Microsoft Is No Longer Going to Support Its SmartScreen Spam Filters
Microsoft is no longer going to provide updates for its email spam filters. Known as SmartScreen, this line of email filters has mainly been used by enterprise clients who are on the Microsoft Exchange Server. However, there also implications for Outlook users.
In any event, this shift in Microsoft’s offerings means that a large number of clients may need to look elsewhere for spam filtering services.
Current Clients Can Keep Using SmartScreen in Outlook and Exchange
According to Microsoft’s official announcement, the tech company will stop generating updates for the SmartScreen spam filters starting on 1 November. It’s important to note that this means that the existing spam filters are still going to work – they’re just aren’t going to be updated anymore.
The filters will not be included on future versions of Exchange Server or Outlook for Windows. It is also important to understand that spam email filters are essentially worthless unless they are constantly updated. With that in mind, those who have been relying on SmartScreen spam filters are going to need to look elsewhere in November – even though SmartScreen will still technically be operating on their platforms.
Updates are important for one simple reason. Spammers are constantly modifying their approach, changing their email addresses and accounts and updating the content of their spam emails. This makes it more difficult for filters to catch the mail, and it means that spam filter providers need to remain vigilant to ensure that their filters are fine-tuned to catch the latest iteration of spam that is currently going around.
Why Is Microsoft Discontinuing their Email Spam Filters?
In their official announcement, Microsoft admitted – in so many words – that they simply aren’t up to the challenge of keeping up with modern-day spammers’ methods. They cited the fact that spammers routinely randomize their campaigns in order to trick filters. And they also mentioned the complications that occur when a spammer successfully hijacks a high-reputation email account and uses this for nefarious purposes.
Microsoft is suggesting that their clients either switch to a cloud-based filtering service (which they provide for a fee), or that they seek out a third-party filtering service such as MailCleaner. It’s refreshing to see Microsoft backing off of their spam filtering system rather than doubling down on a service that is not working very well to begin with.
It’s also worth noting that the SmartScreen spam filter is not the same thing as the SmartScreen site reputation protection – which is a distinct Microsoft product that (for some reason) shares the same name.
A Good Opportunity for SmartScreen Customers to Consider Switching to MailCleaner
Those clients who have relied on Microsoft’s spam filtering service need to act quickly in order to maintain protection for their email accounts. This is a good opportunity to consider making the switch to MailCleaner. We have several spam filtering services available. Just make sure that you have the new filtering service in place and ready to go before 1 November.
Contact our team today to make the switch.