Outlook.com bounces legit emails as Microsoft's authentication crackdown goes sideways
Missing DMARC or wobbly SPF means your mail may be treated as suspicious
Outlook.com is currently experiencing issues with accepting legitimate emails, according to users reporting problems. The trouble appears to stem from Microsoft tightening email authentication rules, with domains lacking proper SPF or missing DMARC records being flagged as suspicious. SPF, DMARC, and DKIM authentication are crucial for email delivery, but small senders are now reportedly being impacted.
Microsoft has not provided an advisory explaining the changes, and the issue appears to be intermittent. Users have to resend emails sometimes for them to be accepted, and the error messages are unclear about the reason for the bounce. Microsoft is investigating the root cause, but it remains uncertain if other services will be affected.
Written by urgent.news from The Register's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
