Alerts & Notifications
MailShield's alerting system keeps you informed about changes and issues with your email security.
Alert Types
Score Alerts
Rating Change
Triggered when your letter grade changes:
- A → B (downgrade)
- C → B (upgrade)
Why it matters: Rating changes indicate significant shifts in your security posture.
Significant Score Drop
Triggered when your score drops by more than 10 points in a single check.
Why it matters: Large drops usually indicate a configuration change or issue that needs attention.
Threshold Breach
Triggered when your score falls below your configured minimum threshold.
Default threshold: 50 points
Why it matters: Ensures you're alerted when security falls below acceptable levels.
DNS Change Alerts
Triggered when email-related DNS records change:
| Record Type | What's Detected |
|---|---|
| SPF | Mechanisms added/removed, policy changes |
| DKIM | Selectors added/removed, key changes |
| DMARC | Policy changes, reporting updates |
| MTA-STS | Policy mode changes, MX list updates |
Why it matters: Unauthorized or unintended DNS changes can compromise email security.
Report Alerts
High Failure Rate
Triggered when DMARC authentication failures exceed 20%.
Why it matters:
- Could indicate a spoofing attack
- May reveal misconfigured legitimate services
- Requires investigation
New Report Notification
Optional alert when new DMARC or TLS-RPT reports arrive.
Why it matters: Useful for active monitoring, but can be noisy.
Alert Channels
Email Notifications
Alerts sent to your registered email address:
- Clear subject lines identifying the issue
- Domain name and details
- Direct link to investigate
- Sent immediately when triggered
In-App Notifications
Alerts displayed in the MailShield interface:
- Bell icon shows unread count
- Notification panel lists recent alerts
- Click to navigate to relevant page
- Mark as read or dismiss
Configuring Alerts
Accessing Settings
- Go to Settings → Notifications
- Configure each alert type individually
Per-Alert Options
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Receive email notification | |
| In-App | Show in notification panel |
| Off | Disable this alert type |
Score Threshold
Set your minimum acceptable score:
- Find Score Threshold in notification settings
- Enter a value (0-100)
- You'll be alerted if any domain falls below this
Recommended thresholds:
- 70: Balanced monitoring
- 80: Strict security requirements
- 50: Minimum viable security
Scheduled Reports
In addition to alerts, receive regular summaries:
Weekly Summary
- Sent every Monday morning
- Covers the past 7 days
- Includes all monitored domains
- Shows score changes and notable events
Monthly Summary
- Sent on the 1st of each month
- Covers the past 30 days
- Comprehensive overview
- Trend analysis
Alert Timing
| Alert Type | Timing |
|---|---|
| Score changes | Within minutes of detection |
| DNS changes | Within minutes of detection |
| Report failures | After report processing |
| New reports | After report processing |
| Weekly summary | Monday ~9am |
| Monthly summary | 1st ~9am |
Alert Details
Each alert includes:
Score Alerts
Subject: Security score dropped for example.com
Your domain's security score has changed:
Domain: example.com
Previous Score: 85 (B)
Current Score: 72 (C)
Change: -13 points
What changed:
- DMARC policy changed from quarantine to none
View details: [link]DNS Change Alerts
Subject: DMARC record changed for example.com
A DNS record change was detected:
Domain: example.com
Record Type: DMARC
Previous:
v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:...
Current:
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:...
View details: [link]Report Alerts
Subject: High authentication failure rate for example.com
A DMARC report shows elevated failures:
Domain: example.com
Reporter: google.com
Period: 2024-01-15 to 2024-01-16
Total Messages: 1,247
Failed Messages: 312 (25%)
Top failure sources:
- 192.0.2.1: 156 failures
- 198.51.100.1: 89 failures
View report: [link]Best Practices
For Active Monitoring
Enable email notifications for:
- All score alerts
- DNS change alerts
- High failure rate alerts
Disable:
- New report notifications (too noisy)
For Passive Monitoring
Enable:
- Rating changes only
- Weekly summaries
Use in-app for:
- DNS changes
- Score drops
For Compliance
Enable all alerts via email:
- Creates audit trail
- Ensures nothing is missed
- Supports compliance reporting
Troubleshooting
Not Receiving Alerts
- Check spam/junk folder
- Verify email address in settings
- Confirm notification is enabled
- Check organization permissions
Too Many Alerts
- Disable "New reports" notification
- Raise score threshold
- Use in-app instead of email for routine alerts
Alert Delays
Alerts should arrive within minutes. Delays may occur during:
- High system load
- Email delivery issues
- After service maintenance