November 2023 | Tangent Blog

Stay Secure and Spoof-Free: How to Perform a DMARC Check with a DMARC Checker

November 14, 2023November 14, 2023 Michelle

Email security is a top priority for organizations of all sizes. To ensure that your email communications are protected from spoofing and phishing attacks, it’s essential to implement DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance). In this blog post, we’ll guide you on how to perform a DMARC check using a DMARC checker tool, empowering you to strengthen your email security.

What Is a DMARC Checker?

A DMARC checker is a specialized tool designed to assess the DMARC configuration of a domain and provide valuable insights into its email authentication practices. By using a DMARC checker, you can verify that your DMARC policy is correctly configured and gain visibility into the authentication status of your domain’s email traffic.

How to Perform a DMARC Check:

Select a DMARC Checker Tool: There are various DMARC checker tools available online, both free and paid. Choose one that suits your needs.
Enter Your Domain: In the DMARC checker tool, enter the domain that you want to assess. This could be your organization’s domain.
Initiate the Check: Click the “Check” or “Scan” button to start the DMARC check process.
Review the Results: The DMARC checker will provide a detailed report on your domain’s DMARC configuration. It will indicate whether your DMARC policy is correctly implemented and offer insights into any issues that need attention.

What to Look for in the DMARC Check Results:

DMARC Policy Status: Check if your DMARC policy is set to “none,” “quarantine,” or “reject.” A policy of “reject” is the most secure option.
SPF and DKIM Alignment: Ensure that SPF and DKIM authentication mechanisms align with your DMARC policy.
Reporting Configuration: Review the reporting settings to ensure that you receive valuable DMARC reports that can help you monitor email traffic.
Authentication Results: Check the authentication results for your domain’s emails to identify any issues with failed authentication.

Performing regular DMARC checks is essential for maintaining strong email security. It allows you to proactively address any configuration issues and protect your organization from email spoofing and phishing attacks.

Using a DMARC checker tool is a practical step in bolstering your email security. It helps you verify the correctness of your DMARC configuration and ensures that your domain’s email communications remain secure and spoof-free.

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What Is DMARC and Why Does It Matter?

November 14, 2023November 14, 2023 Michelle

In an era where cyber threats continue to evolve, protecting your organization’s email communications is of utmost importance. One crucial aspect of email security is DMARC, which stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance. In this blog post, we’ll demystify DMARC, explain what it is, and discuss why it matters for your email security strategy.

What Is DMARC?

DMARC is an email authentication protocol that helps organizations combat email fraud and phishing attacks. It builds upon two other essential email authentication methods: SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). Together, these protocols work to verify the authenticity of the sender’s domain and ensure that emails sent on behalf of your domain are legitimate.

DMARC adds an extra layer of protection by specifying how email receivers should handle messages that fail authentication checks. It allows domain owners to define policies that instruct receiving mail servers on whether to deliver, quarantine, or reject emails that do not meet the authentication criteria.

Why Does DMARC Matter?

Phishing Prevention: Phishing attacks often involve impersonating legitimate organizations through fraudulent emails. DMARC helps prevent such attacks by ensuring that only authorized senders can use your domain for email communications.
Brand Protection: Your brand’s reputation is invaluable. DMARC helps safeguard your brand by reducing the likelihood of malicious actors tarnishing it through spoofed emails.
Improved Email Deliverability: Implementing DMARC correctly can enhance your email deliverability rates. Internet service providers (ISPs) and email receivers are more likely to accept and deliver emails from domains with strong DMARC policies.
Visibility and Reporting: DMARC provides valuable reporting data that allows you to monitor email traffic and identify any unauthorized use of your domain. This insight helps you fine-tune your email security strategy.
Regulatory Compliance: Some regulations, such as GDPR, require organizations to implement email security measures like DMARC to protect customer data. Compliance with such regulations is essential for avoiding legal consequences.

DMARC is a critical component of modern email security. It not only protects your organization from phishing attacks and email fraud but also enhances your email deliverability and brand reputation. Implementing DMARC may require technical expertise, but the benefits it offers in terms of security and peace of mind are well worth the effort.

A Comprehensive Guide to Software Asset Management and License Management with Cubes

November 14, 2023November 14, 2023 Michelle

In today’s digital age, software plays a crucial role in the functioning of businesses across various industries. From managing finances to optimizing operations, software tools are essential for organizations to thrive. However, with the increasing reliance on software comes the challenge of managing software assets and licenses efficiently. That’s where Software Asset Management (SAM) and License Manager come into play.

What Is Software Asset Management (SAM)?

