Enhanced Protection for Certain Email Links
October 2026
As part of our ongoing efforts to provide safe, reliable, and user-friendly digital experiences, the University is introducing enhanced protection for certain websites accessed through email links beginning Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
This added protection applies to select external websites commonly used to host forms, event registrations, surveys, and other information-collection activities. While most of these websites are legitimate, cybercriminals increasingly use similar services to create convincing forms designed to capture sensitive information.
To help protect our University community while maintaining access to these useful services, links to certain third-party form websites will receive an additional layer of automated protection. The destination will be digitally reviewed, in real-time, before it opens, helping to identify potentially malicious forms before you interact with them.
What you'll notice:
For most email links, your experience will not change. The additional protection applies only to certain third-party websites commonly used for forms, surveys, registrations, and similar online activities.
When you click a link to one of these websites, you may briefly see a security message indicating that the destination is being reviewed. In most cases, the website will load automatically after a short review. The websites and services you use today will remain available and accessible.
No additional software, configuration, or changes to your workflow are required. Aside from the brief security message that may appear for certain links, your browsing experience will remain largely unchanged. (Example below.)
Why we are making this change:
Phishing attacks can emerge and evolve quickly. Traditional security tools often rely on lists of websites already known to be malicious, while newer attacks may use rapidly changing forms and websites. This real-time protection is designed to help maintain access to popular web-form services while providing an additional safeguard against attempts to capture sensitive information, including CaneIDs, passwords, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) verification codes.
You can continue to complete forms, register for events, respond to surveys, access online services, and conduct University business as expected. The added protection works largely behind the scenes, helping to provide a safer experience while keeping legitimate websites accessible. As always, carefully review unexpected requests for sensitive information and never provide an MFA verification code to anyone.
Supporting access to the resources you need:
This enhancement is designed to help faculty and staff continue using the external websites, forms, surveys, registrations, and online services that support teaching, learning, research, patient care, and University operations.
Thank you for your partnership in maintaining a secure and productive digital environment at the University of Miami.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the 24/7 IT Service Desk.
