The modern cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving. Yet email remains the No. 1 threat vector for human-targeted attacks. We see this evidenced in the most publicised cyber incidents and our own Proofpoint data. Consider these numbers from our industry-leading Threat Research team:
- Phishing attacks via email grew a whopping 147% between 2023 Q3 and 2024 Q4.
- Malicious URL-based attacks in messages have increased 119% in the last three years.
- Proofpoint blocked an additional 5.5M+ malicious QR code-based attacks in the last six months.
It’s clear that the threats targeting your people and business are not only growing, but they’re getting more sophisticated and evasive. In response, a larger number of security and IT teams are seeking out comprehensive email security providers for additional advanced protective controls.
Gartner recently analysed this rising demand in their 2025 Gartner Critical Capabilities for Email Security Platforms report.
A companion piece to the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Email Security Platforms, this report offers a deeper analysis of vendors’ products and services. We believe it helps security practitioners compare offerings against a set of standard core use cases. This, in turn, helps them to understand how providers might support unique technical requirements.
In addition to being named a Leader in the Magic Quadrant for Email Security Platforms, Proofpoint ranked No. 1 in 4 out of 5 critical Use Cases outlined by Gartner. We consider this a remarkable achievement, as ‘Gartner recommends that users consider the set of critical capabilities as some of the most important criteria for acquisition decisions’.
Read more about the evaluation of Proofpoint in each use case below.
1: Core Email Protection
Proofpoint ranked No. 1 (3.57/5). We stop the widest variety of threats with Proofpoint Nexus, the world’s leading AI-based detection ensemble. Powered by our award-winning threat intelligence, Proofpoint Nexus can detect and analyse both known and emerging threats. It delivers protection end-to-end across the attack chain, from pre- to post-delivery and at time of click.
2: Outbound Security
Proofpoint ranked No. 1 (3.74/5). Proofpoint provides unmatched outbound security with data loss prevention, misdirected email and DMARC authentication capabilities. This protects your sensitive information, prevents the accidental exfiltration of data, as well as protects your business from email deliverability failures and email fraud.
3: Security Platforms
Proofpoint ranked No. 1 (3.98/5). We empower security analysts to realise their most efficient SOC through comprehensive threat insights and automated remediated actions. Our email security platform provides a unified, modern UX experience. It’s supported by a rich partner ecosystem of integrations – including CrowdStrike, Palo Alto, Okta, CyberArk and more. By creating a unified platform, these and other tools become easier for analysts to use and increase their value to the business.
4: Power Users
Proofpoint ranked No. 1 (3.97/5). We enable large, mature organisations to safeguard their people according to their unique needs. You can choose to deploy our platform in the way that best meets your technical requirements. Deployment options include on-premises, hybrid and cloud, via security email gateway (SEG) and through Microsoft 365 API integration.
Additionally, we provide out-of-the-box message routing configuration, like custom routing rules, firewall integration and centralised policy management. This ensures that your organisation can meet its own complex email infrastructure and regulatory requirements.
5: Managed Services
Proofpoint ranked in the Top 3 (3.44/5). In this category, Proofpoint surpassed 11 other competitors. We provide managed security services through our own in-house email security subject-matter experts. This ensures that global security teams get the most from their email protection investments. What’s more, we have specialised regional service teams that offer extensive expertise to help you address threat trends in your specific part of the world.
Human-centric security matters
As human-targeted threats become more complex, you need an increasing number of security capabilities to completely protect your business. Security and IT teams face the daunting task of keeping pace with these attacks while trying to manage operational complexity with limited resources. They can’t do all this alone.
Proofpoint provides a comprehensive solution. Unlike traditional email security products, our end-to-end AI-driven platform detects and analyses known and emerging threats throughout the entire email delivery lifecycle. Proofpoint stops 99.99% of threats pre-delivery, post-delivery and at click-time. This helps you achieve continuous protection against threats before they reach users’ inboxes to better protect your people and business.
We are proud that Gartner recognised Proofpoint with the highest scores in 4 out of 5 key Use Cases in their report. We believe this clearly demonstrates our market and thought leadership. And it validates our approach to human-centric security.
To learn more, download a complimentary copy of the 2025 Gartner Critical Capabilities for Email Security Platforms report today. See how Proofpoint can better protect your people and business from human-targeted attacks.
Gartner disclaimer
*Gartner, Critical Capabilities for Email Security Platforms, Nikul Patel, Franz Hinner, Deepak Mishra and Max Taggett, 15 January 2025.
*Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Email Security Platforms, Max Taggett, Nikul Patel, Franz Hinner and Deepak Mishra, 16 December 2024.
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