How to Integrate Trend Micro Apex One / Apex Central Email Notifications with Office 365 via SMTP Relay

TrendMicro Apex One/Apex Central Email Notification Integration with Office365

Integrating Trend Micro Apex One or Apex Central with Microsoft Office 365 for email notifications ensures critical security alerts are delivered in real-time. This step-by-step guide walks you through configuring email notifications using an SMTP Relay server, a necessary bridge for Office 365 email delivery.

This method is particularly useful for environments where direct SMTP connections from Apex Central to Office 365 are blocked or limited.

 Prerequisites

• A Windows Server machine (2012/2016/2019/2022) for SMTP Relay

• A valid Office 365 (Microsoft 365) email account

• Admin access to Trend Micro Apex One or Apex Central

• Access to Server Manager and IIS 6.0 Manager (for SMTP configuration)

Step-by-Step Guide to Configure SMTP Relay for Office 365

Step 1: Install SMTP Server Feature

1. Open Server Manager.

2. Click on Add Roles and Features.

3. Under Features, scroll down and select "SMTP Server".

4. Follow the wizard to complete the installation.

 

✅ Note: IIS 6.0 Management Tools will be installed automatically as a dependency.

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Step 2: Configure SMTP Relay in IIS 6.0 Manager

1. Open IIS 6.0 Manager (inetmgr6).

2. Right-click on [SMTP Virtual Server] under your server name and select "Properties".

3. 

4. In the General tab, verify:

   • IP Address is set to your SMTP Relay server’s IP

   • TCP Port: 25

   • 

   • 

   • Under Outbound Security->Provide the email id of Office365, and select TLS encryption.

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Step 3: Set Up Outbound Security

1. Go to "Access" > Outbound Security.

2. Select "Basic Authentication".

3. Enter your Office 365 email address and password.

4. Check "TLS Encryption".

Step 4: Set Up Outbound Connections

1. Still under "Access", click "Outbound Connections".

2. Set the TCP Port to 587 (required for Office 365 SMTP).

3. 

Step 5: Configure Advanced Delivery Settings

1. Under the "Delivery" tab, click Advanced.

2. In the Smart Host field, enter:

   
   smtp.office365.com

3. 

Configure Apex Central Email Notification Settings

Once the SMTP Relay is properly set up, you can configure email notifications in Trend Micro Apex One / Apex Central.

Step 6: Access Notification Settings

1. Log in to Apex Central Console.

2. Go to:

   Detections > Notifications > Notification Method Settings
   

3. 

Step 7: Enter SMTP Details

• SMTP Server IP Address: IP of your configured SMTP Relay Server

• Port: 25

• Sender Email Address: Office 365 account used in SMTP

• ESMTP: Do NOT enable

• 

Click Save to apply the changes.

Test Email Notification Settings

To ensure everything is configured correctly:

1. Navigate to:

   Detections > Notifications > Event Notifications
   

2. 

3. Select any event and click Test.

4. 

5. 
   

You should see the confirmation:

"Email notification was sent successfully."

 

Check your Office 365 mailbox to verify the test alert has arrived.

Sample Email Notification

When configured properly, Apex Central will send real-time alerts like:

Subject: Trend Micro Security Alert: Detection Event
Body: A detection event has occurred on [HOSTNAME]. Details include...

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Summary

Integrating Trend Micro Apex One / Apex Central with Office 365 SMTP Relay allows seamless email notifications, keeping your security team informed of real-time threats and events.

Key Configuration Highlights:

Setting	Value
SMTP Smart Host	smtp.office365.com
SMTP Relay Port	587
Apex Central SMTP Port	25
ESMTP	Disabled
TLS Encryption	Enabled
Authentication	Basic (Office 365 Email + Password)

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Troubleshooting Tips

• Can't send emails? Ensure port 587 is open outbound on the SMTP Relay server.

• Authentication errors? Double-check the Office 365 email credentials and enable SMTP Auth in Microsoft 365 admin settings.

• TLS issues? Make sure TLS 1.2 is enabled on the SMTP Relay server.