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What Is SPF and How Does It Work?

Why are SPF records important?

By Nimisha RawatPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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We'll look at what SPF for email is, how to set it up, the benefits of utilizing it, and how to secure your email-sending domains even further.

What is SPF?

The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an email authentication mechanism that allows domain owners to define the email servers they send an email to, making it more difficult for fraudsters to impersonate the sender.

SPF email policies are widely used worldwide and are currently defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in section RFC 7208. SPF records can be considered a public list that informs everyone you send your mail from. If an email does not match that list, the recipient should consider it to be a forgery. SPF is configured and managed as a TXT record in your domain's DNS server.

Why are SPF records important?

SPF records are vital for email security since they ensure that your domain sends emails only from the servers you specify in a list. While SPF isn't perfect, when combined with DKIM and DMARC, it can considerably improve your email security posture. First, let's look at the advantages of strong SPF email policies.

Increase deliverability: When you use SPF to safeguard your email server, spammers won't use your domain to send spam. In addition, this keeps your domain off worldwide blocklists, enhancing the overall deliverability of your mail server.

Combat email spoofing: An SPF record protects against spoofing and phishing by comparing the sender's IP address to the domain owner.

SPF email policies give your domain a boost in reputation and convince other servers and blocklist sites that you're serious about email security. It reduces the chances of your outbound emails being mistakenly marked as spam and helps you improve your reputation inside firewalls and other cybersecurity databases.

How do SPF email records work?

Servers receiving messages check for SPF by looking up the domain's Return-Path value in the email's headers. The recipient server uses this Return-Path to look for a TXT record in the sender's DNS server. If SPF is enabled, it will display a list of all approved servers from which mail can be sent. The SPF check will fail if that IP address is not on the list.

SPF records can be broken down into two parts—qualifiers and mechanisms.

Mechanisms:It is possible to define who is allowed to send mail on behalf of a domain using mechanisms. One of four qualifiers can be used if those conditions are met.

Qualifiers:When a mechanism is matched, qualifiers are the actions that are taken. The default + is used if no qualifier is specified. The four types of qualifiers that can be used to configure SPF email policies are listed below.

How do I know if I have an SPF email record?

If you have access to your mail server's DNS server, look for a TXT record that starts with "v=spf." The Agari SPF Lookup Tool makes checking any domain easier. This allows you to check the existence and settings of SPF records fast.

How do I create an SPF record?

You can easily generate an SPF record if you don't already have one. Before you create your SPF record, however, there are a few things you need to do. To make adjustments, you'll need some crucial information, such as your mail server's hostname and/or IP address, a list of other servers from which you want your email to be delivered, and, of course, the location and login credentials for your DNS server.

Go to your DNS server and log in. If your DNS is hosted by a third party, you may be able to access it through a web portal.

Make a new TXT entry in your database. Although certain DNS servers allow you to add an SPF type record, you should always use a TXT type record instead. You can use “@” or leave the field blank when naming a record.

In the text or value section, type your SPF email rule. Ensure that it starts with the version syntax and concludes with the qualifier "all."

It's worth noting that it can take up to 48 hours for your SPF record to take effect after it's been published.

Depending on your objectives, a single SPF record on one server may not be sufficient. SPF, for instance, does not automatically include subdomains. Each subdomain must be included in your record.

Furthermore, some systems limit your SPF record to 255 characters. If you're getting close to the limit, try the following to improve your record:

Remove any ptr mechanisms from the equation. These are no longer supported and will deduct towards your lookup limit and word count.

Make sure your sending address range is correct. If you have many distinct IP addresses, specifying the entire subnet rather than individual servers can save you time.

Dispose of old vendors. You may discontinue utilizing specific email providers over time; check your records to ensure you're still sending from that server.

Use EmailAuth-hosted SPF: Our hosted records have a shorter character length, but can effectively include more service providers within those characters.

Also, keep in mind that SPF has its limitations. As a result, SPF mustn't be your only email security measure. DKIM and DMARC records are essential for assuring mail security on several levels.

Source: https://cyber-security-information.blogspot.com/2021/07/what-is-spf-and-how-does-it-work.html

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