How can threat intelligence improve the effectiveness of a Secure Email Gateway (SEG)?

Threat intelligence significantly enhances the effectiveness of a Secure Email Gateway (SEG) by delivering real-time data on emerging threats. This real-time information enables the SEG to identify and respond to new types of attacks and phishing attempts more efficiently. For instance, when threat intelligence feeds indicate a rise in specific malware or phishing tactics, the SEG can update its filtering algorithms, rules, and policies accordingly to block those threats before they reach the user's inbox.

Having access to up-to-date threat intelligence allows the SEG to adapt quickly to the evolving threat landscape, ensuring that it can catch malicious emails that have recently emerged and provide proactive defenses. This ongoing cycle of information sharing and filtering adjustment means that organizations can stay ahead of potential security breaches rather than only reacting after an attack has occurred.

In contrast, minimizing user access to email accounts, ensuring permanent storage of emails, and providing employee training, while important, do not inherently enhance the SEG’s ability to detect and mitigate threats in an effective and timely manner. These options focus on user behavior and email management instead of directly addressing the technical capabilities and threat response strategies of the SEG itself.