How to block incoming messages

Follow Microsoft's instructions to block a mail sender to configure your University email account to block email from specified sender addresses. All email from the specified sender will go into your Junk Email folder.

Outlook Rules can perform an action that you select to any incoming messages that meet conditions you provide. For example, you can set a rule to delete any incoming messages from a particular sender address:

1. Right-click on a message from someone you don't want to receive email from and click Rules > Create Rule
2. Select Advanced Options
3. Select the first condition "from XXX" then press Next.
   You can change the sender address and/or add other conditions here if you prefer
4. Select "delete it" as the action then press Next.
   You can select other actions here if you prefer, such as moving the message to the Junk Email folder
5. Select Next, turn on Run this rule now, then select Finish to complete and run the rule.
   Outlook will scan your inbox folder and take the specified action on all matching messages. It will also apply automatically to any new messages arriving in inbox provided that you have Outlook running (desktop or web versions)

For further information read Microsoft instructions to manage email messages by using rules.

1. Configure MS Teams to mute + hide chat for the contact - see Hide, unhide, mute, or pin a chat in Teams

2. Configure MS Teams to block calls via Teams telephony: navigate to Teams > Calls, right-click or long-tap the contact and choose Block

   (This only works for contacts that Teams considers to be "external", which generally includes contact made via external phone numbers. If the "block" option is not available then Teams considers this contact to be internal and there is no means of blocking incoming calls)

Where all of the following conditions are met it may be agreed to add a specified address to the site-wide blocked sender address list. This will only be done in exceptional circumstances, and will cause all email sent from the specified address(es) to be blocked from delivery to any Nexus365 mailboxes. No notification will be sent to the sender when their emails are blocked. Delivery to units that handle mail routing themselves will not be affected by this block, and you should contact local ITSS to request an equivalent block if required. Required conditions:

1. The matter has been taken up with law enforcement (i.e. referred to the police) or a court order has been placed on the sender banning them from contacting one or more member(s) of the University
2. Emails contain abusive, threatening and/or seriously offensive language and the detrimental effect of non-delivery of email from the specified address on interested parties (esp. Nexus365 and units who may have been in contact with the sender previously) is agreed by the authorisers to be acceptable when balanced against the detrimental effect of delivery
3. Email address to be blocked is not a University-provided address and sender is not a current student or member of staff
4. Sender is regularly contacting more than one University email recipient via their University email address

Where these conditions are met you can request a block by contacting the Service Desk with details of the address to be blocked, an expiry date not exceeding 6 months or the last date of effect of any court order (whichever is later), and contact details for someone who can provide evidence that the conditions are met. Your request will be reviewed by Information Security and Legal Services, and implemented if approved. This typically takes 3 to 5 working days.