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2026 State of DMARC Report: Arts and Recreation
Arts and recreation organizations run on loyalty, donations, and ticket sales. But DMARC protection is lagging and leaving you exposed. See how you stack up in The State of DMARC in 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Only 31% of arts and recreation domains are at enforcement, which is well below the 42% cross-industry average — the arts and recreation sector trails behind retail and financial services in DMARC maturity
- 23% of industry domains are in monitoring mode, leaving spoofing attacks unchecked, and almost 27% are missing a valid DMARC record
- AI is accelerating phishing and spoofing attacks and making enforcement more critical than ever — Valimail blocked 2.53 billion suspicious emails in the past year alone
- High-trust interactions like ticketing and donations are prime targets for attackers
The State of DMARC in 2026: The Arts and Recreation Industry Is Lagging on DMARC Enforcement
High trust makes this industry a high-value target for attackers
DMARC adoption is growing across many industries, but arts and recreation organizations are lagging where it matters most: enforcement.
While many organizations in this space have started their DMARC journey, a large percentage either remain in monitoring mode or haven’t implemented DMARC correctly at all. That leaves a wide gap between perceived security and actual protection.
Compared to the overall business landscape, enforcement rates within arts and recreation are significantly lower, and the number of domains with no meaningful protection is much higher.
For arts and recreation specifically, this isn’t just a technical issue but also a trust issue: From ticket confirmations to donation requests, you rely on people believing your emails are legitimate. Attackers know that and take advantage of it.
Enforcement is the way to protect your brand, your organization, and your loyal audience of supporters.
“Arts and recreation might not seem like a high-risk industry, but it is. High engagement, high trust, and frequent transactions make your organization an ideal target for attackers.”
Al Iverson
Industry Research and Community Engagement Lead at Valimail
“Right now, too many organizations are behind. Enforcement rates are lower than average, and a large percentage of domains have little to no protection in place.”
Al Iverson
Industry Research and Community Engagement Lead at Valimail
“If your DMARC record is set to p=none, you’re simply monitoring attacks rather than stopping them. If you don’t have a valid DMARC record, you’re leaving the door open.”
Al Iverson
Industry Research and Community Engagement Lead at Valimail
“And in arts and recreation, that can mean fake ticket confirmations, fraudulent donation requests, and spoofed event communications. If your organization depends on trust, you need to protect it.”
Al Iverson
Industry Research and Community Engagement Lead at Valimail
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Frequently asked questions
What is DMARC enforcement and why does it matter for Arts & Recreation organizations?
DMARC enforcement means setting your policy to “quarantine” or “reject” so fraudulent emails are blocked instead of delivered. For Arts & Recreation organizations, this is critical because attackers often exploit ticketing, donations, and event communications to run convincing phishing scams.
How does the Arts & Recreation industry compare to others in DMARC adoption?
The industry lags behind the overall average, with only about 31.6% of domains at enforcement compared to 42% across all sectors. It also has a higher percentage of domains with weak or missing protection, increasing exposure to spoofing attacks.