In a recent LinkedIn post, Chirag Goswami discusses how DMARC uses SPF and DKIM checks to help organizations defend their email domains against spoofing and phishing. Goswami’s post walks readers through what happens when a message travels from a sender’s server to a recipient’s inbox, and how a domain’s DMARC policy affects messages that fail authentication. This article reports on Goswami’s explanation and its practical emphasis on email security.
“DMARC brings it all together:”
How the checks work together
According to Goswami, a receiving mail server checks SPF, which helps establish whether a message came from an authorized server, and DKIM, which helps verify that the message has not been altered. DMARC evaluates those results alongside the domain’s policy. His post presents the process as a chain of checks between delivery and the recipient’s inbox, rather than as a single authentication test.
Goswami summarizes the successful case this way:
“If the email passes either SPF or DKIM and aligns with the domain’s DMARC policy, it’s delivered straight into your inbox.”
The alignment condition is central to his description: a passing SPF or DKIM result must also correspond with the domain’s DMARC policy for the message to qualify for delivery under the scenario he outlines.
What happens when a message fails
Goswami distinguishes between two outcomes for messages that fail validation. A domain configured to quarantine may direct them to spam, while a reject policy blocks them. As Goswami points out, the policy determines how the receiving server handles a failed message; DMARC therefore gives domain owners a way to specify a response to authentication failures.
“If it fails and the policy is set to reject, the email is blocked altogether.”
This explanation highlights an operational choice for organizations: how strictly to handle messages that do not meet the domain’s authentication requirements. Goswami’s post links that choice to a broader security goal, writing that DMARC helps protect users from phishing and spoofing attempts.
Security and implementation
Goswami frames DMARC as a way to bring SPF and DKIM results into a policy-based process. In his view, that coordination can help guard against unauthorized use of a business’s domain, with implications for user trust and brand reputation. The post closes with a product reference, stating that “Cybernara makes it effortless” to secure an email domain with DMARC.
That mention is part of Goswami’s original post; it does not provide further detail about the service or its capabilities. His central point is the role DMARC plays in applying a domain’s chosen policy to email authentication results. For organizations considering email defenses, the post offers a concise overview of how those checks can shape whether a message reaches an inbox, is quarantined, or is rejected.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Chirag Goswami on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on November 7, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →