Table of Contents
- Introduction
- History of Email Security
- Legacy-Email-Security-Solutions
- API-Based Security Solutions
- Check Point Harmony Email and Collaboration
Introduction
Email has been a cornerstone of digital communication since the 1970s. However, its ubiquity has made it a prime target for various types of cyber-attacks like phishing, spoofing, and malware distribution. Over the decades, email security has evolved to keep pace with these ever-changing threats. This blog post aims to provide an overview of this evolution, focusing on how email security solutions have changed over time.
History of Email Security
In the early days, email security was rudimentary at best. The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), initially designed for sending emails, had no built-in security measures. It wasn’t until the late 1990s and early 2000s that protocols like Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) and Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) were introduced to encrypt emails and validate sender identities. Even then, these solutions were not foolproof and required users to have a degree of technical know-how.
Legacy Email Security Solutions
Traditional or legacy email security solutions like firewalls and secure gateways were next to come into play. These solutions were primarily perimeter-based, designed to stop threats before they entered the network. While effective against basic attacks, they struggled with advanced threats that use social engineering tactics. Also, as cloud-based email platforms like Office 365 and Gmail gained traction, these on-premises solutions became less effective.
API-Based Security Solutions
API-based security solutions are the new kids on the block and have been designed to combat modern threats effectively. Unlike legacy systems, API-based solutions integrate directly with cloud-based email platforms, offering greater visibility into email traffic. This enables advanced threat detection and allows the solution to scan internal emails, something legacy solutions couldn’t do.
Check Point Harmony Email and Collaboration
Check Point Harmony Email and Collaboration powered by Avanan, is an example of an advanced, API-based email security solution. It leverages machine learning algorithms to identify and block threats in real-time. Its unique approach allows it to scan both inbound and internal emails, providing a layer of protection that is often missing from other solutions. Avanan also offers easy deployment, automatically adapting to the email environment without requiring any MX record changes.
The landscape of email security is ever-changing, but the drive towards more effective, user-friendly, and comprehensive solutions is a constant. From basic encryption protocols to sophisticated API-based systems, email security has come a long way, and it continues to adapt to new challenges every day.