Security enhancements coming to student email over spring break
Digital Technology Solutions (DTS), the University of Cincinnati’s central technology services and solutions provider, will add an external email banner and two security tools—Microsoft Safe Attachments and Safe Links—to all student email accounts over UC’s Spring Break.
What you can expect
Digital Technology Solutions will enable the following security features on all UC student email accounts at 6 a.m., Tuesday, Mar. 14. (Please note: DTS previously enabled these security features on all UC faculty and staff email accounts.)
External email header
UC student email accounts will automatically tag any incoming messages sent from a non-UC affiliated email address with an External Email banner.
What’s new: “External Email: Use Caution" (white text over UC red background) will automatically appear on messages sent from anywhere other than a uc.edu email account. Messages from legitimate uc.edu senders will not display the "External Email" header.
Phishing emails often appear to be sent from an internal and trusted source and ask recipients to open attachments or click links. The External Email Header is a simple nudge to encourage recipients to be a little more cautious when opening emails sent from senders outside of UC.
Safe attachments
Microsoft Safe Attachments checks email attachments for malicious content before delivering them to your inbox. Safe Attachments also detects malicious content stored in OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint.Replace with your text
What's new: You may notice a delay in the ability to open email attachments. The body of your email will still appear while your attachment is being scanned. Scans are usually completed in under 2 minutes.
Safe links
Microsoft Safe Links detects and removes malicious links in email messages.
What's new: You may notice a re-written link (URL) in the body of the email, be taken to a warning, or there might be a delay when clicking on a suspicious link.
Do your part. Be cyber smart.
The External Email Header, Safe Attachments, and Safe Links are three additional tools in your information security toolbox. Cyber criminals do their best to circumvent security protections and access your personal information.
Stay vigilant! View our list of email security practices to safeguard your personal information.
Technical help & support
Need help? Get helpful how-to information in the IT Knowledge Base.
Need additional assistance? Submit a ticket. Or, call us: Dial (513) 556-HELP (4357) or (866) 397-3382 from your personal phone. Dial 6-HELP (4357) from a university phone on campus. Then, select option 2.
Related Stories
From research to resume: Grad Career Week prepares students for career paths
February 20, 2026
Graduate students at the University of Cincinnati will explore how their academic and creative work translates into professional success during Grad Career Week, March 2–6, a week-long series of workshops, networking opportunities, and skill-building sessions hosted by the Graduate College.
Before the medals: The science behind training for freezing mountain air
February 19, 2026
From freezing temperatures to thin mountain air, University of Cincinnati exercise physiologist Christopher Kotarsky, PhD, explained how cold and altitude impact Olympic performance in a recent WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 news report.
Blood Cancer Healing Center realizes vision of comprehensive care
February 19, 2026
With the opening of research laboratories and the UC Osher Wellness Suite and Learning Kitchen, the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center’s Blood Cancer Healing Center has brought its full mission to life as a comprehensive blood cancer hub.