Introduction
Secure U of T advanced threat protections use cloud-based Microsoft threat detection software to help protect the University community against unknown malware and viruses. These security features provide an added layer of protection to identified users' Microsoft 365 (M365) accounts and safeguard them against malicious threats posed by attachments, links (URLs) in email messages and unfamiliar documents.
- Safe Links (Email): Safe Links checks every URL found in your incoming email and verifies that the website link is safe to view. If the link you click is determined to be safe to view, the link will work as expected. If the link is determined to contain malicious content, a warning will be displayed, and you will not be able to use the link.
- Safe Links (Teams): Safe Links uses Microsoft threat detection software to verify that links shared in Teams conversations, group chats, channels and tabs are safe to view. URLs in Teams are checked against a list of known malicious links when the protected user clicks the link. URLs are not rewritten.
- Safe Links (Documents): Safe Links checks every URL found in supported M365 Office applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. If the link you click is determined to be safe to view, the link will work as expected. If the link is determined to contain malicious content, a warning will be displayed.
Learn more about Safe Links.
Safe Attachments
- Safe Attachments (Email): Safe Attachments protects you from malicious attachments like Excel, Word or PDFs that contain malicious code or actions by automatically scanning incoming email attachments. If the attachment is found to be safe, the email message and attachment will be delivered to your inbox. If the attachment is found to be unsafe, the message will be quarantined.
- Safe Attachments (OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams): Safe Attachments for SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams helps detect and block existing files that are identified as malicious in team sites and document libraries.
Learn more about Safe Attachments.
Safe Documents
- Safe Documents: Safe Documents uses Microsoft threat detection software to determine if Office documents are malicious files, opening them by default in a protected view. Safe Documents will then automatically verify the documents against the latest known risks and threat profiles before allowing users to leave the protected container.
Learn more about Safe Documents.
Anti-Phishing Protection
- Anti-phishing protection: Secure U of T anti-phishing protection offers you advanced threat protection from spoofing and impersonation threats.
Learn more about anti-phishing protection.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a difference between Safe Links (Documents), Safe Attachments and Safe Documents?
Yes, Safe Links (Documents), Safe Attachments and Safe Documents are three different advanced threat protection features:
- Safe Links (Documents) monitors links within M365 documents to make sure the websites linked to are safe to view.
- Safe Attachments scans email attachments for malicious content or actions.
- Safe Documents opens untrusted Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents in Protected View until it can scan the document to verify it is not malicious.
If I get a malicious email, document or attachment, who should I report it to?
If you get a malicious email, document or attachment, we ask that you report it to Information Security by forwarding the email to report.phishing@utoronto.ca.
What should I do if Microsoft marks a legitimate URL, email attachment or document as malicious?
If you are blocked from accessing a URL, attachment or document that you believe to be safe, please submit a ticket to the Enterprise Service Center at uoft.me/m365help. Our Microsoft 365 team can mark the URL, attachment or document so that it is no longer identified as malicious.
Does Microsoft read my files, documents and/or emails?
Microsoft uses machine learning to scan your files, documents and/or emails for malicious content, but no person will ever view them. The links and attachments within your emails/documents are only checked by Safe Links at the time you open them.
Can I use these features with any email client?
Yes, you can use Secure U of T advanced threat protection features with any email client. For best results, we recommend using Outlook Online (OWA) or the Outlook desktop client.
Will these features disrupt my workflow?
Most users find these security features integrate into their workflow seamlessly. You will only be alerted to them if a malicious email, attachment or document is detected.
How can I convert a Safe Links URL back to a regular URL?
You can convert Safe Links URLs back to regular URLs using this tool: https://o365atp.com/. Simply paste the Safe Links URL into the first box. The converted URL will automatically appear in the second box.