Let’s be honest — email threats are no longer just “a tech problem.” For healthcare providers, they’re a patient safety issue.

If you're running a hospital, clinic, or any kind of healthcare organization in Canada, you’ve likely heard the buzz around DMARC enforcement mandates lately. From phishing scams to spoofed lab result emails, it's getting harder to tell what's real — and one accidental click can be catastrophic.

That’s exactly why in 2025, Canada is pushing for stricter email authentication, especially in the healthcare sector.

In this article, we’ll break down:

No fluff. No scary tech jargon. Just what you need to know (and do) right now.

Before we jump into the mandates, here’s a 20-second crash course:

DMARC = Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance

Basically, it’s a protocol that helps prevent email spoofing — when someone sends emails pretending to be from your domain (like fake test results from your hospital). It works together with SPF and DKIM records to tell the world:

“Only these sources can send emails as us. Everything else? Block or quarantine it.”

In simple terms, DMARC is your hospital’s caller ID for email.

Three big reasons:

In the last year alone, Canadian healthcare systems saw:

The government and cybersecurity authorities have had enough — they're tightening compliance requirements to reduce these attack surfaces.

CSE (Communications Security Establishment) and HC3 (Canada’s Health Cyber Coordination Centre) have both signaled mandatory email authentication for healthcare orgs by the end of 2025.

This aligns with global trends — the U.S. is already requiring DMARC enforcement for federal agencies. Canada’s healthcare sector is next in line.

Recent news stories about patient data being exposed from fake emails? Yeah, those incidents pushed the agenda forward.

Now, insurers, patients, and vendors are asking:

“If my healthcare provider can’t secure their email, how can I trust them with my records?”

Let’s break it down:

TL;DR: You need to publish a DMARC record — and enforce it — no later than the end of 2025.

You must:

Failure to do so could result in:

Make sure they’re:

This is where many healthcare orgs trip up — they think they’re secure, but their EMR or reminder tool isn’t configured correctly.

Here’s what happened at a real Canadian hospital (name redacted for privacy):

This could’ve been stopped with a properly enforced DMARC policy.

Here’s your action plan, in plain English:

Use free tools like:

Make sure you’ve got:

Start with a basic record:

This tells the world:

“We’re watching who’s sending emails as us, but not blocking anything yet.”

You can monitor activity safely before enforcing.

Make a list:

Check:

After monitoring for a few weeks/months:

This staged rollout keeps things safe while improving security.

Make sure your IT, compliance, and communications teams understand:

Even a one-page internal FAQ or short Zoom training can help.

Enable aggregate reporting so you can:

Here’s what your record should include:

That mailbox will get XML reports (we parse them for you if you use YourDMARC).

YourDMARC works specifically with regulated industries like healthcare, helping them:

And yes, we speak human, not just tech. 😄

If you're a clinic, lab, or hospital that needs help — reach out. We'll audit your setup and get you secure with zero fuss.

DMARC enforcement isn’t just a government checkbox — it’s about protecting your patients, your staff, and your reputation.

Healthcare phishing scams are evolving fast, but your defense doesn’t have to be complicated. Start small, get visibility, and move toward enforcement in a smart, phased way.

Your inbox is a frontline in patient safety — treat it like one.

Want help reviewing your domain before enforcement kicks in?
​Book a free checkup with YourDMARC here or email us at [email protected].