Message originally sent to ALLDEPTS mailing list on 3/28/2022
On April 6, Rice Office of Information Technology will enable the additional feature to enhance email security technologies and further protect the campus from email threats (phishing and targeted attacks emailed to our community to trick people into disclosing their Rice network credentials). These messages and linked websites are often made to look legitimate by using Rice logos, valid email and URL addresses, and other contact information.
The enhancement, Proofpoint URL Defense, will automatically check incoming emails and block access to linked malicious websites. Links and certain other commonly clickable text in all email messages are evaluated to determine if they lead back to phishing or malware websites. Links within received emails are rewritten and prefixed with https://urldefense.com, allowing Proofpoint to sandbox and evaluate the destination against known threats. Clicking the rewritten link will cause URL Defense to evaluate the linked website a second time. If the link is safe, you will be directed to the site. If it is malicious, you will be presented with a "Web Site Has Been Blocked" notification in your browser.
If you believe a legitimate link has been blocked, please contact the OIT Help Desk. Learn more in the article, Proofpoint URL Defense.