Email is a ubiquitous communication tool used by individuals and businesses alike. Unfortunately, it’s also a prime target for cybercriminals, so it’s crucial to have the best email-scanning software in place to protect against these threats.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the top email scanners available in 2023. From Norton 360’s comprehensive suite of anti-virus tools to open-source solutions like MailScanner, there’s no shortage of options to choose from.
Whether you’re a small business owner or a tech-savvy individual, you’re sure to find an email scanner that meets your needs.
What is Email Scanning & How Does It Work?
Email scanning is an automated process that checks every email message for viruses, malware, and spam. It also inspects links and attachments for possible malicious attacks and looks for signs of email spoofing commonly used in impersonation attacks.
This technology is deployed both at the email perimeter and inside it, using the latest threat intelligence and corporate content control and DLP policies to block, quarantine, or flag emails that may contain any potential threats.
These solutions can use various techniques to identify malicious content, such as scanning for signatures of known malware variants and using AI and ML to detect novel threats or potential social engineering attacks.
But what are the exact malware and other threats that email scanners can detect?
List of Common Email Malware Threats
Email scanning solutions can help identify and block various types of email threats. These solutions include:
- Phishing: Social engineering attacks that trick users into taking actions that harm the organization. Email scanners can detect and block business email compromise (BEC) and other social engineering attacks.
- Malware: Including ransomware and info stealers, can be delivered through email. Email scanning solutions can inspect email attachments for potentially malicious content, including executables, ZIP archives, and documents. Scanners with Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) functionality can dissect malicious documents, remove malicious content, and rebuild sanitized documents.
- Malicious URLs: Emails can also use malicious URLs to direct users to phishing pages.
- Data Leakage: Email can be used to carry sensitive data out of the organization. Email scanning solutions may include data loss prevention (DLP) functionality that identifies and blocks emails carrying sensitive data to unauthorized recipients.
Best Email Scanners in 2023
Unfortunately, with the convenience of email comes the constant threat of cyber-attacks through malicious emails. That’s where email scanning software comes in.
Here are the top email scanners for 2023:
First on the list is Norton 360, the highly-rated anti-virus utility. Its Premium subscription offers a complete package of anti-spyware, antivirus, malware, and ransomware protection, including a separate email scanner that checks incoming attachments and hyperlinks for viruses, spyware, and malware.
Next is AVG Internet Security, which offers a freeware version and a premium version with a limited email scanner that can block suspicious email attachments, spam, and phishing emails. The software also includes various email configuration options and advanced features such as AI detection and behavior shields.
For those looking for an all-in-one solution, Mimecast provides email security, continuity, archiving, compliance, and backup and recovery, all in a cloud-based subscription service. Its email scanning system can scan all inbound, outbound, and internal emails for threats to the organization.
CheckPoint/Avanan also offers a comprehensive email security platform that can replace SEG and non-SEG for inbox security, with the recent acquisition of Avanan by Check Point making it a stronger WFH security contender.
Barracuda Email Threat Scanner is another powerful email scanner, with an artificial intelligence platform that understands the sender’s intent to detect social engineering attacks.
SpamTitan is a double anti-virus email scanner with a 99.99% spam catch rate, while MailScanner is an open-source email security system designed for Linux-based email gateways, used by top government departments, corporations, and educational institutions worldwide.
With the constant threat of cyber attacks, it’s essential to have email scanning software that can keep you protected.
Choose the best email scanner for your needs and keep your emails safe and secure.
