Cloud based email filtering is one of the simplest and most convenient ways of eliminating unwanted and unsafe emails. Like most cloud based applications, an email filtering solution hosted in the cloud has no capital expense, is automatically updated and offers a high degree of flexibility.
Secure, scalable, and universally compatible, cloud based email filtering is an effective way to mitigate the cost and risks of unfiltered email with minimal maintenance overhead. Furthermore, with a cloud based solution, organizations can manage their online security from any Internet-connected device.
The Cost and Risks of Unfiltered Email
The cost of unfiltered email is typically measured in lost productivity. Researchers have established that it takes an average employee four seconds to identify and delete a spam email. From that information it has been calculated that an organization with 500 employees – each receiving five spam emails per eight-hour day – will lose more than 109 days a year from the lost productivity.
The risks of unfiltered email are potentially much worse. Successful phishing campaigns, spoofed emails and email-based cyberattacks can cost organizations millions of dollars. Without effective protection against these risks, it is only a matter of time before a phishing email succeeds or an attachment containing malware is opened and the network is infected.
The 2020 Cost of a Data Breach report from IBM Security/Ponemon Institute revealed the average cost of a data breach, from a malware infection for example, was $3.86 million. Even data breaches and malware infections at small businesses can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses. By comparison, the cost of implementing cloud based email filtering is typically $10.00 per employee per year.
How Cloud Based Email Filtering Works
Cloud based email filtering works in exactly the same way as other professional email filtering solutions. Multi-layered security mechanisms inspect every inbound email against lists of spammers and other malicious IP addresses. The security mechanisms also check for emails that contravene sender policy frameworks to detect phishing and spoofed emails. Antivirus protections are in place to identify malware, ransomware, and malicious code and advanced spam filters also include sandboxing to identify unknown malware threats.
Any emails that are rejected by the email filter are quarantined – along with any identified by anti-virus software as containing infected attachments or links to websites known to harbor malware. The filters also check outbound emails for spam and viruses to prevent the organization´s IP addresses from being blacklisted by global blacklisting services and reputation damage. Some spam filters, such as SpamTitan, allow certain data types to be tagged – e.g. Social Security numbers – to prevent the data from being sent via email.
The primary difference between cloud based email filtering and a virtual or physical appliance is the filtering mechanisms operate in the cloud. In order to access the service, organizations simply have to make a small change to their mail exchanger (MX) record in order to redirect inbound and outbound emails through the service provider´s server.
Evaluating the Best Cloud Based Email Filtering Solutions
Not all cloud based email filtering solutions are the same. They can vary in their ability to identify spam block web-borne threats, or recognize bona fide senders. Some filtering solutions will tag spam email but not quarantine it, whereas others give end users the option of how it should be managed.
When evaluating the best cloud based filtering solution for their specific circumstances, organizations should consider the following:
- Can the advertised levels of spam detection be verified?
- What percentage of genuine emails get blocked (false positives)?
- What anti-virus software is used to identify web-borne threats?
- What method of recipient verification does the solution use?
- What cloud based hosting options exist for the solution?
- Can independent testimonials be provided by the service provider?
Thereafter, which is the best cloud based email filtering solution may depend on factors such as ease of use, technical support, and cost. Wherever possible, organizations should request a trial run of the solution in order to see it action in their own environment – and to see what results it returns.
SpamTitan Cloud – Built for Your Organization
SpamTitan Cloud is a robust, cloud based email filtering solution that eliminates 99.97% of unwanted emails with only 0.03 false positives according to the leading online testing and certification authority VB Bulletin. Providing real-time inspection of inbound and outbound emails, our solution is complemented by anti-virus protection driven by Bitdefender and Clam Anti-Virus and incorporates a Bitdefender-powered sandboxing feature.
SpamTitan Cloud offers a number of recipient verification methods – including DMARC and SPF – and allows organizations to set their own web authentication settings by domain if desired. A choice of three hosting options exists for larger organizations and managed service providers. SpamTitan can be hosted in the TitanHQ Cloud, a Private Cloud, or within your own infrastructure.
