Email Security Gateways: Picking the Right One Without the Hype

Email hasn’t changed much in decades, but the threats around it have. Attackers still rely on phishing, spam and infected attachments, and it works often enough to keep them in business. That’s why most companies deploy an email security gateway — the filter that sits between the internet and the inbox. It screens messages, blocks the obvious junk, and can add extras like outbound encryption or data loss prevention.

On paper, most gateways promise the same thing. In practice, the differences are in how well they detect modern attacks, how easy they are to run day-to-day, and what trade-offs they force you to accept.

Beyond “basic” filters

A traditional spam filter or signature-based antivirus engine won’t cut it anymore. Modern products need to handle zero-day malware and highly targeted phishing campaigns. That’s where sandboxing and threat intelligence feeds come in. Attachments should be detonated in a safe environment; URLs need to be checked against constantly updated blacklists. If a gateway can’t do this, it’s already behind.

More than inbound scanning

Many gateways now bundle functions such as DLP and outbound encryption. Not every organization cares — a bank probably has its own DLP platform already — but for a mid-sized business without those tools, it’s convenient to have them built in. Sometimes the “optional extras” make the product worth the subscription.

Usability versus control

Admins live in these dashboards every day, so usability matters. Still, there’s often a tension between easy management and deep customization. Some organizations need both: quick views for routine work, and the ability to fine-tune detection rules when the risk profile demands it. A product that only delivers one side of that equation may not age well.

False positives and false negatives

Every filter makes mistakes. Some harmless emails get trapped, and a few malicious ones sneak through. The real question is whether you can adjust the balance. A law firm, for example, might tolerate more false positives to ensure no phishing slips past. A marketing team might accept the opposite, because delayed mail is more damaging than the occasional missed spam.

Where the data goes

Cloud-hosted gateways are now common, but they introduce their own concerns. If traffic is processed outside your country, you inherit the local laws and the risk that comes with them. For industries under heavy regulation, keeping the filtering on-premises — or at least region-locked — may be safer. Vendors don’t always highlight this in the sales pitch, so it’s something to dig into before committing.

Choosing an email security gateway isn’t about ticking boxes from a datasheet. It’s about finding what fits your risk tolerance, compliance requirements and IT environment. Reviews and third-party benchmarks can guide you, but nothing replaces hands-on testing.

In the end, there isn’t a “best” gateway for everyone. There’s the gateway that works for your business, in your infrastructure, against the threats you face right now.

10 Email Security Best Practices Every Organization Should Follow in 2025

Email is still the favorite entry point for attackers. Phishing, credential theft, malicious attachments — the methods keep evolving, but the channel remains the same. While most companies already use filtering tools, that alone isn’t enough. Strong security depends on combining technology with disciplined user behavior.

Here are ten best practices that matter most today.

Train employees, repeatedly

Awareness is the first line of defense. Regular sessions help staff recognize phishing attempts, suspicious attachments, and fake login pages. Security awareness isn’t a one-time onboarding slide deck — it’s continuous practice.

Strong, unique passwords

Forget cryptic strings nobody remembers. Longer passphrases built from random words are stronger and easier to use. Just as important: no password reuse. A single leaked credential can unlock multiple accounts if reused across systems.

Multifactor authentication everywhere

MFA is no longer optional. A second factor — whether an authenticator app, hardware token, or biometric — drastically reduces account takeover risks. Enterprises should enforce MFA for all email accounts, including external contractors.

Take phishing seriously

Filters catch a lot, but not everything. Staff must treat every unexpected link or attachment with suspicion, especially those urging quick action. Many organizations run phishing simulations to train and measure readiness.

Limit where email can be accessed

Company mail should only be opened on managed, trusted devices. BYOD without controls is still a major leak vector. Device management and conditional access policies reduce exposure from compromised laptops and phones.

Encrypt messages and attachments

Unencrypted email is basically a postcard. Encryption should cover not just the message, but also the connection to the provider and the attachments themselves. This protects against interception and reduces exposure in case of leaks.

Avoid public Wi-Fi for corporate email

Open Wi-Fi networks are hunting grounds for attackers. Even if traffic is encrypted, metadata and credentials can still be exposed. VPNs or mobile hotspots are safer alternatives when outside the office.

Use modern email authentication protocols

Standards like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC help prevent spoofing and impersonation. Without them, attackers can forge domains and trick users with convincing phishing emails. These should be mandatory in every enterprise mail setup.

Layer with dedicated security tools

Relying only on the provider’s built-in protections is risky. Email gateways, advanced filtering, sandboxing for attachments, and endpoint security should all be part of the mix. Defense in depth is key.

