Phishing & spam filtering
Disowned mail goes to Spam.
When a domain's own DMARC policy disowns a message, or an upstream check already called it spam, it lands in Spam.
In short
How do spam filters catch phishing?
Phishing often forges a real company's domain. DMARC lets that domain tell receivers what to do with mail failing its checks: nothing, quarantine or reject. Spam scanners on the way add their verdict as headers.
How it works
The domain's own policy decides
A DMARC failure counts only where the domain publishes quarantine or reject. At p=none the owner asked for no change.
An upstream verdict is honoured
X-Spam-Status or X-Spam-Flag set to yes, or an X-Spam-Score of five or more, sends the message to Spam.
SPF alone is not enough
Forwarded mail fails SPF legitimately. Filing every forward as spam would be worse than the spam it caught.
What the filter reads
What a Spam verdict rests on.
What you get
In the product today
Filed, never refused
Caught mail waits in Spam, one Move to Inbox away.
Scanned at the door
A spam or virus verdict from the receiving servers files mail in Spam too.
Quiet on your phone
Mail the filter sends to Spam triggers no push notification.
Rules can read it
Your rules can test the spam verdict, or file mail to Spam themselves.
Good practice
Getting the most out of it
- 01
Check Spam first
When expected mail has not arrived, check Spam before asking for a resend.
- 02
Enforce your own domain
Once everything you send passes DMARC, publish quarantine or reject, because p=none asks receivers to leave forgeries alone.
- 03
Block repeat senders
If one sender keeps getting through, block the address or its whole domain.
Where it stands
Good to know
- Domains at p=none
- A forgery of a p=none domain is not filed for failing DMARC, though its Details tab shows the failure.
- Phishing warnings
- A look-alike domain or a scam-like message is flagged on the message, not moved to Spam.
Questions
Asked often
Keep going
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