In an period the place e-mail stays each the important device for enterprise communication and a first-rate goal for cybercriminals, Outlook customers face unprecedented safety challenges.
Whereas Microsoft’s native protections supply primary safeguards, they fall dangerously brief towards immediately’s subtle phishing schemes, AI-powered BEC assaults, and regulatory compliance calls for.
The answer? Specialised safety add-ins that rework Outlook from a vulnerability right into a fortified communications middle.
The Significance of E mail Safety in Outlook
E mail is among the principal channels of enterprise correspondence and, along with it, probably the most weak factors to cyberattacks. Confidential paperwork, logins, monetary info, and private knowledge move by means of Microsoft Outlook.
If e-mail is just not nicely secured, it could possibly result in knowledge breaches, phishing assaults, malware infections, and regulatory violations (e.g. GDPR, HIPAA, and so on.). That’s why it’s necessary to make use of extra safety instruments proper inside Outlook.
Why Outlook add-in can considerably enhance knowledge safety
Add-ins are extensions that add new options to Outlook, together with these associated to safety. Because of their integration, they shield Outlook customers after they work together with the e-mail, which is important as a result of most errors happen after they work together with the content material. They work proper within the mail interface and might:
- Robotically test emails for phishing and malicious hyperlinks
- Encrypt messages and attachments
- Stop confidential emails from being forwarded
- Observe who opened an e-mail and when
- Combine with DLP methods (knowledge loss prevention)
Benefits of utilizing add-ins
Fashionable Outlook add-ins present complete e-mail safety whereas working as discreetly and effectively as attainable. The primary benefit is that they enhance the extent of safety with out the necessity for added actions on the a part of customers.
Add-ins operate within the background, robotically making use of the required safety insurance policies, which considerably reduces the dangers related to human error.
The monitoring and reporting operate is equally necessary. The IT division will get full entry to detailed logs, can monitor e-mail safety in real-time, and reply shortly to potential threats.
A further benefit is the power to combine with different firm safety methods. The add-ins can work together with company anti-viruses, SIEM methods, identification instruments, and different info safety instruments, making a unified protecting circuit.
Easy methods to Select the Greatest Outlook Add-Ins for Safety?
When selecting safety add-ins for Outlook, there are a number of important components you must think about. Fashionable safety methods should present full knowledge safety whereas remaining straightforward to attach and straightforward to make use of.
1. Safety towards phishing and spam
A dependable add-in needs to be like an attentive safety guard – recognizing suspicious emails at a look: faux addresses, harmful hyperlinks and entice attachments. The very best options use synthetic intelligence and consistently up to date risk intelligence databases to intercept threats earlier than they attain your inbox.
2. Encryption and safe knowledge storage
Excessive-quality add-ins supply automated or guide encryption of emails and attachments. That is particularly necessary for transmitting delicate info – particularly in authorized, finance, and HR departments. It’s additionally value listening to the place and the way the information is saved (on gadgets, within the cloud, with backup and entry safety).
3. Simple integration and customization
The add-in ought to set up shortly and seamlessly on each native variations of Outlook and Outlook 365. It’s handy if there’s centralized administration, coverage templates, and AD/SSO (single sign-on) help in order that directors and customers aren’t overloaded.
4. Consumer expertise and suggestions
Safety mustn’t intervene along with your work. Good add-ins work unobtrusively, with a transparent interface and minimal clicks. Take note of person opinions and rankings on Microsoft AppSource – that is typically probably the most sincere indicator of reliability and usefulness.
Prime 15 Outlook Add-Ins for Knowledge Privateness & Safety
In immediately’s world of threats, Outlook’s built-ins defenses can’t cease subtle phishing, knowledge breaches, or regulatory violations. That’s why we’ve compiled a collection of 15 specialised add-ins that can preserve you protected when working with e-mail.
Microsoft Purview Message Encryption — Greatest for Enterprise-Grade E mail Encryption
Microsoft’s built-in e-mail safety resolution for Outlook supplies end-to-end encryption for emails and attachments. It’s absolutely built-in with Workplace 365 and Azure, enabling safe messaging each inside and outdoors your group.
