---
title: "How does Privileged Account and Session Management (PASM) help strengthen DMARC and email security? | AutoSPF"
description: "The truth is that the most important people in your organization are also the most targeted individuals for cyber-attacks due to their access to the most."
image: "https://autospf.com/og/blog/privileged-account-session-management-strengthen-dmarc-email-security.png"
canonical: "https://autospf.com/blog/privileged-account-session-management-strengthen-dmarc-email-security/"
---

Quick Answer

The truth is that the most important people in your organization are also the most targeted individuals for cyber-attacks due to their access to the most critical information and the management of sensitive systems that are major targets for cyber-attackers.

## Try Our Free DMARC Checker

Validate your DMARC policy, check alignment settings, and verify reporting configuration.

[ Check DMARC Record → ](/tools/dmarc-checker/) 

Share 

[ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fautospf.com%2Fblog%2Fprivileged-account-session-management-strengthen-dmarc-email-security%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=How%20does%20Privileged%20Account%20and%20Session%20Management%20%28PASM%29%20help%20strengthen%20DMARC%20and%20email%20security%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fautospf.com%2Fblog%2Fprivileged-account-session-management-strengthen-dmarc-email-security%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fautospf.com%2Fblog%2Fprivileged-account-session-management-strengthen-dmarc-email-security%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fautospf.com%2Fblog%2Fprivileged-account-session-management-strengthen-dmarc-email-security%2F&title=How%20does%20Privileged%20Account%20and%20Session%20Management%20%28PASM%29%20help%20strengthen%20DMARC%20and%20email%20security%3F "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=How%20does%20Privileged%20Account%20and%20Session%20Management%20%28PASM%29%20help%20strengthen%20DMARC%20and%20email%20security%3F&body=Check out this article: https%3A%2F%2Fautospf.com%2Fblog%2Fprivileged-account-session-management-strengthen-dmarc-email-security%2F "Share via Email") 

![email security](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2024/12/spf-record-checker-6342.jpg) 

The truth is that the most important people in your organization are also the most targeted individuals for [cyber-attacks](https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/cyber/75-of-us-companies-prone-to-cyberattack--report-497913.aspx) due to their access to the most critical information and the management of sensitive systems that are major targets for cyber-attackers. 

_DMARC ([RFC 7489](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7489)) ties SPF and DKIM together by requiring alignment between the envelope sender and the visible `From` header. According to Google’s February 2024 bulk sender requirements, a DMARC policy of at least `p=none` is now mandatory for any domain sending 5,000+ messages per day to Gmail users._

_Since these accounts are the key to your organization’s most valuable resources, it only makes sense to protect them with all your might_. Because if these accounts are compromised, attackers can get [unrestricted access](https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/john-smyth-used-unrestricted-access-to-christian-forum-at-winchester-college-to-abuse-boys-review-finds) to your critical systems and mess them up terribly. 

_Speaking of critical systems and their security, as you know, DMARC protects your email ecosystem by preventing attackers from sending fake emails using your domain_. But what if someone takes hold of your privileged accounts and makes a complete mess out of your DMARC policy? That means you have to find a way to secure the accounts that manage and control DMARC settings.

This is where Privileged Account and Session Management (PASM) comes into play! You can think of PASM as a security system for your most important accounts - like admin accounts, which are basically the ones that govern your organization’s critical settings and systems. It safeguards only those authorized personnel who access these accounts, secures login information, and tracks every activity happening in these accounts.

In this article, we will take a look at how Privileged Account and Session Management (PASM) works in tandem with [DMARC](/fraudmarc-alternatives/) to secure your privileged accounts and, ultimately, your email ecosystem.

## What is PASM?

Privileged Account and Session Management, or PASM, is your safety system for the most important accounts - you know, those that have a right to control critical parts of the organization, like settings for DMARC and other [sensitive systems](https://www.cnbctv18.com/business/pressure-sensitive-systems-reports-consolidated-profit-of-rs-38-crore-16868181.htm). PASM will ensure that only trusted individuals access these accounts, secure their passwords, and log what happens when someone uses those accounts. _In doing so, PASM ensures that hackers or unauthorized users do not mess with important settings, keeping everything safe and working as it should_.

## How does PASM support DMARC implementation?

It is clear that you need a security strategy to safeguard the sensitive accounts and systems involved in the implementation and management of important operations like DMARC. And when it comes to protecting privileged access and ensuring controlled management, [Privileged Account and Session Management (PASM)](https://delinea.com/what-is/privileged-account-and-session-management-pasm) fits the bill! 

It is especially useful for accounts that underpin DMARC implementation. Let us take a look at the ways in which PASM supports DMARC implementation.