Software Asset Management, or SAM for short, is a strategic approach to managing and optimizing an organization’s software assets. It involves the processes, policies, and technologies necessary to oversee the procurement, deployment, utilization, and retirement of software applications within an organization.

SAM helps organizations ensure that they are using software licenses efficiently, reducing compliance risks, and controlling costs. It provides valuable insights into software usage, allowing businesses to make informed decisions about software investments and deployments.

The Importance of Software License Management

Software licenses are legal agreements between software vendors and organizations that outline the terms and conditions for using the software. Failing to manage software licenses effectively can lead to compliance issues, financial penalties, and reputational damage. This is where Software License Management (SLM) comes into play.

Software License Management is a subset of SAM, focusing specifically on tracking and managing software licenses. It involves monitoring license usage, ensuring compliance with license agreements, and optimizing license utilization to minimize costs.

Introducing License Manager: Streamlining SAM and SLM

License Manager is a dedicated software tool designed to simplify and streamline the processes of both Software Asset Management and Software License Management. This powerful solution offers several key benefits:

Centralized Visibility: License Manager provides a centralized dashboard that allows organizations to gain complete visibility into their software assets and licenses. This visibility is crucial for tracking license usage, ensuring compliance, and making informed decisions about software procurement and retirement.
Automation: License Manager automates many of the time-consuming tasks associated with SAM and SLM. It can automatically discover and inventory software assets, track license usage, and generate compliance reports. This automation saves time and reduces the risk of manual errors.
Cost Optimization: With License Manager, organizations can identify underutilized or unused software licenses and reallocate them to areas where they are needed most. This optimization can result in significant cost savings.
Compliance Assurance: License Manager helps organizations stay compliant with software license agreements by monitoring usage and alerting them to any potential compliance issues. This proactive approach can prevent costly penalties and legal disputes.
Reporting and Analytics: License Manager offers robust reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing organizations to generate customized reports and gain valuable insights into their software assets and licenses.

In conclusion, Software Asset Management and Software License Management are essential components of responsible software governance. With the help of License Manager, organizations can unlock efficiency, reduce costs, ensure compliance, and make informed decisions about their software assets and licenses. Investing in SAM and SLM practices, supported by a tool like License Manager, is a smart strategy for any modern business looking to thrive in the digital landscape.

What Is Software Asset Management (SAM)?

The Importance of Software License Management

Introducing License Manager: Streamlining SAM and SLM

Centralized Visibility: License Manager provides a centralized dashboard that allows organizations to gain complete visibility into their software assets and licenses. This visibility is crucial for tracking license usage, ensuring compliance, and making informed decisions about software procurement and retirement.
Automation: License Manager automates many of the time-consuming tasks associated with SAM and SLM. It can automatically discover and inventory software assets, track license usage, and generate compliance reports. This automation saves time and reduces the risk of manual errors.
Cost Optimization: With License Manager, organizations can identify underutilized or unused software licenses and reallocate them to areas where they are needed most. This optimization can result in significant cost savings.
Compliance Assurance: License Manager helps organizations stay compliant with software license agreements by monitoring usage and alerting them to any potential compliance issues. This proactive approach can prevent costly penalties and legal disputes.
Reporting and Analytics: License Manager offers robust reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing organizations to generate customized reports and gain valuable insights into their software assets and licenses.

What is the Most Reliable Industrial PC?

November 14, 2023November 14, 2023 Michelle

An industrial computer, often referred to as an industrial PC, is purpose-built to handle complex industrial tasks. Crafted from industrial-grade components, enclosed in ruggedized casings, and rigorously tested for reliability, these industrial PCs excel in environments where standard desktop computers would falter.

Key features of industrial PCs include:

Ventless and Fanless Design: Industrial PCs are designed to operate without traditional fans, making them resistant to dust and debris, while reducing the risk of internal component damage.

Resilience to Vibrations and Harsh Environments: These PCs are built to withstand extreme temperatures, moisture, and vibrations, ensuring uninterrupted performance in challenging conditions.

Easy Configuration: Industrial PCs offer flexibility in terms of configuration, allowing them to be tailored to specific applications and industries.

Comprehensive I/O Options: These PCs provide a wide range of input and output options, facilitating seamless integration with existing equipment and systems.

Extended Lifecycles: Industrial PCs are engineered for longevity, ensuring they continue to perform reliably over an extended period.

Durable Components: Built with high-quality components, industrial PCs are designed to endure the test of time, even in the harshest environments.

Selecting the right industrial PC for your specific application is essential for maintaining productivity and efficiency within your facility. By exploring the main types of industrial PCs, considerations during the selection process, key benefits, typical applications, and more, you can make an informed choice to meet your industrial computing needs.

