Protecting the Inbox: Email Authentication Lessons for Retail
Email is the lifeblood of online retail. It drives sales, nurtures customer relationships, and delivers important notifications. However, email is also a prime target for cyberattacks. From phishing schemes to domain spoofing, the inbox is now a battleground where brand trust is tested daily. In this environment, securing email communications isn't optional — it's essential for protecting customers, reputations and revenue.
The Rising Threat
Email remains the top vector for cyberattacks across industries, but attackers are becoming far more convincing. Artificial intelligence-generated phishing emails can now mimic brand tone, language, and formatting with chilling accuracy.
The retail sector is particularly vulnerable due to the volume of transactional emails that customers expect and trust. Cybercriminals exploit this trust with deceptive lookalikes. If you don't use DMARC to protect your email domain against spoofing, bad actors can use your actual domain name in their malicious email messages.
DMARC Mitigates the Threat … if Implemented Properly
As I note in Valimail’s 2025 Disinformation and Malicious Email Report, 95 percent of domains in the online retail sector have published a DMARC record. This highlights a great initial understanding of what DMARC is across the retail sector. Among the dozen different industry segments we track, online retail has the highest overall DMARC adoption rate.
However, too many retailers implement DMARC in a manner that fails to protect. Nearly 30 percent of companies have implemented a "p=none" DMARC policy, which tells mailbox providers to take no action against potentially fraudulent emails. This minimal configuration creates a false sense of security while still allowing spoofed emails to sneak through.
Even more concerning, 6 percent of DMARC-enabled retail domains haven't configured DMARC reporting, leaving them "flying blind" without visibility into how their domain is being used.
Retail-Specific Risk
Retailers are often targeted more aggressively due to the volume and value of customer data they handle. Stolen data often includes email addresses and personal information, providing an opportunity for bad actors to target phishing attacks via spoofed messages impersonating affected brands.
Solutions and Recommendations
Retailers can take simple but meaningful steps to protect their brands and customers:
- Go beyond the bare minimums. Implement DMARC at enforcement (with a policy of quarantine or reject) and implement reporting so you can see who is sending mail on your behalf.
- Educate internal teams and vendors on proper email authentication and regularly audit configurations.
- Monitor continuously for signs of abuse.
A Future-Proof Foundation
As phishing grows more sophisticated, DMARC remains one of the most cost-effective defenses. It secures outbound messages and helps prevent your brand from being weaponized in attacks.
Retailers that move beyond the bare minimum requirements for email authentication are making an investment in their digital integrity. The sooner they take that step, the safer their customers, reputations, and email channel will be.
For deeper insights, check out Valimail's 2025 Disinformation and Malicious Email Report.
Al Iverson is the industry research and community engagement lead at Valimail, a leading email authentication solution.
Al Iverson is Valimail’s industry research and community engagement lead. He is also an email marketing, deliverability, and email authentication expert and the author of the blog Spam Resource.
