The Best Email Protection Solutions

Detecting threats to your email system requires more than just spam blocking. Threat vectors are launched from several angles at once these days. Hackers have developed packages of malware, each performing a specialized task to contribute towards the corruption of your system or the theft of your data.

Emails are a key source of information and they can also be used by malware to mail out stolen data. Blocking those multifaceted attacks requires multiple defense strategies. The protection of your email system is a complicated task and very few security products on the market can fulfill all requirements adequately.

Here is our list of the best email protection solutions:

1. Guardz EDITOR’S CHOICE This cloud-based package of security monitoring services is intended for use by managed service providers to protect the systems of their clients. The platform includes an email protection unit that detects spam, malware, and phishing attempts. Get a 14-day free trial.
2. ESET Protect Mail Plus (FREE TRIAL) This email protection system will watch over Microsoft Exchange Server or IBM/HCL Domino implementations. Runs on-premises or on the cloud. Start a 30-day free trial.
3. Avanan Account Takeover Protection This module is bundled with all Avanan email protection packages.
4. FortiMail An email server protection system from a leading network security provider.
5. Symantec Email Security.cloud Threat protection for cloud-based corporate mail servers.
6. N-able SpamExperts An email protection system aimed at web hosts and ISPs.
7. Trustifi Inbound Shield This cloud-based service integrates into your mail server through a plug-in and scans all incoming emails for malicious content.
8. Trend Micro Hosted Email Security Email security delivered from the clouds in Standard and Advanced editions.
9. Sophos Email Security Available as an appliance, a virtual machine, or a cloud service, this product provides comprehensive protection for all email traffic.
10. N-able Mail Assure Cloud-based threat protection system for email servers.
11. Kaspersky Security for Mail Server Spam blocker and anti-malware system to prevent damage to email servers.

Fortunately, there are a few excellent email protection systems out there and we have tracked them down. Businesses are not identical and with many different email deployment options these days, even the requirements to protect an email server can’t be delivered by a one-size-fits-all strategy. So, we have compiled a list of ten email protection solutions, each of which caters to a specific business model and email server configuration.

The best email protection solutions

This list of options includes specialist protection for cloud-based mail servers, solutions suitable for MSPs, web hosts, systems that operate as an appliance, managed protection services, cloud-based solutions, and on-premises software. Reading through the detailed descriptions of each of these solutions should help you to work out which protection system is suitable for your business.

The next sections explain each email protection solution in detail.

1. Guardz (FREE TRIAL)

Guardz is a platform for use by managed service providers to implement security scanning for the sites and facilities of their clients. The system is based in the cloud and it will also scan other cloud systems, which include the cloud drives and email systems included in the Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace bundles.

Key Features:

• Spots spam, BEC, phishing, and malware
• Also scans endpoints and cloud drives
• Monitoring for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
• Designed for managed service providers
• Isolates suspicious emails

Why do we recommend it?

Guardz is a cloud platform of security monitoring services that cover endpoints, cloud productivity packages, and email systems. The package is intended for use by managed service providers – not to monitor their own systems, but those of their clients. The email monitoring service sports BEC, phishing, spam, and malware, automatically removing malicious emails from the mailboxes of users.

The Guardz system protects email systems through a plug-in, which is available for cloud-based Microsoft and Google email systems. The console for the package is also based in the cloud and technicians access this through any standard Web browser.

The email scanner identifies malicious emails and reports this finding to the dashboard. The system also automatically moves those discovered bad emails out of the mailboxes and users and into a quarantine space. It could be that the email was valid. In such a case, a technician can inspect the email and then flag it as harmless, in which case, the email will be moved back into the intended recipient’s inbox.

Who is it recommended for?

The Guardz package is intended for use by managed service providers in order to protect the systems of their clients. The service is packaged in three plans with a lower rate per user for plans that are designed for large teams. The lowest plan is designed for teams with 1 to 99 members.

Although the website of Guardz markets the system for end user companies, the site makes it clear that the package has to be used by managed service providers. Thus, the company has a list of recommended MSPs that companies can select from, or they can go and find their own MSP and tell them to use the package. The Guardz package is available for a 14-day free trial.

