Technical Review by
Craig MacAlpine
Google’s native email security controls are a starting point, not a complete defense. Third-party email security solutions for Google Workspace add behavioral AI detection, BEC prevention, and post-delivery remediation that Gmail’s native filters do not provide. We reviewed the top solutions and found Material Security, IRONSCALES, and Abnormal AI to be the strongest on extending native Workspace protection and BEC detection accuracy.
Google Workspace delivers a clean, collaborative email platform. Native security catches obvious threats. What it doesn’t catch is nuanced. Sophisticated business email compromise targeting your finance team. Vendor account takeovers where the email looks legitimate because it actually came from a legitimate vendor. Lateral phishing spreading internally because it came from someone people recognize. These attacks slip past Google’s native filters because they rely on context Google doesn’t have.
The market offers multiple approaches to fill those gaps. Traditional secure email gateways apply rules and signatures. Behavioral AI learns your communication patterns to spot anomalies. Transparent detection lets you see and modify the rules driving decisions. Each approach handles different threat models and team capabilities differently.
We evaluated multiple email security solutions built for Google Workspace across cloud environments, evaluating threat detection accuracy, deployment friction, behavioral learning time, and operational simplicity. We reviewed customer feedback from organizations managing sophisticated attack surfaces and teams lacking dedicated security staff. What we found: the gap between native Google protections and what threat actors actually send is significant. More importantly, closing that gap requires matching your threat model to the right detection approach.
This guide maps email security solutions to specific threat scenarios so you can choose the right approach for your organization’s attack surface.
Your choice depends on whether you need traditional gateway filtering, behavioral AI detection, or integrated compliance tools.
Material Security protects Google Workspace environments with automated threat detection plus post-compromise controls that go beyond traditional email security. It targets organizations that want to lock down sensitive data inside mailboxes, not just block inbound threats. The differentiator is MFA enforcement on historical emails and files during active breaches.
We found the approach here is different from typical email gateways. Material scans your entire email history for sensitive content like tax documents, invoices, and password reset links. When a breach happens, it enforces MFA before anyone can access that data.
The platform auto-clusters similar phishing messages across your organization for bulk remediation. We saw this saves significant analyst time compared to manual investigation. Deploys in under 30 minutes via API with no mail flow changes required.
Users highlight how Material treats Google Workspace as a true first-party integration rather than an afterthought. The support team gets strong marks for responsiveness and acting on feedback. SOC analysts appreciate visibility into what actions users took on flagged emails.
Some customers note initial setup overwhelms less technical admins. Configuration options could use better documentation. The ticketing dashboard needs polish, and the MFA protection on historical emails creates friction when searching old messages. That’s a deliberate security tradeoff, but worth knowing upfront.
We think Material fits mid-market and enterprise teams running Google Workspace who worry about post-compromise scenarios. If your threat model includes account takeover, this fills gaps other tools miss. Cloud-only shops get the most value here.
IRONSCALES is an AI-powered email security layer built specifically for Google Workspace environments. It targets organizations that need phishing protection beyond what native tools catch. The standout feature is crowdsourced threat intelligence that removes confirmed phishing emails across its entire user base in real time.
We found the self-learning AI does solid work auto-classifying suspicious emails. It improves as you tune it, which means less manual triage over time. The platform catches threats that slip past Microsoft Defender and native Google protections.
Setup takes about an hour. The three-button classification system keeps things simple for analysts. SPF hosting, DMARC management, and integrated security awareness training round out a full email security stack.
Users praise the one-click reporting button and quick implementation. Several highlight how much time it saves compared to managing layered Microsoft alerts. The phishing simulations and remedial training get high marks for improving employee awareness.
Some customers flag the interface as clunky for new admins. Settings can be buried. Role-based access controls frustrate teams who want analysts handling both remediation and training without full admin rights. DMARC costs extra, which catches some buyers off guard.
We think this works best for SMBs and mid-market companies running Google Workspace who want phishing protection beyond native tools. If your team lacks dedicated email security analysts, the automation helps. Larger enterprises may hit limits with the access control model. For most Google-first organizations, IRONSCALES delivers strong protection with minimal overhead.
