What is Email Security?
Email security encompasses technologies and practices that protect your organization from email-borne threats. This includes filtering spam, detecting phishing attempts, scanning attachments for malware, and preventing business email compromise attacks.
Over 90% of cyberattacks start with a malicious email. Effective email security is your first and most important line of defense.
Email Threat Types
Phishing
Emails that trick users into revealing credentials:
- Fake login pages that capture passwords
- Impersonation of banks, vendors, IT support
- Links to malicious websites
Malware
Dangerous email attachments:
- Infected Office documents with macros
- Executable files disguised as invoices
- Encrypted attachments that hide from scanners
Business Email Compromise (BEC)
Social engineering without malware:
- Impersonation of executives requesting wire transfers
- Fake vendor invoices with changed payment details
- “Urgent” requests that pressure quick action
Spam
Unwanted bulk email:
- Marketing messages
- Scams and frauds
- Annoyance that hides real threats
Protection Features
Anti-Phishing
AI-powered phishing detection
Malware Scanning
Attachment & link analysis
BEC Protection
Impersonation detection
Spam Filtering
99%+ spam blocked
Link Protection
Safe URL rewriting
Encryption
End-to-end email encryption
How Advanced Email Security Works
Multi-Layer Filtering
- Reputation Check - Is the sender known bad?
- SPF/DKIM/DMARC - Is the sender domain legitimate?
- Content Analysis - Does the message look suspicious?
- Attachment Scanning - Is there malware?
- URL Analysis - Are links safe?
- AI Detection - Does this look like phishing?
Sandboxing
Suspicious attachments are detonated in isolated environments:
- Execute files and observe behavior
- Catch zero-day malware signatures miss
- Delay delivery briefly for analysis
URL Rewriting
Links in emails are rewritten to pass through security:
- Check destination at click time (not just delivery time)
- Block newly-malicious sites
- Record who clicked what for investigation
Impersonation Detection
Identify fake executives and vendors:
- Display name analysis
- Domain spoofing detection
- Known sender relationship modeling
Email Authentication (DMARC)
Proper email authentication prevents domain impersonation:
SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
Specifies which servers can send email for your domain.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
Cryptographically signs emails to verify authenticity.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)
Policy that tells receivers how to handle authentication failures.
With proper DMARC, attackers can’t send email that appears to be from your domain.
Key Benefits
Block Phishing
Stop credential theft attempts before users see them.
Prevent Malware
Dangerous attachments quarantined, not delivered.
Stop BEC Attacks
Detect impersonation attempts trying to steal money.
Protect Data
Email encryption keeps sensitive information private.
Reduce Risk
90% of attacks start with email. Filtering dramatically reduces exposure.
Easy Management
Simple quarantine management and reporting.
Beyond Filtering
Security Awareness Integration
When suspicious emails are quarantined, it’s a teachable moment. Integration with security training can automatically assign training based on risky behavior.
Phishing Simulations
Test employees with simulated phishing emails. Identify who needs additional training before real attackers find them.
Incident Response
When a user does click something bad, email security provides visibility:
- Who received similar messages?
- Who else clicked?
- What to remediate?
Frequently Asked Questions
How does email security differ from what comes with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace?
Microsoft and Google provide basic filtering, but advanced threats often get through. Third-party email security adds additional layers: AI-powered phishing detection, sandboxing for attachments, URL rewriting and click-time analysis, impersonation detection, and more granular controls.
What happens to suspicious emails?
Definitely-malicious emails are blocked and never delivered. Suspicious emails go to quarantine where users or admins can review them. Users receive digest emails with their quarantined messages and can release false positives.
Will this block legitimate emails?
Modern email security has very low false positive rates (under 1%). Legitimate email from trusted senders flows through normally. Quarantine allows recovery of any mistakenly blocked messages.
What is Business Email Compromise (BEC)?
BEC attacks impersonate executives or vendors to trick employees into sending wire transfers or sensitive data. 'CEO fraud' emails might appear to come from your boss requesting urgent payment. Advanced email security detects these impersonation attempts.
Does this work with any email provider?
Yes, advanced email security works with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, on-premise Exchange, and other email systems. Configuration varies by platform, but protection is available for all major email systems.
What about encrypted email?
We can implement email encryption that automatically encrypts sensitive outbound messages. Recipients can read encrypted messages through a secure portal or by installing a simple add-in.