The company behind SpamTitan has been developing online security solutions since 1999. Our solutions have been used to enhance online security by more than 5,000 customers in more than 120 countries. Consequently, we have a wide selection of independent testimonials available on request. Alternatively, our customer support team can direct you to reliable independent review sites.
Try SpamTitan Cloud for Free
As mentioned above, the best way to evaluate the best cloud based email filtering solutions is to see them in action in your own environment. In this respect, we invite you to try a fully-enabled version of SpamTitan Cloud free for fourteen days, with full technical and customer support and no obligation to continue with the service at the end of your trial.
Our sales engineers will be happy to answer any questions you may have about cloud based email filtering and will guide you through the process of implementing SpamTitan Cloud so that your organization can eliminate 99.97% of unwanted emails and enhance its online security within minutes.
FAQs
What email threats does SpamTitan block?
The email threats blocked by SpamTitan include 99.97% of spam emails, as well as phishing emails, spear-phishing emails, email impersonation attacks, all known malware and viruses, and sandboxing is used to block zero-day malware threats. SpamTitan also scans outbound emails to identify any attempts to send sensitive data externally and identifies potentially compromised mailboxes.
Which SpamTitan solution is best for my business?
The SpamTitan solution best for your business will be one of SpamTitan Gateway, SpamTitan Cloud, SpamTitan for Office 365, or SpamTitan Plus. Each solution provides excellent protection against the full range of email threats; however, the solution that is best for you will depend on several factors. The best option is to speak with our customer service team. You will be asked questions about your business, then we will recommend the SpamTitan product that best meets your needs.
What is SpamTitan Plus?
SpamTitan Plus is an advanced anti-phishing solution that provides even greater protection against phishing threats, specifically against malicious URLs linked in phishing emails. SpamTitan Plus inspects and rewrites all URLs to identify malicious links, checks the destination URL in real-time, evaluates the page to identify spoofed websites and login pages, follow redirects, and performs several other dynamic checks.
Does SpamTitan provide a cloud email filtering service suitable for MSPs?
SpamTitan does provide a cloud email filtering service for MSPs. Our TitanShield MSP partner program includes multiple hosting options, monthly billing, easy integration into backend systems via APIs, and a white label option ready to take your own branding. You also get a dedicated account manager, an assigned support engineer, and will benefit from world-class customer support.
How much does your cloud based email filter cost?
The cost of our cloud based email filter varies based on the number of users and the length of the contract. To get a rough-and-ready quote to give you an idea of the cost, use our cloud email filter cost calculator. For an accurate quote based on the needs of your business, including the cost of each of the different SpamTitan products, give the customer service team a call.
Can cloud-based email filters protect against targeted attacks?
Cloud-based email filters protect against targeted attacks by employing advanced threat intelligence and machine learning algorithms to detect and block targeted attacks, such as spear-phishing or business email compromise (BEC) attempts.
Do cloud-based email filtering services support customizable filtering rules?
Most cloud-based email filtering services support customizable filtering rules. These enables system administrators to apply different spam confidence thresholds to different users and departments, and determine what happens to different types of spam email depending on the type of spam (i.e., delete, quarantine, flag, reject, etc.).
Does cloud-based email filtering integrate with existing email infrastructure?
Cloud-based email filtering integrates with most existing email infrastructures and typically sits in front of the mail server to best protect an organization from spam and email-borne threats. With regards to SpamTitan Cloud, the filter seamlessly integrates with multiple email systems and protocols, such as Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, Google Workspace, SMTP, IMAP, and POP3.
Can organizations of all sizes take advantage of cloud-based email filtering?
Organizations of all sizes can take advantage of cloud-based email filtering as the service provides a scalable “per-seat” solution that can manage different email volumes. However, smaller businesses lacking the resources to configure and monitor email filters may wish to take advantage of the services provided by a Managed Service Provider to ensure effective spam filtering with minimum effort.
Do cloud email filters include data loss prevention capabilities?
Some cloud email filters include data loss prevention capabilities that detect and prevent sensitive information being leaked or sent outside the organization via email. When evaluating cloud email filters with this capability, it is always best to request a demonstration of data loss prevention in action to identify how the capability works.