Abnormal AI is a behavioral AI email security platform that goes beyond traditional secure email gateways. It targets organizations dealing with sophisticated BEC and social engineering attacks that slip past legacy filters. The standout capability is VendorBase, which scores third-party vendors and detects supply chain compromise attempts in real time.
We found the approach here focuses on understanding communication patterns rather than just scanning content. The platform builds risk profiles for every email relationship and maps internal, cross-functional, and vendor connections into a global supply chain graph.
This baseline lets it catch account takeovers from trusted external contacts. In competitive testing, customers report Abnormal was the only tool that flagged hijacked vendor accounts being used for fraudulent requests. Deploys natively via API with no mail flow changes.
Security teams consistently highlight major time savings and reduced phishing volume reaching end users. Implementation gets high marks across company sizes from mid-market to large enterprise. Support teams earn praise for patience during transitions from legacy gateways.
The set and forget automation cuts both ways. Small IT teams love the hands-off operation, but admins report forgetting where menus are located because they rarely need to log in. That speaks to effectiveness, but plan for some relearning when you do need manual intervention.
We think Abnormal fits organizations where business email compromise and vendor impersonation are primary concerns. If your threat model includes supply chain attacks, VendorBase fills a gap most tools ignore. Expect strong results with minimal ongoing tuning.
Check Point Harmony Email is a cloud-native security layer for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 that deploys via API rather than inline. It targets organizations wanting multi-layered protection against phishing, malware, and account takeover without disrupting mail flow. The platform scans inbound, outbound, and internal traffic with machine learning that analyzes multiple indicators per email.
We found the approach covers more ground than typical inbound-only gateways. Scanning internal emails catches lateral phishing and compromised accounts spreading threats inside your organization. The sandboxing for malware and URL protection adds depth beyond basic content filtering.
Setup takes just a few clicks for cloud environments. The centralized admin console provides granular controls and reporting from one place. DLP and encryption capabilities round out the feature set for compliance-heavy industries.
Users praise the simple interface and quick integration. Account teams get strong marks for responsiveness, even when customers pause deployments mid-process. Government and healthcare organizations highlight how rarely emails bypass the filters during normal operations.
Some customers flag reporting as difficult to work with.
We think Harmony Email fits organizations already invested in Check Point’s ecosystem or those wanting broad coverage without mail flow changes. If you need internal email scanning and DLP alongside phishing protection, this consolidates multiple capabilities. Strong value for mid-market budgets.
Darktrace Email is an AI-powered security platform that learns behavioral patterns for every employee to detect threats in context. It targets organizations wanting protection that extends beyond email into SaaS applications and network devices. The differentiator is self-learning AI that builds individual baselines rather than relying on static rules or signatures.
We found the behavioral approach catches threats that traditional gateways miss entirely. The platform builds profiles for each user, flagging anomalies like unusual access locations or atypical sending patterns. This context-aware detection handles sophisticated BEC and spear phishing that signature-based tools struggle with.
Coverage extends beyond the inbox. Misdirected email prevention stops accidental data loss before it happens. The platform also monitors SaaS applications and network devices through the same AI engine, giving you unified visibility across your digital environment.
Users consistently report dramatic improvements over previous solutions during proof-of-concept trials. Multiple teams describe catching hundreds of threats their existing gateways missed. One organization saw 99% protection against phishing and malicious links after deployment.
The support and training teams earn strong marks for hands-on assistance during rollout.
We think Darktrace Email works best for organizations ready to invest in AI-driven detection that adapts over time. If you already use Darktrace for network monitoring, adding email creates a unified view. Expect meaningful improvements over legacy gateways, especially against targeted attacks.
FortiMail is a multi-layered email security platform with flexible deployment across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. It targets organizations already invested in Fortinet’s ecosystem or those needing deployment options beyond cloud-only solutions. The platform uses ML and LLMs, plus FortiGuard threat intelligence for real-time detection of phishing, BEC, and zero-day threats.
We found FortiMail’s strength lies in its native integration with Fortinet Security Fabric. If you’re already running Fortinet firewalls or endpoint tools, adding email security creates unified visibility and automated response across your stack. The lightweight agent handles inbound and outbound scanning without noticeable performance impact.
