What Is SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and Why Is It important?

We live in an increasingly interconnected world, especially through digital communication, where security is becoming more important.

Emails are a frequent target for phishing and identity spoofing. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a protocol that ensures emails come only from authorized sources.

At this point, we know that KYC and KYB verification processes protect the identity of individuals and businesses. Similarly, SPF verifies the authenticity of emails, preventing fraud and ensuring that only approved servers can send emails on behalf of an organization.

What is SPF?

Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a security protocol used to verify that an email comes from an authorized source. It allows businesses to specify which servers can send emails on behalf of their domain, protecting them from phishing and identity spoofing.

Just as KYC (Know Your Customer) verifies individuals’ identities and KYB (Know Your Business) does the same for companies, SPF ensures the legitimacy of email communications.

In other words, KYC and KYB prevent fraud in transactions and business relationships, while SPF prevents fraud in digital communications. This ensures that only authorized servers can send emails on behalf of a company.

How does SPF work?

To simplify, let’s break it down:

Imagine you send an email. It goes through an SMTP server, which then delivers it to the receiving server (POP3/IMAP). The receiving server extracts the sender’s domain and performs a DNS lookup to find the associated SPF record.

The server then checks whether the sending server is authorized in the SPF record. If it is, the email is delivered to the recipient’s inbox. If not, the verification fails, and the message may be rejected, marked as spam, or placed in quarantine.

Benefits of using SPF

Properly setting up an SPF record offers several advantages:

🔎 Improves email deliverability: A well-configured SPF record increases trust in your emails, reducing the chances of them being marked as spam.

🔎 Prevents identity spoofing: SPF helps protect your domain from forgery attacks by ensuring that only authorized servers can send emails on your behalf.

🔎 Ensures DMARC compliance: SPF is essential for meeting DMARC requirements, allowing you to manage how emails failing authentication are handled, enhancing security.

🔎 Protection against cyberattacks: An SPF record helps prevent cyber fraud, such as phishing, keeping your communications more secure.

How to implement SPF

To set up an SPF record, follow these steps:

1. Create your SPF record: Write a TXT record with the IP addresses of authorized mail servers allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain. If you use external services, include their domains.
2. Access your DNS panel: Log into your DNS provider’s control panel and add a new TXT record with the SPF configuration you created.
3. Add and save the SPF record: Copy and paste the record into the appropriate field and save the changes. Keep in mind that propagation may take up to 72 hours.
4. Test the configuration: Send an email from your business account to a personal one and check the headers to verify that SPF is working correctly.

Useful tools: MXToolbox and Kitterman SPF Validator can help you check the validity of your SPF record.

SPF and Its role in digital security strategy

SPF is essential in a digital security strategy, working alongside other protocols (DKIM and DMARC) to protect email authenticity. While SPF validates that emails come from authorized servers, DKIM ensures content integrity, and DMARC manages emails that fail authentication checks.

Integrating SPF with KYC and KYB further strengthens protection, creating a secure and trustworthy digital environment.

Common SPF issues

When setting up SPF, some common problems may arise:

❗ Misconfigured records: If the SPF record contains incorrect IP addresses or domains, emails may be blocked. Make sure to include all authorized mail servers.

❗ Omitting sending servers: If you use multiple platforms (such as Mailchimp or internal services), it’s crucial to include all servers in your SPF record.

❗ SPF limits: SPF has a DNS query limit, so an overly complex record can cause errors.

❗ Forgetting to update records: Switching providers or adding new services requires updating your SPF record.

💥 Pro tip from Silt: Regularly review and update your SPF record to ensure optimal security and email deliverability.

Silt’s solutions

Now you understand the role of digital security in your company and communications.

By implementing everything we’ve shared, you can prevent fraud and protect what truly matters. Follow best practices and keep your records up to date to avoid issues.

If you haven’t implemented SPF yet or want to enhance your security, at Silt, we offer advanced KYC and KYB verification solutions to protect both your business and your customers.

Contact us today and start securing your communications! 😊🔐