Fresno State Proofpoint User Guide

Subject:
Proofpoint Email Security: Fresno State | Faculty, Staff and Student Help Guide

Environment:
Proofpoint, Gmail

Article Summary:
Learn how to review Proofpoint email categories, release quarantined messages, and manage your Allow List and Block List.

Types of Emails Processed by Proofpoint

Proofpoint Email Security protects Fresno State email accounts by analyzing incoming messages and determining whether they should be delivered to Gmail, placed in quarantine, or blocked.

Which Categories Appear in the Proofpoint Daily Digest?

For Fresno State’s Proofpoint configuration, the Daily Digest may display three categories:

  1. Spam: Messages identified as spam and held in quarantine.
  2. Low Priority – Quarantined: Messages classified as low priority and held in quarantine.
  3. Low Priority – Delivered: Messages classified as low priority that have already been delivered to Gmail.

Understanding Proofpoint Email Categories

Proofpoint examines incoming email to help protect Fresno State accounts from spam, phishing, malware, and other email threats.

Messages that pass security checks are delivered to Gmail. Messages identified as spam or unwanted bulk email may be placed in quarantine, where users can review and release legitimate messages.

Some low-priority messages are delivered directly to Gmail but still appear in the Proofpoint Daily Digest under Low Priority – Delivered. These messages do not need to be released.

Proofpoint Category What It Means Action Needed
Spam Email identified as unsolicited or potentially unwanted and placed in quarantine. Review and release only if legitimate.
Low Priority – Quarantined Email classified as low priority and held in quarantine. Release if you want to receive it.
Low Priority – Delivered Email classified as low priority but already delivered to your mailbox. No action is required to receive it.

Release a Low Priority – Quarantined Email

  1. Open the Proofpoint quarantine portal.
  2. Find the message. Verify the full sender address and make sure you were expecting the email.
  3. Select the message and open its actions menu. Choose Release to deliver the selected message. Multiple messages can be released. Choose Release & Approve, if available, to release the message and approve the sender for future messages.
  4. Check Gmail Inbox, Spam, and All Mail. Existing Gmail filters may move the message to another label.

Note: Allow Sender alone approves future messages; it does not release the selected message.

Find a Low Priority – Delivered Email

Remember: Not every email listed in your Proofpoint Daily Digest is quarantined. Messages under Low Priority – Delivered have already been delivered to your Gmail account.

  1. Open Gmail and search for the message by sender or subject.
  2. Check Inbox, Spam, and All Mail if you do not see it immediately.
  3. No Proofpoint release action is needed. Optionally, use Allow Sender for future messages from a trusted address.
  4. If the message is missing, check your Gmail filters or contact Fresno State Technology Services.

Release a Spam – Quarantined Email

  1. Open the Proofpoint quarantine portal.
  2. Find the message. Verify the full sender address and make sure you were expecting the email.
  3. Select the message and open its actions menu. Choose Release to deliver the selected message. Multiple messages can be released.
  4. Choose Allow Sender if you also want to approve the trusted sender for future messages.
  5. Check Gmail Inbox, Spam, and All Mail. Existing Gmail filters may move the message to another label.

If you are unable to release a quarantined message, call the Technology Service Desk at (559) 278-5000 or submit a support ticket.

Choose the Right Action

Action Result
Release Delivers the selected message; does not add the sender to your Allow List.
Release & Approve Delivers the selected message and approves the sender for future messages.
Allow Sender Approves the sender; does not deliver the selected message.
Block Sender Adds the sender to your Block List.
Block Domain Blocks the sender’s domain. Use cautiously because it can affect many addresses.
Block and Delete Blocks the sender and deletes the selected message.

Manage Your Allow List

Use the Allow List for individual email addresses you recognize and trust. It can reduce unwanted spam quarantine, but other security controls may still stop unsafe messages.

  1. In the Proofpoint portal, open Settings.
  2. Expand Quarantine, then select Allow List.
  3. Select Add and enter the trusted email address. Complete the on-screen save or confirmation action.
  4. To change an existing entry, use the entry’s available edit or removal controls.

Manage Your Block List

The Block List is for senders whose future messages you do not want delivered normally. Blocking a domain may affect multiple senders.

  1. In Settings, expand Quarantine and select Block List.
  2. Select Add to enter a sender address.
  3. To change an existing address, open its three-dot menu and select Edit Address or Remove from Block List.

 

Understand Your Quarantine Digest

A Proofpoint digest summarizes messages held in your personal quarantine and may also list low-priority messages already delivered to Gmail. If no new messages are quarantined, you may not receive a new digest.

Review the sender and subject before releasing anything. You can also open the quarantine portal to review messages and manage lists.

Messages containing viruses, spam, or inappropriate content are blocked. Potentially valid external messages are held in your Spam Quarantine, while newsletters, advertisements, and solicitations go to your Low Priority Mail Quarantine.

You’ll receive an email with a subject beginning “End User Digest” when new quarantined messages are available. 

Your Spam Digest lists messages marked as spam or low priority/bulk and held in your personal quarantine.

Use the links next to each message to:

  • Release: Deliver that message to your inbox.
  • Allow Sender: Allow future messages from that email address.
  • Release and Allow Sender: Deliver the message and allow future messages.
  • Block Sender: Discard future messages from that email address.

Additional Information:

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the Technology Service Desk at (559) 278-5000.

TAGS: accounts, email, google, Proofpoint, quarantine, spam

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