Exchange Online Mistakenly Flags Legitimate Emails as Spam: Solutions Here
Many users of Exchange Online are encountering issues with legitimate emails being incorrectly marked as spam. Microsoft has acknowledged this problem, which began on February 5. The company has been working to address the situation as it affects users’ ability to send and receive important messages.
Details of the Problem
The issue stems from a new URL rule that inadvertently identifies legitimate emails as phishing attempts. Microsoft stated that the evolving criteria intended to detect suspicious emails have led to false positives. Consequently, URLs linked to these emails are misclassified as malicious, resulting in the quarantine of legitimate messages.
Current Status
While progress has been made in resolving the issue, not all affected emails are yet visible in users’ inboxes. Some quarantined emails may now be accessible, but many remain trapped until the problem is fully rectified.
Actions to Take
If you are experiencing this issue, follow these steps to check for your quarantined emails:
- Visit the Quarantine page for Microsoft Defender.
- Sign in with your work or school account.
- Review your quarantined messages.
If you identify a legitimate email, select it and click the Release button. This action will send the email back to your inbox.
Understanding the Causes
This glitch highlights the challenges companies face in combating sophisticated spam and phishing tactics. As scammers use increasingly advanced methods to evade detection, firms like Microsoft continuously adapt their security measures. Unfortunately, this can sometimes lead to overzealous filtering, affecting user experience.
Conclusion
Microsoft is actively working to fix this issue with Exchange Online. Users are encouraged to monitor their quarantined emails regularly. Hopefully, a complete resolution will come soon, restoring the normal functioning of email services for all users.