Key Options:
- Automated and guide encryption of emails
- Attachment safety (information, PDF, pictures)
- Assist for DLP insurance policies (leak prevention)
- GDPR, HIPAA, FZ-152 compliant
- Potential to retract despatched messages
Professionals: Deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, centralized administration, compliance with strict requirements
Cons: Requires Microsoft 365 E5 subscription or separate license, troublesome to configure for smaller corporations
Greatest For: Giant enterprises and authorities companies that want safe encryption with authorized help.
Pricing: Paid (Included in Microsoft 365 E5/A5/G5 or as a separate service).
Virtru E mail Encryption
Virtru supplies a easy but highly effective resolution for end-to-end encryption of emails and attachments instantly in Outlook. It permits customers to guard delicate knowledge with out difficult settings whereas sustaining the comfort of working along with your mail.
Key Options:
- Simple encryption of emails and attachments with out technical expertise
- Potential to retract despatched emails or prohibit their forwarding
- Compliant with GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, and different necessities
- Potential to learn encrypted emails with out putting in extra software program
- Automated encryption by key phrase or knowledge kind
Professionals: Intuitive interface, cross-platform help (Outlook, Gmail, cellular gadgets), capacity to retract emails
Cons: Requires subscription for full performance
Greatest For: Small and medium-sized companies, healthcare suppliers, attorneys, and freelancers who want easy however dependable e-mail safety.
Pricing: Free trial, paid plans beginning at $5 per thirty days.
Mimecast Safe E mail Gateway
Mimecast supplies a cloud-based e-mail safety service that filters incoming and outgoing e-mail messages, blocking spam, phishing, viruses, and focused assaults earlier than they attain customers’ inboxes.
Key Options:
- Combines antivirus, antispam, and phishing safety
- Detects BEC (Enterprise E mail Compromise) and different subtle threats
- Robotically backs up all correspondence
- Prevents confidential knowledge leaks
- Analyzes information and hyperlinks in a sandbox earlier than emails are delivered
Professionals: Extremely efficient towards advanced threats, cloud-based structure, integration with Workplace 365
Cons: Tough to configure, requires administrator coaching, excessive value
Greatest For: Giant enterprises and organizations that deal with confidential knowledge and want complete safety towards superior threats.
Pricing: Paid, the associated fee will depend on the variety of customers and chosen options.
Proofpoint E mail Safety
Proofpoint supplies complete enterprise e-mail safety towards phishing, focused assaults (BEC), and malicious attachments utilizing synthetic intelligence and behavioral evaluation.
Key Options:
- Detects spoofed domains and social engineering
- Blocks govt spoofing assaults
- Inspects information in an remoted setting
- DLP for e-mail
- Analyzes and intercepts malicious hyperlinks in actual time
Professionals: Extremely correct risk detection, integration with SIEM methods, deep analytics
Cons: Requires coverage customization, premium value
Greatest For: Giant companies and authorities companies the place safety towards focused assaults and knowledge breaches is important.
Pricing: Paid (requested individually).
Cisco Safe E mail
Cisco Safe E mail (previously Cisco E mail Safety) protects company e-mail from threats together with phishing, spam, viruses, and focused assaults utilizing cloud and hybrid applied sciences.
Key Options:
- Actual-time evaluation of attachments and hyperlinks
- Remoted setting for detailed evaluation of suspicious information
- Safety based mostly on a worldwide risk database
- DLP and encryption
- Integration with Cisco SecureX – a single safety platform
Professionals: Highly effective safety towards advanced threats, integration with Cisco ecosystem, excessive scalability
Cons: Problem of preliminary configuration, requires administrator qualification
Greatest For: Giant enterprises and organizations already utilizing Cisco merchandise, or those that want complete e-mail safety within the cloud.
Pricing: Paid, the associated fee will depend on the variety of customers and choices chosen.
