Microsoft Makes Anti-Spam Changes

The year 2020 is not the only thing that is coming to an end. Microsoft is slowly rolling out changes meant to deter spam. This is causing some features to come to an end and changing the way a few Microsoft products, most notably email, is used. As a business owner, it is important to stay on top of changes with the software and programs that your business utilizes. Here is a little bit more information about the anti-spam changes and what those changes can mean for your business.

Why Is Microsoft Making Anti-Spam Changes?

Microsoft recently released an add-on: Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2. Many of the anti-spam changes were made when this add-on released, and a few more are expected to roll out at the end of January 2021. The primary reason for these changes is to better protect your business against phishing attacks, spoofing attacks, and to limit the number of spam emails that are sent. Some of these changes affect all Microsoft products as a whole, while others are geared toward specific products, such as email.

Why Should Your Business Be Aware of These Changes?

Your business needs to be aware of these changes because they can alter the way your business operates. You may need to update software or you may need to retrain your staff on how to use products. As these changes roll out, many IT professionals are already receiving phone calls from those that they serve letting them know that they can no longer use certain features and asking for a workaround. Releasing an email to your staff or providing them training as a group can help prevent mass emails or phone calls to your IT professional.

What Types of Changes Is Microsoft Making?

One of the biggest changes that Microsoft has made so far is disabling automatic e-mail forwarding. This has changed the way that your office may forward emails to other employees in the business and clients outside of the business. One of the major changes that is expected to happen at the end of January 2021 involves no longer allowing the “allow list” or “block list” from the SPAM policy setting in Exchange Office to function. Instead, you will need to add your allow or block list elsewhere. Finally, Microsoft is making subtle changes to all license-level software to increase protection and decrease phishing and spoofing risk. While you may not necessarily see these changes, you may find that you need to update your software if it does not automatically self-update.

Microsoft is making anti-spam changes to decrease spam and to help prevent phishing and spoofing attacks when using Microsoft Office 365. If you own a business, you need to be aware of these changes, as it can impact these products. Your IT professional can help advise your office on the changes that are being made and update your software to ensure you are using the latest Microsoft Office products.