Quarantined Emails

In this article, we’ll cover how to manage Quarantined Emails in your inbox. These messages are typically flagged due to potential phishing, spam, or policy violations, but sometimes, they may include legitimate emails that simply need your review. We’ll walk you through how to identify, review, and take action on these emails to make sure nothing important slips through the cracks.

Before you start managing your quarantined emails, it’s helpful to understand the types of threats that typically trigger these filters. Recognizing these categories will make it easier to know what’s safe to release and what should be reported or deleted.

• Phishing Emails
  Malicious messages designed to trick you into revealing sensitive information like passwords or financial details. They often mimic trusted sources or include fake login pages.

• Spam Emails
  Unwanted bulk or promotional messages. While not always harmful, they clutter your inbox and are typically filtered out automatically.

• Junk Emails
  Low-priority or irrelevant content such as newsletters, system notifications, or unsolicited messages. These are usually safe, but rarely important.

How to Review and Manage Quarantined Emails

Step 1: You’ll receive an email from Microsoft 365 Security notifying you that messages have been quarantined and are ready for review.

• Inside the email, you’ll see two options:
  • Review – Takes you to the Microsoft Security Center to view the full email details.
  • Release – Sends the quarantined email directly to your main Outlook inbox.

Step 2: Once you're in the Microsoft Defender portal, you’ll be able to see the following information about each quarantined email:

• Date Received
• Subject
• Sender Address
• Quarantine Reason (Important)
• Additional Metadata (e.g., attachments, message headers)

Step 3: After reviewing the email, you’ll be able to choose from the following actions:

• Release the email
• Delete the message

Step 4: If you chose to release the email and it is deemed safe, it will appear in your main Outlook inbox.

Step 5: If you chose to delete the email, it will be permanently removed from both your quarantine and your inbox. This action cannot be undone.

Still have questions? Feel free to contact us at support@smithchason.edu and our team will be happy to help.