Counterfeit sender protection - SPF record
What is the SPF record?
The SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record is a technique to prevent email address spoofing.
Under the current operation of the SMTP (sender) protocol, any computer could send an email with any sender address. However, the SPF record setting is designed to discourage this spam, so if set correctly, it will not allow anyone else to send email on your behalf (with a spoofed sender).
How does SPF help to combat spam?
While spam filtering prevents you from receiving spam, the SPF record prevents unauthorised people from sending spam on your behalf from your domain name.
Where can I set up an SPF record for my domain name to prevent people from sending spoofed mail on my behalf?
The SPF record should be set directly in the domain name settings. Each domain name has a domain that determines its operation, including where the domain name should load content from and where its mailing should operate from. This domain of operation is called the DNS of the domain name. The SPF record needs to be fixed directly in this domain of configuration (DNS), thus preventing spoofed mailing.
Mail screening by service providers
The major mail service providers, such as Google, have introduced increasingly strict mail filtering rules to combat spam, and this is already in place and is expected to get stricter in the future. As a consequence, more and more people are running into the problem of failing SPF authentication of the recipient (e.g. Gmail), i.e. their sent mail is rejected (does not reach the recipient) due to failed SPF verification.
How can I generate the SPF record and how can I set it up for my domain name?
If you do not have any experience in this field, we strongly recommend that you contact a specialist/informatician who can measure your sending network, generate the appropriate record and set it in the DNS of your domain name. Our customer service can also assist you in setting up the generated record at any time.
For more detailed information on the structure and operation of the SPF record, specifically for professionals, please see our page below:
