What does a Secure Email Gateway (SEG) primarily protect an organization from?

A Secure Email Gateway (SEG) is primarily designed to protect an organization from various email-based threats, which include spam, malware, and phishing attacks. These types of threats can significantly compromise the security and integrity of an organization’s data and communications.

Spam emails often serve as a medium for delivering unwanted content and can lead to user distraction, while unsolicited emails can overwhelm mail systems. More importantly, malware can be embedded within email attachments or links, potentially leading to the infection of organizational networks and loss of sensitive data. Phishing attacks specifically aim to deceive users into providing confidential information by masquerading as legitimate communications, which can result in severe financial losses and reputational damage.

This focus on securing email communications is why an SEG implements various filtering and scanning technologies to detect and block these threats before they reach users, ensuring a safer communication environment.