‘It Takes a Network to Fight a Network:’ The Importance of Trusted Communities

Having recently been appointed VP of Marketing at EasyDMARC, I was fortunate to take a two-week trip to Yerevan, Armenia, in December to work with the EasyDMARC development team and the sales, product & marketing functions there. I was able to witness first-hand this vibrant country of natural beauty and its welcoming citizens in a thriving economy. I was hugely impressed by the deep technical knowledge of all my colleagues, riding high on an Armenian tech wave. With over 130,000 domains secured and tens of thousands of customers, EasyDMARC is very well positioned to deliver hyper-scale growth while continuing to serve our customers and partners worldwide.

The Digital Shift & DMARC

Throughout my professional life, I have been fortunate to work globally for organizations with offices in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US, visiting customers and partners in 70+ countries. What is clear is that the divide between regional and vertical market maturities is closing. This is being driven by a shift in the digital business model, and is now further accelerated through artificial intelligence and the shift towards remote (or hybrid) working and a gig economy.

This shift, of course, means email is by far the most dominant means of communication. Did you know that over 350 billion emails are sent globally every day? With over 93% of cyber attacks coming via email, it is not surprising that DMARC implementation is now mandated by Google, Yahoo, and other leading independent software vendors (ISVs) for any organization sending more than 5,000 emails a day. DMARC has also become mandatory in countries such as the US, UK, Australia, and many European nations. Think of DMARC as similar to the “S” in your website URL, a way of providing visual proof of the security status of a website, or in DMARC’s case, an email. While securing your email infrastructure is vital, equally as important is ensuring your customers and partners are receiving your email communication and that your web domain is secure. 

This is crucial for all business functions, especially the marketing, finance, customer support, or partner-focused departments, which often send thousands of emails daily. The impact on your brand reputation is significant if your customers fall victim to phishing attacks and spoofing. Now, more than ever, customers ‘vote with their wallets,’ and damage to your brand reputation means damage to your business’s bottom line. In today’s digital marketplace, consumer choice is vast, and firms need to work hard to develop this ’currency of trust.’

Putting Customer Communities First

For over 20 years, I have been privileged to learn from many thought leaders and teams in the cyber or wider infosec world. Back at networking giant Novell at the turn of the millennium, we had a technically advanced product called Novell GroupWise, which was one of the default applications for enterprise email, along with Lotus CC Mail/Notes and MS Mail/Office. As I reflect on those early days in my career, the importance of relevant customer content being prioritized over feature-focused programs is paramount; expect EasyDMARC to listen carefully to our customers’ ever-evolving requirements. I care passionately about the legacy we are leaving behind for the next generation and believe a strong community and partner network are critical to ensuring we all make the world safer. 

In many ways, the old expression ‘it takes a network to fight a network’ is more relevant than ever, which is why our MSP, channel, and technical partner integrations are an essential part of our growth and ability to thrive under the direction of a dedicated partner-focused team. EasyDMARC will continue to invest in resources and training to support our rapid expansion. With over 4.5 million worldwide open cyber security roles, it has been a privilege to launch several training academies during my career, and EasyDMARC will continue our commitment to providing free training and certification for our industry.

This training is not purely vendor-focused, but also entails broader email security and deliverability sessions through our fast-evolving DMARC Academy.

Onwards and Upwards

As we enter 2025, expect EasyDMARC to climb to new heights both physically and digitally, delivering relevant content to drive informed decision-making. We are in a rapidly evolving world – as displayed by an artist’s “virtual horse” sculpture in Yerevan above – for today’s modern marketing leader, digital transformation is also key. We look forward to listening to you digitally and on the road at major conferences like RSAC– yes, that is a younger me on their website– in addition to more intimate community-driven events EasyDMARC will host and sponsor. Feel free to connect on our EasyDMARC LinkedIn page, fill in the Contact Us form to speak to a qualified business rep, or sign up for a 14-day free trial; we would love to hear from you, wherever you are on your DMARC journey.

Courtney Austin 

Vice President, Marketing 

EasyDMARC