate email flows. After a few weeks of clean reports, consider upgrading to p=reject for maximum protection.

Combine with Other Security Tools

Zoho email authentication is powerful, but it works best as part of a layered defense. Combine it with:

• Employee training on recognizing phishing attempts
• Multi-factor authentication on all business accounts
• Regular security awareness testing
• Email filtering solutions that complement DMARC

How DMARC Improves Your Zoho Business Email Security in the Long Run

With AI-enabled phishing and Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks becoming increasingly sophisticated and harder to detect, implementing DMARC for Zoho has never been more critical for protecting your domain and communications.

Improved Domain Reputation: When you implement DMARC properly, receiving mail servers can easily verify that emails from your domain are legitimate. Your legitimate emails are less likely to end up in spam folders.

Preventing Phishing & BEC: Business Email Compromise attacks often rely on domain spoofing. DMARC makes it much harder for attackers to impersonate your domain to trick customers or employees.

Compliance Requirements: Many industries now require email authentication as part of their security frameworks. DMARC plays a critical role by ensuring that only authenticated emails are delivered, helping businesses meet compliance standards and avoid regulatory penalties.

Conclusion

Protecting your Zoho email domain from spoofing and impersonation is vital for maintaining trust, ensuring deliverability, and safeguarding your business from costly cyber threats.

That’s where deploying a comprehensive Zoho DMARC setup is the most effective step to enhance Zoho email security. This protects your business from email spoofing, phishing, and impersonation attacks. In addition to this, Threatcop’s spoof tools guarantee your domain is protected and maintain trust with your users, clients, and partners.

Ensure your Zoho business email is protected from spoofing. Check your domain now using Threatcop’s spoof check tool and start securing your email today!