What is an Email Gateway?

Introduction

Have you ever wondered why it is difficult to hack into big companies’ mail servers?

An Email Gateway, or a Secure Email Gateway (SEG), is a mail server that analyzes an organization’s incoming and outgoing emails before they reach the internal mail server. All emails pass through this Email Gateway and are checked for potential security threats. An Email Gateway, hence, acts as a firewall for emails.

Email Gateway
Incoming emails

Email is the most vulnerable target for hackers to access a company’s private data. An Email Gateway analyzes incoming emails before sending them to the internal server and provides pre-delivery protection against the following:

  • Spam
  • Viruses
  • Malware
  • Denial of service attacks
  • Phishing
Outgoing emails

An Email Gateway analyzes outgoing emails to prevent sensitive data from leaving the company. It also provides the functionality to encrypt emails containing such sensitive information automatically.

How does an Email Gateway work?

Email Gateway is an umbrella term for different technologies working together to prevent security threats via emails. It scans all the incoming and outgoing emails, including attachments and URLs, sends risk-free emails to the internal server, and quarantines spam emails. Different gateways work differently and can include services like malware protection, content filtering, email archive, and an admin dashboard with a range of reports and analytics.

Email Gateways can be based on cloud services or on-site devices.

Cloud vs. on-site

The choice between cloud-based vs. on-site Email Gateways depends on whether the company uses a cloud-based email service or an on-site email server.

In the case of an on-site Email Gateway, the company will have to maintain the hardware and the software. On the other hand, in the case of a cloud-based Email Gateway, this responsibility befalls the security vendor.

Who needs an Email Gateway?

Regardless of the company’s size, emails are the prime target for hackers. An Email Gateway prevents a company’s private data from being compromised. It provides network-level protection, which means that the devices of the employees who work remotely are also protected in addition to the ones in the office.

Different Email Gateways are available for companies of various sizes. These gateways fortify a company’s email network and enhance its security.

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