Overview
Stonehill College continues to be a target of phishing emails from hackers claiming to be from a trusted source. These emails typically contain a hyperlink which leads to a fake website that resembles a commonly used log in page attempting to steal your username and password. Other phishing emails contain attachments with the goal of downloading dangerous malware onto your computer. Serious threats like ransomware are distributed in this manner.
Safe Links is a feature in our Office 365 security suite that provides time-of-click verification of web addresses (URLs) in email messages and Office files like Word documents. Links are scanned for each click and those that are safe are transparently accessed while malicious links display a warning page. Safe Attachments scans email attachments to make sure they are not malware.
All email received for a stonehill.edu address is analyzed based on the the security policies set by IT. During this process, the Safe Links feature adjusts the URL within the message body. When you hover over it, it will appear similar to the examples shown below. Note that URLs in links within Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files accessed through an Office Web App or with the full client will be analyzed in the same manner as those in email messages.
Most links should show the Original URL as a readable website address.
If you see the version below, you can use the URL Converter to retrieve the readable website address.
When one of these links is clicked, it is checked by the Safe Links service.
- If the URL is considered safe, you will be shown the website in a browser.
- If the URL goes to a downloadable file, the downloadable file is checked to ensure it is not malware.
- If the URL is to a website that has been determined to be malicious, you will be shown a Microsoft warning page in a browser like the one below.
You have an option to continue anyway and we recommend that you do not proceed to the website. At a minimum, you should review all the details about the email sender and the URL of the flagged website to ensure it is from someone you know who would be sending you the website link.
Similar messages may be shown to alert you to a link in a suspicious message or a message that has been identified as a phishing attack.
You may also see a page warning you that the link is still being scanned. We encourage you to pay close attention to these security alerts.
This feature checks email attachments for email messages that are viewed in Outlook online in Office 365. If an attachment is found to be malicious, the attachment is removed and a message is added noting the removal. If the attachment is safe, it will open as expected when it is clicked.
Use the Safe Links URL Converter to translate links received in an email that do not show the readable website address as an Original URL when you hover over it.
- Right-click on the hyperlink in question and select copy link
- Open the Safe Links URL Converter website and paste into the first box
- The original URL will then display in the second box for you to inspect.