What is SPAM filtering?
SPAM filtering is a vital technology within email security that automatically sorts incoming emails, separating legitimate messages from unwanted and potentially harmful ones. It safeguards your organisation’s email infrastructure and user inboxes from spam emails, which can disrupt operations, waste time, and even pose security risks.
How does SPAM filtering work?
Microsoft 365 employs sophisticated SPAM filtering techniques to analyse incoming emails. Here’s a breakdown of some key methods:
- Blacklists: These lists contain known sources of SPAM emails. Emails from these sources are automatically blocked.
Content Analysis: The content of emails is scanned for keywords, phrases, and formatting patterns commonly associated with SPAM. - Sender reputation: The sender’s reputation and domain are evaluated to assess the likelihood of the email being SPAM.
Heuristics: Advanced algorithms analyse email characteristics and user behaviour patterns to identify potential SPAM with greater accuracy.
Benefits of SPAM filtering:
- Increased productivity: By filtering out SPAM, users spend less time sifting through unwanted emails and can focus on important messages.
- Reduced risk of phishing attacks: SPAM filtering can help identify and block phishing emails disguised as legitimate messages, protecting users from potential scams.
- Improved network performance: The influx of SPAM can overload email servers. SPAM filtering reduces this burden, ensuring smoother email delivery for legitimate messages.
- Enhanced security: SPAM emails can sometimes contain malware attachments or malicious links. Filtering helps prevent these threats from reaching user inboxes.
Use cases with Microsoft 365:
- Protecting user inboxes: SPAM filtering ensures user inboxes are kept clear of unwanted emails, improving overall email experience.
- Safeguarding against phishing: By filtering out suspicious emails, SPAM filtering helps to reduce the risk of users falling victim to phishing scams.
- Maintaining network efficiency: Minimising SPAM helps to optimise network bandwidth and server resources for more critical operations.
By implementing effective SPAM filtering with Microsoft 365, organisations can create a more productive and secure email environment for their users.
