SPF • DKIM • DMARC • WTF
An integral component of the internet domain management services provided by LCC
Yep, there is only one acronym above which is easy to understand, and it's entirely appropriate if not a little inappropriate!
The first 3 terms are related to the email settings required for an email service attached to an internet domain like lcc.com.au
As a collection, those settings improve email security and reduce spam as well as eliminating the ability for scammers to spoof our email addresses, ie pretend to be someone they are not. This has become a significant problem in recent years with a massive increase in email compromise scams which generally result in fake invoices with bogus banking details.
In simple terms, SPF defines which domains & servers can send emails on your behalf
In simple terms, DKIM improves the authentication of inbound emails
There are no simple terms when it comes to DMARC which largely reduces spam
How to Check
All of the above records, and other settings attached to your domain, are in the public space
For example you can check who owns and who hosts any .AU domain via the auDA Whois website
You can check for SPF via the MX Toolbox SPF website
You can check for DMARC via the MX Toolbox DMARC website
And you can check for DKIM via the MX Toolbox DKIM website
You will need to add what is known as the Selector
For Microsoft hosted email use selector1
For Google hosted email use google
If you don't know who hosts your email, check with whomever manages your domain settings or email service