Microsoft 365 Email Security
Strengthen Microsoft 365 email security with continuous detection, behavioural AI, and people-centric visibility.
The Microsoft 365 Baseline
Microsoft 365 includes built-in protection against spam and malware. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 adds defences against phishing, malicious links, and zero-day threats.
Targeted attacks such as business email compromise (BEC) and QR code phishing (quishing) keep evolving, so many enterprises add a second layer of protection. That layer adds continuous detection and threat intelligence across the email lifecycle.
Better Together
Proofpoint extends the built-in email security in Microsoft 365 with continuous detection, threat intelligence, and people-centric visibility. Together, they provide layered protection across the email lifecycle and help security teams investigate and respond to sophisticated threats faster.
| Continuous Detection | AI-Driven Threat Intelligence | People-Centric Visibility |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft's built-in security features analyse email before and after delivery to help block malicious messages, links, and attachments. | Microsoft email protection uses AI and native threat intelligence to detect known and emerging email threats. | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 provides visibility into email threats and security events across the Microsoft environment. |
| Proofpoint continuously analyses email across the delivery lifecycle to identify and remediate threats as new intelligence emerges. | Proofpoint combines behavioural AI with global threat intelligence to help detect advanced attacks that target people. | Proofpoint extends that visibility by identifying your most attacked users and helping teams prioritise investigation and remediation based on real-world risk. |
LAYERED EMAIL DEFENCE
| Security Goal | Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | Microsoft + Proofpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Detect sophisticated threats | Safe links, safe attachments, and anti-phishing policies to block common threats | Continuous detection across the email lifecycle with behavioural AI and threat intelligence |
| Stop human-targeted attacks | AI-driven detection for phishing, BEC, and other email attacks | Behavioural AI that analyses language, relationships, and sender behaviour to detect BEC and impersonation |
| Prioritise high-risk threats | Visibility into threats across Microsoft 365 | People-centric visibility, campaign correlation, and risk-based prioritisation |
| Respond with confidence | Investigation and remediation tools in the Microsoft Defender portal | Additional threat context and continuous analysis for faster response |
| Build layered protection | Native protection integrated across Microsoft 365 | Continuous detection, deeper threat intelligence, and people-centric insights |
| Deploy without disrupting mail flow | Native to Microsoft 365 with no separate deployment | API-based deployment with no infrastructure changes |
TRUSTED AT ENTERPRISE SCALE
Among the Fortune 100, 83 organisations add Proofpoint to their Microsoft 365 security, as do 60% of the Fortune 1000.
API-BASED DEPLOYMENT
Proofpoint Core Email Protection connects to Microsoft 365 through the Microsoft Graph API, so you can add protection without rerouting mail.
You gain continuous detection, threat intelligence, and people-centric visibility while your users keep working the way they do today.
ANALYST RECOGNITION
Proofpoint is a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Email Security.
Request a demo
A Proofpoint cybersecurity specialist will reach out to you shortly.
Recommended for You
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 provides strong built-in protection against spam, malware, and many common email-based threats. However, email remains one of the most common entry points for cyberattacks, and sophisticated phishing, spear phishing, business email compromise (BEC), and quishing attacks continue to evolve. Many enterprise organisations add a layered defence with email security solutions such as Proofpoint to improve detection, visibility, and response.
Proofpoint adds continuous detection, behavioural AI, and people-centric visibility on top of the native controls in Microsoft 365. It analyses email across the delivery lifecycle, correlates campaigns, and identifies your most attacked users. Security teams get more context to investigate and respond to advanced threats faster.
Proofpoint Core Email Protection connects to Microsoft 365 through the Microsoft Graph API and does not require MX record changes. Administrators keep their existing mail flow in place. Security teams add continuous detection and people-centric visibility while users keep working the way they do today.
Proofpoint Adaptive Email DLP uses behavioural AI to help prevent misdirected emails, misattached files, and email data theft in Microsoft 365. It learns normal communication patterns to flag unusual recipients and attachments, then warns or blocks the sender.