Exchange Online Mistakenly Marks Legitimate Emails as Phishing

Microsoft is currently addressing a significant issue within its Exchange Online platform. This problem involves the incorrect identification of legitimate emails as phishing attempts, resulting in their quarantine. The situation began on February 5 and continues to disrupt the email services for many Exchange Online customers.

Details of the Exchange Online Phishing Flagging Issue

In a service alert issued on Thursday, Microsoft acknowledged the problem. The company stated that some legitimate emails are flagged as phishing due to a misclassification of associated URLs. This classification occurs because the criteria for identifying suspicious emails have been evolving, as modern spam and phishing tactics become increasingly sophisticated.

Cause of the Quarantine

Over the weekend, Microsoft identified the root of the problem. A new URL rule meant to enhance detection of phishing and spam emails is incorrectly marking certain URLs as malicious. Consequently, emails containing these URLs are quarantined erroneously.

Impact on Users

• The number of affected customers has not been disclosed.
• No specific regions have been identified yet.
• The issue has been classified as a significant incident, suggesting a notable user impact.

Until Microsoft resolves this issue, the company is focused on releasing quarantined emails. Users may begin seeing previously flagged messages appear in their inboxes. Microsoft aims to review quarantined messages and unblock verified legitimate URLs.

Previous Similar Incidents

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has faced such challenges. In March and May, similar bugs led to the misclassification of emails as spam or phishing attempts. Additionally, in September, an anti-spam service error caused further disruptions, blocking users from accessing URLs and quarantining their emails incorrectly.

Next Steps

Microsoft has promised to provide an estimated time for a resolution once more information is available. The ongoing issue highlights the complexities of modern IT infrastructure and the challenges companies face in ensuring reliable email communication.

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