Anti-Spam and Anti-Phishing Protection Guide

To strengthen the security of the University’s Microsoft 365 environment, CCS has implemented enhanced anti-spam and anti-phishing protections for all staff and faculty.

 

These protections use Microsoft’s built-in threat intelligence along with institutional allow lists to better identify and filter malicious email, including spam, phishing attempts, and other suspicious messages.

 

What to Expect

• Emails identified as spam or phishing may be automatically redirected to your Junk Email folder.
• Most users will not notice significant changes.
• Users who frequently receive messages from new external senders, mailing lists, vendors, or lower-reputation domains may notice a small increase in messages being delivered to Junk.
• CCS will continue monitoring and fine-tuning the policies to improve accuracy.
   

Missing an Email? Check Junk First

If you are expecting an email and do not see it in your Inbox:

1. Open your Junk Email folder.
2. Review the message.
3. If the message is legitimate, mark it as Not Junk (see instructions below).

During the initial rollout period, users are strongly encouraged to check their Junk Email folder regularly to avoid missing legitimate messages.

 

How to Mark a Message as “Not Junk”

Marking messages correctly helps improve filtering accuracy over time.

 

In Outlook (Desktop or Web):

1. Open the message in your Junk Email folder.
2. Select Report from the toolbar
3. Choose Not Junk.
4. Confirm the action if prompted.

             

OR
 

1. Right click on the message you want to mark/report as not junk
2. Select Report > Not Junk

           

 

The message will be moved back to your Inbox, and Microsoft will use this feedback to improve future filtering decisions.

 

How to Mark a Message as “Junk” or Phishing

If a suspicious message appears in your Inbox:

1. Select the message.
2. Click Report in the toolbar or select the message > Right Click > Report
3. Choose:
   1. Report Junk for spam messages, or
   2. Report Phishing for suspicious messages requesting personal, financial, or login information.

Reporting helps improve protection for the entire University community.

 

Messages Still Being Misclassified?

If you continue to experience legitimate emails being sent to Junk after marking them as Not Junk, please contact the CCS Help Centre and provide:

• The sender’s email address
• The date and time of the message
• A brief description of the issue

This allows CCS to investigate and adjust filtering policies if needed.

 

Best Practices for Email Safety

• Be cautious of unexpected emails requesting urgent action.
• Do not click links or open attachments from unknown senders.
• Verify unusual requests (such as payment or credential requests) through a separate communication method.

 

Get Help

If you need assistance or have questions about email filtering:

Contact the CCS Help Centre via email, phone, live chat, or in person.