Deployment flexibility sets it apart from cloud-only competitors. You can run it on-premises, in the cloud, or hybrid. MSPs and MSSPs benefit from multi-tenant support and managed security services built into the platform.
Users praise the reduction in spam and malicious emails reaching inboxes. Integration with third-party tools like Azure Marketplace and Carbon Black EDR works smoothly. Setup is straightforward enough that teams deploy without dedicated specialists.
Some customers flag the interface as dated compared to newer competitors. Reporting functions need work for teams wanting detailed analytics. A few users note that some spam still slips through, and there are compatibility quirks with the new Outlook client worth testing during evaluation.
We think FortiMail fits organizations already running Fortinet infrastructure who want email security that talks to everything else. If you need on-premises or hybrid deployment, this handles it. Competitive pricing makes it accessible for mid-market budgets.
Mimecast is a cloud-based secure email gateway built for enterprise-scale protection against phishing, malware, and impersonation attacks. It targets large organizations needing granular policy controls and multiple detection engines working together. The platform secures over 36,000 organizations globally and integrates archiving and continuity, plus security awareness training alongside core threat protection.
We found the Targeted Threat Protection suite handles sophisticated attacks well. Impersonation protection catches BEC and CEO fraud attempts that basic filters miss. URL rewriting and attachment sandboxing work effectively out of the box with minimal tuning required.
The policy customization runs deep. You can build layered defenses tailored to different user groups, risk profiles, and threat types. Integration with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace is smooth, and implementation causes minimal disruption to existing mail flow.
Admins praise the consistent, low-noise protection and clear reporting. Small security teams appreciate that daily monitoring and threat investigation stay manageable. The ability to review suspicious emails before delivery gives analysts control over borderline cases.
Customers consistently flag the admin interface as clunky and slow. Settings are buried in nested menus, making advanced tuning frustrating for new administrators. URL protection runs aggressive by default, sometimes breaking legitimate links. Support quality varies, with some issues taking longer to resolve than expected.
We think Mimecast fits large organizations that need deep customization and can invest time learning the platform. If your team wants granular control over policies, this delivers. Smaller shops may find the complexity excessive for their needs.
Sublime Security is a programmable email security platform that gives you full visibility into detection logic rather than black-box filtering. It targets security teams who want control over their rules and the ability to write custom queries using Sublime’s MQL language. The platform covers Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace with flexible cloud or self-hosted deployment options.
We found the approach here appeals to teams frustrated by opaque vendor detection. Every rule is visible and editable. The AI-assisted policy builder simplifies custom rule creation, but you can dig into the query language when you need precise control over what gets flagged.
Automated remediation workflows handle most incidents without manual intervention. End user report triage runs automatically, and the platform sends alerts via email or Slack when something needs human review. Proactive threat hunting surfaces attacks that slipped past initial detection.
Users highlight the POC experience as eye-opening. Multiple teams describe discovering threats their existing tools missed within days of deployment. Support earns consistent praise for responsiveness and technical depth throughout implementation and production.
The management portal gets marks for clarity and quick configuration. Teams appreciate seeing exactly why something was flagged rather than trusting a confidence score. No major complaints surfaced in feedback, though the query language requires some investment to use effectively.
We think Sublime fits organizations with security engineers who want to own their detection logic. If you prefer transparency over convenience, this delivers. The free tier for single accounts lets you evaluate before committing to enterprise pricing.
TitanHQ Email Security, powered by CyberSentriq, is an anti-spam and email filtering platform built for straightforward deployment without dedicated hardware. It targets SMBs and MSPs who need solid protection at accessible pricing. The platform serves over 12,500 customers and 2,500 MSPs, with cloud and on-premises deployment options available.
We found the approach prioritizes ease of use over complexity. Setup requires no additional hardware or software, and the interface stays manageable even for smaller IT teams. Multi-domain management works smoothly for MSPs handling multiple clients from one console.
The protection stack includes dual antivirus engines, sandboxing, and DLP capabilities. SPF, alongside DKIM and DMARC verification handles authentication. The vendor claims over 99% spam detection rates, and most users report minimal false positives in daily operation.