Don’t stay logged in

It sounds trivial, but leaving accounts open on shared or unattended devices is still a real problem. Logging out — especially on mobile and public systems — closes off one of the simplest but most overlooked attack paths.

Email will remain a high-risk channel, no matter how much technology evolves. The only way to keep it under control is to combine strict technical safeguards with consistent user discipline. Companies that treat email security as an ongoing process, not a one-time project, will always have the upper hand.

Cloud and Email Services Cheat Sheet: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud

Cloud platforms today cover just about everything — from raw compute power to AI, networking, and collaboration apps. But when it comes to email and team communication, the picture is less clear. AWS, Microsoft and Google all push different bundles of tools, and the naming doesn’t make it easier.

This overview collects the essentials and lays them side by side. The focus is on the parts most useful for admins: email, collaboration, storage, networking and security. It’s not a full cloud catalog, but enough to navigate the basics without digging through endless vendor docs.

Email and Collaboration

Microsoft and Google dominate here. AWS WorkMail exists, but rarely breaks into enterprise deployments compared to Outlook or Gmail.

Security Layers

All three providers compete heavily here. The features look similar on paper, but integration with their ecosystems makes the difference.

Storage and Archiving

Amazon S3 set the standard, but Azure and Google offer nearly identical capabilities now. The differentiators are pricing tiers, regional coverage, and integration with analytics.

Networking Basics

Networking is where naming diverges the most, but the core ideas are the same — a private network, VPN, dedicated link, and global DNS/load balancer services.

Running email in the cloud is never just about mailboxes. It needs secure networking, dependable storage, and identity services around it. That’s why comparing providers across these categories helps to see the bigger picture:

– Microsoft leans on its M365 ecosystem.
– Google integrates Gmail and Drive tightly into Workspace.
– AWS is stronger in infrastructure, but its own collaboration tools remain niche.

For admins planning deployments, the choice is usually less about raw features and more about which ecosystem the company already lives in.

Cloud Email Security: Why It’s Harder Than It Looks

Email has always been an open door for attackers, and shifting it into the cloud hasn’t closed that door — it just moved it. Services like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace make email easier to deliver and scale, but the security model changes in ways that many teams don’t expect. The result: more blind spots, more account takeovers, and a nagging feeling that the provider’s built-in protections aren’t quite enough.

Where the Problems Show Up

Less visibility into what’s happening
With on-prem mail servers, admins had detailed logs, real-time alerts and the ability to grab samples on demand. In the cloud, much of that vanishes or comes in watered-down form. Logs arrive late, or without the fields analysts need. When email is your primary early-warning system, that loss of visibility is a serious handicap.

“Good enough” security from providers
Cloud suites usually include antispam, basic phishing filters and some malware scanning. For small companies this is already a step up, but for larger enterprises the coverage is shallow. Advanced phishing techniques, zero-day payloads and targeted campaigns often slip through because the cloud service isn’t built for deep forensics.

Lack of depth for investigations
Security teams often want to tear apart headers, analyze attachments in sandboxes, or look for odd patterns in traffic. Cloud platforms rarely provide that level of access. Analysts end up with limited data, which slows down detection and makes response reactive instead of proactive.

Compromised accounts everywhere
Most breaches still start with stolen credentials, and cloud email is no exception. Password reuse, weak authentication policies, and spotty MFA support all play into attackers’ hands. Once a mailbox is taken over, lateral movement inside collaboration tools is quick and often invisible.

What Organizations Can Do

– Update security policies for the cloud reality. Old rules written for Exchange on-prem don’t apply one-to-one in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace.

– Make MFA mandatory. Optional MFA is the same as no MFA. Push for strong factors and, if possible, adopt password-less logins with authenticator apps or hardware tokens.

– Control the devices that connect. Enforce MDM or Intune-like policies so only managed, compliant devices reach cloud mailboxes.

– Centralize identity with SSO. Federated authentication makes auditing easier and provides one place to enforce controls.

– Add a CASB layer. Cloud access security brokers can bring back visibility, add stronger DLP, and fill gaps in provider logging.

– Don’t rule out third-party security vendors. Native tools are fine for basics, but for regulated or high-risk industries, layering specialist products is often unavoidable.

Closing Thoughts

Running email in the cloud is convenient, but convenience and strong security rarely align by default. Providers deliver the basics; the rest depends on how much effort the enterprise is willing to put in. For smaller shops, bundled features might feel “good enough.” For enterprises with sensitive data, cloud email has to be treated as a high-value target — logged, monitored and shielded with more than the default set of controls.