Select and Implement an Email Security Gateway

Within the Email Security Gateway (ESG) marketplace, there are numerous vendors with varying options. Each of these vendors claim to be the best fit for your organization and it can be difficult to determine which vendor to choose.
Today, ESG technology offers a wide variety of security and IT related functions. An ESG must serve a multitude of functions for the organization as well as meet an array of requirements, all of which can be hard to accurately assess and include confidently.
IT security always struggles with costs. An email gateway can become expensive, but it is vital and a strong case must be made for implementation, improvement, or replacement scenarios.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Get it out to the cloud: Cloud adoption among business functions is already high. Moving email to the cloud is just another step. Take this into consideration when selecting an ESG.
The professional attack: They are advancing day in and day out. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) and Zero-Day attacks are changing the way organizations deal with threats. Recognize the need for greater visibility and tools that stay on top of these developments.

Impact and Result

Gain visibility into your organization’s email related security incidents and email volumes.
Identify your organization’s requirements for an ESG.
Understand what’s new within the ESG market to properly evaluate all capabilities and functions of an ESG.
Evaluate ESG vendors and products based on your enterprise requirements.
Implement an ESG with supporting policies and processes.
Develop standard operating procedures around gateway and email handling to ensure high security value and sustainable benefits from the ESG.

Select and Implement an Email Security Gateway Research & Tools

1. Determine email security gateway appropriateness

Increase visibility into email-related security incidents and understand your organization's email volumes.

2. Identify the organization's email security gateway requirements

Determine what the organization needs from an ESG.

3. Perform a financial analysis of ESG deployment options

Determine expected ROI from an ESG to gauge TCO and the selection process.

4. Evaluate email security gateway deployment options

Evaluate, communicate, and solicit responses from vendors.

5. Deploy the email security gateway

Efficiently and quickly deploy the ESG and ensure proper processes and people are allocated and developed.

6. Ensure continued email gateway sustainability

Move from a project to a program and achieve strong vendor relations.

Select and Implement an Email Security Gateway visualization

The emails you want are only the tip of the iceberg compared to what you get.

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Table of Contents

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 1-phase advisory process. You'll receive 4 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Call 1: Email security gateway event analysis

Determine the appropriateness for your ESG. Properly understand what constitutes an email-related incident and which ones are most prevalent, what your email volumes mean for you, and what this means for your email security risk posture.
Call 2: ESG requirements gathering

Determine what you need based on the solutions provided and not the features themselves. Know the available solutions that are being provided by current ESG offerings and what features your organization requires. This is the first major step in vendor evaluation.
Call 3: ESG TCO and ROI

Develop an accurate TCO and ROI in order to best gauge the financial parameters of your ESG as well as develop a strong communication point. Understand what goes into the costs of an ESG and the financial benefits that can be realized from proper implementation of one.
Call 4: Vendor Landscape: Email Security Gateway

Discuss the market space and how vendors are evaluated. Review vendor RFPs and ensure the solution is meeting your needs. Review contracts and discuss best practices in negotiation tactics to get the best price for your solution.