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Email Security and Filtering

What is a Secure Email Gateway, and which one does Texas A&M use?​

Texas A&M utilizes Proofpoint as our Secure Email Gateway. Secure Email Gateways identify and block malicious content, protecting organizations from email-based threats.

Why are incoming email messages blocked or delayed?​

When our Secure Email Gateway identifies spam or malicious content (e.g. malware, phishing attempts, etc.), it may block the individual message, associated IP addresses, or domains, preventing message delivery. To ensure accuracy, attachments and URLs are scanned for harmful content before the message can be delivered, which can result in a delay in delivery. Depending on the nature of the content, emails may also be placed in a user’s Digest.

What is an End User Digest, and why is my mail there?​

The End User Digest allows for users to view messages that were not blocked outright by our Secure Email Gateway, but were still classified as potentially unwanted or malicious. This action is typically referred to as “quarantining”. Users receive this digest as an email, which allows for the opportunity to review and release messages to their inboxes.

I should have received an email, but it is not in my inbox or End User Digest. What should I do?​

While there are a variety of factors that dictate email delivery (e.g. user error, proper email authentication, etc.), it is possible that the message was blocked based on the classification provided by our Secure Email Gateway. Concerns about missing deliveries can be sent to Help Desk Central, making sure to include sending address, receiving address, subject, and time sent.

Despite Texas A&M's false positive rate of ~.01%, there is the possibility for misclassification. While such classifications can be concerning, we receive an extremely large volume of mail at Texas A&M University. We are constantly challenged with allowing legitimate delivery attempts while denying known bad ones.

How can I better ensure emails reach my inbox?​

Users can add addresses to their “Safe Sender List” to better guarantee deliverability. Note that emails that are classified as known malicious will be blocked, regardless of safelisting.

This is junk, why was this email delivered?​

Bulk email is defined as an email sent to a group of recipients, regardless of their willingness to receive it. Bulk email messages from legitimate companies, such as announcements or newsletters, are typically classified as non-spam and treated differently by security engines.

How do I prevent unwanted emails?​

To prevent unwanted deliveries, users are highly encouraged to unsubscribe from mailing lists and report messages as junk/spam in their mail clients. To further prevent unwanted deliveries, we also offer various alternative solutions. Users can adjust their spam filters to customize their level of filtering, and add addresses to their “Blocked Sender List”.

How do I report a suspicious email?​

Users are highly encouraged to not interact with any emails they do not recognize. Suspicious emails that meet certain criteria can be reported to Help Desk Central.

Why does an email from a Texas A&M address show as External?​

Regardless of the sending address, when a message originates outside of Texas A&M’s email infrastructure, an External Warning banner will be displayed. This alone does not indicate that the message is untrustworthy, rather the platform sending the email is outside of our administrative control.

When a URL is present in an email, URL rewriting is applied to the link. If the URL is not known to be malicious, the user will be redirected to the original destination. If the URL is malicious, the user will see a warning message that the site is blocked in the browser.

Why am I having trouble sending attachments?​

Many email systems limit message sizes and attachments. Attempting to send oversized messages can result in delivery failures. To distribute files efficiently, use University-approved transfer services like Filex, SharePoint, or Google Drive. These platforms offer reliable and efficient file-sharing options that bypass email limitations.

How can I send bulk communications?​

Texas A&M provides a variety of email services to communicate with larger groups. Each tool has its own audience and purpose. Users are highly encouraged to utilize such services to increase their productivity, and successful deliveries.

How can I ensure my use of email falls within acceptable use?​

Users can review Standard Administrative Procedure 29.01.03.M0.07 and/or Student Rule 61 to ensure compliance.