Email filtering

PureMessage checks email for spam, phishing and viruses before it is delivered to your mailbox

What is PureMessage?

Unsolicited email is a major concern for the University.

All incoming email, including emails addressed to sub-domains of the University domain and other non-Nottingham domains are directed through PureMessage, where mail is either passed through, or held in quarantine. If an email is held in ‘quarantine’ it will remain there until it is released or deleted.

Eliminates over 99% of spam with live anti-spam real-time updates

Guards against known and unknown viruses, Trojans and other threats

Every University email account holder has automatic access to PureMessage

Spam web portal

Quarantined messages are rated in three categories - medium level, high level and bulk message
- The yellow envelope icon appears when a medium-level spam message is blocked
- The red envelope icon appears when a high-level spam message is blocked
- The grey envelope icon appears when a bulk message is blocked
Quarantined messages can be released from the spam notification via email or via the portal
There is only one release option (release this mail) in the spam notification email

If you need an email address adding to the global 'block list', contact the IT Service Desk.

Quarantined-spam-example
PureMessage spam notification email example

Notification of possible spam

You will be sent a notification email (PureMessage spam notification email shown above) from reports@nottingham.ac.uk if a new mail has been quarantined within the last 24 hours.

The notification contains a summary of each new quarantined item and an ID web link to allow any incorrectly quarantined items to be released and returned to your email account.

If you are using Outlook this notification email may go directly to your junk email folder.

Please check the junk email folder for this email.

To ensure PureMessage notification messages do not go into the junk email folder follow these instructions:

Outlook

Open Outlook
Select the Home tab
From the Delete group click Junk
Select Junk E-mail Options
From the Safe Senders tab, click Add
In the Add address or domain box enter @nottingham.ac.uk
Click Ok

Outlook web

Visit email.nottingham.ac.uk
Click Settings (Cog icon) from the top menu bar
Click View all Outlook settings
Click Junk email within the settings
Under safe senders and domains, click Add
In the box enter nottingham.ac.uk
Click Save

Quarantined email

Incoming spam and suspected spam is held in quarantine for 28 days for you to release if it is genuine. Any mail that has not been released will be automatically deleted after that time.

It is important that you regularly check your spam notification emails.

Releasing quarantined email

To release a message that has been wrongly quarantined, click the ID web link that corresponds to the message you want to release. This will bring up a new email from which you can click send. The message you have requested for release will then be sent on to your inbox.

If the message is from a sender you do not know and you are unsure whether to release the email, please contact the IT Service Desk.

Managing your personal block and allow lists via the portal

If you would like more control over which messages are always allowed or always blocked you can change your settings via the portal at spam.nottingham.ac.uk.

This allows you to add addresses which you know to be safe and will save you having to deal with them individually on a daily basis.

System-wide settings set for all University email addresses will supersede any personal settings.

PureMessage user guide (PDF)