Proofpoint Spam and Virus Filtering: User Guide

Proofpoint is an advanced email security system designed to protect you from spam, phishing attempts, viruses, and other malicious content delivered via email. Below is a detailed explanation of how Proofpoint's service works and how you, as an end user, can manage quarantined emails using the End User Digest.

Email Protection Overview

Comprehensive Security: Proofpoint uses state-of-the-art machine learning, encryption, and global threat intelligence to automatically detect and block malicious emails before they ever reach your inbox. This protects you from spam, viruses, phishing attacks, and bulk emails.

Quarantine Alerts: If an email is deemed suspicious, Proofpoint will quarantine it, blocking it from your inbox. You will be notified of these blocked messages through a daily (or customized frequency) End User Digest, which allows you to review and manage these messages on your own.

End User Digest Explained

The End User Digest is an automated email summary sent to you that lists all the emails Proofpoint has quarantined. This digest is a tool designed to empower you to make decisions about potentially harmful emails without needing to contact IT. Below are the key sections of the digest and how to use them:

1. From:

This section shows the sender of the quarantined email. It's important to review this section to determine if the email is from a legitimate or trusted source. If the sender looks unfamiliar or suspicious, it’s best not to release the message.

2. Subject:

The subject line of the blocked email is displayed here. By clicking on the subject, you can view the contents of the email in a safe, isolated environment without any risk to your computer. This allows you to assess whether the email is something you need, or if it should remain blocked.

3. Date:

This indicates when the email was received by Proofpoint and subsequently blocked. The date is especially useful if you’re waiting for an important email and want to cross-reference when it was sent.

4. Action:

This is where you can decide what to do with each quarantined email. You have several options:

• Release: If you believe the email is legitimate, you can release it from quarantine and have it delivered to your inbox.
• Allow Sender: If you trust the sender and expect to receive more emails from them, you can whitelist the sender. This ensures future emails from this source are not blocked.
• Release & Allow Sender: This option both releases the current email to your inbox and whitelists the sender for future emails, all in one step. Use this if you're confident about the sender and the content.
• Block Sender: If you don’t trust the sender and want to prevent any future emails from them, choose this option to blacklist them. This will stop any further messages from being delivered to your inbox.
• Not Spam: If an email was mistakenly flagged as spam (a "false positive"), you can click this option to release it to your inbox and notify Proofpoint. This helps improve the system’s accuracy over time by teaching it what you consider legitimate.

5. Managing Safe and Blocked Senders:

The digest gives you the ability to maintain a list of safe senders and blocked senders. Adding trusted contacts to your safe list ensures their emails are always delivered, while adding spammers to the blocked list ensures they are consistently blocked without cluttering your inbox.

6. Reporting False Negatives (Missed Spam):

If a spam or phishing email makes it to your inbox, you can report it to Proofpoint by forwarding the email to fn@proofpoint.com (fn stands for “false negative”). This helps refine the filtering system and ensures that similar emails will be blocked in the future.

7. Search Quarantine:

In addition to the digest, you can manually search your personal quarantine at any time to look for specific emails that might have been blocked. This feature is helpful if you suspect an important email has been quarantined and don’t want to wait for the next digest to check.

Digest Sections Breakdown

Here’s a more detailed look at what each section of the End User Digest does and how it can help you manage your email quarantine:

• From: The sender of the quarantined email. Always check this to verify if the sender is known and trusted before releasing or allowing future emails.
• Subject: The subject of the quarantined email. Click on the subject to preview the email content in a safe environment to assess whether it is legitimate.
• Date: The date the email was received and blocked. Use this to track down specific messages if you’re missing an email.
• Action: Here’s where you decide what to do with each email:
  • Release: Sends the email to your inbox if you determine it’s safe.
  • Allow Sender: Whitelists the sender to prevent future quarantines from this source.
  • Release & Allow Sender: Releases the email and whitelists the sender in one step.
  • Block Sender: Blacklists the sender, ensuring you won’t receive emails from them again.
  • Not Spam: Releases the email and reports it as a false positive to improve future filtering.

Stay in Control

The Proofpoint End User Digest is designed to give you control over your email security, allowing you to manage quarantined messages quickly and efficiently. Always review your digest to ensure no important emails are being blocked, and take the necessary actions to either release, block, or whitelist messages based on your judgment. If you’re expecting an email but haven’t received it, always check your digest first before contacting IT.

By taking an active role in managing your spam and quarantine, you’re contributing to a more secure and streamlined email experience.