Integrating wildcard in your SPF record minimizes the risk of impersonation of your domain or subdomain. A wildcard DNS record with * acts as a catch-all for any subdomain that is not explicitly defined in DNS. It basically includes all possible subdomains of a domain. How does wildcarding work in SPF? Wildcarding can simplify SPF…
A typical user receives multiple emails a day, some of which are essential updates or personal messages, while others are marketing emails from various brands. In this crowded inbox, what are the odds that your email will stand out and strike a chord with the recipient? Let’s say it’s quite slim unless you add something…
Overly permissive SPF configurations refer to settings that are set so loosely and broadly that anyone on the Internet can send emails from your domain. These configurations weaken your email infrastructure, ultimately exposing your brand name to phishing, spoofing, ransomware attacks, and other security risks. If unauthorized, malicious people send emails from your domain and…
They say familiarity is deceptive, and we absolutely agree with it, especially in the context of cybersecurity. We base this statement on the paradigm that humans tend to trust patterns and blindly click on something that looks familiar at a glance. While doing this, we tend to overlook minor mistakes or discrepancies that can lead…
If you have just started with SPF implementation for your domain, your SPF record can run into multiple technical issues since there are many limitations and rules involved in creating and managing it. One such rule is that the length of the SPF record should not exceed 255 characters. You can address this issue by…
In today’s digital age, email is the most commonly used mode of communication. It is simple and quick, which is its greatest strength and biggest vulnerability. When emails were introduced, the focus was on functionality rather than security, which left gaps for malicious actors to exploit. As emails became a frequent target for cybercriminals to…
Black Friday sales are the perfect breeding ground for threat actors lurking to exploit excited shoppers. They trick innocent and less tech-savvy people into buying from fake e-commerce websites or sharing login credentials, credit card details, contact details, etc. As per a report, one in three Americans have fallen victim to online holiday scams, with…
SPF works on two core components: soft fail and hard fail. Domain owners should understand the conditions under which each of these mechanisms works perfectly. A mindless implementation of mechanisms leads to poor email deliverability and sender reputation, impacting communication and brand integrity. While the soft fail mechanism is lenient, it leaves a security gap….
Creating an SPF record is a one-time job, but you have to keep updating it with new senders. In an SPF record, the term ‘sender’ refers to the IP addresses, domains, or mail servers you recognize and officially allow to be used for sending emails on behalf of your business. These senders include direct IPs…
“None of us is as smart as all of us.” — Ken Blanchard Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an email authentication protocol created in the late 1990s that is still widely used worldwide. Its success lies in the fact that it’s an amalgamation of the efforts and brains of so many people who kept adding…
