Emails Blocked to Disabled JMU Accounts

Starting September 29^th, Information Technology will change how email is handled when a message is sent to a JMU mailbox of a disabled account.

In the past, messages sent to most mailboxes of disabled accounts may have appeared to have been delivered even though neither the sender nor the intended recipient was notified that the message was not received. If the mailbox was not reactivated, the recipient likely never saw the message, potentially resulting in missed or delayed communication.

With this change, messages sent to a disabled mailbox will now be blocked, and both internal and external senders will receive a non-delivery report explaining that the message could not be delivered because the mailbox is inactive.

This change also addresses potential email security concerns. Many inactive mailboxes, particularly student accounts, currently forward messages to active JMU mailboxes, which may allow certain malicious messages to reach the active mailbox without being removed by JMU’s email security system. Blocking messages to these accounts will prevent those cases.

What you should know

Starting September 29^th, if you regularly email students, student employees, former employees or others whose JMU mailboxes may be inactive, watch for a non-delivery report after sending your message. Receiving this notice means the message did not reach the intended mailbox. Departments that contact returning student employees before their mailboxes are reactivated may be especially likely to encounter these notices.