2. ESET Protect Mail Plus (FREE TRIAL)

ESET Protect Email Plus is part of the ESET Protect group of cybersecurity products. So, you can get this email security tool as a standalone service or buy it as part of a larger ESET Protect package. This service is only available to protect Microsoft Exchange Server or IBM Domino.

Key Features

• Anti-phishing
• Anti-malware
• Anti-spam
• Quarantining for suspicious attachments

Why do we recommend it?

ESET Protect Mail Plus operates as a proxy server for the Microsoft Exchange and IBM Domino email systems. It intercepts incoming emails and assesses them for phishing and malware. It also scans attachments by opening them in a sandbox environment. Non-threatening emails are passed to your email server.

The ESET Protect Mail Plus system includes ESET LiveGuard Advanced. This package provides secure unpacking of attachments and training them in a cloud sandbox to assess them for risks. It also uses machine learning and behavior analysis to identify threats. This anomaly-based approach is much better at blocking zero-day attacks than a signature matching method. This also enables the package to identify and block ransomware.

The mail scanning intervenes before emails are delivered to the recipient’s inbox, which means that it functions well with the same routines no matter where the user is when accessing those mails. Hence, it is able to protect emails on any device.

Who is it recommended for?

ESET Protect Mail Plus is offered as a multi-user package at a yearly rate with a minimum order size of five devices. The system is also bundled in with the ESET Protect Complete that package includes endpoint protection, patch management, and vulnerability scanning. ESET Protect Elite includes all of those functions plus automated responses and 2FA.

You can subscribe to the ESET Protect Mail Plus package at an annual rate. The minimum package covers five hosts. An alternative strategy it to get one of the ESET Protect XDR packages, which includes the Mail Security system. You can get a 30-day free trial of ESET Protect Mail Plus.

ESET Protect Mail Plus package Start 30-day FREE Trial

3. Avanan Account Takeover Protection

Avanan offers a series of email protection packages and the Account Takeover Protection system is a module in all of them. The Avanan editions are Advanced Anti-Phishing, Complete Malware, and Enterprise Cloud Security. These three packages are all intended for the protection of cloud-based mail servers, particularly the G-Suite Gmail server and the Office 365 mail server.

Key Features

• Blocks credentials stealing
• System account cleaning
• Works with cloud platforms
• Include AI processes

Why do we recommend it?

Avanan Account Takeover Protection is offered in two levels which offer email protection only or scanning for email and collaboration suites. The email servers that this tool will protect are Outlook and Gmail. The collaboration systems that get protected include Teams, Slack, Google Drive, and OneDrive.

Other modules available with Avanan are Anti-Phishing Protection, Malware and Ransomware Protection, and Data Loss Prevention and Compliance.

The Account Takeover Protection module performs an essential email server administration task that is often overlooked. That is, to remove abandoned or compromised accounts. This is the second line of defense if intrusion prevention and phishing protection fail. When an authorized account is compromised it is very difficult to spot malicious activity. Analysis performed by this module identifies typical behavior performed by hackers that manage to hijack a valid email account. It alerts an administrator to the presence of this activity and shuts down the account.

Who is it recommended for?

Avanan offers packages for home use and for businesses. The system is a subscription service with a rate per user per month. There are three plan levels for the email-only service and for the email and collaboration system package. These plans are offered at different rates for companies with fewer than 500 users and those with more.

Together with the other modules in Avanan, the Account Takeover Protection system provides a very effective defense against intruders. This is a cloud-based service and each edition is paid for by subscription, priced per user per month. The Advanced anti-phishing and complete Malware editions are both available on 14-day free trials.

4. FortiMail

Fortinet is a leading system security provider and FortiMail is its email protection product. FortiMail is a secure email gateway. The system is available as a cloud-based edge service. All of your incoming and outgoing emails get diverted through the Fortinet server. Incoming emails are examined for malware, phishing attempts, impostor emails, and spam, and outbound mail is analyzed for data loss events.

Key Features

• Range of deployment options
• Part of a SIEM service
• Data privacy standards compliance

Why do we recommend it?

Fortinet FortiMail is part of the Fortinet Security Fabric. Fortinet is famous for its network firewalls that are hosted on Fortinet’s signature hardware. That unit has enough processing power to handle many functions other than its firewall, such as FortiMail. Other deployment options are a virtual appliance or a cloud service.

