A new security feature in Outlook scans and rewrites certain URLs embedded in email messages to help protect you against phishing attacks and other scams. Here's what you need to know about this new feature called Safe Links.

What is Safe Links, and why are we using it?

Safe Links is a security feature in Microsoft 365 that scans attachments and links to web pages for phishing attempts, viruses and malware. Rowan University implemented Safe Links when we moved to Exchange Online in spring 2023 to better protect your account from cyber threats. 

Visit Microsoft's website for more details on Safe Links.  

How do I know if a link or attachment has been scanned by Safe Links?

When Safe Links scans a link in an email, it rewrites the URL and adds the following prefix: https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/. If Microsoft detects something suspicious with the URL, it'll notify you when you click it. 

If Safe Links detects a malicious attachment, it will remove the attachment so you don't accidentally open it. 

Are any URLs exempt from Safe Links?

Rowan University has exempted some rowan.edu URLs from Safe Links.