Barracuda E mail Safety Gateway
Barracuda E mail Safety Gateway is a complete resolution to guard company e-mail from spam, phishing, viruses, and focused assaults (BEC) with multi-level filtering and AI evaluation.
Key Options:
- Detecting Faux Emails and CEO Fraud
- Zero Risk Safety – Sandbox for attachment evaluation
- DLP and Encryption
- Mail backup
- Workplace 365 integration – cloud and hybrid help
Professionals: Simple to deploy, automated safety updates, built-in archiving
Cons: Restricted analytics in comparison with rivals
Greatest For: Medium and huge companies, particularly corporations with hybrid infrastructure (Workplace 365 + on-premises servers).
Pricing: Paid (from $3/person per thirty days).
Zix E mail Encryption
Zix supplies automated e-mail encryption to adjust to business requirements (HIPAA, GDPR), defending delicate knowledge in transit.
Key Options:
- Automated encryption based mostly on DLP insurance policies
- HIPAA/GDPR help for regulated industries
- Safe portal for exterior recipients
- Monitoring emails with learn affirmation
- Integration with Outlook and cellular shoppers
Professionals: Ease of use, deal with compliance, dependable supply
Cons: Primary performance, restricted analytics
Greatest For: Medical establishments, monetary organizations, and authorities companies that require compliance.
Pricing: Paid (value on request).
Egress Stop
Egress Stop makes use of synthetic intelligence to forestall delicate knowledge leaks through e-mail by robotically analyzing e-mail content material and person habits.
Key Options:
- AI evaluation identifies leakage dangers
- Takes under consideration person habits and correspondence content material
- Automated encryption
- Alerts on potential DLP violations
- Integration with Outlook and Workplace 365
Professionals: Clever safety with out false alarms, user-friendly interface, minimal affect on workflow
Cons: Excessive value, requires worker coaching
Greatest For: Regulation companies, monetary establishments, and firms coping with extremely delicate knowledge.
Pricing: Paid (value on request).
Pattern Micro E mail Safety
Pattern Micro E mail Safety is a cloud-based resolution to guard company e-mail from spam, phishing, viruses, and focused assaults with multi-level filtering and behavioral evaluation.
Key Options:
- Block phishing, BEC assaults and ransomware
- Analyze suspicious information in an remoted setting
- AI-antispam – filter unsolicited mail
- Actual-time hyperlink verification
- Workplace 365 integration – full help for Microsoft’s cloud suite
Professionals: Simple deployment, efficient safety towards new threats, user-friendly management panel
Cons: Restricted customization choices, common efficiency below heavy hundreds
Greatest For: Medium-sized companies and firms utilizing cloud providers (particularly Workplace 365) that want dependable safety with out advanced customizations.
Pricing: Paid (beginning at $5 per person per thirty days).
Mailock Safe E mail
Mailock supplies a easy resolution for safe correspondence with exterior recipients, permitting you to ship encrypted emails instantly from Outlook with out difficult settings.
Key Options:
- One-time passwords – recipients open emails by means of a safe portal
- Retraction of despatched emails
- Notifications when emails are considered
- GDPR-compliant – complies with private knowledge safety necessities
- Outlook integration
Professionals: Simple to make use of, doesn’t require software program set up on the recipient, appropriate for one-off shipments
Cons: Restricted performance for inner correspondence, primary interface
Greatest For: Corporations that have to shortly set up GDPR-compliant correspondence with shoppers and companions (legislation companies, HR departments, small companies).
Pricing: Paid (from £3 per person per thirty days).
PreVeil Finish-to-Finish Encryption
PreVeil supplies end-to-end encryption of company correspondence utilizing state-secret degree algorithms, defending knowledge even from insider threats.
Key Options:
- AES-256 encryption
- Zero-Data structure – even PreVeil can’t entry your knowledge
- Safety towards BEC assaults
- Works on PCs, cellular gadgets, and within the browser
- Easy key administration – no advanced PKI infrastructures required
Professionals: Most safety, user-friendly, safety from insider threats
Cons: Restricted integration with third-party providers, requires adaptation of workflows
Greatest For: Organizations with high-security necessities: protection enterprises, legislation companies, and monetary establishments.