The service helps your organization meet the requirements of HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR for data protection. The FortiMail system is part of what Fortinet calls its “security fabric.” This is a ‘security information and event management’ system (SIEM).

As well as the hosted version, Fortinet offers FortiMail in a number of other formats. One option is to take the solution in the form of an appliance that can be plugged into your network. It is also available as a virtual machine to be run on one of your servers. FortiMail can also be installed on a rented virtual server on AWS or Azure.

Who is it recommended for?

This service works best as part of the Fortinet Security Fabric. You will get the best value from the service if you are also a customer of other Fortinet systems, such as the firewall, the SOAR, or the SIEM. The target market for Fortinet lies with mid-sized businesses.

5. Symantec Email Security.cloud

Symantec is a well-known brand in the business anti-malware sector. Over recent years, the company has transformed its main security system into AI-based endpoint protection systems. The company produces on-premises email protection software, called Symantec Messaging Gateway. However, it is the hosted SaaS version, Email Security.cloud that has grabbed everyone’s attention.

Key Features

• Cloud-based
• Spam filter
• Phishing block

Why do we recommend it?

Symantec Email Security.cloud is a spam filter, phishing detector, and malware blocker for email systems. As it is an edge service, the system acts as a front for your own email server. It receives all emails both inbound and outbound and so it also presents an opportunity for data loss prevention.

Symantec’s move into the cloud with its email protection service is typical of the industry. These “edge services” remove a lot of the load of the client company’s network and servers, freeing up resources for other activities. As one of the tasks of this software is to filter out spam, it greatly reduces the amount of email traffic that arrives on the network.

Other functions performed by this email protection solution are blocks on phishing attempts and the display of web pages led to by links in emails so that they are read-only. That measure prevents employees from being tricked into entering sensitive data or network credentials into fake websites. The tool also blocks malware, spyware, and ransomware contained in emails and their attachments. It investigates the senders of emails to root out impersonators and uses a global threat intelligence database to enforce its fraud prevention.

The Email Security.cloud system will protect on-premises email servers or cloud-based servers. This is a multi-channel email protection solution from a brand that has an excellent reputation.

Who is it recommended for?

This package will protect your own email server on your site and the Microsoft 365 and Gmail cloud email services. The Symantec brand has been going through some changes recently, but this is a product that was brought over from the original Symantec when it was bought by Broadcom.

6. N-able SpamExperts

SpamExperts by N-able is of interest to web hosts and internet service providers. The package includes inbound and outbound mail filtering and an archive facility.

Key Features

• Designed for ISPs
• Scammer address blacklisting
• Email archiving

Why do we recommend it?

N-able SpamExperts is a package for inclusion in a managed service, such as a Web hosting system or an ISP. The N-able brand m markets mainly to MSPs, which means that the system can quickly acquire bulk users but the company has to provide a flexible service in order to be successful.

The protection system deploys a range of tactics. The first of these occurs within the mail filtering environment. It is an AI-based machine learning process that looks for regular traffic patterns and acceptable content. Anomalies get blocked, but the learning process manages to reduce false positives by adapting the baseline of acceptable traffic to the norms encountered during operations.

The second line of defense relies on centralized sources of information. SolarWinds compiles a threat intelligence database from each attack encountered by all of its clients. Thus, a new attack discovered at one site automatically provides warnings to other sites running SpamExperts. This threat intelligence system extends to blacklists of known sources of malicious emails.

Outbound filtering helps provide data loss prevention and information about the usage of email within each client organization.

This is a cloud-based system and is a multi-tenant system. So the service operator can give each of its customers access to a console to see the protection measures that SpamExperts carried out just for the email system of that business.

The deal includes email archiving. Each email store is encrypted for confidentiality. Stored emails can be restored individually or in bulk in case of a disaster on the main email server.

Who is it recommended for?

This package is marketed to telecommunications and internet service providers. It can be accessed as a SaaS platform, installed on a cloud account or self-hosted on premises by the buyer. The package provides a sophisticated spam filter that is driven by AI machine learning techniques.

SolarWinds offers a 30-day free trial of SpamExperts.

