{"id":6379,"date":"2023-07-14T09:44:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T09:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smarthost.au\/blog\/?p=6379"},"modified":"2024-08-07T09:58:30","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T09:58:30","slug":"spf-mechanism-for-mail-redirection-forward-i-e-srs-on-smarthost-eu-servers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smarthost.au\/blog\/spf-mechanism-for-mail-redirection-forward-i-e-srs-on-smarthost-eu-servers","title":{"rendered":"SPF mechanism for mail redirection (forward), i.e. SRS on Smarthost.au servers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is SPF protection and how does it work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We assume that you already have a hosting with a cPanel management panel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you are faced with choosing a proven hosting, compare our packages<\/a>. All descriptions in this guide are based on Smarthost.au hosting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the wave of spam that is flooding us, currently virtually all servers on the Internet use mechanisms that authorize e-mails. This consists in proving that the e-mail sent from the address contact@client-domain.au is actually sent from the server servicing the domain: client-domain.au and not from any other server. Thanks to this, we are sure that the e-mail does not have a forged sender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the whole thing goes unnoticed by an ordinary mail user, at the level of a properly configured mail server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mechanism that can be used (and increasingly common) is SPF<\/strong> (Sender Policy Framework<\/em>). This mechanism, in the simplest terms, consists in adding an Internet domain in the configuration file (dns zone<\/em>) list of IP addresses that are authorized to send mail from a specific domain. When we send mail (e.g. from the address: contact@client-domain.au), the server receiving the message checks which IP addresses are authorized to send mail for the domain @domain-client.au and if the sender’s address matches the sending address IP – accepts mail, and if the IP address is different – the mail is rejected or marked as suspicious (e.g. it receives the so-called negative points on the basis of which the mail is classified as spam).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SPF<\/strong> mechanism itself is simple and effective. It is implemented on many servers (including, of course, our servers for all smarthost.au<\/a> customers). This mechanism is so popular that some portals offering free e-mail accounts have decided to reject e-mail with incorrect SFP records.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Why is there a problem with the SPF record for forwards?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes it happens that apart from sending mail from server A<\/strong> to server B<\/strong>, we want it to be forwarded from the target server, e.g. to server C<\/strong>. For this purpose, we create forward<\/strong>, i.e. the service of “forwarding mail<\/em>“. It can be clicked very easily in virtually every hosting panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were no problems with forwards<\/strong> until SPF<\/strong> protection was introduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer is relatively simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n