How to Review and Release Email from Quarantine

To help protect University mailboxes from phishing attempts, malware, spam, and other malicious email threats—and to reduce unsolicited commercial messages, all incoming email sent to “@udel.edu” addresses is processed through Proofpoint Email Protection, a cloud-based email filtering service.

Messages identified as suspicious or potentially unwanted are not delivered directly to your inbox. Instead, they are automatically placed in quarantine for review.

Contents:
Quarantined Messages
Review and Release Options
Release Email from the Daily Quarantine Digest
Release Email from the Proofpoint Web Portal
Important Notes
Need Help?

Quarantined Messages

Proofpoint automatically filters and quarantines suspicious emails to help prevent harmful or unwanted messages from reaching your mailbox while still allowing you to review them if needed.

Only messages identified as suspicious are quarantined. Legitimate email will continue to be delivered normally.

Important: Carefully review quarantined messages before releasing them to avoid potential security risks.

Review and Release Options

You can review and release quarantined messages at any time using one of the following methods:

  • End User Digest Email – A daily email sent when messages are being held in quarantine, with links to review and release or block messages directly from the digest.

  • Proofpoint User Portal – A web-based interface where you can view quarantined messages on demand, release messages, and manage allowed and blocked senders. 

Important: Users are encouraged to carefully review quarantined messages before releasing them to avoid potential security risks.

Release Email from the Daily Quarantine Digest

If you have messages in quarantine, Proofpoint will send you a daily quarantine End User Digest email summarizing the messages being held.

You can review, release, allow, block, or delete quarantined messages directly from the digest without logging into the Proofpoint User Portal.

Steps

  1. Open your Proofpoint daily quarantine End User Digest email.

  2. Review the list of quarantined messages.

  3. Locate the message you want to manage.

  4. Select one of the available actions next to the message.

Available Actions

  • Release — Sends the email to your inbox
  • Release & Allow Sender — Sends the email and adds the sender to your Safe Senders list
  • Block Sender — Prevents future emails from the sender

Important: Released messages may take up to an hour to reach an inbox.

Proofpoint end user digest email example

Release Email from the Proofpoint Web Portal

Steps

  1. Go to the Proofpoint User Portal (udel.edu/it/proofpoint) and log in using your UD SSO.
    Note: Access to the portal requires logging in with your UD Microsoft account login credentials. If you have not set up your Microsoft Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), please follow these steps.

  2. Select Quarantine from the menu.

  3. Locate the message you want to release.

  4. Select the checkbox next to the email.

  5. Click Release.
    Important: Released messages may take up to an hour to reach an inbox.

Available Actions

  • Release — Sends the email to your inbox
  • Release & Allow Sender — Sends the email and adds the sender to your Safe Senders list
  • Block Sender — Prevents future emails from the sender

Managing Multiple Messages
To perform an action on more than one email, select the checkboxes next to each message you want to manage, then choose Release, Release & Allow Sender, or Block Sender. The selected action will be applied to all checked messages.

Quick Tip: If you frequently receive emails from the same sender, choose Release & Allow Sender to reduce the likelihood that future messages from that sender will be quarantined.

Proofpoint web portal example

Important Notes

  • Some messages, such as malware or confirmed phishing attempts, cannot be released by users and require IT assistance.

  • Quarantined messages are automatically deleted after the retention period (30 days).

  • If you do not see a released message in your inbox within an hour, check your Junk or Spam folder.

Need Help?

If you cannot find or release an email:

  • Contact IT Support

  • Provide the sender, subject, and approximate date/time of the message.

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