Getting Started: External Abuse Mailbox Module

The External Abuse Mailbox module automates management of an external, customer–facing abuse mailbox. Bolster’s advanced AI triages incoming customer reports to identify real threats such as credential phishing and financial scams.  

Here’s how to set it up and get started.

Setup Steps

Prerequisites

• Your organization has a currently operational external abuse mailbox that external users can forward emails to.
• Your organization already has an admin-level user account on Bolster. You’ll need it to perform the following steps. If not, contact your Customer Success Manager to set up an account.

Step 1: Request a Forwarding Email Address

Contact your Customer Success Manager to request a forwarding email address from Bolster. This is where you’ll forward every email your external abuse mailbox receives. The address will be unique to your organization. At the moment, Bolster supports one mailbox per brand, but an account can have multiple brands. 

Include the following details in your request: 

• Organization name
• Brand name, if different
• Admin’s email address and phone number

Step 2: Set Up Email Forwarding

After you’ve received your dedicated email address from Bolster, forward all emails from your organization’s external abuse mailbox to that address. Bolster starts monitoring right away.  

If you have set up a user-controlled abuse mailbox in Gmail or Outlook, here is where to find the forwarding functions: 

• In Gmail, navigate to Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP to set up the forwarding address. Contact Bolster to ensure that they receive the verification email Google sends.
• In Outlook, navigate to Settings > Mail > Rules to set up an email handling rule that will Forward as attachment to the address Bolster provided.

For more detailed guidance, see Setting Up Email Forwarding.

Step 3: Add Brand Assets

Ensure your organization’s brand catalog on the Bolster platform includes all relevant assets. These assets help Bolster’s AI distinguish between legitimate and malicious content.  

If your organization is new to Bolster, your Customer Success Manager will help you with the initial setup. 

After that, to confirm or add assets:

1. Navigate to Assets.
2. In the left side column, select the type of asset you want to add or review.
3. Search, sort, or filter assets in the list, or export the list as a CSV file.
4. Select Add… in the upper right to add a new asset.

To make the module most effective, prioritize having the following assets:

• Logos
• Managed domains
• Official phone numbers

Step 4: Invite Users

Admins can grant user access and assign roles.

To manage users:

1. Navigate to Account > Team Members.
2. Assign access and select user roles based on their responsibilities.

Bolster will send email invitations to users granted new access or roles.

For more, see Enhanced Role-Based Access Control System. 

What’s Next

After the module is set up, stay informed about reports and mitigations. Navigate to Attack Surface > Abuse Mailbox > Dashboard to check the Abuse Mailbox Dashboard. For more, see Abuse Mailbox Dashboard.

Regularly evaluate reports, review automated takedowns, submit additional takedown requests, and provide alternative dispositions where needed. For more, see Managing Reported Emails.

For help, contact your Customer Success manager.