Hotmail's spam filters flag even mail from Microsoft
- TAGS:hotmail, Microsoft, phishing, spam
- IT TOPICS:Cybercrime & Hacking, Operating Systems, Privacy, Security, Windows
Microsoft has just announced an updated Hotmail that among other things, is aimed at helping people better organize their mail. But the company might want to also look at its spam and phishing filters, which in my Inbox flag even legitimate mail from Microsoft as "suspicious."
I logged on to Hotmail this morning, to see if any of the new features, such as better managing "graymail" such as newsletters had been turned on. To my surprise, the first message in my inbox, from Microsoft's Windows Phone Insider, with the sending email address microsoft@email.microsoft.com, was targeted as being suspicious. Hotmail placed a red X danger symbol at its top, and included this warning:
This message looks very suspicious to our SmartScreen filters, so we've blocked attachments, pictures, and links for your safety.
You can see the screenshot, below.
 
Other messages from Microsoft were flagged, although not identified as suspicious. Windows Live alerts telling me about friends' birthdays had their attachments, links and and pictures disabled, although the messages weren't flagged as suspicious. You can see that, below. Oddly enough, in some instances these birthday alerts are flagged, and in other instances they're not.
Â
I'm glad to see that Microsoft is adding a host of new features to bolster Hotmail. But it might also want to take another pass at the way it identifies potentially hazardous mail, because for me at least, it's not doing a good job.
Free Insider Guide