Pricing: Paid (from $10 per person per thirty days).
Examine Level Concord E mail & Workplace
Examine Level is a complete safety of cloud-based workplace providers (Workplace 365, Gmail) from phishing, BEC assaults, and knowledge leaks with a single administration console.
Key Options:
- AI detection of CEO Fraud and spoofed domains
- File evaluation in an remoted setting
- DLP for cloud providers – management knowledge in Outlook and Groups
- Robotically take away malicious hyperlinks from emails
- Unified safety – mail, information, and chats in a single resolution
Professionals: Deep integration with Workplace 365/G Suite, automated e-mail response to threats
Cons: Requires coverage customization, premium value
Greatest For: Firms that use cloud-based workplace suites and want centralized communications safety.
Pricing: Paid (value on request).
Tessian Human Layer Safety
Proofpoint makes use of synthetic intelligence to research person habits and forestall errors that result in knowledge breaches or phishing assaults.
Key Options:
- AI safety alerts you in case you are misdirected
- Detects suspicious worker habits
- Blocks harmful emails earlier than they’re despatched
- Detects abnormalities in communications
- Worker coaching – interactive threat alerts
Professionals: Minimizes human error, automated safety with out guidelines
Cons: Requires a “studying” interval for the system, excessive value
Greatest For: Giant corporations with high-risk operations (finance, attorneys, pharma) the place the human issue is the primary vulnerability.
Pricing: Paid (value on request).
IRONSCALES Anti-Phishing
IRONSCALES combines synthetic intelligence and crowdsourced knowledge to robotically detect and block phishing assaults in real-time.
Key Options:
- Self-learning safety system
- Automated removing of phishing emails from inboxes
- Report Phishing button – workers assist to enhance safety
- Simulated assaults – testing the vulnerability of employees
- Integration with Outlook/Workplace 365
Professionals: Quick deployment, automated adaptation to new threats
Cons: Restricted performance towards BEC assaults
Greatest For: Medium and huge companies the place phishing is a serious risk (retail, schooling, public sector).
Pricing: Paid (from $3.75/person/month).
SpamTitan E mail Safety
SpamTitan supplies cloud and on-premises options for filtering spam, viruses, and phishing assaults with easy administration and excessive accuracy of risk detection.
Key Options:
- Analyze incoming/outgoing emails
- Blocking faux websites and emails
- Customise filtering guidelines to fulfill enterprise wants
- Actual-time risk monitoring
- Workplace 365 help – cloud and hybrid safety
Professionals: Low value, straightforward deployment, excessive filtering accuracy
Cons: Restricted performance towards subtle BEC assaults
Greatest For: Small and medium-sized companies, faculties, and non-profit organizations that want dependable safety with out advanced customizations.
Pricing: Paid (from $2.50 per person per thirty days).
Comparability Desk: Greatest Outlook Add-Ins for Safety
Discover the right safety add-ins for Outlook: the desk exhibits the highest 5 options with a comparability of encryption, anti-phishing, DLP, and value classes for various enterprise wants.
| Add-In |
Greatest For |
Encryption |
Anti-Phishing |
DLP |
Sandbox |
Pricing |
| Microsoft Purview |
Giant enterprises (compliance focus) |
Finish-to-end encryption |
Superior (AI-based) |
Full help |
Full help |
Premium (E5/G5) |
| Virtru |
Consumer-friendly encryption |
Finish-to-end encryption |
Primary safety |
Sure |
No |
From $5/person |
| Mimecast |
Superior risk safety |
Sure |
AI-powered + CEO fraud detection |
Sure |
Sure |
Enterprise pricing |
| Proofpoint |
Focused assault prevention |
Sure |
AI/BEC safety |
Superior |
Sure |
Excessive-end |
| Cisco Safe |
Cisco ecosystem customers |
Sure |
Sure |
Sure |
Sure |
$$$ |
| Barracuda |
Multi-layered safety |
Sure |
Sure |
Sure |
Sure |
From $3/person |
A comparability of the most effective Outlook safety add-ins.
