Enhanced Email Security

Keeping your emails cyber safe at Western

At Western, your cyber safety and security matters to us. Protecting your emails is one of the most important ways to keep your data cyber safe. That is why we are enhancing your email security with a new functionality.

Our new email functionality will help you receive ongoing protection from cyber-attacks and suspicious senders, across all devices, without you having to install any software.

No action from you is required – this will all happen behind the scenes. It is email security made simple.

What is this new functionality?

Western’s new enhanced email security tool is a form of email ‘quarantine’: an automatic filtration system for potentially suspicious senders. You can review and release the quarantined/held emails for up to 30 days, from the time of quarantine.

Key benefits include:

• Extra protection against suspicious senders and website links. You will be alerted when a sender or website link may pose a threat.
• Seamless delivery. Suspicious emails will be automatically filtered out and ‘held’, with no software download required.
• Self-management capabilities. You will have the option to block all future messages from suspicious senders, and permit emails that may have accidentally ended up in quarantine.

See an example in this short video:

An example of the email quarantine digest feature. Click to view full size.

Why do I need it?

It is important for all students and staff to have robust mechanisms in place to protect confidential and sensitive information. Our emails include private exchanges and University business materials, and are therefore considered data that should be protected. In addition, a potential threat to one individual’s email account places the University at risk of a larger cyber-attack.

We all have a responsibility to be cyber aware

Please keep in mind that no tool can guarantee 100% cyber safety and security. We all have a responsibility to be cyber aware. Ensure you know how to recognise suspicious emails and links, and always follow best practice guidelines on cyber safety and security at Western.

How can I learn more?

This page answers some frequently asked questions about the new functionality and enhanced email security measures in our email tool.

For more information, please see:

• Knowledge base article KB0018604 (opens in a new window): the '[External]' email tag;
• Knowledge base article KB0018605 (opens in a new window): email URL protection;
• Knowledge base article KB0018427 (opens in a new window): held email digest;
• Knowledge base article KB0017535 (opens in a new window): what 'DMARC' is and why it may appear on a quarantined email digest;
• Knowledge base article KB0013529 (opens in a new window): how to report spam and phishing emails to the ITDS Service Desk; and
• Knowledge base article KB0011503 (opens in a new window): general information on email security.

FAQs

General queries (for staff and students)

The '[External]' tag (for staff)

The Email Quarantine feature (for staff)

Hyperlink redirects in emails (for staff and students)