TLDR: Proofpoint brings next phase of email security conquest by bringing Tessian API email security into its arsenal of security products
Proofpoint, according to Gartner ratings, is the #1 email security gateway vendor on the planet with a quote stating “the best Email Security solution which keeps you 100% secure”. Proofpoint boasts about the number of Fortune 100 and Global 2000 customers that are using their email security solution. However cybersecurity is an arms race and everyday the competition is improving while the threat actors are as well.
With an extremely large market share that Microsoft owns of companies using their productivity tools and Azure – 70% according to Investing.com – they have begun to look to further scale out their business and in the name of capitalism “Growth, growth, growth.” That growth is now focused on cybersecurity. While Microsoft has always provided basic security, their capabilities have improved. Is it as good as Proofpoint email security? No, and Microsoft knows that, but that doesn’t matter to them.
Reviewing those same Gartner ratings, Microsoft is a bit behind the Proofpoint 8-ball, however Microsoft positions itself as 80% of what Proofpoint provides at a fraction of the cost. With Microsoft having key relationships built with boards and CFOs, their strategy is to either bundle multiple in house solutions as a patch work to get “check off the box” security, or leverage their API (application programming interface) network and bring in additional vendors they like to play with.
As the security world evolves there is an argument brewing of whether to go with gateway security solutions that change your MX records (mail exchange) so that email flows through a gateway first then to your users inbox, or hit your email productivity solution while having API security tools that scan in real time & take action. In layman’s terms, the security guard before the threat actor is in your house or just past the front door.
With all of the context out of the way, Proofpoint is set to acquire Tessian email security, an API based security solution that plugs directly into your email productivity tool like Microsoft & Google. According to Tessians website it is: “An AI-based approach to defending against advanced phishing threats
and protecting sensitive data on email.” This continues to build the arsenal of Proofpoint to target those “new aged thinkers” and provide an API email security solution and continue to grow their business.
This is a smart purchase to capture this market, block the upcoming API security vendors out and ensure Proofpoint continues to dominate.
Learn more about the Tessian acquisition by Proofpoint here.