Why Commonplace Safety Options Aren’t Sufficient
In the present day’s e-mail threats have grow to be so subtle that Outlook’s built-in defenses are not sufficient. Let’s discover out why.
Commonplace Outlook gives primary security measures: a easy anti-spam filter, guide encryption functionality, and minimal virus safety. Nevertheless, these instruments have critical limits:
- The anti-phishing filter typically misses focused assaults, particularly when attackers use actual copies of company e-mail addresses, faux domains with letter substitutions (“amaz0n.com” with a zero as a substitute of “o”), and even psychological methods (“urgently pay the invoice from the administration”).
- Constructed-in encryption requires guide activation for every e-mail. However as follow exhibits, workers typically neglect to activate the safety, could make a mistake when setting it up, or lose entry keys.
- There isn’t any knowledge leakage safety (DLP). Because of this an worker can by accident ship a buyer database to an unauthorized particular person, ahead a monetary report back to a private e-mail, or publish confidential paperwork.
- There isn’t any attachment evaluation within the sandbox. Harmful information (Phrase, PDF, Excel) are opened instantly, permitting macro viruses to contaminate the system, spyware and adware to activate, and malicious scripts to execute.
SCAND: Customized Outlook Add-Ins for Your Safety Wants
Off-the-shelf Outlook safety options are good, however many corporations want custom-made instruments which can be tailor-made to their particular wants. At SCAND we focus on customized Outlook add-in improvement that goes past off-the-shelf options.
Why would you might want to order a customized resolution?
Off-the-shelf plugins are sometimes both redundant (with a bunch of pointless options) or not versatile sufficient. We create options that:
- Tailored to your business – for instance, particular encryption necessities in medication or legislation.
- Built-in along with your infrastructure – works along with your inner CRM, DLP, or SIEM methods.
- Scalable to what you are promoting – you can begin with primary safety and add options as you develop.
What options will we implement most frequently?
1. Automated encryption.
Not simply guide activation, however clever guidelines: for instance, all emails from accounting or marked “Confidential” are encrypted robotically.
2. Phishing safety with coaching
The system not solely blocks suspicious emails but additionally explains to workers tips on how to acknowledge an assault (e.g., by highlighting faux domains within the handle).
3. Safe work with attachments
- Sandbox to test information earlier than opening.
- Automated conversion of dangerous codecs (e.g. .exe → .zip with password).
- Watermarks for confidential paperwork.
4. Leak Management (DLP)
- Block emails containing card numbers, passport numbers, and different delicate knowledge.
- Warning when an try is made to ship a file labeled “Inside Solely” to an exterior recipient.
5. Analytics and experiences
The IT division sees: who tried to ship dangerous knowledge, and which phishing assaults have been blocked, which workers are most certainly to make errors.
Outlook4Gmail: Sync your Google Calendars and Contacts with Outlook
If your organization makes use of Gmail, however you want the acquainted Outlook interface with all its options and added safety, our Outlook4Gmail resolution is precisely what you want. We now have developed a handy device that gives full synchronization between Gmail and Outlook, permitting you to work along with your mail, contacts, and calendars in a well-known interface, however with the necessary addition of built-in company e-mail safety.
The important thing characteristic of our strategy is that we don’t simply join Gmail to Outlook, we create a safe working device that mixes the comfort of a well-known interface with the fashionable safety necessities of company communication. That is particularly necessary for corporations which can be migrating to Gmail however need to retain management over their e-mail correspondence and shield themselves from trendy threats.
Want a custom-made safety module for Outlook?
Contact SCAND to debate your challenge. We are going to analyze your dangers and suggest an answer with out pointless options – solely what is going to actually shield what you are promoting.
