When DKIM/SPF fails due to potential spoofing attempts, a multi-faceted approach is necessary. The initial step involves verifying the legitimacy of the email source to determine whether it's a valid application requiring authentication or a malicious spoofing attempt. Analyzing DMARC reports is crucial to pinpoint the failure's origin, distinguishing between a legitimate sender with misconfigured authentication and a malicious actor. Subsequently, enforcing a DMARC policy of 'quarantine' or 'reject' instructs receiving mail servers on how to handle unauthenticated emails, mitigating the impact of spoofing. Proper SPF configuration, including correct syntax and avoiding common errors like exceeding DNS lookup limits or using multiple SPF records, is also vital. In addition, email headers need reviewing to identify the source IP and the domain used for SPF authentication. Finally, continuously monitoring DMARC reports allows ongoing identification and response to spoofing threats.
8 marketer opinions
When DKIM/SPF fails due to spoofing attempts, the primary steps involve investigation, mitigation, and continuous monitoring. Initial actions include analyzing DMARC reports to determine the source of the failure, distinguishing between legitimate sending sources requiring authentication and actual spoofing attempts. Implementing or adjusting DMARC policies to 'quarantine' or 'reject' is crucial for handling unauthenticated emails. Reviewing and correcting SPF records, ensuring proper syntax and avoiding common errors like exceeding DNS lookup limits or using multiple SPF records, is essential. Employing online tools to validate SPF configurations and monitoring DMARC reports continuously helps in identifying and responding to ongoing spoofing threats.
Marketer view
Email marketer from EasyDMARC shares that implement DMARC with a policy of 'quarantine' or 'reject' to instruct receiving mail servers on how to handle emails that fail SPF and DKIM checks. This helps prevent spoofed emails from reaching the inbox.
11 May 2024 - EasyDMARC
Marketer view
Email marketer from URIports explains to continuously monitor DMARC reports to identify and respond to spoofing attempts. These reports provide valuable information about the source of failing emails and allow you to adjust your SPF and DKIM settings accordingly.
7 Apr 2024 - URIports
4 expert opinions
When DKIM/SPF fails due to potential spoofing, initial steps involve verifying the legitimacy of the source, distinguishing between a rogue application needing authentication and actual spoofing attempts. Analysis of failure reports is crucial to pinpoint the source, identifying if it's a legitimate sender with misconfigured authentication or a malicious actor. Enforcing a DMARC policy of 'quarantine' or 'reject' is then key to instruct receiving servers on handling unauthenticated emails, thereby mitigating the impact of spoofing. Random DNS glitches should also be considered as a potential cause of occasional failures.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains to make sure the spoofing is legitimate and not a rogue application needing authentication. If legitimate, fix authentication; otherwise, let it fail.
7 Jun 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that when spoofing attempts are detected via SPF/DKIM failures, enforcing a DMARC policy of 'quarantine' or 'reject' is crucial. This instructs receiving mail servers to handle unauthenticated emails, mitigating the impact of spoofing.
22 Jul 2024 - Word to the Wise
5 technical articles
When DKIM/SPF fails due to suspected spoofing, several steps should be taken. Firstly, analyze email headers to identify the source IP and domain used for SPF authentication and verify if the sending server is authorized. Secondly, ensure the SPF record syntax is correct, properly published in DNS, and includes authorized sending servers using mechanisms like 'include', 'ip4', and 'ip6'. Be mindful of the SPF record lookup limit of 10 DNS lookups. Analyzing DMARC failure reports provides insights into spoofing attempts and SPF/DKIM alignment issues. Update DNS SPF records following RFC 7208 syntax, including all legitimate sending sources using 'ip4:' and 'ip6:'.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC Editor explains that SPF record syntax should follow RFC 7208 and include mechanisms like 'a', 'mx', 'ip4', 'ip6', 'include', and 'all' to define authorized sending sources. Understanding the syntax is key to configuring SPF correctly.
12 Sep 2021 - RFC Editor
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains that to troubleshoot SPF failures, check the SPF record syntax and ensure it's correctly published in DNS. Confirm the sending server is listed in the SPF record using 'include:' or 'ip4:'/'ip6:' mechanisms. Also, be aware of SPF record lookup limits (10 DNS lookups) which can cause SPF to fail.
17 Jul 2023 - Microsoft Learn
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