EXT-07Moderate
How to Fix: Detect External Mail Forwarding
Step-by-step guide to implement detect external mail forwarding in your Microsoft 365 environment.
30-60 minutes
Estimated Time
4
Steps
critical
Severity
Recommended Secure
Baseline Level
Why This Matters
Attackers commonly set up mail forwarding rules after compromising accounts. These rules silently copy all emails to external addresses, enabling ongoing data theft even after the initial compromise is remediated.
Prerequisites
- 1Global Administrator or appropriate admin role in Microsoft Entra ID
- 2Access to Microsoft Entra admin center (entra.microsoft.com)
Expected Configuration
- Mailbox forwarding rules to external addresses are identified
- Inbox rules forwarding to external domains are flagged
- No unexpected external forwarding rules exist
Remediation Steps
1
Review Current Configuration
Assess your current configuration in Microsoft Entra admin center.
- •Navigate to the relevant section in Entra admin center
- •Document current settings
- •Compare against expected state
2
Plan Implementation
Determine the changes needed to meet the expected configuration.
- •Review expected configuration requirements
- •Identify affected users or resources
- •Plan rollout strategy
3
Implement Changes
Apply the necessary configuration changes.
- •Make required configuration updates
- •Apply to appropriate scope
- •Document changes made
4
Validate and Monitor
Verify the changes are working as expected.
- •Run TrueConfig scan to verify compliance
- •Test affected functionality
- •Set up ongoing monitoring
Related Resources
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