Why You Should Enable Safe Links in Microsoft 365

Threat actors are getting better at making dangerous links look legitimate. They hide malicious URLs inside emails, Teams chats, shared documents, and collaboration tools your team uses every day. It can be as simple as one click for an attacker to steal credentials, install malware, or access sensitive information.

That’s why Safe Links, a feature included in many Microsoft 365 licenses like Business Premium, has become an important layer of protection for modern businesses.

In this short post, we’ll explain what Safe Links is, why it matters, and the simple settings every organization should enable.

What Safe Links Actually Does

Safe Links automatically checks any link your employees click in real time.

Instead of sending someone directly to a webpage, Microsoft first scans the link behind the scenes using Microsoft Defender. If it’s safe, the user proceeds normally. If it’s malicious, access is blocked and the employee is protected, even if the email or message looked legitimate.

This protection works across:

• Email (Outlook)

• Microsoft Teams chats and channels

• Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and cloud-shared files

Safe Links is constantly updated with new threat intelligence, meaning it protects your business even as attackers switch to new domains or tactics.

Why Business Owners Should Turn This On

1. It prevents costly phishing attacks.

Phishing is still the #1 cause of business breaches, and attackers know how to bypass spam filters. Safe Links steps in after the email arrives, protecting your team at the moment they click.

2. It secures Microsoft Teams.

Many people assume Teams is “internal only,” but attackers increasingly target it. Safe Links helps ensure someone doesn’t click a malicious link shared in a chat or file.

3. It adds a powerful safety net across daily work.

Whether someone is opening a shared document, reviewing a proposal, or collaborating across departments, Safe Links quietly checks links every time.

Enabling Safe Links

You can configure Safe Links using the M365 Security portal or through this direct link: https://security.microsoft.com/safelinksv2

You can learn more using Microsoft's Official webpage as well (this is a bit more technical in nature to work through!): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-office-365/safe-links-policies-configure

Protect Your Team

Enabling Safe Links is one layer of effective protection for your business.

If you’d like help reviewing or configuring Safe Links, book a call and we’ll walk you through the steps:

👉 Schedule a free consultation.