### Safeguarding your DNS configuration 

If an attacker gets access to your DNS settings, they can disrupt your entire [email authentication](/spf-too-many-dns-lookups/spf-lookup/) deployment and potentially compromise your organization’s [em](/?%5Fgl=1%2A1op2v35%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANDYxMTAwMzgxLjE3MjMwMzcwMDI.%2A%5Fga%5F5J0R8M01Y5%2AMTcyMzAzNzAwMS4xLjAuMTcyMzAzNzAwMS4wLjAuMA..)[a](/)[il security](/?%5Fgl=1%2A1op2v35%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANDYxMTAwMzgxLjE3MjMwMzcwMDI.%2A%5Fga%5F5J0R8M01Y5%2AMTcyMzAzNzAwMS4xLjAuMTcyMzAzNzAwMS4wLjAuMA..). They can do this by manipulating DMARC, SPF, or DKIM records to allow [malicious accounts](https://about.fb.com/news/2022/10/protecting-people-from-malicious-account-compromise-apps/) to send emails on your behalf, leading to phishing and other fraudulent activities. 

With PASM, you can enforce strong access controls, including [multi-factor authentication](https://www.onelogin.com/learn/what-is-mfa) (MFA) and password vaulting, for privileged DNS accounts. _This will allow only authorized users to make changes to the DNS and keep an eye out for any suspicious activities_.

### Protecting access to email servers

Your email servers are basically the core elements of the implementation of [SPF](/blog/what-is-spf-email-a-guide-to-sender-validation-technology/) and [DKIM](/10-reasons-for-regular-spf-record-checks-in-cybersecurity/dkim-record-check/), and if someone messes up with them, that would undermine the effectiveness of DMARC. To avoid this, you can use PASM tools that limit access to [email server](https://mailtrap.io/blog/email-server/) configurations by using just-in-time access and rotating credentials. This reduces the exposure of keys or unauthorized changes.

![just in time access](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2024/12/spf-record-office-365-2.jpg) 

### Analyzing DMARC reports 

You might already know that DMARC reports are just as important as DMARC enforcement, if not more. But what if a [threat actor](https://thehackernews.com/2024/07/tag-100-new-threat-actor-uses-open.html) bypasses a privileged account to access DMARC reports? They could exploit these insights to refine their [phishing tactics](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/us-court-docs-expose-fake-antivirus-renewal-phishing-tactics/) or spoof [legitimate emails](https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2021/08/23/gmail-spam-filter-email-inbox-google/8242847002/) more effectively. However, with PASM, you can enforce role-based access, which ensures that only authorized users can view these reports. 

### Mitigate insider threats 

_Even the slightest accidental error or internal misuse can jeopardize DMARC implementation by weakening DMARC policies_. For instance, if someone implements enforcement to “none” instead of “reject,” it can leave your [domain vulnerable](https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/20-million-trusted-domains-vulnerable-to-email-hosting-exploits) and give way to spoofing and [phishing attacks](https://cybersecuritynews.com/detecting-phishing-attack-artificial-intelligence/).

PASM mitigates these risks by enforcing strict, role-based access, along with real-time monitoring and comprehensive audit trails for all privileged activities. This not only deters [malicious intent](https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/ctv-news-altered-poilievre-clip) but also helps organizations quickly identify and correct errors, thus ensuring integrity in the implementation of DMARC.

![cyber threats](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2024/12/spf-record-syntax-9715.jpg) 

Since DMARC is one of the most effective ways to ward off email-based [cyber threats](https://apnews.com/article/fbi-china-espionage-hacking-db23dd96cfd825e4988852a34a99d4ea), it is important that you protect the systems and accounts that oversee its implementation. _If cyber attackers get hold of these privileged accounts, the kind of chaos and damage they will cause is unfathomable_. But the good news is that now you can employ a dedicated strategic approach to protect these accounts and ultimately ensure effective DMARC implementation.

## Topics

[ DKIM ](/tags/dkim/)[ DKIM record ](/tags/dkim-record/)[ DMARC ](/tags/dmarc/)[ email security ](/tags/email-security/)[ SPF ](/tags/spf/) 

![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/authors/brad-slavin.jpg) 

[ Brad Slavin ](/authors/brad-slavin/) 

General Manager

Founder and General Manager of DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead for AutoSPF's 2,000+ customer base.

[LinkedIn Profile →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin) 

## Ready to get started?

Try AutoSPF free — no credit card required.

