adaptive protections

Adaptive protections refer to Microsoft's evolving approach to Exchange Online security, moving away from rigid per-mailbox external recipient rate limits toward smarter, more flexible safeguards. Recent discussions on WindowsForum highlight Microsoft's cancellation of the planned 2,000-external-recipient cap after customer feedback warned it would disrupt legitimate workflows. Instead, the Exchange team is pursuing adaptive protections that adjust dynamically based on usage patterns, aiming to reduce spam and abuse without breaking normal business operations. This shift reflects a broader trend in cloud security toward context-aware, behavior-based controls rather than static thresholds.