As technology has advanced, so has the sophistication of cyberattacks. One of the most common methods cybercriminals use to gain unauthorized access to a company's data is email. Secure Email Gateway (SEG) is an email security solution that helps businesses protect their email systems from these threats.
A Secure Email Gateway (SEG) is an email security solution (software or hardware) that acts as a layer between a business email server and the internet. It filters incoming and outgoing email traffic for malicious content, such as viruses, phishing attacks, spam, and other types of malwares.
The SEG functions as a filter, ensuring that only legitimate emails reach their intended recipients while blocking harmful content. SEGs also provide additional security features, including email encryption, data loss prevention, and email archiving.
A Secure Email Gateway analyzes email traffic for malicious content and filters out harmful emails before they reach their intended recipients. SEG acts as a mold between the company's email server and the internet and performs several checks when an email is received to see if it is genuine or malicious.
The first check is to ensure that the email is from a legitimate source. The SEG compares the sender's email address to a list of known legitimate email addresses. And if the email address is not on the list, the SEG will flag the email as suspicious.
The SEG also checks the email's content as well as attachments for any signs of malicious activity by scanning the email for viruses, malware, and phishing attempts.
If the SEG detects any suspicious activity, the email gets quarantined (holding it in a secure location until verified as safe) or blocked (preventing it from reaching its intended recipient) entirely.
Secure Email Gateways provide several features designed to protect businesses from email-based threats. Here are some of the most common features:
Secure Email Gateway is an essential tool for businesses that rely on email communication. Here are some of the reasons why SEGs are vital:
While Secure Email Gateways offer significant protection against email-based threats, it's noteworthy to be aware of their limitations:
In conclusion, a Secure Email Gateway is an indispensable tool for businesses looking to safeguard their email communications. Be it internal emails or outbound emails. By leveraging advanced filtering and security features, SEGs protect sensitive data, enhance productivity, and ensure regulatory compliance.