Email gateway
(also secure email gateway, SEG)
Email gateway definition
An email gateway is a method used to protect an organization’s or individual’s email servers. It acts as a portal through which a server’s incoming and outgoing emails pass.
It is a type of email server that comes with better security and protection for email users. It can protect email users by analyzing all incoming and outgoing emails before they reach a user’s internal email server.
When emails pass through an email gateway, the gateway scans them to check for potential threats. If the email is safe, the email gateway will allow it to pass through. However, if the email is risky or contains unwanted content, the gateway will either flag it as spam or bounce it back to the sender.
With an email gateway, organizations and individuals can protect themselves against different types of attacks. These include spam, phishing attacks, and malware, which are the most common cyberattacks hackers conduct on email servers or addresses.
See also: default gateway, gateway server
Popular email gateways
- Cisco Secure Email. A service that scans incoming emails and blocks ones that have unwanted content or show signs that point to phishing attacks, malware, or spam.
- Microsoft Defender for Office 365. A cloud-based Microsoft solution that can be used for all Office 365 apps and Microsoft’s proprietary email service Outlook. It provides real-time reports and automatic threat mitigation.
- Avanan. An email gateway that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to protect email servers against attacks. It’s suitable for Office 365 and Google Workspace users.
- SpamTitan Email Security and Protection. An email gateway that offers blacklisting, whitelisting, and antivirus protection.