Understanding SPF: A Primer on Sender Policy Framework The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) serves as a cornerstone technology in email authentication and protection against email spoofing, a prevalent technique in email fraud and phishing attacks. At its core, SPF is a DNS-based email authentication method that enables domain owners to specify authorized mail servers permitted…
When an email arrives at the receiver’s end, their server checks the SPF record to see if the sending address’s IP matches one of the authorized sources published in the domain’s DNS. If the IPs match, the email is seen as legitimate, but if it does not, the receiving server refers to the mechanisms in…
Understanding DNS: The Foundation of Domain Name System The Domain Name System (DNS) is a critical component of the internet’s infrastructure, functioning as a hierarchical and decentralized naming system that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses recognizable by computers. DNS enables users to access websites and services without memorizing numerical IP addresses. The DNS…
Understanding SPF: What is Sender Policy Framework? The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a pivotal protocol in the world of email authentication designed to enhance email security by mitigating email spoofing—a technique often leveraged in email phishing attacks. At its core, an SPF record is a specially formatted DNS TXT record published in the authoritative…
An SPF record can do more harm than good if it’s misconfigured. By misconfiguration, we mean missing entries, incorrect use of syntax, typos, and whatnot. SPF is a sensitive protocol, and that’s why even a minor mistake disrupts the email authentication process, deliverability, and email security flow. So, as a domain owner, you have to…
Understanding SPF Records: A Basic Overview The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a fundamental component of email authentication designed to prevent email spoofing and enhance email security. SPF works by allowing domain owners to specify which mail servers are permitted to send emails on their behalf. This is achieved through DNS TXT record management, where…
What is an SPF Record? Explanation and Basics A Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record is a type of DNS TXT record used in the Domain Name System (DNS) that specifies which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of a particular email sending domain. Essentially, it is a form of email sender policy…
While many industries have progressed with zero-trust architectures and multi-factor authentication, it’s the banking industry that is still dealing with its hyper-vulnerability to email-based attacks. On the other hand, customers still believe that if an email has the bank logo, domain name, and a polished language, it must be real. This is the very assumption…
Understanding SPF Records: A Primer The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a foundational component of email authentication, designed to combat email spoofing and enhance email security. By defining an SPF record—stored as a DNS TXT record within a domain’s DNS zone—administrators specify which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of their domain….
Over time, entries in an SPF record start piling up as new SaaS tools get added, old services get abandoned without clearing up, and then suddenly you are dealing with an SPF record that looks like a messy list. Things get worse when you add in duplicate entries, bloated ‘include’ chains, or a stray syntax…
