It is important that companies using Google Workspace for email have robust, multi-layered defenses to provide coverage against advanced emails attacks.
Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite) is one of the major cloud-based office productivity suites used by companies all over the world. It provides a whole range of capabilities, including email, document editing, cloud storage, instant messaging, video conferencing and more.
Cyber-criminals are increasingly targeting email communications with a range of attacks including ransomware, and advanced social engineering attempts. These aim to trick individuals into giving up financial information or sensitive data such as login credentials, giving hackers the ability to log in to your business networks. These attacks have made emails the number one data breach vector.
This guide will cover the top email security solutions for use with Google Workspace. We’ll explore different types of platform, including secure email gateways (SEGs), post-delivery protection, email encryption and ICES. For each solution, we’ll cover top features, recommended customers, pricing and customer reviews to help you make an informed purchasing decision.
Abnormal Security is a cloud-native email security solution that leverages behavioral AI to defend against advanced email threats, including social engineering, malware, and account compromise. The platform provides comprehensive protection against both inbound and internal email threats, surpassing traditional Secure Email Gateways.
Why We Picked Abnormal Security: We selected Abnormal for its robust inbound email protection and its unique VendorBase feature, which auto-identifies and scores vendors and partners to prevent supply chain compromise attacks.
Abnormal Security Best Features: Key features include inbound email protection, vendor email compromise prevention, and supply chain compromise protection. The platform creates risk profiles for all email communications, directing safe emails to inboxes and spam to promotions folders. VendorBase scores vendors based on historical email data and enterprise signals. Abnormal maps internal and cross-functional relationships to create a global supply chain graph for real-time third-party risk assessment. The solution deploys natively in the cloud and integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace via API.
What’s great:
Pricing: For pricing details, please contact Abnormal Security directly.
Who it’s for: Abnormal Security is ideal for organizations of all sizes using Google Workspace, seeking advanced email security with behavioral AI and supply chain protection.
Trustifi’s InboundShield is a cloud-based email security solution that effectively filters inbound emails to protect against a variety of threats including phishing, spoofing, and malware. It leverages sophisticated AI and dynamic engines to identify and block email-based attacks, making it a robust choice for businesses seeking comprehensive email security.
Why We Picked Trustifi’s InboundShield: We appreciate its multilayered approach to security, utilizing AI for content analysis and sandbox environments for scanning files and attachments. This ensures thorough protection against inbound email threats.
Trustifi’s InboundShield Best Features: Key features include AI-powered threat detection, sandboxing for file and attachment scanning, anomaly detection for links and requests, quarantine management, advanced whitelisting and blacklisting, customizable inbound rules, and direct threat removal from inboxes. It integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace.
What’s great:
Pricing: For pricing details, visit Trustifi’s website directly.
Who it’s for: Trustifi’s InboundShield is ideal for organizations using Google Workspace, particularly those in healthcare, legal, and finance sectors, seeking an all-in-one, easy-to-use solution for email security and encryption.
IRONSCALES is a rapidly growing cloud-based email security solution that enhances Gmail security within Google Workspace. It leverages a self-learning AI platform to detect and remediate advanced email threats in milliseconds.
Why We Picked IRONSCALES: We appreciate IRONSCALES for its unique crowdsourced intelligence feature, which allows for real-time phishing threat removal across its user base. Additionally, its seamless integration with Google Workspace provides robust security enhancements.
IRONSCALES Best Features: Key features include AI-driven threat detection, real-time remediation, crowdsourced intelligence for phishing prevention, integrated phishing alert banners, report phishing buttons, personalized phishing simulations, and advanced Security Awareness Training (SAT). The solution integrates effortlessly with Google Workspace.
What’s great:
Pricing: For detailed pricing, visit the IRONSCALES website.
Who it’s for: IRONSCALES is ideal for SMBs and enterprises using Google Workspace who require advanced, customizable email security solutions to combat phishing effectively.
Material Security is a comprehensive security solution for Google Workspace, integrating email security, data governance, and posture management into one platform. It effectively counters advanced email threats, secures sensitive data, and enhances overall security across productivity apps.
Why We Picked Material Security: We appreciate its ability to detect and respond to sophisticated email threats, including phishing and business email compromise, using machine learning algorithms. Additionally, its data governance features protect sensitive information across email and Google Drive.
Material Security Best Features: Key features include post-delivery email threat removal, user reporting of suspicious emails, customizable language-based rules for blocking phishing emails, sensitive data scanning and categorization, and automated MFA enforcement for secure data access. Integrations include APIs for SIEM, SOAR, identity, and SAT solutions, with seamless compatibility with Google Workspace.
What’s great:
Pricing: For pricing details, visit Material Security’s official website.
