An email security gateway provides a number of security features to control the organisation's email traffic, which would include features such as, the scanning of malware within emails, ability to encrypt emails using outbound push and pull encryption methods, to control sensitive data within emails known as Data Loss Prevention, some form of intrusion prevention and ability to control the rate of emails.
An email security gateway would provide clever anti-spam detection techniques, such as grey listing, recipient verification, integrate with real-time blacklist sources, Bounce Address Tag Validation (BATV ) functionality, image analysis, dictionaries, integrate with reputation services and more. Most important, and the ultimate goal is that the accuracy of catching malicious emails and spam should perform well, with minimal false positives and false negatives.
Vendors now provide outbound anti-spam filtering because organisations want to ensure spam and viruses are not sent out from their domain which can potentially get them blacklisted and in all sorts of problems. This can happen intentionally or it can be accidental. A possibility is when a system on the network has been compromised and is sending out a tonne of spam to the outside world, using the organisations identity.
Many organisations commit to dedicated anti-spam security gateway solutions, rather than using an anti-spam feature set built into another technology/product, simply because a dedicated solution is better at detecting spam and has a much more granular toolset. For example the anti-spam features in a network firewall are very basic, than what you would find in a dedicated anti-spam cloud service or on premise solution.
Some of the dedicated solutions are provided with their own unique features and selling points, and have very specific options such as executable files are only allowed from one specific person to another, per domain and per user quarantine settings, multiple deployment options, built in hard drives for archiving and logging purposes, advanced routing options, integration with Microsoft Outlook & Office 365, so that users can classify an email as spam right from their Microsoft Outlook client and many other powerful and nice to have features.
Email Security Gateway Vendor List
Anubis Networks is a vendor that develops email security solutions for all sized networks including MSP's, ISP's and companies. Anubis Networks has a server provider edition for ISP's, MSP's and carriers and has an enterprise edition for companies. Anubis also provides a hosted service as well.
Axway delivers enterprise class email gateway security. Axway is a business interaction network company and its email security solution is known as Axway MailGate. Axway also offers email archiving and email encryption.
Barracuda Networks is a security and networking vendor with a range of cost effective and reputable point solutions usually targeted at the SMB market. Barracuda’s email security gateway is one of its oldest and flagship products. The product comes in both appliance and virtual platforms.
Bloxx delivers a range of anti-spam appliances for organisations. Bloxx is an email and web security vendor.
Cisco is the largest networking vendor in the world and has a range of security solutions including its world class email security gateway. The Cisco IronPort product is targeted at both small and large networks. Through Cisco Scansafe Cisco also offers hosted email security.
Clearswift specialises in email and web security solutions. Clearswift were one of the first vendors in the UK with an email security offering and has been around for a many years. Clearswift email security offering comes in software (Windows), virtual and physical appliance platforms.
CronLab is a content filtering vendor that delivers anti-spam appliance based solutions for small and large businesses. CronLab positions its solution as highly efficient, yet very simple and offers great value for money.
Deep Secure is a UK based security vendor. Deep Secure delivers an EAL4 certified messaging firewall known as Bastion. Deep Secure also delivers a product known as Mail Guard that provides the ability to enforce policies and email content filtering.
EdgeWave delivers a portfolio of web, email and data protection technologies. EdgeWave messaging security comes in appliance, hosted and hybrid platforms.
FireEye delivers FireEye Email Malware Protection System for defence in depth protection against email spam and viruses.
FortiMail by Fortinet is a dedicated e-mail security gateway appliance. Fortinet is a market leader in network firewalls and has other security products in its portfolio. FortiMail is built for small and enterprise networks and can be configured as a mail server and archiving solution.
F-Secure is known for its malware protection for home and business users and provides protection at the network edge against spam with its messaging security gateway.
GlobalCerts is a vendor delivering email security and certificate management solutions. GlobalCerts has a focus on resolving customer compliance requirements with challenges to securing messaging data.
Libra ESVA is an email security product delivered as a virtual solution and can run on a number of VMware platforms. Libra is a dedicated anti-spam vendor and is based in Italy.
MailFoundry provides anti-spam and hosted anti-spam solutions.
Mcafee is a security vendor with a wide range of security products\solutions. Mcafee has an excellent reputation service known as Trusted source and GTI (Global Threat Intelligence). GTI can protect you from unknown malware in the wild. Trusted source is reputation based on the source that is sending a particular email message. Mcafee has a number of strategies in catching malware such as spam. One of its key differences is that all endpoints report back to Mcafee servers on new suspicious malware. Most vendor reputation servers do this also, but Mcafee has more endpoints than anyone else in the world. Mcafee has a number of options and also offers hosted security services.
Messaging Architects focuses its services on compliance availability and security in regards to email security. Its e-mail security ranges of products are available in appliance virtual and hosted platform.
Microsoft is the world's largest software company and has a couple of email security solutions. ForeFront Online Protection for Exchange is a hosted security service, and Forefront Protection which is software based security product.
Mimecast specialises in email gateway protection and archiving solutions.
M86 Security specialises in both email and web products \ solutions and services. MailMarshal by M86 Security offers hosted and appliance based messaging security.
Netasq provides an e-mail security solution known as MFILTRO.
Netgear provides Pro Secure web and email security appliances targeted towards small networks.
Panda Security offers its Panda GateDefender Performa for network protection against e-mail and web threats.
PineApp is a small but growing vendor, focussing its product towards the SMB market. PineApp offers Email security, web security, UTM firewall and e-mail archiving. Mail-SeCure is PineApp’s range of email security appliances.
Proofpoint specialises in compliance and security for email. Proofpoint provides both in house and SAAS based security solutions and services as well as e-mail archiving. The solution is available as software, virtual appliance or hosted platform.
SafeNet provides web and email security gateway solutions.
SecPoint is a security vendor and provides an anti-spam security appliance combined with web filtering protection.
SENDMAIL specialises in SMTP message infrastructures. SENDMAIL has an email security gateway solution known as Sentrion which delivers email security and content management.
Smoothwall offers an e-mail security solution offering.
Sonicwall known for its network firewall appliances for the SMB market also offers point solutions, one of them being its email security offering that comes in software appliance and virtual platforms.
Sophos is a UK based security vendor with a range of solutions mainly for the endpoint. Sophos email security gateway is aimed towards the small and medium sized market and is a cost effective solution. Sophos has a great reputation in its after sales support services. Sophos email security solution is one of the easiest products to install and administer.
SpamTitan Technologies provides anti-spam solutions targeted towards small and medium size businesses, ISP providers and the education sector.
Symantec is a well-known security & storage vendor with a wide range of security and storage solutions. Symantec Messaging Gateway (formally Brightmail) is Symantec’s email security gateway product. Symantec has a number of options in the email security offering such as hosted security, software, appliance and virtual platform. Like Mcafee, Symantec has a very large and intelligent research team. Symantec Messaging Gateway is an appliance and virtual appliance based solution.
Trend Micro is a reputable security vendor with a range of security solutions and services. Trend Micro’s InterScan Messaging Security Suite is aimed towards both small and large networks and comes in software, virtual, appliance and as a hosted service.
Vade Retro Technology is a dedicated specialist vendor on email security and delivers email security appliances. Vade Retro Technology also OEM's its solution to ISP's.
Watchguard is well known for its network based firewalls and also delivers an email security gateway. Its email security product can be combined with its web security appliance as a single appliance, with one GUI interface consolidating both solutions.
Websense email security can be combined with its web and data solutions as a single product and management interface. Websense being the leader of web security also provides a powerful email security solution in both hosted and in house platform and integrates with its centralised Triton console.