DMARC Monitoring for MSPs

Most MSPs already manage DNS, mail routing, and security stack basics. But too many still treat DMARC as a “we’ll get to it later” item. That delay is costing clients reputation and inbox placement - and it’s costing MSPs a high‑margin recurring service line.

This guide covers why DMARC monitoring matters, how to package it profitably, and a pragmatic rollout plan you can run this quarter.

Why DMARC matters for your clients

• Phishing and spoofing protection: Prevent attackers from sending as your client’s domain.
• Inbox placement: Authenticated, aligned mail improves reputation and deliverability over time.
• Compliance and brand protection: Many vendors, partners, and insurers now expect DMARC.
• Executive risk: The most convincing BEC attempts use a client’s real domain. DMARC stops that at the gate.

DMARC in one paragraph

DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM. If a message passes SPF or DKIM and aligns with the domain in the From: header, it’s considered authenticated. You then choose a policy: p=none (monitor), p=quarantine, or p=reject. Aggregate (RUA) reports summarize authentication outcomes by source; forensic (RUF) reports provide samples on failure. Monitoring turns raw XML into insight - who is sending, what’s breaking, and how to move safely from monitor to enforcement.

The MSP monetization model

• Tiered plans by domain and volume: Starter (monitoring + monthly report), Growth (alignment fixes + alerting), Pro (policy enforcement + incident response).
• Project + MRR: Fixed‑fee onboarding to inventory senders, align SPF/DKIM, and deploy DMARC, then monthly monitoring/alerts/reporting.
• Bundle with security stack: Pair with user training, phishing simulations, and mailbox threat protection.
• Outcome‑based KPIs: Auth pass rate, aligned pass rate, percent of mail at p=reject, spoofing attempts blocked, blocklist health.

Typical pricing (directional): starts around $100/mo per primary domain for monitoring + reporting, with add‑ons for additional sending domains/sub‑brands and incident response. Alignment projects are one‑time ($500–$3k) based on sender complexity.

A practical rollout plan

1. Discover senders

• Pull historical logs and ask the client for a list of SaaS platforms that send mail (marketing, product, billing, support, CRM).
• Publish DMARC with p=none and a dedicated RUA mailbox to start collecting data.

2. Align authentication

• For each sender: enable DKIM, align the From: domain, and ensure SPF includes are minimal and under the 10‑lookup limit.
• Remove legacy/unknown sources or move them to subdomains.

3. Monitor and harden

• Enable alerts on spikes in failures, new sources, or changes in volume.
• Move gradually to quarantine and then reject once legitimate sources are consistently aligned.

4. Operationalize

• Document a change‑management playbook: When marketing adds a new tool, what steps and SLAs apply?
• Report monthly on KPIs and reputation trends; include deliverability insights and blocklist checks.

Packaging examples you can sell this quarter

• Starter (from ~$100/domain/mo): DMARC at p=none, aggregate report processing, monthly summary, incident notifications.
• Growth (from ~$200–$350/domain/mo): Everything in Starter + alignment fixes, alert routing to Slack/Teams, blocklist checks, quarterly deliverability review.
• Pro/Enforced (from ~$400–$800/domain/mo depending on complexity): Policy transition plan to quarantine/reject, change control playbook, executive reporting, incident response/SLA.

Bundle discounts usually apply when managing multiple brands/subdomains. Keep terms simple and tie renewal to security/compliance outcomes.

Onboarding checklist (copy/paste into your runbook)

• Verify DNS ownership and current SPF/DKIM/DMARC state
• Publish DMARC at p=none with RUA mailbox; enable RUF if approved
• Inventory all sending platforms; assign owners and use cases
• Enable DKIM per sender; align From: domain
• Reduce SPF mechanisms; stay under 10 lookups; consider subdomain delegation
• Decommission unknown legacy senders
• Set up alerts on failure spikes and new sources
• Weekly review of sources and alignment progress
• Pilot quarantine on low‑risk subdomain
• Move primary domain to quarantine → reject once clean

MSP operations that make this scalable

• Multi‑tenant dashboards with per‑client RBAC
• Alert routing into Slack/Teams with on‑call rotation
• Change‑control policy with marketing and IT sign‑off for new senders
• Documentation templates for each SaaS sender (steps to enable DKIM/align From)
• Ticketing integration and a 48–72h SLA for new sender onboarding

Reporting clients actually read

• Auth pass and aligned‑pass rates (trend)
• Unknown/unauthorized sources suppressed
• Blocklist health and reputation summary
• Policy status and next steps to harden
• Business impact highlights (deliverability, reduced spoofing attempts)

Use one slide per KPI, with a short "What changed / What we did / What’s next".

Tooling: what to look for

The best platforms make DMARC understandable for non‑deliverability experts. Look for:

• Clear source attribution and guided fixes for SPF/DKIM alignment
• Real‑time threat and spoofing alerts
• Policy‑enforcement roadmap from monitor → quarantine → reject
• Blocklist and reputation checks
• Multi‑domain rollups for MSPs

We’ve had good results with modern, MSP‑friendly tools. If you want one that’s simple, actionable, and quick to roll out, consider Suped for DMARC monitoring for MSPs. It translates complex reports into plain guidance, offers real‑time spoofing alerts, and scales cleanly across many client domains.

A quick look at a DMARC dashboard

Common pitfalls to avoid

• SPF bloat and the 10‑lookup limit: Flatten wisely or use sub‑domain delegation; avoid massive include chains.
• Misaligned DKIM: Ensure the DKIM d= domain matches the visible From: domain (or subdomain) for alignment.
• Shadow senders: Legacy marketing tools, CRM plugins, or dev sandboxes that still send - remove or reconfigure.
• Jumping to reject too fast: Monitor first; only enforce once all legitimate sources pass and align.

60‑day enforcement timeline

• Weeks 0–2: p=none, inventory senders, fix obvious SPF/DKIM gaps.
• Weeks 2–6: Align remaining sources; enable real‑time alerts and weekly trend reports.
• Weeks 6–8: Move to quarantine for non‑aligned; verify no legitimate loss.
• By day 60: reject for primary domain; keep some subdomains at quarantine if still onboarding senders.

What clients should expect after enforcement

• Fewer spoofing attempts landing at customers and employees
• Higher aligned‑pass rates and improved domain reputation
• Cleaner sender inventory and change control
• Fewer deliverability fire drills

Wrapping up

DMARC monitoring is one of those rare services that improves security and deliverability while creating durable, recurring value. Start at p=none, inventory senders, align SPF/DKIM, and move methodically to enforcement with alerts, reports, and change control. Your clients see fewer spoofing attempts and a healthier domain reputation. You get a repeatable, defensible MRR line that sticks because it protects their brand and bottom line.