Audience: Park University faculty and staff
Applies to: Microsoft 365 (Outlook / Exchange Online)



OVERVIEW

Microsoft 365 (M365) Exchange Online Protection helps keep Park University e-mail secure by filtering out spam, phishing attempts and potentially harmful messages. In some cases, legitimate e-mail may be placed in quarantine for review.

This article explains how to access, review and safely release quarantined messages.

WHAT IS QUARANTINE?

Quarantine is a secure holding area for e-mail messages that have been flagged as potentially unsafe.

Messages may be quarantined due to:

  • Suspected phishing or spoofing attempts
  • Spam or bulk e-mail
  • Suspicious attachments or links
  • Organizational security policies

Quarantined messages are not delivered to your inbox until reviewed and released.

HOW YOU ARE NOTIFIED

If a message is quarantined, you may receive a quarantine notification e-mail from Microsoft.

This notification typically includes:

  • Sender information
  • Subject line
  • Reason for quarantine
  • A link to review the message

HOW TO ACCESS YOUR QUARANTINE

You can review quarantined messages at any time:

  1. Go to the Microsoft quarantine portal:
    https://security.microsoft.com/quarantine
  2. Sign in with your Park University e-mail credentials
  3. View the list of quarantined messages

REVIEWING A QUARANTINED MESSAGE

When selecting a message, you will see details such as:

  • Sender and recipient
  • Subject line
  • Detection reason
  • Date received

Take a moment to carefully review the message before taking action.

AVAILABLE ACTIONS

You will have several options:

Release

  • Delivers the message to your inbox
  • Use only if you trust the sender and content

Preview

  • View the message content safely

Delete

  • Permanently removes the message

Block sender

  • Prevents future messages from this sender

WHEN TO RELEASE A MESSAGE

You may safely release a message if:

  • You recognize and trust the sender
  • You were expecting the e-mail
  • The content appears legitimate and relevant

WHEN NOT TO RELEASE

Do not release a message if:

  • The sender is unknown or suspicious
  • The message requests sensitive information
  • The content includes unexpected links or attachments
  • The message appears urgent or threatening without reason

If unsure, contact the Park University IT Service Desk.

BEST PRACTICES

  • Always verify unexpected messages, even from known senders
  • Avoid clicking links or downloading attachments unless verified
  • Report suspicious messages to IT immediately
  • Regularly review your quarantine to avoid missing important messages

ADDITIONAL NOTES

  • Quarantined messages are automatically deleted after a retention period
  • Not all quarantined messages generate notifications
  • Policies are managed centrally to protect the University community

NEED HELP?

If you have questions or need assistance: