All UTA-owned devices are equipped with Microsoft Defender to increase security against viruses, malware, and spyware. Defender provides an automated, asynchronous scan of emails, shared documents, and more. However, Defender offers additional levels of security through Safe Attachments – a feature to provide an advanced secondary review of file attachments that will prevent malicious files from reaching the recipient.
On January 27, 2023, OIT enabled Safe Attachments for SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams for all users at UTA.
When an attachment is flagged as malicious, the file will be locked and unavailable. If a user believes that the file was flagged in error, a ServiceNow ticket can be created to have OIT investigate the file and, if deemed safe, release it for access. Please review the Safe Attachments for SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams Knowledge Base article for more information.
Users may see an increased wait time while flagged files are under review. As all UTA accounts that utilize SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams will benefit from Safe Attachments, workflow expectations should be adjusted to maximize and understand the value of increased security. Enabling Safe Attachments will reduce successful attacks across the University and will help satisfy the UT System policy on malware prevention.
