EasyDMARC, a leading email security platform, has released new insights from its annual study of IT decision-makers. It revealed that 93% of organizations planned to strengthen their email security systems to combat the rising threat of AI-driven phishing attacks. Despite this proactive stance, the study highlighted that technical challenges continued to hinder the implementation of effective email authentication protocols.
The research, which surveyed over 1,000 IT decision-makers across the world*, found that the growing sophistication of generative AI had become a significant concern, with 85% of respondents identifying AI as an emerging threat to email security. As phishing tactics evolve, IT leaders are under increasing pressure to bolster defences, but many still face hurdles in deploying advanced security measures like DMARC.
Implementation challenges slow progress
While DMARC adoption continues to rise, complexity remained a key barrier for respondents. Nearly one-third (31%) cited the technical complexity of DMARC implementation as a major challenge, while 27% reported a lack of in-house expertise as a significant obstacle. As a result, many organizations sought external support, with 43% turning to managed service providers, consultants, and dedicated email security platforms to help bridge the knowledge gap.
“The growing threat of AI-powered phishing attacks has pushed IT leaders to seek solutions that can secure their organizations’ inboxes,” said Gerasim Hovhannisyan, CEO & Co-founder of EasyDMARC. “It’s crucial that the seemingly technical nature of DMARC implementation doesn’t dissuade IT leaders from adopting what is an incredibly effective tool to combat phishing and spoofing. Simplifying this process and offering the right support has been key to ensuring wider adoption and stronger defenses.”
Awareness and adoption on the rise
While implementation challenges remain, awareness of advanced email authentication protocols had increased. Nearly two-thirds of respondents recognized the significant role email authentication protocols played in reducing spam and improving email security. Broken down, 32% viewed them as essential, and another 32% acknowledged their major contribution alongside other security measures.
“The tools to help facilitate a frictionless journey to more secure inboxes exist,” added Hovhannisyan. “Beyond growing awareness of email authentication measures, the important next step is educating businesses on how to best use them. This includes setting stricter policies that automatically block suspicious emails, preventing any identified spoofed messages from reaching inboxes.”
The study surveyed 1,053 IT decision-makers and security professionals across North America, the UK, ANZ, and BENELUX between 24th January 2025 and 27th January 2025.
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