Email Security (Microsoft Defender) | IT Services | Seneca Students

Seneca Polytechnic uses Microsoft ATP (Advanced Threat Protection) to protect against email threats such as spam, phishing, viruses, unsolicited and dangerous emails from employee and student inboxes. Suspicious messages will be automatically intercepted and moved into quarantine.  This email safety service is effective and easy to use. If you need assistance, please review the following documentation to help you manage your email.

• Log into Microsoft Defender to release or unblock emails
• Microsoft Spam Quarantine email
• Microsoft Outlook safe and blocked lists
• Frequently Asked Questions

Log into Microsoft Defender to release or unblock emails

1. Login with your Seneca credentials at Microsoft Defender.
2. From here, you can review quarantined emails and release them to your inbox.

Microsoft Spam Quarantine email

If your inbox receives any suspicious email within the last 24 hours, you will receive an email from Microsoft 365 security to indicate that you have messages in quarantine (sender quarantine@messaging.microsoft.com).

• Suspicious messages will be automatically intercepted.
• Emails containing harmful content such as viruses will be deleted permanently.
• Emails with potentially untrustworthy content such as spam and phishing will be moved to a safe quarantine space (Microsoft Defender).

The email will contain a list of suspicious emails received, and options to manage these messages:

• Review Message – To preview the email in your web browser before releasing it from quarantine.
• Release – To move a quarantined email to your inbox because it is an email you are expecting and is safe.
• Block Sender – To classify a sender as not trustworthy and block them from sending emails to your inbox.
• Note that messages will remain in quarantine for 30 days before they are deleted permanently.

Microsoft Outlook Safe and Blocked Lists

In addition to managing your Microsoft Spam Quarantine emails, you can also configure Microsoft Outlook to block or allow mail from specific addresses and domains. Your preferences will be automatically synchronized with the email safety service.

Method 1, Outlook Desktop - The following instructions are for the latest version of Outlook (Microsoft 365), but other versions of Outlook should work similarly.  Here's how to add to Safe and Blocked Senders lists:

1. From your Outlook Home tab, click Junk, and then select Junk E-mail Options.
2. A window opens, click either the tab for Safe Senders and Blocked Senders.
3. Click the Add button and type the email address or domain name, then click OK.
4. Repeat Step 3 for each email address and domain name you wish to add to either lists. 
5. When you are done, click OK.

Method 2, Outlook Web - You can also cross-check Blocked Senders in Outlook Web.  Please click "Junk Email" from the menu to review lists of Blocked senders and domains.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why am I unable to receive some emails?
• Why am I unable to receive emails from my instructor when they send it from Blackboard/ Learn@Seneca?