DNS (Domain Name System)
DNS translates domain names into IP addresses and powers email authentication. Learn how DMARC and DMARCeye use DNS to protect your domain.
What Is a DNS?
The Domain Name System (DNS) is like the Internet’s address book; it translates human-readable domain names (like example.com) into IP addresses that computers use to locate servers.
Every time someone sends an email or visits a website, DNS makes sure their device can find the right destination on the Internet.
Without DNS, users would need to remember long numeric IP addresses instead of simple names. It’s a core part of how the internet and email function.
How DNS works
DNS operates through a hierarchical system of servers. When you type a domain or send an email, your device queries multiple DNS servers to find the correct IP address or mail-handling configuration.
For email, DNS does more than just routing. It stores special DNS records that tell receiving mail servers how to authenticate and deliver messages. These include:
- SPF records – specify which mail servers are allowed to send email for a domain.
- DKIM records – publish public cryptographic keys for verifying signatures.
- DMARC records – define policies for how unauthenticated mail should be handled.
DNS ensures that these records are accessible globally so that every mail provider can check them in real time.
Why DNS Is Important for Email Security
Because authentication protocols depend on DNS, any misconfiguration can expose a domain to spoofing, phishing, or deliverability problems.
A missing or invalid DNS record may cause legitimate messages to fail verification, or allow attackers to impersonate your brand.
That’s why managing your DNS carefully is essential for maintaining both email security and sender reputation.
DNS and DMARCeye
DMARCeye relies on DNS data to interpret your authentication setup. It automatically analyzes SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to verify that they’re correctly published and working as intended.
By tracking DNS-based authentication results across mail streams, DMARCeye helps you detect configuration errors, unauthorized senders, and policy misalignments before they affect deliverability.
In short, DNS is the backbone and DMARCeye makes it visible.
Sign up for a free trial of DMARCeye today and secure your email domain.
To learn more about DMARC and DMARC-related terms, explore the DMARCeye Glossary.