FAQS
Frequently Asked Questions
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I keep getting an email letting me know that I have held messages. What is that?
Twice a day, you’ll receive an email from no-reply@georgetown.edu letting you know of any held spam messages you’ve received recently. This is a quick way to review and release those messages without having to log into your MySPAMPortal. If you’re on the lookout for an email though, logging in to the MySPAMPortal is the quickest way to release a held message. The emails frequency cannot be modified individually and the twice-a-day frequency ensures that GU users on all global campuses receive the message during the workday.
How to create Gmail Rules from existing emails
In addition to creating Gmail Rules from scratch, you can create Gmail Rules directly from the emails already in your inbox.
Open up Gmail in your web browser.
- Check the boxes next to all the emails that apply to the criteria for the rule you want to create.
Click on “More,” the button with the three vertical dots under the search bar.

Click “Filter messages like these.”
Make sure to double-check the criteria you want to use for the filter.
Click “Create filter.”
Again, choose the behavior that you want to apply to the rule (Mark as read, Delete, Archive, etc.)
Click “Create filter.”
How will this impact my email?
If you receive email that appears suspicious, UISO will send a digest email to help manage potential spam, junk content and malware threats. These messages will be sent by no-reply@georgetown.edu. You won’t receive a digest message if there are no emails requiring your review.
Digest options: There are three actions that you can take for each blocked email item:
•Permit: Allows all future messages from this sender. You will receive this message for this action: This option should be selected only for known and trusted senders.
• Block: Blocks all future messages from the sender and you will not receive the message.
• Release: Delivers the particular message from the sender but messages from this sender may be blocked in the future.
Are my emails being read by a GU email administrator to determine whether they have suspicious content?
Emails are not read; they are scanned by security algorithms to determine the probability of malicious and dangerous content.
I received a Suspected Malware Notification advising my email may contain suspected malware.
If the email is a legitimate business email, you can release the mail by going to your Personal Portal. If the item is not legitimate, you can delete the malicious email in the personal portal.
Why does my digest notification only show the sender's email address and not any content?
Digest notifications only present the sender’s email address; they do not give a preview of the email content because once content of an email starts to download, it increases the university’s security risk.
What if I don't take action on my digest emails within the 30 calendar days?
If no action is taken in 30 calendar days, the email will expire from the hold queue and be permanently deleted. You will need to contact the sender to ask for the email to be resent as the GU email administrator cannot retrieve deleted emails.
If an item is permitted/released, will it be allowed next time?
Yes, Mimecast is adaptive and once an item is permitted, it will be added to a safe list.
Can I check to see if I inadvertently blocked a business email?
Yes, you can review your own blocked/permitted lists. Go to the Personal Portal to review any blocked emails.
I don't like the mail filter – it blocks too many messages I need!
The messages you can permit/release in the portal are not blocked, they are simply held. You have full control to release that mail and have 30 days to do so. In almost all cases, false positives are bulk commercial mail, the type most people delete immediately upon receiving. We encourage you to be diligent in permitting domains and senders and the number of false positives you receive will decrease.
If I ignore a held message indefinitely, will it eventually regard it as outright spam?
• No, if you take no action and Mimecast only holds the message, it will continue to hold your messages will continue to be held and no d just like it and not take additional algorithmic action will be taken.
How long is a message held?
• Messages are held for 30 days and they are unrecoverable.
I have a message that is clearly spam that made it to my inbox. How did that happen?
• That would be an impressive spam message as it got through two of the world's top spam filters. Report it to input UISO info or click Cofense.