7. Trustifi Inbound Shield

Trustifi Inbound Shield integrates into your mail system through a plug-in so you don’t host the threat detection system on your own servers. This lightweight protection system can also be integrated into Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.

The plug-in calls scanning routines that search through all incoming emails. The system uses AI-based procedures to detect malware. It also looks for links to fake and infected websites and looks for impersonation and spam attempts.

Key Features:

• Hosted on the cloud
• Scans for malware
• Identifies spam and impersonations
• Validates attachments

Why do we recommend it?

Trustifi Inbound Shield operates a referencing strategy. The package is hosted in the cloud and operates through an agent in your email server, which is installed as a plug-in. Each email gets a pass or fail signal from the agent, which references the server’s stored instructions in its assessment.

As well as using AI processes, the system refers to spam source address blacklists. It looks for imitation email and web domains to identify impersonation attempts. As well as its Inbound Shield, Trustifi offers an Outbound Shield and an Account Compromise Detection system. Both of these modules operate on emails and run on the Trustifi cloud server.

The Outbound Shield service operates a data loss prevention system. It identifies sensitive data in emails and uploads those emails to a server. The recipient gets a link to view the content over a secure connection. Each sensitive data transmission is logged and the service provides analysis over user activity. This activity analyzer also identifies account takeover events and forms the Account Compromise Detection system.

Trustifi Inbound Shield plugs into your email server to channel emails through the Trustifi cloud system for scrutiny. This add-on implementation model makes the Trustifi system very easy to install and set up. The tool can also be added into Google Workspaces and Microsoft 365. The tool will scan emails for viruses, identify spam and phishing, and even provide a backup system for emails. This system is cutting edge because it uses AI to identify malicious activity.

Who is it recommended for?

This tool is accessible to any business. It is very easy to install, especially so for Google Workspace and Outlook. The tool blocks phishing, spam, malware, spoofing, impersonation, BEC, and zero-day attacks. Unfortunately, Trustifi doesn’t publish its price list and so it is impossible to judge its affordability.

Trustifi’s system is easy to set up and the inclusion of the required plug-in into your email system is managed from the account setup system. You can tailor the protection system to the requirements of specific data protection standards, such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.

8. Trend Micro Hosted Email Security

The Hosted Email security service from Trend Micro is a cloud-based edge service that deploys a range of techniques to protect corporate email systems. Among the many strategies included in this bundle is an AI-based machine learning monitor that establishes a baseline of normal email behavior and then blocks any anomalies. This methodology recognizes that not all businesses are the same. It reduces the inconvenience of an over-active spam filter blocking out genuine customer emails.

Key Features

• Spam filter
• Data loss prevention
• Phishing detection

Why do we recommend it?

Trend Micro Hosted Email Security is a cloud platform that acts as a proxy for your email server. The system shadows your company’s email accounts, delivering all arriving emails into those inboxes and then forwarding them to your own mail server. This configuration enables the service to provide a business continuity system.

As well as spam blocking, this system filters out emails containing malware. It also uses AI methods to identify impersonators and phishing scams. Outbound emails can be scanned as a data loss prevention strategy and mails containing sensitive data can be encrypted by the tool. Suspicious URLs in emails are blocked by the system through reference to a global threat intelligence database.

Who is it recommended for?

This system is a good service for businesses that need to put a business continuity plan in place because it takes care of that requirement while also filtering out spam, phishing attempts, and malware. The package also scans internal emails and integrates into Microsoft 365, Gmail, and IBM Domino.

There are two versions of this service: Standard and Advanced. The Advanced edition includes a continuity service to cover when your email servers go down. The higher version also includes sender authentication. Trend Micro offers Hosted Email Security on a 30-day free trial.

9. Sophos Email Security

Sophos Email Security is available as a cloud service, an appliance, or a virtual machine. The service examines both inbound and outbound emails. Inbound traffic monitoring blocks spam emails, phishing attempts, and malware delivery attempts and outbound email checks implement data loss prevention. Optionally, users can have all emails and/or their attachments encrypted by the tool for transmission security.

Key Features

• Range of deployment options
• Spam filter
• Data loss prevention

Why do we recommend it?

Sophos Email Security is an edge service that is based in the cloud and operates as a secure email gateway. This package examines both inbound and outbound emails. The inbound scanner filters out spam, phishing attempts, and malware while the outbound system implements data loss prevention.

