Why You Need an Email Filter

If you’re one of the many SMBs that has already moved to a cloud-based business email solution like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, you’re already enjoying a number of benefits: reliability, cost stability, tech simplicity, security, and scalability are just a few of them.

You might have also seen enhanced security and filtering touted as an advantage of switching. And while that’s true to a point, we believe that companies using cloud-based business email services should still employ additional robust email filtering. Here’s why.

Better Security Than In-House Servers

The security component of cloud-hosted business email is significant. Put simply, Google and Microsoft can (and do) devote vast amounts of resources to the security of their cloud servers. Unless your business operates on the same scale, you can’t match what the titans are doing in terms of security practice.

In other words, if you host your own email, you’ll necessarily do so on servers that aren’t as secure as Google’s and Microsoft’s. That’s why relying on these companies for cloud business email is a security win.

Security Isn’t Everything

But security isn’t everything. It’s important to understand that security and filtering aren’t the same thing. This type of security is all about preventing brute force and other forms of attack, where bad actors go after the servers themselves.

It doesn’t deal directly with phishing attacks or BEC-style attacks where a user unwittingly hands over the keys to the house, so to speak.

Google can keep the bad guys out of its server farm. But it doesn’t make any promises about what will happen if you let the bad guys in yourself.

Adequate General-Purpose Filtering

Still, you might be thinking, “I’ve seen the Spam folder in my business email. My email provider is clearly filtering those emails, right?”

Yes, that’s accurate. Providers like Google and Microsoft do employ general-purpose filtering, and it does a pretty good job at keeping obvious spam out.

But this filtering is best at general-purpose spam, things like adult ads, obviously fake emails claiming to be from Medicare or CVS or DirecTV, and other ridiculous content that your employees aren’t likely to fall for. And these providers offer limited filter customization, if any.

Some providers (Microsoft, for example) offer additional filtering and customizable security gateways in their Enterprise plans, but the basic business filtering included in most plans may not be sufficient for your needs.

Robust Email Filters Offer Greater Protection and Deeper Customization

Using a robust email filter offers deeper protection that you’ll get from the stock filters included in your cloud business email, keeping more complex business threats at bay. You’ll end up with fewer phishing emails and other sophisticated email-based attacks reaching inboxes — keeping your teams on task and your systems secure.

You’ll also gain much deeper email filter customization. What’s right for you might not be best for the next business. You may have specific settings, sources or protocols you want to control, and a third-party solution will let you do so. With the right solution, you can tailor your email filter to meet your specific security needs at the organizational level.

If you’re looking for the right email filter for your organization, one that will integrate well with your existing systems, we can help. Reach out today!