Email remains one of the most important communication tools for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Toronto. But with the rise of phishing, spam, and malicious email campaigns, protecting your inbox has never been more critical.
As a trusted MSP in Canada with over 15 years of experience providing IT support in Toronto, we’ve helped more than 80 businesses fine-tune their Microsoft 365 anti-spam settings to block unwanted mail without disrupting daily operations. In this guide, we’ll walk you through step-by-step how to tweak anti-spam policies in Microsoft 365 Defender — and explain why partnering with a professional MSP makes the process more secure and effective.
Step 1: Sign in to Microsoft 365 Defender
Go to the Microsoft 365 Defender portal.
Log in using your admin credentials that have the necessary permissions.
Step 2: Access Threat Policies
- In the left navigation panel, select Email & collaboration.
- Under Policies & rules, click Threat policies.
Step 3: Open Anti-Spam Policies
Select Anti-spam.
You’ll see a list of existing anti-spam policies. You can either edit one or create a new policy.
Step 4: Modify or Create a Policy
- To edit: click an existing policy name.
- To create new: click Create and follow the guided setup.
Step 5: Configure Anti-Spam Settings
When editing or creating, you’ll need to configure:
- Name & Description: Label your policy clearly.
- Spam Filter Settings:
- Block, Allow, or Quarantine suspicious messages.
- Choose to move spam to Junk, send it to Quarantine, or automatically block.
- Allowed & Blocked Senders:
- Add trusted domains to the Allow list.
- Block known spam sources.
- Advanced Spam Filtering:
- Adjust spam score thresholds.
- Enable advanced features like Spoof Intelligence or Content Filtering.
Step 6: Review and Save
Double-check your settings and click Save. The policy is now active.
Step 7: Monitor Effectiveness
- Navigate to Reports in Microsoft 365 Defender.
- Track spam detection rates, false positives, and user-reported issues.
- Adjust policies regularly as spam trends evolve.
Additional Best Practices
- User Feedback: Encourage employees to flag spam and report false positives.
- Regular Reviews: Update policies every few months.
- User Education: Train your team to recognize phishing attempts.
Why Work With an MSP in Canada for Email Security?
While tweaking Microsoft 365 anti-spam policies is a good start, businesses often need broader IT protection. As a Toronto-based MSP, we provide:
- 24/7 IT support with a dedicated helpdesk team.
- Managed server and firewall support to keep infrastructure stable.
- Backup services for Microsoft 365 and servers to ensure business continuity.
- Proactive cybersecurity monitoring and incident response.
- Web design and SEO to support your digital presence.
- Reliable IT hardware from Apple, HP, Dell, Lenovo, and Ubiquiti.
Our approach is built on transparency, honesty, and tailoring every solution to your business goals. That’s why over 80 Toronto SMEs trust us to manage their IT needs.
Final Thoughts
Tweaking Microsoft 365 anti-spam settings is a critical step in protecting your business from email threats. But it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Partnering with an experienced MSP in Canada ensures your organization has the 24/7 IT support, backup services, and cybersecurity protections needed to thrive in today’s digital landscape.
👉 Ready to improve your IT security and productivity? Contact our Toronto team today to request a consultation or get a free quote.