The scope of the appliance-based solution is limited to protecting your on-premises email server. The cloud-based service can protect your on-premises email servers and also cloud-based servers, such as Office 365.

Who is it recommended for?

The key market for Sophos products lies with mid-sized businesses. The tool is particularly attuned to monitoring Microsoft 365 mailboxes. The system examines Active Directory accounts to see which users are more likely to be targets for impersonators and hackers. The outbound messages from those users also get extra scrutiny.

Sophos Email Security is available on a 30-day free trial.

10. N-able Mail Assure

The Mail Assure system is a product of N-able and is marketed for purchase by MSPs so that they can offer email protection as an extra service to their clients. However, the system could just as easily be bought and operated by an in-house IT department. It is a standalone product and doesn’t need the N-able software in order to operate.

Key Features

• Multi-tenant architecture
• Designed for MSPs
• Cloud-based
• Detects malicious attempts
• Email archiving

Why do we recommend it?

N-able Mail Assure is the second N-able tool on our list. Both packages are aimed at service providers. However, while SpamExperts is for Web hosting and internet service providers, this tool is intended for use by managed service providers to protect the email systems of their clients.

Mail Assure offers advanced threat detection for both inbound and outbound email. The inbound email protection includes the services of a threat intelligence database compiled by N-able from the attacks encountered on all of their clients around the world. The email protection system uses a variety of techniques including signature detection and checks against a blacklist.

The inbound email protection detects spam, malware, address spoofing, impersonation, and phishing attempts. Other services included in the package are email archiving on a cloud storage server and a continuity service to provide a stand-in email server should your own go down.

The archiving service stores all emails in an encrypted format and these can be restored on command through the system console.

Who is it recommended for?

This tool is designed for managed service providers so that they can offer email protection to their clients. The system is cloud hosted so the MSP doesn’t need to preserve hosts for the software. The accounts on the platform are multi-tenanted so an MSP can keep the data for each client separate.

The email server protection system is able to guard Office 365 cloud mail servers as well as your on-premises servers. This is a cloud-based service that is charged for by subscription. N-able offers a free trial of Mail Assure.

Related post: Best Anti-Spam Tools

11. Kaspersky Security for Mail Server

Kaspersky Security for Mail Server is another on-premises solution. However, the software can also be installed on Microsoft Azure servers. Nonetheless, this is not a cloud-based service. The software acts as a gateway, standing in front of the mail server, receiving all mail first, filtering out the bad mails, and passing on the rest to the email server for regular processing.

Key Features

• Install on-premises or on Azure
• Blacklisting
• Spam filter

Why do we recommend it?

Kaspersky Security for Mail Server provides a spam filter, malware detection, BEC protection, and an anti-phishing service. The system checks inbound and outbound emails with the outbound service acting as a data loss prevention system. The system can protect your on-premises Exchange Server or the SaaS Microsoft 365.

The Kaspersky Labs threat intelligence database is an input to the on-site processes. The gateway specifically searches for spam emails and emails containing malware either in the body or in attachments.

Who is it recommended for?

This tool can be integrated into your mail server with a plug-in, which references the Kaspersky threat detection system on the cloud or you can access it as an edge service that acts as a proxy. It is also possible to get the secure email gateway software and host it yourself.

This software will cover Microsoft Exchange and Linux-based mail server systems. Kaspersky offers Security for Mail Server on a 30-day free trial.

Choosing an email protection solution

Reading through the descriptions of each of these options you will very quickly narrow down your choice to just two or three of the systems that we recommend here. For example, if you prefer on-premises software, or if you want a solution that is delivered as an appliance, your options will rapidly diminish. Many of the systems in this list offer free trials, so once you have narrowed down your candidates to just a couple of solutions, you can put each through its paces.

Whichever system you choose, it is important to recognize the weakness that email systems represent. They are a fast-track into the heart of your organizations, allowing hackers to ride in, corrupt your software, hijack your resources, and steal your data. Email security is an essential part of your system defenses.

Do you already use an email protection solution? Do you use any of the systems in our list of recommendations? Leave a message in the Comments section below and share your experiences with the community.

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