Common Types of Industrial PCs

Industrial PCs come in various types, each tailored to specific industrial applications. Here are three common types:

Industrial Panel PCs (IPPCs): These are the most robust and durable industrial PCs, suitable for heavy-duty industrial settings like automotive, steel manufacturing, dairy, and meat processing. Equipped with capacitive or resistive touch sensors, IPPCs can be operated by gloved personnel, making them ideal for challenging environments. They offer features such as installed I/O cards, redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAIDs), multiple drives, and PCI/PCIe expansion slots.

Panel PCs (PPCs): Designed for a wide range of light industrial tasks, PPCs are affordable and versatile. They provide ample input and output expansion options and come with various screen choices, including widescreen with multi-touch features or a standard 4:3 screen with a resistive touchscreen. PPC sizes range from 6.5 inches to 42 inches.

Touch Panel PCs (TPPCs): These PCs are designed for standard industrial applications and have a slim profile with a thin client terminal. They are fanless, SCADA-ready, and feature screen sizes ranging from 6.5 inches to 42 inches. Typically, TPPCs have fewer I/O options compared to other industrial PC types.

Industrial PCs can offer various characteristics and mounting options depending on the specific application’s demands, including fully enclosed, in-wall, wall-mounted, VESA-mounted, swing arm, fold-down, pedestal, purged, and non-purged designs. Additionally, the materials used for industrial PC enclosures and displays vary and may include aluminum, stainless steel, carbon fiber, composites, polycarbonate, glass, and Lexan.

Choosing the Best Industrial PC

When selecting an industrial PC for your application, consider factors such as computing performance, operating environment, power supply availability, space constraints, and required connectivity features. Key options you’ll need to choose from include mounting styles, processors (CPUs), ratings, operating environments, application or industry use, connectivity, and operating systems. Storage, memory, and expansion options will also play a crucial role in determining the best fit for your needs.

Industrial PCs are versatile, providing benefits such as the ability to operate in harsh environments, resistance to vibration and shock, and fanless design to resist dust and debris. They find applications in various industries, including manufacturing, packaging inspection, asset tracking, simulation and control, remote data management, chemical and food processing, original equipment manufacturing (OEMs), and integration by system integrators.

Why Choose Tangent?

As a leading manufacturer of industrial PCs and display solutions, Tangent offers off-the-shelf and customized solutions for demanding industrial applications across industries like chemical, food processing, manufacturing, military, and more. With over 30 years of industry experience, their products are engineered and constructed to provide long-lasting performance in a wide range of applications.

For more information on how Tangent’s industrial computer solutions can meet your application demands, or to request a quote, visit: Tangent’s industrial PC page. Tangent is dedicated to providing tailored solutions for system integrators without unnecessary NRE charges, ensuring reliable and successful operation in every project.

DMARC Checker

November 8, 2023November 8, 2023 Michelle

DMARC Director: Your Trusted Ally for Email Security

In the world of email security, where the stakes are high, having a robust defense system is paramount. And in this defense arsenal, one tool stands out as a crucial component: DMARC. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is your first line of defense against email-based threats. It’s the watchful guardian that meticulously verifies the authenticity of emails sent from your domain.

There’s a solution that provides a DMARC Checker but also takes email security to the next level? That solution is the DMARC Director.

DMARC: Your Email Security Sentinel

DMARC is an indispensable sentinel in the realm of email security. It repetitively scrutinizes incoming emails to ensure they originate from a legitimate source. Imagine it as an email investigator, continuously checking the sender’s identity against your predefined DMARC policy. It becomes your gatekeeper, tirelessly guarding your domain against malicious emails.

Find out what your DMARC record is using our DMARC Checker.

Introducing DMARC Director: Elevating Your Email Security Game

The DMARC Director takes the insights provided by our DMARC Checker and leverages them to implement your DMARC policy effectively. Your DMARC policy can be as stringent or lenient as your organization’s requirements dictate. It tells receiving mail servers how to handle emails that fail DMARC authentication. This includes routing these suspicious emails to the spam folder, quarantining them, or even outright rejecting them. With DMARC Director in charge, you gain control over your email ecosystem, bolstering your domain’s reputation and cementing the trust of your recipients.

In the ever-evolving landscape of email security, the DMARC Checker and DMARC Director are your unwavering allies, empowering you to safeguard your brand’s reputation and maintain the trust of your email recipients. It’s not just about email security; it’s about peace of mind and a secure digital presence in an increasingly interconnected world.

Test your domain now: Check DMARC Here