The ruf (Reporting URI for Forensic reports) tag in a DMARC record specifies where to send forensic (failure) reports. These reports provide detailed information about individual emails that fail DMARC validation. While this can sound useful in theory, in practice, it is rarely used.
Lack of Support: Major email providers, including Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo, do not support sending forensic reports. As a result, even if you include the ruf tag in your DMARC record, you are unlikely to receive any forensic reports.
Privacy Concerns: Forensic reports can contain sensitive information, such as full email headers and sometimes parts of the email body. This raises privacy and security concerns, as these reports can potentially expose sensitive data.
Volume of Data: Forensic reports can generate a significant amount of data, especially for domains with high email traffic. Managing and analyzing this data can be overwhelming and is often not worth the effort given the limited actionable insights they provide.
At dmarceye, we focus on providing robust aggregate reporting. Aggregate reports offer a comprehensive view of your email authentication status without exposing sensitive information. These reports are supported by all major email providers and provide valuable insights into your email ecosystem, helping you to:
Identify sources of unauthenticated email.
Understand the impact of your DMARC policies.
Monitor the effectiveness of your email authentication setup over time.
While Microsoft suggests including the ruf tag, it is not necessary and often not practical due to the lack of support from major providers and the associated privacy concerns. Our service at dmarceye is designed to give you the most relevant and actionable information through aggregate reporting, ensuring you can manage your email security effectively without the need for forensic reports.
If you have any further questions or need assistance with your DMARC setup, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team. We’re here to help!
