In short
Symantec Email Security.cloud is Broadcom's cloud secure email gateway. Your MX records point at Symantec, which scans inbound and outbound mail for spam, phishing, business email compromise and malware before delivery. The Email Safeguard.cloud package combines anti-spam, multi-scanner anti-malware with link checking, and content and image control, licensed per user, in front of any SMTP mail system.
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What Symantec Email Security.cloud is
Symantec Email Security.cloud is the cloud email security service from Broadcom, which owns the Symantec enterprise security brand. It is a secure email gateway: you point your domain's MX records at Symantec's cloud, which scans each inbound message for spam, malware and phishing before passing clean mail to your mail system. Outbound mail can be routed through the same service and checked on the way out, and Symantec rejects outbound mail it identifies as spam, which helps protect your domain's reputation.
Email Safeguard.cloud is a package of Email Security.cloud services. It is the package we supply, and it brings threat filtering and policy controls together for one per-user licence. Because it is a gateway, it works in front of Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, on-premises Exchange or any other mail server that receives mail over SMTP, which is the main reason organisations with hybrid or self-hosted mail shortlist it.
What Email Safeguard.cloud includes
The Email Safeguard.cloud package includes:
| Service | What it does |
|---|---|
| Anti-spam | Several detection methods, including approved and blocked sender lists, SPF and DMARC checks, a dynamic IP block list and spam signatures |
| Business email compromise detection | Business Email Scam Analyzer detections, reported alongside other spam and malware detections |
| Outbound spam scanning | Outbound mail identified as spam is rejected before it leaves |
| Anti-malware | Multiple scanners, including Symantec's Skeptic heuristic scanner, designed to catch new and previously unseen malware |
| Link following | Skeptic opens links in messages and checks the destination; once a link is confirmed as malicious, later mail containing it is blocked |
| Content control | Policies that check message text and attachments against keyword, regular expression, domain and URL lists, inbound and outbound |
| Image control | Approved and blocked image lists, a shared image database and image composition heuristics, with separate sensitivity for inbound and outbound mail |
| Quarantine and alerts | Mail blocked as malware is held for 30 days unless an authorised administrator releases it |
| Portal and reporting | Dashboards, Track and Trace message search, and scheduled summary and detailed reports |
Content control is what sets a gateway like this apart from most API products. It lets you write rules for mail entering and leaving the organisation, for example holding messages that contain account numbers, which is a simple form of email DLP. Image control is useful for schools and any organisation with an acceptable use policy to enforce.
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Add-ons for advanced threats, DLP and encryption
Some capabilities sit outside Email Safeguard.cloud as separate Symantec add-ons:
- Email Threat Detection, Response, and Isolation: click-time URL protection, Cynic sandboxing, clawback of delivered mail and advanced isolation
- DLP for Email Security: fuller data loss prevention than content control alone
- PGP Encryption Service for Email Security: advanced encryption for outbound mail
If sandboxing and post-delivery removal matter to you, either add the threat detection add-on or pair the gateway with an API product. If you mainly need to send secure email to clients, a dedicated encryption service such as Echoworx is another route. We confirm what your subscription includes when we quote.
How it is deployed
Because Email Security.cloud is a gateway, there is no software to install on laptops or mail servers. What you need:
- Control of your domain's DNS so the MX records can be changed
- A mail platform that receives mail over SMTP: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, on-premises Exchange or another mail server
- Your mail platform set to accept inbound mail only from Symantec's service, so attackers cannot bypass the filter
- Outbound mail routed through the service if you want outbound scanning, with SPF updated to match
Users can be registered in the portal or imported from your directory with Symantec's Synchronization Tool, which reads addresses and group memberships from an LDAP directory such as Active Directory. A typical cutover:
- Provision your domains and users in the portal.
- Build anti-spam, content and image control policies to match your needs.
- Configure your mail platform's connectors (in Microsoft 365) or inbound gateway setting (in Google Workspace) and restrict inbound delivery to the gateway.
- Change the MX records at a quiet time and watch mail flow and quarantine closely for the first weeks.
- Update SPF, DKIM and DMARC so outbound mail through the gateway stays authenticated.
Is Symantec Email Security.cloud the right fit for you?
We will check it against your systems and requirements and recommend the right option.
Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and on-premises mail
With Microsoft 365, the gateway sits in front of Exchange Online. Microsoft's built-in protection still runs after it, so it is worth enabling Enhanced Filtering for Connectors so Microsoft sees the original sender IP and its spoof and DMARC checks keep working. Our Exchange Online Protection guide explains what Microsoft does after the gateway.
With Google Workspace, configure Gmail's inbound gateway setting with Symantec's IP ranges, so Gmail trusts the gateway and can reject mail that did not come through it. See our Google Workspace email security hub.
With on-premises or hybrid Exchange, a gateway is often the only practical layer, because API-only products need a cloud mailbox. That makes Email Security.cloud a good fit during a migration, as the filtering stays the same while mailboxes move.
What a gateway gives you, and what to plan for
Choosing a gateway is a different decision from choosing an API product. With Email Security.cloud you gain:
- Filtering before delivery, so most malicious mail does not reach your mail platform
- One policy for every mail system behind it, whether Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or on-premises
- Outbound control, with spam scanning and content rules on mail leaving the organisation
And you need to plan for:
- MX and connector changes, made carefully and at a quiet time
- Lock-down of your mail platform, so attackers cannot deliver straight to Microsoft 365 or Gmail and skip the gateway
- Internal mail, which does not pass through the gateway, so a compromised internal account is not seen
- Post-delivery removal, which needs the threat detection add-on or an API product alongside
Our ICES vs SEG comparison sets these trade-offs side by side.
Who it suits and the alternatives
Symantec Email Security.cloud suits organisations that want a separate filtering layer in front of their mail system, especially:
- Hybrid or self-hosted mail, where API-only products are not an option
- Regulated sectors and public bodies that want content rules applied to mail in and out
- Schools that need image control for staff and pupil mail
- Mixed estates that want one gateway policy across Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and on-premises servers
If you would rather keep your MX records pointing at Microsoft or Google, compare the API products in our email security solutions comparison. For another gateway with continuity and a long-term archive, see Proofpoint Essentials.
Licensing and how we help
Email Safeguard.cloud is licensed per user whose mail is protected and, through Forever Systems, billed monthly; the add-ons above are priced separately. Pricing depends on your user count, so ask us for a quote. The commercial detail is on our licensing site's Symantec Email Safeguard.cloud licensing page.
We can scope your domains and users, design policies, run the cutover and lock-down, and help afterwards with quarantine releases, spam tuning, content rules and user changes. Contact us for a quote or a review of your current email filtering.
How Forever Systems helps with email security
We are an independent UK IT and cyber security provider. We supply several email security platforms, so we can suggest what suits your mail system, your risks and your budget rather than pushing one product.
- Start with what you have: we can review the protection already built into Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace before suggesting anything extra
- Compare like for like: API-based protection, secure email gateways, encryption and DLP from the vendors we supply, explained in plain English
- Get authentication right: we help you plan SPF, DKIM, DMARC and MTA-STS so genuine mail is delivered and spoofed mail is not
- Deployment help: connecting a platform to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, mail routing changes and policy set-up, scoped at quote
- People and backup too: security awareness training, Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration and Sophos from our specialist sites
Tell us about your mail system and we will suggest options, with pricing confirmed at quote.
Frequently asked questions
What is Symantec Email Security.cloud?
Symantec Email Security.cloud is Broadcom's cloud email gateway. Your MX records point at Symantec, which scans inbound and outbound mail for spam, phishing, business email compromise and malware before it reaches your mail system.
What is the difference between Email Security.cloud and Email Safeguard.cloud?
Email Security.cloud is the service; Email Safeguard.cloud is a package of its features, combining anti-spam with BEC detection, multi-scanner anti-malware with link following, and content and image control, licensed per user.
Does Symantec Email Security.cloud work with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace?
Yes. As a gateway it sits in front of any mail system that receives mail over SMTP, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and on-premises Exchange.
Does Email Safeguard.cloud include sandboxing?
Not as standard. Cynic sandboxing, click-time URL protection and clawback are part of Symantec Email Threat Detection, Response, and Isolation, a separate add-on. Email Safeguard.cloud includes Skeptic link following.
How long does Symantec quarantine malicious email?
Mail blocked as malware is held for 30 days unless an administrator with quarantine access releases it.
Still have a question about Symantec Email Security.cloud?
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