Reporting Phishing Email

On this page:

Q: How can I report phishing to the IS&T Security Team?

Report Phishing with the Phish Alert Button

When viewing a phishing message in Outlook

1. Click the Phish Alert button. If you do not see it, see how to enable it below.
   
   
   
   Result: The reporting pane opens.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the Phishing option. If you are suspicious about the email but unsure or would like to ask a question please use the comment box on the report. Click the Report Phishing button.
   Result: The message is reported to MIT's security team.

When viewing a phishing message in M365 https://outlook.office.com

1. Click the Phish Alert button on the message surface.
   
   
   
   You can make the button appear by default on the message surface (see below).
   
   
2. If you are suspicious about the email but unsure or would like to ask a question please use the comment box on the report. Click the Report Phishing button.
   
   
   
   
3. If you do not see the phish alert button on the message surface, there is one other ways you can access it within M365. To do so, click the Apps launcher icon on the surface of the message. From here, you can select the phish alert button from the list of apps.
   
   
   
   
   

For more information on using the phish alert button within Microsoft Office 365 and Outlook, please consult the KnowBe4 Knowledge Base article on this topic.

Add the Phish Alert Button to the Surface View of M365 Messages

This button is always available in the "more options" section of your M365 messages (as above). For one-click reporting, you need to update your settings to show the button on the message pane.

1. Login to M365 at https:outlook.office.com.
2. At the top of the page, select Settings (gear icon) > View all Outlook settings.
3. Select Mail > Customize actions.
4. Scroll down to the "Message Surface" section and check the box next to "Phish Alert"
   
   
   
   
   
5. Click Save.
   Result: You will see the "Phish Alert" button on the surface of your messages as in this example. This example is not a phishing email and need not be reported. If this were a phishing message, you should click the button to report it.
   
   

You can add the button to other email clients as well. For more information, see: https://www.knowbe4.com/phish-alert

Add the Phish Alert Button to Outlook

1. Go to:
   • Windows: File > Options > General > Privacy Settings
   • Mac: Outlook > Preferences > Privacy
2. Check the box next to Turn on optional connected experiences
3. Restart Outlook.

Report via phishing@mit.edu

We strongly prefer the Phish Alert Button reports, but if you are unable to use the button you can report phishing emails to the IS&T Security team via forwarding the phishy email as an attachment to phishing@mit.edu. Note that these reports must originate from an mit.edu email address or they will be filtered out. Submissions without the .eml attachment may also be filtered out.

Please do not cc: any other support-related email addresses. This will create duplicate tickets and slow down our response.

It is important to note that the best way to report phishing is to forward the original message as an attachment. That will include all the technical details we need. Please take the time to follow these steps so that we can address the issue from as many angles as possible and track down the original source.

See also

• What is a phishing email?
• https://www.knowbe4.com/phish-alert