Overview

Microsoft Safe Attachments (along with Safe Links) is a set of security features offered as part of Microsoft Defender protection suite for Microsoft 365. The Safe Attachments feature checks to see if attachments in email are malicious, and then takes action to protect you. The Safe Attachments feature protects you using a set of targeted policies maintained by Yale ITS.

At a high level, Safe Attachments works to protect Yale email in the following way:

• Email containing an attachment is sent to a Yale user's email address.
• The email goes through the Exchange Online Protection system, where it is scanned for malware, spam and other malicious email indicators.
• Safe Attachments will analyze all attachments sent to Yale by external senders.
• It will not analyze the attachments in any emails exchanged between Yale.edu accounts.
• This process will typically take 30-45 seconds to complete, but can be longer.

Common Issues

Issue	Resolution
The attachment is determined to be malicious.	The message is blocked and the attachment is deleted.
The attachment is deemed safe the message	The attachment are delivered to the mailbox.

 

Need Further Assistance?

Contact the ITS Help Desk

• Phone: 203-432-9000
  • Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (Escalation support remains available after hours, on weekends, and during holidays for time-sensitive, health, life, or safety critical issues).
• Schedule a Callback
• Visit an in person support center