[ Book a Demo ](/book-a-demo/) 

## Related Articles

[  Advanced 10m  AutoSPF’s Guide to Configuring SPF & DKIM for Avanan: A Detailed Walk-through  Nov 26, 2025 ](/blog/autospf-guide-configuring-spf-dkim-for-avanan-detailed-setup-walkthrough/)[  Advanced 6m  8 cybersecurity trends that will redefine the digital landscape in 2024  Sep 20, 2024 ](/blog/8-cybersecurity-trends-that-will-redefine-the-digital-landscape-in-2024/)[  Advanced 17m  AI-Powered Phishing in 2026: How Generative AI Changed the Attacker Economics of Email Why Email Authentication Is the Last Reliable Defense Signal in the Age of AI  May 4, 2026 ](/blog/ai-powered-phishing-2026-email-authentication-last-ai-defense-signal/)[  Advanced 8m  AutoSPF’s In-Depth Guide to Setting Up DMARC, SPF & DKIM on HostGator  Dec 9, 2025 ](/blog/autospf-guide-setting-up-dmarc-spf-dkim-on-hostgator/)

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://autospf.com/images/autospf-logo.png"},"description":"Automatic SPF flattening and email authentication management. Resolve SPF lookup limits, flatten SPF records, and maintain email deliverability across all your domains.","parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://github.com/duocircle"],"subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]},"sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","https://www.linkedin.com/company/autospf","https://x.com/autospf01","https://www.g2.com/products/autospf/reviews"],"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","url":"https://autospf.com/contact-us/"},"knowsAbout":["SPF Record Flattening","Sender Policy Framework","Email Authentication","DNS Management","DMARC","DKIM"]}
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebSite","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com","description":"Automatic SPF flattening and email authentication management. Resolve SPF lookup limits, flatten SPF records, and maintain email deliverability across all your domains.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://autospf.com/images/autospf-logo.png"},"description":"Automatic SPF flattening and email authentication management. Resolve SPF lookup limits, flatten SPF records, and maintain email deliverability across all your domains.","parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://github.com/duocircle"],"subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]}}}
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"How does Privileged Account and Session Management (PASM) help strengthen DMARC and email security?","description":"The truth is that the most important people in your organization are also the most targeted individuals for cyber-attacks due to their access to the most.","url":"https://autospf.com/blog/privileged-account-session-management-strengthen-dmarc-email-security/","datePublished":"2024-12-19T16:48:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-18T02:36:41.000Z","dateCreated":"2024-12-19T16:48:00.000Z","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://autospf.com/authors/brad-slavin/#person","name":"Brad Slavin","url":"https://autospf.com/authors/brad-slavin/","jobTitle":"General Manager","description":"Brad Slavin is the founder and General Manager of DuoCircle, the company behind AutoSPF, DMARC Report, Phish Protection, and Mailhop. He founded DuoCircle in 2014 to solve the SPF 10-DNS-lookup problem at scale and has led the company's growth to 2,000+ customers. Brad's focus is product strategy, customer relationships, and the commercial and compliance side of email authentication (DPAs, SLAs, enterprise procurement) rather than hands-on DNS engineering.","image":"https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/authors/brad-slavin.jpg","knowsAbout":["Email Security Strategy","SaaS Product Management","Enterprise Compliance","Customer Success","Email Deliverability Business"],"worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin"]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://autospf.com/images/autospf-logo.png"},"description":"Automatic SPF flattening and email authentication management. Resolve SPF lookup limits, flatten SPF records, and maintain email deliverability across all your domains.","parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138883901","https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/duocircle-llc","https://www.linkedin.com/company/duocircle","https://github.com/duocircle"],"subOrganization":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138898167","name":"DMARC Report","url":"https://dmarcreport.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","name":"AutoSPF","url":"https://autospf.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897912","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://www.phishprotection.com"}]},"sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138897474","https://www.linkedin.com/company/autospf","https://x.com/autospf01","https://www.g2.com/products/autospf/reviews"],"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","url":"https://autospf.com/contact-us/"},"knowsAbout":["SPF Record Flattening","Sender Policy Framework","Email Authentication","DNS Management","DMARC","DKIM"]},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://autospf.com/blog/privileged-account-session-management-strengthen-dmarc-email-security/"},"articleSection":"advanced","keywords":"DKIM, DKIM record, DMARC, email security, SPF","wordCount":793,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://media.mailhop.org/autospf/images/2024/12/spf-record-checker-6342.jpg","caption":"email security","width":900,"height":600},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".answer-block","h1"]}}
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://autospf.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https://autospf.com/blog/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Advanced","item":"https://autospf.com/advanced/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How does Privileged Account and Session Management (PASM) help strengthen DMARC and email security?","item":"https://autospf.com/blog/privileged-account-session-management-strengthen-dmarc-email-security/"}]}
```