Sophos Email Advanced

Sophos Email Advanced protects users from unwanted, malicious email threats using policy-based email encryption, DLP, spam and malware protection. This solution leverages artificial intelligence and sandbox technology to detect and block unknown threats and ransomware.

The policy interface has a breadth of configuration options for email security and data loss prevention. For example, the smart banner feature determines an email sender’s trustworthiness based on authentication results and cross-references with company allow/block lists. Administrators can even configure this banner to display simply whether a sender has been classified as “trusted” or “untrusted.”

This solution conducts various analyses and content scans and leverages DMARC and SPF for sender checks to look for spoofed emails and an enhanced malware scan that conducts static analysis. Sophos Email Advanced also uses the dynamic sandbox analyzer Sandstorm to detonate malware in this virtualized environment. It provides URL protection by scanning emails as they come through the gateway and at time-of-click to establish a reputation classification of unknown senders.

The email gateway shows an overview of every event triggered in the previous 24 hours with drilldown functionality that displays detailed reports for each message. The logs and reports are powerful tools for visibility into environmental trends that may signal suspicious activity and lead to detection. They highlight at-risk users so administrators can determine whether they are being targeted. 

Recently, Sophos added a few new features – impersonation protection, data loss prevention and encryption. Impersonation protection guards against look-alike domains, spoofed emails and the like. It scans the Active Directory to create a list of VIPs that should receive additional protection and a list of individuals most likely to be impersonated. Emails suspected of impersonation can either be quarantined, accompanied by a banner, tagged or deleted. Data loss prevention is applied to both inbound and outbound communications. Encryption sends emails via TLS when it is available and leverages push-based technology when it is not. Encryption settings are fully customizable.

Virtually every aspect of Sophos Email Advanced is flexible and customizable and, from the changes we have seen in the last year, the company continues to be develop and improve them. This solution is an especially great option for those with other Sophos products since administrators can access through the Sophos Central Dashboard.

Pricing begins at $33.21/year for a 36-month term. Phone, email and website support are available. 24/7 Professional Services can be purchased for an additional by-the-hour fee.

 Tested by: Matthew Hreben