Who it’s for: Material Security is ideal for businesses using Google Workspace who need a robust, integrated solution to enhance email security, protect sensitive data, and improve their security posture across the entire Google Workspace environment.
Agari Email Security is a specialized solution focused on defending against advanced social engineering attacks, including business email compromise (BEC), spear phishing, and email identity deception. It leverages machine learning to analyze email communications within the inbox to detect malicious content, signs of account compromise, and harmful attachments and URLs.
Why We Picked Agari Email Security: We appreciate Agari’s use of predictive AI, analyzing over 2 trillion emails to model good and bad email behaviors, enabling accurate detection and blocking of sophisticated social engineering attacks.
Agari Email Security Best Features: Key features include machine learning-based email analysis, detection of malicious content and account compromise, protection against BEC and spear phishing, a fully-automated DMARC solution for email authentication, and granular security controls. Integrations include seamless connectivity with Google Workspace.
What’s great:
Pricing: For pricing details, please contact Agari directly.
Who it’s for: Agari Email Security is best suited for enterprises, especially financial institutions, government bodies, and healthcare providers requiring robust defense against advanced social engineering attacks.
Avanan is a cloud-based email security solution that enhances protection for Google Workspace users. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools to safeguard against phishing, malware, account takeovers, and data loss, integrating seamlessly via API.
Why We Picked Avanan: We appreciate Avanan’s advanced machine learning capabilities that analyze over 300 indicators per email to detect and mitigate phishing attacks. Additionally, its integration with Google Workspace provides enhanced security beyond default protections.
Avanan Key Features: Avanan scans all incoming, outgoing, and internal emails to identify advanced threats like zero-day attacks and ransomware. It includes anti-phishing, malware sandboxing, URL protection, account takeover prevention, data loss prevention, and email encryption. Avanan integrates with Google Workspace via API, offering detailed reporting and controls through a cloud-based admin console.
What’s Great:
Pricing: For detailed pricing, contact Avanan directly.
Best suited for: Avanan is ideal for organizations using Google Workspace that require robust, layered email security to protect against advanced threats and ensure compliance.
Darktrace Email is an advanced ICES solution that leverages AI to protect against evolving email threats, including phishing, Business Email Compromise (BEC), and supply chain attacks. It also prevents accidental data loss due to misdirected recipients and extends its coverage to a wide range of SaaS applications and network devices.
Why We Picked Darktrace Email: We appreciate Darktrace Email’s AI-driven approach that recognizes behavioral patterns for every employee, enabling real-time threat detection and response. Its self-learning capability ensures protection against both current and future threats.
Darktrace Email Best Features: Key features include AI-driven threat detection, real-time coverage, protection against phishing, BEC, and supply chain attacks, prevention of accidental data loss, and targeted action that understands behavioral context. Integrations include seamless compatibility with Google Workspace via API, extending coverage to SaaS applications and network devices.
What’s great:
Pricing: For detailed pricing, contact Darktrace directly.
Who it’s for: Darktrace Email is best suited for organizations seeking an AI-driven email security solution that adapts to their unique behaviors and extends protection across their digital ecosystem. It is ideal for businesses looking to safeguard against complex email threats and accidental data loss.
Mimecast is a market-leading email security vendor, renowned for its enterprise-focused range of email security platforms and services. It offers a comprehensive suite of solutions that defend organizations against sophisticated email-based threats, including spear-phishing, malware, and spam.
Why We Picked Mimecast: We appreciate Mimecast’s cloud-based secure email gateway, which provides robust protection against inbound email threats. Its granular admin policies and multiple threat detection engines enhance security effectiveness.
Mimecast Best Features: Key features include email filtering, threat intelligence, DMARC services, security awareness training, cloud archiving, and email continuity. It offers time-of-click URL protection, advanced attachment sandboxing, impersonation and spoofing protection, and browser isolation. Mimecast integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace, providing an essential email security, data assurance, and continuity platform.
What’s great:
Pricing: For detailed pricing, contact Mimecast directly.
Who it’s for: Mimecast is a comprehensive email security solution best suited for large organizations seeking powerful protection against advanced email-based threats.
Proofpoint Essentials is a market-leading email security platform that offers comprehensive protection through email filtering, encryption, archiving, and continuity. It is designed for small and mid-sized organizations, leveraging Proofpoint’s vast data analysis capabilities to secure against a wide range of email threats.
Why We Picked Proofpoint Essentials: We appreciate its powerful email filtering capabilities and the new features enhancing Business Email Compromise (BEC) detection and predictive URL scanning, which significantly improve threat detection and response.
Proofpoint Essentials Key Features: The platform includes robust spam and phishing protection, URL defense, and dynamic content filtering. It also offers improved BEC detection through the Supernova detection engine, predictive URL scanning, one-click email pull, and email tags to warn users of potential threats. Integration is seamless with Google Workspace, providing additional protection against phishing, malicious attachments, and URLs, along with encryption and archiving for compliance.
