Which action is NOT a recommended method to defend against phishing and spoofing?

Which action is NOT a recommended method to defend against phishing and spoofing?

• A. Disable SPF/DKIM/DMARC.
• B. Enable MFA for email accounts.
• C. Train users to recognize phishing.
• D. Verify domain names and use SPF/DKIM/DMARC.

Answer: (A)

Disabling SPF, DKIM, and DMARC would remove essential email authentication checks that help verify a message’s origin. When these protections are turned off, spoofed emails can masquerade as legitimate messages from trusted domains, making it much easier for attackers to fool users, harvest credentials, or deliver phishing links. Keeping these standards enabled and properly configured creates a line of defense where messages that fail authentication are more likely to be flagged or blocked, and domain alignment provides a clear signal about legitimacy. Adding multi-factor authentication for email accounts adds protection even if credentials are compromised, because the attacker would still need the second factor to log in. Training users to recognize phishing reduces the chance they’ll click malicious links or divulge sensitive information. Verifying domain names and implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC further strengthen defenses by ensuring messages genuinely come from the claimed domain and by providing reporting and enforcement mechanisms to prevent spoofing.

Disabling SPF, DKIM, and DMARC would remove essential email authentication checks that help verify a message’s origin. When these protections are turned off, spoofed emails can masquerade as legitimate messages from trusted domains, making it much easier for attackers to fool users, harvest credentials, or deliver phishing links. Keeping these standards enabled and properly configured creates a line of defense where messages that fail authentication are more likely to be flagged or blocked, and domain alignment provides a clear signal about legitimacy.

Adding multi-factor authentication for email accounts adds protection even if credentials are compromised, because the attacker would still need the second factor to log in. Training users to recognize phishing reduces the chance they’ll click malicious links or divulge sensitive information. Verifying domain names and implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC further strengthen defenses by ensuring messages genuinely come from the claimed domain and by providing reporting and enforcement mechanisms to prevent spoofing.