Email Spoofing and Phishing
Email remains the most common attack vector.
Email remains the most common attack vector. Identity spoofing and phishing can compromise your organization in minutes if you don't have adequate protections.
Email Spoofing and Phishing: Most Common Problems in Enterprise Email Security
We evaluate email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and measure your team's awareness. What we see most every week:
Lack of DMARC or DMARC in "none" mode
DMARC in "none" mode blocks nothing, it only reports. Without active DMARC, anyone can send emails "from" your domain.
SPF too permissive
SPF misconfigured or too permissive allows other servers to send emails "from" your domain.
DKIM not configured
DKIM not configured or with signature errors. Without DKIM, there's no way to verify that emails really come from your domain.
Employees who don't recognize phishing
70-80% of employees in typical tests don't recognize fraudulent emails. Lack of training and awareness.
Similar domains registered
Typosquatting: attackers register domains similar to yours to send phishing that looks legitimate.
Lack of advanced filtering
Email services without advanced protection against phishing. Basic filters don't detect all attacks.
Impact and Typical Signs
If your domain is being spoofed or your team is vulnerable to phishing, you'll see some of these signs:
Critical signs requiring immediate action:
- Fraudulent emails sent "from" your domain to customers, suppliers, or employees
- Financial losses from fraudulent transfers or stolen data
- Compromise of corporate accounts (email, cloud services) through phishing
Early warning signs:
- Loss of customer trust when they receive suspicious emails with your name
- Loss of positioning in email tools (marked as spam)
- Regulatory non-compliance (GDPR) if personal data is leaked
How to Know if Your Domain is Being Spoofed
Indicators that your domain may be being used for spoofing:
- Customers or suppliers report receiving suspicious emails "from your company"
- Legitimate emails from your company go to spam or are rejected
- You appear on spam blacklists
- You receive alerts from email services about suspicious activity
- You detect similar domains registered by attackers (typosquatting)
- Employees report receiving internal phishing (emails that appear to be from the company but are false)
Most Common Causes
The most frequent problems in enterprise email security:
Lack of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication
Without these protections, anyone can send emails "from" your domain. They are the foundation of protection against spoofing.
Incorrect DNS record configuration
SPF too permissive, DKIM misconfigured, DMARC in "none" mode (blocks nothing). Configurations that seem correct but don't protect.
Employees who don't recognize fraudulent emails
Lack of training and awareness. Without training, employees don't know how to identify phishing and can compromise accounts.
Similar domains registered by attackers
Typosquatting (e.g., "yourdomain.com" vs "yourdomain.es" registered by attackers). Domains that look like yours but belong to attackers.
Lack of malicious email filtering
Email services without advanced protection against phishing. Basic filters don't detect all sophisticated attacks.
Absence of security policies
No processes to report phishing or verify suspicious requests. Without processes, employees don't know what to do.
What Email Security Evaluation Includes
We perform a complete email security audit. What we specifically look at:
Email Authentication Evaluation
We review SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to identify incorrect or missing configurations. We validate that all three protocols are correctly configured.
Exposure Analysis
We verify if your domain appears on blacklists or if there are similar domains registered. We identify typosquatting risks.
Phishing Tests
We send phishing simulations to your team to measure awareness. We identify what percentage of employees is vulnerable.
Policy Review
We evaluate if you have processes to report and respond to phishing. We identify gaps in email security policies.
Protection Configuration
We help you implement or correct SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Correct and tested configurations for your email provider.
User Training
We provide guides and materials so your team can recognize phishing. Practical and actionable training.
We prioritize by impact: first email authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), then training and policies.
Deliverables
You'll receive a detailed report with:
Current Status of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
What works, what's missing, what's wrong. Complete analysis of your current authentication configuration.
Implementation Plan
Steps to correctly configure email authentication. Step-by-step guide with specific configurations.
Phishing Test Results
Percentage of employees who fell for the simulation. Clear metrics of your team's awareness.
Filtering Recommendations
What additional services or configurations you need. Improvements in protection against advanced phishing.
Email Security Policies
Templates and processes to report phishing. Documentation ready to use in your organization.
Verification Checklist
How to periodically check that your protection remains active. Continuous maintenance of your email security.
Timelines
Email security evaluation is completed in 3-5 business days. SPF/DKIM/DMARC implementation can be done in 24-48 hours once the configuration is approved.
Evaluation Scope and Limits
To be clear about what it covers and what it doesn't:
We do not manage your mail server directly: We give you the configuration, you or your provider apply it. We focus on identifying and documenting, not executing changes.
We do not provide continuous email filtering services: Only evaluation and initial configuration. If you need continuous filtering, we can recommend options.
We do not perform phishing tests without explicit authorization: Phishing tests require written authorization. Without authorization, we only evaluate technical configuration.
Next Step
If your company depends on email to communicate with customers or suppliers, protecting your domain against spoofing is critical. An evaluation gives you visibility of your current vulnerabilities and a clear plan to implement effective protections.
Questions frequently asked
Preguntas frecuentes
What are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC?
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They are three protocols that authenticate that an email really comes from your domain. SPF lists which servers can send emails for you. DKIM cryptographically signs emails. DMARC says what to do with emails that don't pass SPF or DKIM (reject them, put them in spam, or allow them). Together, the three prevent spoofing.
Does it affect me if I use Gmail or Outlook for business?
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Yes. Although Gmail and Outlook have their own protections, if you don't configure SPF/DKIM/DMARC correctly, others can send emails "from" your domain using other services. Correct configuration prevents this regardless of which email provider you use.
What happens if I already have SPF configured?
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SPF is only one part. Many companies have SPF but not DKIM or DMARC, or have SPF misconfigured (too permissive). We evaluate if your current configuration is sufficient or if it needs improvements. We also verify that there are no conflicts between the three protocols.
How does phishing affect my company if I don't have an online store?
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Phishing can compromise corporate accounts (email, cloud services, banks), steal employee credentials, or trick customers/suppliers into making fraudulent transfers. You don't need an online store to be a target: any company with corporate email is vulnerable.
What's the difference between spoofing and phishing?
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Spoofing is when someone sends emails "from" your domain without your permission (using your name but from another server). Phishing is when someone sends fraudulent emails that appear legitimate to steal credentials or data. SPF/DKIM/DMARC prevent spoofing. User training and filtering prevent phishing.
How long does it take to implement DMARC?
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Technical configuration can be done in hours. However, we recommend a "monitoring" period (DMARC in "none" mode) of 2-4 weeks to see which legitimate emails might be blocked before activating real blocking. This avoids disrupting legitimate communications.
What happens if I block legitimate emails by mistake?
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That's why we recommend starting with DMARC in "monitoring" mode (doesn't block, only reports). We review reports for 2-4 weeks to identify legitimate services that need to be in SPF, and then we activate blocking gradually. We guide you through this process to minimize false positives.
Need help with this?
Start with an initial security assessment that identifies the most critical risks and gives you a prioritized action plan.