Spam Filtering Landing Page

On this page:

Overview

MIT's email service provider, Microsoft 365, scans all incoming email messages before they are delivered to your mailbox. Messages identified as "high confidence phishing" threats are held in Microsoft's quarantine. Other messages identified as spam or phishing are delivered to your Junk Email folder, where they are deleted after 30 days.

Quarantined Messages

To view messages held in quarantine, visit https://security.microsoft.com/quarantine and log in through Touchstone.

When messages are quarantined, users will be notified by email from quarantine@messaging.microsoft.com. See Identifying Quarantine Messages from Microsoft.

To review messages that are being held in quarantine:

1. Visit https://security.microsoft.com
   1. If you are not already logged in to MIT's Microsoft 365, you will be prompted to sign in.
   2. Under "Email and Collaboration" click Review
   3. Click on the Quarantine tile.
      Result: Your quarantined messages will display.

Notes:

• Messages identified as "high confidence phishing" cannot be released from quarantine by the end user. Clicking on "Request Release" will create a release request. Due to the high volume of requests, these are released automatically via batch script.
• Messages that fail DMARC or SPF authentication protocols will not be approved for release.
• Released messages are sent to your inbox, but will also remain in your quarantine list for a period of time; you do not need to submit another request for release.

Junk Email

Messages identified as spam, phishing (other than “high confidence phishing”), or other types of “junk” are delivered to your Junk Email folder.

The following actions can be taken in Outlook on messages delivered to the Junk Email folder:

• Block Sender routes future messages from this sender to Junk Email
• Never Block Sender allows messages from this sender to route to the inbox
• [Mark as] Not Junk moves the message to the inbox
• Permanently Delete removes the message

The Microsoft phishing filter takes precedence over any user-set Safe senders and domains. Messages identified by Microsoft as phishing will be directed to the Junk Email folder automatically. Messages identified by Microsoft as “high confidence” phishing will be held in quarantine.

For those who forward their MIT email to another service, messages marked as spam will be delivered to the forwarding address, where they will be handled according to the receiving system’s rules.

Block and Allow Lists

Your block/allow lists identify known good and bad senders to ensure you receive the mail you want and do not receive messages from senders you do not want to get. You must enable automatic filtering of junk email in order to use the block and allow list features. To manage these lists:

1. Visit Outlook on the Web at outlook.office.com and login.
2. Top-right Gear Icon
3. Under Settings on your left navigation click Junk email

• Allowed recipients can be added to “Safe senders and domains,” and denied senders added to “Blocked senders and domains.”
• Mail sent by blocked senders will be routed to your Junk Email folder.
  • Note: Don't forget to SAVE any changes you made. It may take up to 30 minutes to take effect.

M365 Spam Filtering does not allow the blocking of senders inside your organization (with an @mit.edu address). A workaround for this is to use Filters

For more, see: Manage blocked senders, allowed senders, and quarantined email with MIT spam filtering

FAQs

• Identifying Quarantine Messages from Microsoft
• Spam Filtering Known Issues
• Manage blocked senders, allowed senders, and quarantined email with MIT spam filtering
• Why am I still getting mail from somebody I added to my blocked senders list?
• Can I opt out of Spam filtering?
• Microsoft's Spam Filtering FAQ
• Email Delivery - Underlying Protocols
• Learn to spot a phishing message

See Also

• Microsoft's Find and release quarantined messages as a user in Office 365
• Microsoft's Exchange Online Protection overview

Have Questions or Still Need Help?

• Send email to servicedesk@mit.edu or call the MIT Computing Help Desk at 617.253.1101.