Public sector organizations are particularly vulnerable to cyber threats. This is largely because so much of the data about their operations and personnel is publicly accessible. Procurement data, departmental contacts and employee details can all be used by attackers to craft highly convincing phishing campaigns as well as other targeted threats. When this is combined with the critical nature of the services that they provide, it’s no wonder why government entities are prime targets for cybercriminals.
In this blog, we explore the recent success story of a county government (referred to here as "the County"), which exemplifies how public sector organizations can overcome these challenges. With advanced threat detection, tailored training and exceptional support, Proofpoint helped the County achieve a robust, human-centric security posture.
The scenario
The County’s top concerns included raising awareness about phishing threats and training its employees to recognize and avoid these attacks. While the County was already using Microsoft Defender for Office 365 email security, it also wanted to see if Proofpoint could offer more protection.
During initial discussions about security awareness training, the County was steered toward Proofpoint ZenGuide. It found our comprehensive approach to educating users on identifying and responding to phishing threats appealing. That meeting, in turn, led to questions about the County’s email security posture. Those talks quickly expanded to include evaluating the effectiveness of the County’s current Microsoft email security measures with a Proofpoint Email Rapid Risk Assessment (RRA).
A Rapid Risk Assessment reveals hidden threats
Two weeks later, the RRA provided some startling insights. Proofpoint found that about 20% of the emails delivered by Microsoft were malicious. These included phishing attempts that targeted people working in the County’s most vulnerable and critical departments, mainly payroll and accounting. Proofpoint identified these users as "Very Attacked People" (VAP).
The results of the RRA exposed significant gaps in the County’s existing Microsoft email security. When its leadership saw concrete data about the threats that were reaching its employees, it called for immediate action. As a result, the County ended the RRA early and approved the deployment of Proofpoint Threat Protection.
Implementation moves forward quickly
Time was of the essence. At their request, Proofpoint sped up implementation and completed it within the same month. To avoid disrupting workflows, Proofpoint seamlessly integrated with the County’s existing email platform.
Our professional services team offered support throughout the process. Not only did it work to simplify the initial configuration, but it also addressed any challenges. Despite the deployment’s complexity, it delivered rapid and tangible improvements that justified the investment and effort.
Why Proofpoint stood out
Three key factors were behind the County’s decision to use Proofpoint:
- Unmatched threat detection. We demonstrated superior capabilities in identifying and blocking threats that Microsoft Defender missed. The fact that Proofpoint can also pinpoint VAPs and provide detailed insights about threats that are targeting them only strengthened the County’s confidence.
- Data-driven decision-making. The RRA provided tangible evidence of gaps in their existing security measures. By showing the CIO exactly how many threats were reaching high-risk employees, Proofpoint made a compelling case for augmenting their Microsoft 365 email security.
- Outstanding reputation for support. Known for responsiveness and expertise, our professional services team delivered excellent customer support. It ensured a smooth onboarding process and minimized disruption.
Looking ahead
The successful deployment paved the way for additional projects with Proofpoint. The County is now considering our DMARC enforcement tool to enhance its email authentication. It’s also looking at using adaptive controls so that it can tailor its security awareness training to specific user groups.
The managed security awareness program was implemented alongside Proofpoint Threat Protection. It has already shown positive results by targeting training at the departments that are the most vulnerable to phishing attacks. This approach not only educates users. It has also significantly reduced IT workloads by cutting email-related security incidents by 30%. Now the IT team can focus on strategic initiatives rather than reactively resolving issues.
Lessons for other organizations
The County is a good example of why it’s so important to adopt a defense-in-depth approach to email security. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 only offers baseline protection. Organizations in high-stakes environments, like government agencies, need advanced tools that provide deeper visibility and stronger threat detection.
Notably, the County’s success story has caused other public sector agencies in the region to take notice. They are seeing how Proofpoint helps with the unique challenges of keeping sensitive public sector data safe.
With Proofpoint, the County:
- Gained critical insights into the threats that target them
- Protected their most vulnerable employees from phishing attacks and other malicious emails
- Set up a comprehensive security awareness program alongside adaptive controls to create a solid foundation for ongoing cybersecurity improvements
Elevating cybersecurity standards
The County’s decision to augment its Microsoft email security with Proofpoint provides a good example to the entire region. They have set a new benchmark for how public sector agencies can proactively defend against cyber threats.
Human-centric strategies are the future of cybersecurity. By focusing on people as the critical link, Proofpoint stops a wide range of modern email threats effectively.
Proofpoint and Microsoft together—a comprehensive defense-in-depth approach.
Our multilayered detection stack Proofpoint Nexus is powered by threat intelligence, machine learning, behavioral AI, sandbox detection and semantic analysis. It detects 99.99% of threats from pre-delivery to post-delivery and at click-time. Our false positive rate is very low—less than one reported in every 19 million messages.
To learn more about how Proofpoint can strengthen your Microsoft email security, download our solution brief: Microsoft and Proofpoint: More Secure Together.