Proofpoint - What it is, and How to Use it

Our organization utilizes Proofpoint as the primary solution for managing our email security and handling. This includes several key functions such as Email Filtering, Anti-Spam protection, Email Archiving, and providing access to an Emergency Inbox. When any incoming email is sent to our domain, it first arrives at Proofpoint's system. Proofpoint then performs a thorough scan of the email to detect and block any potential spam, phishing attempts, or malicious content. Once the email has been successfully scanned and cleared, Proofpoint forwards it to our Microsoft Exchange tenant. From there, the email is delivered directly to your mailbox, ensuring both security and reliable delivery of your messages.

Email Filtering and Anti-Spam

Every morning at 7 a.m., Proofpoint will automatically send out a Quarantine Digest email to notify you if any emails were placed in quarantine during the previous day. Emails may be quarantined for several reasons, such as being identified as potential spam or containing suspicious content. If an email is classified as spam, you have the option to release it yourself by simply clicking the "release" button located next to the specific email you wish to retrieve from quarantine.

However, there are certain emails that Proofpoint determines to be unsafe to release without further review. These emails will display a message stating Contact Administrator to take actions on this email. If you believe that an email marked this way is legitimate and should not be blocked, you should reach out to the IT department. Our team will then review the email carefully and take appropriate action to ensure your security and communication needs are met.

You can access your email quarantine, as well as any other emails, by visiting the following website: https://us4.proofpointessentials.com/. This portal provides you with a centralized location to manage and review your emails efficiently.

After logging in, you will be directed to a user-friendly dashboard. This dashboard allows you to search for any email, whether quarantined or not, from the past 30 days. The search functionality helps you quickly locate important messages, manage your quarantined emails, and ensure you don’t miss any critical communications.

Here is an example image of what a Quarantine Digest will look like:

Archiving

We archive every email sent and received within this organization using Proofpoint's robust archiving functionality. This service is incredibly valuable for situations where you need to retrieve an email from a long time ago that you may no longer have in your personal mailbox. It is also helpful if an email has been deleted from Outlook and cannot be recovered through the usual means. To access your Proofpoint archive, simply navigate to https://us4.proofpointessentials.com/. Once there, enter your email address to log in. After successfully logging in, you will find an "Archive" option located on the left-hand side of the screen. Clicking this option will take you directly to your email archive. Within the archive interface, you will see a search button in the upper left corner. By clicking this button, you can search for any email you need, whether it was sent or received. The archive contains all emails for as long as you have had your mailbox with the organization. In our testing, we have not encountered any limitations on how far back you can search, meaning you should be able to access emails from any point in time since your account was created.

Emergency Inbox

Although it is quite uncommon, there are instances when Microsoft experiences email-related outages that can temporarily prevent you from receiving emails. During normal operations, the emergency inbox remains empty because all emails are delivered directly to your regular mailbox without any issues. However, in the event that Proofpoint is unable to forward emails to our Exchange tenant due to such an outage, Proofpoint will automatically begin to "spool" or temporarily store incoming emails in the emergency inbox. This ensures that you can still access and read your important messages despite the disruption. Additionally, you have the ability to both send and receive emails directly through the emergency inbox interface provided by Proofpoint. Usually, if there is a need for you to utilize your emergency inbox, we will proactively notify and guide you through the process, so you can stay connected without interruption.

To access your emergency inbox, simply navigate to https://us4.proofpointessentials.com/. Once there, look for the "Emergency Inbox" option located on the left-hand side of the webpage. By clicking on this link, you will be directed to the emergency inbox page where you can manage your emails during any email delivery issues. This access point provides a reliable backup solution to ensure continuous communication even during service outages.