Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting & Conformance (DMARC)

Villanova University has implemented DMARC, a policy and reporting protocol for email authentication as part of our continued efforts to combat phishing, email scams, and spoofing of our electronic mail domains (@villanova.edu; @alum.villanova.edu).

What Is DMARC and How Does It Work?

DMARC provides protection against spam and phishing emails and other spoofing attempts by adding an encrypted DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Message) signature or SPF (Sender Policy Framework) to verify the authenticity of any sender attempting to use a Villanova domain.  This added safeguard provides an extra level of protection for any emails sent from an authorized Villanova email address.

A DMARC policy can be used to authenticate a sender’s domain, verify that emails transmitted by a sender are legitimate, and identify and monitor all approved/verified senders, servers, and third-party vendor applications (MyEmma or Constant Contact) used to transmit mail on Villanova’s behalf.  A DMARC policy also provides information on how spoofed mail is handled and may, for instance, block these messages from ever appearing in a user’s inbox, quarantine, or spam folders.

How Will DMARC Implementation Affect You?

While the implementation of DMARC will impact each and every member of the Villanova community, there is nothing you need to do.  All changes are transparent to end-users and will take place entirely behind the scenes.  In other words, your current user experience will remain the same: you won’t notice anything different about your Villanova email account or how you use it. 

If you use a third-party vendor application or email service to send communications from a Villanova University email address, please contact the University Helpdesk at support@villanova.edu or 610-519-7777 to request DMARC/DKIM/SPF setup and validation.