Whitelisting in Microsoft 365

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Note
This description is based on the status of the Microsoft 365 Portal in June 2023. Changes to the user interface on the part of Microsoft are possible at any time and must be taken into account accordingly in the implementation.
All information without warranty.

Configuration of Whitelisting for Awareness PLUS in Microsoft 365  (former: Office365)

Last adaption: 06.2023 (2024.11)

New:

• Re-arrangement of the configuration steps
• New sections:
  • Advanced delivery for Microsoft 365 Defender
  • Secure links in Microsoft 365 Defender
  • Configure spoof intelligence
  • Whitelisting of technical senders
  • Exchange Online Protection spam filter and clutter folder

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This article refers to a Resellerpreview

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Whitelisting

In order to ensure that the simulated phishing emails from the Awareness PLUS training are not blocked by the Microsoft mail server or Microsoft Defender, whitelisting must be configured at various points.
The individual steps should be performed in the given order.

Basic configuration

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Advanced delivery for phishing simulations for Microsoft 365 Defender

Fig.1

Log in to the MS365 portal at https://login.microsoftonline.com

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Menu Security

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Menu Policies and rules

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Menu Threat policies

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Menu Advanced delivery

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Click on Phishing-Simulation and then on Edit to add entries.

Fig.7

Enter the domain of the technical sender here (the entire part following the "@" of the email address, e.g. admin@ttt-point.de → ttt-point.de).
Enter the IPv4 addresses (Listing of all used addresses).

Enter the Simulations-URLs used in the phishing links into the field. The format for entering the URLs is "anyideas.de".

Then Add

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Microsoft 365 Defender warning

The domains used in the phishing simulation can be stored in Microsoft 365 Defender (formerly Advanced Threat Protection - ATP) so that no warning message is displayed.

Set up secure links in Microsoft 365 Defender

Fig.1

• Login to Microsoft
• Select menu Security

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Policies and Rules tab

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Click the Threat Policy button

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Click on Safe Links

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Assign a Name and a Description if necessary

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Specify the domain of your own organization as the recipient domain

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1. Selects that URLs can be rewritten
2. User clicks should be trackable
3. Users should be able to click through to the original URL
4. Click on Manage 0 URLs

Fig.8

Select Add URLs button

Fig.9

Enter URLs that are located under "Simulation" → "Whitelisting" → "List of used domains in phishing links". Keep to the format https://domain/*.

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Configure spoof intelligence

Fig.1

Log in to the MS365 portal at https://login.microsoftonline.com

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Menu Security

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Menu Policies and rules

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Menu Threat policies

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Tenant allow/block list menu

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Click Block button

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The first value must be the spoofed user (display name in the e-mail), which can be found under: Choose tenant Start page Simulation Email Templates , in the column "Sender".
Second value (separated by a comma) must be the IPv4 address as from Whitelisting. Since there are multiple IP addresses, a complete entry for a spoofed user looks like this:

• user1@Anyideas.de, first IPv4 address
• user1@Anyideas.de, second IPv4 address
• user1@Anyideas.de, third IPv4 address

The Spoof type must be "Internal" and the Action must be set to "Allow".

Further steps

If the above instructions for whitelisting Microsoft products are not sufficient, the following additional steps may help:

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Bypass spam and clutter filters in exchange

Fig.1

Log in to the MS365 portal at https://login.microsoftonline.com

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Menu Security

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Menu Exchange message-trace

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Expand menu Mail flow and select submenu rules

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• Click on the Add a rule button
• Select Create a new rule from the drop-down menu

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• Assign a unique name for the rule (here: Avoid spam and clutter filters
• In the drop-down menu Apply this rule when..., select the entry The Sender
• In the drop-down menu, select the entry IP is in one of these ranges or equals
• Click on Enter words

Fig.7

Enter the IP adress(es) from the section Whitelisting phishing simulation and confirm with OK. In the figure are example IPs that are not used!

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• In the drop-down menu Proceed as follows: select the entry Change message properties
• then select in the next menu Set message header

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Enter the following values

• Message-header (1): X-MS-Exchange-Organization-BypassClutter
• Value (2): true

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• Click for Proceed as follows
• Select the entry Modify the message properties in the drop-down menu
• Select the entry Set SCL-Rating (Spam Confidence Level) in the submenu

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• Select the Bypass spam filtering option
• Close the window with Save

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• Click on Next
• The bypassing of the spam and cutter filter is thus completed

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Setting up the IP permission list

Fig.1

Log in to the MS365 portal at https://login.microsoftonline.com

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Menu Security

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Menu Policies and rules

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Menu Threat policies

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Menu Anti-spam

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Click on the entry Connection filter policy

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Click on the link Connection filter policy

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Enter the IP adress(es) from the section Whitelisting phishing simulation and confirm with Save. In the figure are example IPs that are not used!

Fig.9

Ready permission list

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Setting up technical senders

Fig.1

Log in to the MS365 portal at https://login.microsoftonline.com

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Menu Security

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Menu Guidelines and rules

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Menu Threat policies

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Menu Anti-spam

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Click on the entry Antispam Setup Line (Default)

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In the pop-up window, click on Edit allowed and blocked senders and domains

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Under Sender(x) click on Manage x senders

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Click on Add senders in the Manage Allowed Senders window

Fig.11

Enter the e-mail address of the technical sender from the section Whitelisting phishing simulation.
Click on Add senders to save the entries.

If the mails still end up in the quarantine, the displayed sender (e.g. sender@anyideas.de) must be entered in addition to the technical sender. </li

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Bypass junk filter

Another rule is needed to bypass the junk filter

Fig.1

Log in to the MS365 portal at https://login.microsoftonline.com

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Menu Security

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Menu Exchange message-trace

Fig.4

Expand menu Mail flow and select submenu rules

Fig.5

• Click on Add a rule
• Click on Create New Rule in the drop-down menu

Fig.6

• Assign a unique name for the rule (here i.g.: Bypass Junk Filter by IP Address )
• Select the sender for Apply this rule if
• Select IP adress is in any of these ranges or exactly matches
• Click on Enter words. For that see next figure

Fig.7

Enter the IP adress(es) from the section Whitelisting phishing simulation and confirm with OK. In the figure are example IPs that are not used!

Fig.8

• Select Modify the message properties in Do the following
• Select set a message header
• Enter the header message (3) and the value (4) by clicking on Enter text

Fig.9

Enter the following values:

• For message header (1): x-Forefront-Antispam-Report
• For Value (2): SFV:SKI;
• Then click on Next

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• For Rule mode Enforce is selected
• At Severity Not specified is sufficient
• At will can be set between which times this rule should be active

Fig.11

Check if the settings are correct and then click Finish