Configuring SPF Settings

Sender Policy Framework (SPFClosedSender Policy Framework) validation checks enable you to reject or hold messages that fail SPF checks. You can specify different actions, depending on whether a Hard failure or Soft failure occurs. See About Sender Policy Framework Settings for more information.

To enable or disable SPF Hard failure checking:

  1. On the Policy Center Home page, click SpamLogic Settings. The SpamLogic Settings page appears, displaying the Spam Policy tab.
  2. Move the pointer over the Spam Policy section, and click Click here to change these settings.

  3. In the SPF Hard Fail box, select one of:

    • Disabled
    • Hold in area: Holds messages in the Other Junk Email area that you specify in the Hold Junk Email in Message Area section. See step 4 in Configuring Spam Policy for more information on specifying message area.
    • Reject connection
    • Add Info & Deliver: Adds the information required by MIMEsweeper for SMTP’s Edge Message Classifier.
    • Hold, Add Info & Deliver: Holds messages in the area that you specify in the Hold Spam in this Message Area section (see step 4 in Configuring Spam Policy for more information on specifying message area), adds information required by MIMEsweeper for SMTP’s Edge Message Classifier to messages, and delivers messages.
  4. Click Save.

For information about setting up other spam defenses, see Configuring Spam Policy.

To enable or disable SPF Soft failure checking:

  1. On the Policy Center Home page, click SpamLogic Settings. The SpamLogic Settings page appears, displaying the Spam Policy tab.
  2. Move the pointer over the Spam Policy section, and click Click here to change these settings.

  3. In the SPF Soft Fail box, select one of:

    • Disabled
    • Hold in area: Holds messages in the Other Junk Email area that you specify in the Hold Junk Email in Message Area section. See step 4 in Configuring Spam Policy for more information on specifying message area.
    • Add Info & Deliver: Adds the information required by MIMEsweeper for SMTP’s Edge Message Classifier.
    • Hold, Add Info & Deliver: Holds messages in the area that you specify in the Hold Spam in this Message Area section (see step 4 in Configuring Spam Policy for more information on specifying message area), adds information required by MIMEsweeper for SMTP’s Edge Message Classifier to messages, and delivers messages.
  4. Click Save.

For information about setting up other spam defenses, see Configuring Spam Policy.

 

You can only use SPF validation if your Gateway is connected directly to the Internet. An Internet connection enables the Gateway to determine whether SPF records exist in the DNS for the domain from which the message was received.

If you have enabled SPF validation, you might want to add servers to the allow list of known machines from which you will always allow mail. Using the allow list also prevents the overhead of performing SPF validation on trusted servers. The allow list can also provide an alternative solution if SPF mistakenly fails a trusted server. For more information, see Allow List.

If the Gateways are configured as a group, any group changes should be applied to each Gateway. When you have finished modifying your content security policy you must apply the configuration for any changes to take effect.

References to Mail policy content will only be available when a Gateway is added to the peer group.