Sophos Firewall Email Protection

Email security protects confidential information and helps businesses defend against threats such as spam and malware. Sophos Email Protection gives IT administrators an integrated set of security features to protect email communications.

Sophos Email – cloud-based email protection

Sophos Email is the actively developed cloud-based alternative to email scanning on the firewall; available features depend on the chosen licence. Cloud email protection offers options such as Microsoft 365 integration and time-of-click protection against phishing and malicious links that firewall email scanning does not provide.

Integrated Message Transfer Agent

On supported firewall models, the integrated Message Transfer Agent (MTA) processes and filters email directly on Sophos Firewall. XGS 88 and 88w do not support MTA mode. This improves email processing and security while reducing the load on the internal mail server.

Email Protection includes two antivirus engines running in parallel. They detect viruses, malware and malicious URLs delivered by email and block them before they enter the network.

Sandboxing: detect and block unknown email malware

Sandboxing adds protection against email malware when the required Zero-Day Protection licence is active. Email attachments are analysed in an isolated virtual environment to identify potential threats before they reach your email system.

Combined with the other Email Protection features, sandboxing adds protection against advanced threats that conventional spam and malware filters may miss. This reduces the risk of successful attacks and helps protect confidential data and systems.

Live anti-spam – keep spam out of inboxes

Live anti-spam detects and blocks unwanted email in real time. Automatically filtering unwanted email helps maintain the integrity of your email system and supports employee productivity.

Email Protection blocks unwanted messages before they clutter inboxes or interrupt your work. It also helps detect new and continually changing spam campaigns.

Self-service quarantine

Self-service quarantine lets users review and manage potentially harmful or unwanted email in a secure environment. It helps users recover legitimate messages incorrectly classified as spam and respond more quickly to potential threats.

SPX email encryption – protect confidential information

SPX email encryption in Sophos Email Protection helps protect the integrity and confidentiality of email. Encrypting email containing sensitive information protects its contents against unauthorised access during transmission over the internet.

SPX email encryption is designed to make encrypted email content accessible only to authorised recipients. Encryption can be triggered through a policy or a specific subject prefix, making it straightforward for senders to use.

SPX also enables encrypted messages to be exchanged across email clients and platforms without additional software or plug-ins. Recipients open encrypted messages using a password provided separately.

SPX email encryption helps support data protection requirements and internal security policies. It helps businesses protect confidential information, such as personal data, trade secrets and financial data, during electronic communication.

Data Loss Prevention – protect confidential data and reduce email risks

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in Sophos Email Protection helps prevent accidental or malicious disclosure of confidential information. DLP lets IT administrators create and enforce policies that detect and control confidential data in email.

Administrators can monitor email communications using custom DLP rules and criteria. These can cover keywords, attachments, file types or data patterns. When a message is classified as potentially risky, DLP can automatically block or quarantine it, or notify the sender or administrator.

With DLP policies, businesses can:

• Support regulatory and industry requirements by preventing unauthorised sending of sensitive information such as personal data, credit card numbers or intellectual property.
• Reduce data leakage by preventing employees from accidentally or deliberately sharing confidential information by email.
• Protect their reputation and reduce the financial and legal consequences of data leaks.

Block unwanted content – control email attachments

Content blocking in Sophos Email Protection lets IT administrators control which file types can be sent or received by email. This helps manage potentially risky or inappropriate content, including MP3s, videos and software applications.

Blocking unwanted content strengthens the security and integrity of business email. Controlling the files passing through the email system reduces the risk of confidential data being compromised or unwanted software being installed. It supports company policies and regulatory requirements while helping employees stay productive.