SPF Syntax: Understanding SPF Records for Email Configuration

SPF Syntax: Understanding SPF Records for Email Configuration

When you think about emailing, it’s easy to overlook the behind-the-scenes work that keeps those messages flowing smoothly. Yet, just like a well-tuned machine, email systems rely on specific rules to prevent chaos, especially with pesky threats like spam and phishing attacks. One of these essential rules is the Sender Policy Framework (SPF), which helps…

Mimecast SPF: Setup Guide for Effective Email Protection

Mimecast SPF: Setup Guide for Effective Email Protection

In a time where our inboxes overflow with messages, not all of them are as innocent as they seem. Many people routinely fall victim to phishing scams and email spoofing, which can lead to frustrating experiences or even financial loss. So, how do you protect yourself against these threats? Enter Mimecast SPF, a crucial tool…

Handling common SPF errors the right way

Handling common SPF errors the right way

SPF is a sensitive email authentication protocol; it requires all details to be correct to produce accurate authentication results. You can’t miss adding new IP addresses and mail servers, or you can’t afford a tiny typo; otherwise, even genuine emails can get marked as spam or rejected.  It’s important to regularly run your SPF record…

Why SPF alignment matters in DMARC enforcement?

Why SPF alignment matters in DMARC enforcement?

As per a report, more than 90% of the world’s top 1.8 million email domains are still at risk of spoofing attacks because only 7.7% of them have set up the strongest DMARC policy, called p=reject, which fully blocks unauthorized emails. While Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft are encouraging users to implement DMARC, the configurations in…

Proofpoint SPF Record: The Essential Email Security Configuration Guide

Proofpoint SPF Record: The Essential Email Security Configuration Guide

In a world where email is the primary mode of communication for businesses and individuals alike, ensuring that your messages are not only delivered but also secure has never been more crucial. You might think that just having an email account is enough, but without proper measures in place, you could become a victim of…

6 Best practices for maintaining an SPF record

6 Best practices for maintaining an SPF record

Threat actors seek ways to impersonate credible companies and their representatives to send phishing emails on their behalf. This way, the targeted recipients are more likely to open and interact with potentially fraudulent emails. However, if companies implement the SPF protocol for their domains and adhere to best practices, they can assist receiving servers in…

How to fix “550; 5.7.15 Access Denied” rejections?

How to fix “550; 5.7.15 Access Denied” rejections?

Microsoft has always prioritized email security, and in pursuit of this goal, it mandated that all bulk senders properly authenticate their messages. This means that anyone sending over 5,000 emails daily to Outlook, Hotmail, and other Microsoft consumer mailboxes must have properly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records in place. If a bulk sender fails…

DMARC and anti-spam aren’t the same!

DMARC and anti-spam aren’t the same!

With around 3.4 billion spam emails sent daily, securing inboxes has become more challenging than ever. They not only clutter your inboxes and keep the servers busy, but also pose as major security threats to any organization. These seemingly harmless spam emails can lead to malware scams, phishing attacks, or even CEO fraud. It is…

Optimizing Email Deliverability: Strategies for Success

Optimizing Email Deliverability: Strategies for Success

Your carefully crafted marketing campaign just launched, complete with compelling subject lines and perfectly timed send schedules. Yet three days later, your open rates are disappointingly low, and customer responses are practically nonexistent. The culprit? Your emails are likely sitting in spam folders instead of reaching their intended inboxes. Email deliverability remains one of the…

3 points to consider before setting your SPF record to -all (HardFail)

3 points to consider before setting your SPF record to -all (HardFail)

Email security is on everyone’s radar—companies are closing every gap for threat actors to come in and exploit their email sending sources. Using SPF’s ‘-all’ mechanism is one of the strongest defense measures that domain owners and CISOs advocate to block email phishing attempts made on their behalf.  While this hard defense layer ensures that…