Why Every Credit Union Should Care About DMARC — And Why Your Members Depend On It

If there’s one thing that keeps credit union leaders up at night, it’s protecting member trust. Your members count on you to guard their money, their identity, and their financial future. But in today’s environment, the biggest threats aren’t always coming through the front door—they’re hitting your inbox.

One of many cybersecurity risks for credit unions is email spoofing and phishing. These attacks are becoming more convincing every year, and criminals know that credit unions have something priceless: a trusted brand and a loyal membership that believes the messages you send.

That’s exactly why DMARC has become a necessity—not a “nice to have.”

What Is DMARC and Why Should Credit Unions Care?

DMARC stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance. It sits quietly behind the scenes in your DNS settings (through registrars like GoDaddy or Network Solutions), but the work it does is powerful.

At a high level, DMARC watches your email traffic to make sure that the messages claiming to come from your domain—like @yourcreditunion.com—are actually legitimate. If someone tries to spoof your address to trick a member or staff member, DMARC can block it, quarantine it, or flag it for review.

In simple terms: DMARC protects your name, your reputation, and your members from fraud.

Why DMARC Matters To Your Credit Union

Email is still the number one source of phishing attacks. Criminals impersonating trusted financial institutions has become one of the most common threat vectors targeting both members and staff. DMARC helps stop these threats before they ever reach an inbox. By putting these protections in place, your credit union can safeguard member trust and reduce the risk of costly email fraud.

How DMARC Works With SPF and DKIM — And What That Means To Your Credit Union

To understand DMARC, it helps to know the two tools it relies on:

1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

SPF is a public DNS record that lists which mail servers are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain. Basically:

“These are the places my email is allowed to come from. Everything else is suspicious.”

If a message comes from a mail server NOT on your SPF list, DMARC can take action.

2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

DKIM adds a digital signature to your outgoing email. Your DNS holds a public key that verifies that signature.

Every email your credit union sends carries a hidden “signature” that says: “Yes, this email really came from us.” If a spoofed email doesn’t have the correct signature, DMARC knows it isn’t legitimate. Together, SPF and DKIM do the validating. DMARC decides what happens next.

The Three DMARC Modes: None, Quarantine, and Reject

When setting up DMARC, you have three policy options. Each one controls how aggressively you want DMARC to act.

1. NONE

This mode only monitors and reports. Nothing is blocked yet—it’s like running DMARC in “observation mode.”

This is the safest place to start because it helps you:

· Understand who’s sending mail on your behalf

· Identify incorrect or outdated SPF/DKIM records

· See which emails would fail without interrupting delivery

2. QUARANTINE

This is your “caution” step. Suspicious or failing emails get sent to quarantine—usually in your email security platform—so they don’t land directly in inboxes.

It gives your team visibility and control.

3. REJECT

This is the highest protection level, and the ultimate goal. Any email that fails DMARC checks is blocked completely.

CTG strongly recommends starting with NONE or QUARANTINE first, reviewing your reports, and then slowly moving to REJECT when everything is properly aligned.

Why DMARC Is No Longer Optional for Credit Unions

Most credit unions already use SPF and DKIM—but stopping there isn’t enough anymore. DMARC has become essential for three major reasons:

1. Rising Compliance Requirements

Across the industry, DMARC is becoming either recommended or required for:

· PCI (credit card environments)

· Federal agencies (like CMMC and FedRAMP)

· Healthcare-related operations (HIPAA)

· Cyber liability insurance renewals

Auditors increasingly expect to see DMARC in place—and properly implemented.

2. Protecting Member Trust and Reputation

When a scammer successfully spoofs your email:

· Members think you emailed them.

· They might give away credentials, account numbers, or sensitive data.

· Your credit union’s credibility takes the hit—not the attacker.

DMARC dramatically reduces the chance of that happening.

3. Reducing Internal Risk

Spoofing doesn’t just target members—attackers impersonate CEOs, CFOs, and IT leaders to trick staff into:

· Sharing credentials

· Approving fraudulent transfers

· Opening malicious files

DMARC adds a layer of protection around these high-risk attacks.

CTG Helps Credit Unions Deploy and Monitor DMARC Every Day

Credit unions don’t always have the bandwidth to manage DNS, reporting tools, and DMARC tuning internally. That’s where CTG’s MSP practice steps in.

We help credit unions:

· Review and clean up SPF and DKIM records

· Configure DMARC with safe, phased policies

· Interpret DMARC reports

· Monitor for spoofing attempts

· Move safely from NONE → QUARANTINE → REJECT

We make email authentication simple, secure, and sustainable.

Protect Your Members and Your Reputation — Let CTG Help

DMARC is one of the easiest—and most important—ways your credit union can prevent fraud, reduce phishing risk, and strengthen member trust. If you’re not sure whether your DMARC settings are correct, or if you’ve never reviewed your DNS records, now is the time.

Corporate Technologies Group is here to help you set it up, monitor it, and keep your credit union protected. Email us at info@ctgusa.net or call 330-655-8144. 

Let’s make sure your members stay safe—and your credit union stays protected.