Managing spam in Microsoft 365 email accounts is essential for any UK business to maintain smooth communication and protect sensitive information. Spam emails are unsolicited messages that often carry phishing attempts, malware, or scams. If left unchecked, they can disrupt your team's productivity, expose your organisation to cyber risks, and potentially damage customer trust.
Why spam control matters for UK SMEs
For a small or medium-sized business, spam can lead to wasted time as employees sort through irrelevant or harmful emails. More seriously, spam can be a vector for cyberattacks such as ransomware or data breaches, which can cause costly downtime and regulatory scrutiny under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Ensuring effective spam filtering also supports compliance with standards like Cyber Essentials, which many UK organisations pursue to demonstrate good security practice.
A typical scenario and how an IT partner helps
Consider a UK-based SME with around 50 staff using Microsoft 365. They start noticing an increase in spam emails landing in employee inboxes, including some with suspicious links. Their internal IT team struggles to configure Microsoft's default spam filters effectively. A managed IT provider steps in to review the Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance centre settings, enabling advanced anti-spam policies, configuring safe sender lists, and activating multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce account compromise risk. They also set up regular monitoring and user training to spot phishing attempts. This approach significantly reduces spam and improves overall email security.
Practical checklist to reduce spam in Microsoft 365
- Review and configure anti-spam policies: Ensure Microsoft 365's built-in spam filter is set to a strict but balanced level, using the Security & Compliance centre.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA): This prevents attackers from using compromised credentials to send spam or phishing emails from your domain.
- Set up safe sender and block lists: Regularly update these lists to allow trusted contacts and block known spam sources.
- Use Exchange Online Protection (EOP) features: Leverage advanced filtering options such as connection filtering, content filtering, and outbound spam policies.
- Monitor email traffic and quarantine reports: Regularly check spam quarantine to identify false positives and adjust filters accordingly.
- Train staff on recognising phishing and spam: Educate employees to avoid clicking suspicious links or attachments.
- Ask your IT provider: How do they manage Microsoft 365 spam filtering? Do they monitor and update policies regularly? Can they provide reports on email threats?
- Check compliance alignment: Confirm that email security measures support your Cyber Essentials or ISO 27001 objectives, including logging and incident response.
Next steps
Spam control in Microsoft 365 is not a one-off task but an ongoing process that benefits from expert oversight. Speak with a trusted managed IT provider or IT advisor who understands UK business needs and compliance requirements. They can help tailor your spam filtering settings, implement best practices, and keep your email environment secure and efficient.