Users praise the user-friendly interface and quick implementation. Pre-sales demos and pricing conversations earn positive marks for being straightforward. Long-term customers report reliable performance over multiple years with few regrets.
Some customers experienced significant email delivery delays during processing issues.
We think SpamTitan, powered by CyberSentriq, works well for SMBs and MSPs prioritizing value and simplicity over advanced features. If you need affordable multi-tenant management, this delivers. Organizations with strict delivery timing requirements should test thoroughly during evaluation.
Integrated email security solution for Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Google Workspace.
Robust cloud-based email gateway designed to combat email compromise and phishing.
Cloud-based email protection with API-first security and integrated Zero Trust.
Cloud-native email security platform with AI-driven detection, user training, and remediation.
A comprehensive email security solution offering inbound and outbound account protection.
Multi-layered content analysis and reputation analysis provides effective security and protection.
Email security evaluation for Google Workspace depends on your threat model, team capacity, and organizational complexity. Here are the critical questions:
Match these criteria against your threat model. Organizations dealing with sophisticated BEC benefit from behavioral AI or relationship mapping. Teams without security staff need platforms that work out of the box. Security engineers wanting control should prioritize transparent detection. This alignment drives the difference between solutions that add value and tools that create operational burden.
Expert Insights is an independent editorial team dedicated to researching, testing, and evaluating cybersecurity and IT solutions. No vendor can pay to influence our review of their products. Our assessments are based entirely on product performance and real-world operational fit. We mapped the complete Google Workspace email security vendor market to ensure full coverage.
We evaluated 9 email security platforms designed for Google Workspace, assessing threat detection accuracy, deployment ease, behavioral learning periods, operational overhead, and team capacity requirements. Each solution was tested in Google Workspace environments simulating real attack scenarios: business email compromise, vendor impersonation and lateral phishing, plus account compromise.
Beyond hands-on testing, we conducted extensive market research and reviewed customer feedback from organizations managing sophisticated attack surfaces and teams with limited security resources. We interviewed product teams to understand detection methodologies and architectural decisions. Our editorial and commercial teams operate independently. No vendor can influence our testing process or conclusions.
This guide is updated quarterly. For complete details on our research methodology, visit our How We Test & Review Products.
Email security platform selection depends on matching threat detection approach to your threat model and team capacity.
If business email compromise and vendor account takeovers keep your security team awake, Abnormal AI maps communication relationships and detects supply chain attacks other tools miss.
If you need strong phishing protection with minimal overhead, IRONSCALES deploys in under an hour with crowdsourced threat intelligence handling the heavy lifting.
If you want post-compromise data protection beyond inbound scanning, Material Security enforces MFA on sensitive historical emails during active breaches.
If behavioral AI and learning your organizational patterns matters, Darktrace Email extends threat detection across email, SaaS, and network devices.
If security engineers want transparent, customizable detection rules, Sublime Security makes every decision visible and editable through its MQL query language.
Read the individual reviews above to understand deployment complexity, threat detection approaches, and the operational trade-offs for your environment.
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.
There are several ways to measure the effectiveness of an email security solution:
Google Workspace users face a range of email-based threats, including:
Google Workspace administrators can implement several measures to bolster email security:
Joel is the Director of Content and a co-founder at Expert Insights; a rapidly growing media company focussed on covering cybersecurity solutions.
He’s an experienced journalist and editor with 8 years’ experience covering the cybersecurity space. He’s reviewed hundreds of cybersecurity solutions, interviewed hundreds of industry experts and produced dozens of industry reports read by thousands of CISOs and security professionals in topics like IAM, MFA, zero trust, email security, DevSecOps and more.
He also hosts the Expert Insights Podcast and co-writes the weekly newsletter, Decrypted. Joel is driven to share his team’s expertise with cybersecurity leaders to help them create more secure business foundations.
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 that rebranded as VIPRE Email Security following its acquisition by Ziff Davis, formerly J2Global (NASDAQ: ZD) in 2013.
Craig is a passionate security innovator with over 20 years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with cutting-edge information security and cybersecurity solutions.
Using his extensive experience in the email security industry, he founded Expert Insights with the singular goal of helping IT professionals and CISOs to cut through the noise and find the right cybersecurity solutions they need to protect their organizations.