Introduction:
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is an email authentication method designed to detect and prevent email spoofing. It allows the owner of a domain to specify which mail servers are permitted to send email on behalf of their domain
How SPF Works:
- DNS TXT Record: SPF is implemented as a DNS TXT record.
- Sender Verification: When an email is sent, the receiving server checks the SPF record to verify if the sending server is authorized to send emails from that domain.
- Decision Making: Based on the SPF check, the receiving server decides whether to accept, reject, or mark the email as spam.
Setting Up an SPF Record:
- Identify Your Mail Servers: Determine all the mail servers that send emails on behalf of your domain.
- Create the SPF Record: Formulate an SPF record specifying these servers. An example SPF record looks like this: v=spf1 ip4:192.0.2.0/24 include:example.com -all.
- Add the SPF Record to DNS: Log in to your DNS management console and add the SPF record as a TXT record.
- Validate the SPF Record: Use SPF validation tools to ensure your record is correctly configured.