What’s great:
Pricing: For detailed pricing, contact Proofpoint directly.
Best suited for: Proofpoint Essentials is ideal for small to mid-sized businesses and managed service providers using Google Workspace, seeking a cost-effective, comprehensive email security solution.
SpamTitan Email Security is a robust anti-spam solution designed for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, effectively filtering and safeguarding organizations from spam and malware. It serves over 12,500 customers and 2,500 Managed Service Providers (MSPs), offering advanced email protection against phishing, ransomware, and malware.
Why We Picked SpamTitan Email Security: We appreciate its AI-driven phishing protection, which provides “zero-day” threat intelligence. The solution’s multi-layered approach detects over 99% of spam, ensuring comprehensive email security.
SpamTitan Email Security Best Features: Key features include AI-driven phishing protection, double anti-virus protection, data leak prevention, and Real-time Blackhole Lists (RBLs). It also supports Microsoft 365 integration, employs verification mechanisms like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and offers granular content filtering, attachment blocking, and customizable policies. Outbound scanning prevents IP blacklisting, and the platform is easy to set up, requiring no additional hardware or software.
What’s great:
Pricing: For detailed pricing, visit the SpamTitan website.
Who it’s for: SpamTitan Email Security is ideal for organizations using Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 seeking a straightforward, effective solution to enhance their email security infrastructure. It is particularly suitable for businesses requiring robust protection against advanced email threats.
Virtru Secure Email Encryption safeguards Google Workspace emails and attachments with end-to-end encryption and advanced controls. As Google’s recommended provider for email encryption, Virtru integrates seamlessly into the Google Workspace platform, offering robust protection throughout the email lifecycle.
Why We Picked Virtru Secure Email Encryption: We appreciate Virtru’s seamless integration with Google Workspace and its user-friendly approach to encryption. It allows users to encrypt emails directly within Gmail without the need for recipients to manage usernames or passwords.
Virtru Secure Email Encryption Best Features: Key features include end-to-end encryption, no need for recipient key management, manual and automatic encryption options, message control settings like disabling forwarding and setting expiration dates, and comprehensive auditing capabilities. Integrations include full compatibility with Google Workspace.
What’s great:
Pricing: Contact Virtru directly for pricing information.
Who it’s for: Virtru Secure Email Encryption is ideal for organizations using Google Workspace seeking a straightforward, secure email encryption solution. It is particularly beneficial for businesses requiring advanced control over email communications and comprehensive auditing capabilities.
Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite) is a comprehensive suite of tools for managing your work environment. Included in the suite is Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Docs, Drive, Slides, and many others. There are 14 applications in total. The solution is designed to manage your entire work needs. This utility also makes it a worthwhile target for attackers.
If an attacker can access one of these applications, they may be able to continue their attack laterally.
For instance, if your Google Account or Gmail account is jeopardised, it may be used as part of a business email compromise (BEC) attack. Your authentic email address will be used to convince other users that the attackers requests are valid. They may send emails to your contacts that install malware or attempt to exploit money from them.
Alternatively, attackers may harvest data from your Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Forms applications. Depending on the type of data that was stolen, attackers could have valuable information on your customers, business plan, or finances. In some cases, your organization could be liable for the data leak. If this data is not copied, it could be edited or deleted, preventing your organization from operating as it should.
Yes. There are several features that Google has included to give you greater control, and peace of mind, over your Google Workspace accounts. These features include:
To set up basic and enterprise email for Google Workspace, start by logging into the admin console using your credentials. Google Workspace admins can access several features within the security menu based on their licensing levels. User access, establishing email encryption, defining DLP rules, enabling automation for incident response, and pushing down policies to the various Gmail Workspace accounts all become managed through this security menu.
For more information on Google’s native security features, read their white paper here.
When evaluating email security solutions for Google Workspace, consider the following factors:
By considering these factors, organizations can make an informed decision when evaluating email security solutions for Google Workspace.
Joel Witts is the Content Director at Expert Insights, meaning he oversees all articles published and topics covered. He is an experienced journalist and writer, specialising in identity and access management, Zero Trust, cloud business technologies, and cybersecurity. Joel is a co-host of the Expert Insights Podcast and conducts regular interviews with leading B2B tech industry experts, including directors at Microsoft and Google. Joel holds a First Class Honours degree in Journalism from Cardiff University.
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA cloud, an email security provider acquired by Ziff Davies, formerly J2Global (NASQAQ: ZD) in 2013, which has now been rebranded as VIPRE Email Security. Craig has extensive experience in the email security industry, with 20+ years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with innovative information security and cyber security solutions.