Summary
Proofpoint is a widely adopted email security solution for larger corporations, acting as a gateway to filter email before it reaches the user's inbox. It provides comprehensive protection against malware, phishing, and other email-borne threats, often enhancing existing security systems like Exchange Online Protection. However, Proofpoint's filtering mechanisms, which include sender reputation analysis, content inspection, and behavioral analysis, can significantly impact email deliverability. Blacklisting by Proofpoint, whether due to poor IP/domain reputation, spammy content, aggressive spam thresholds, or the triggering of commercial blocklists, can result in emails being blocked, quarantined, or sent to the junk folder. While some techniques, such as sophisticated spoofing, might bypass its filters, misconfigurations or overly strict settings can also lead to legitimate emails being incorrectly flagged. Proactive monitoring of sender reputation, adherence to email authentication best practices, and avoidance of spam triggers are crucial for maintaining deliverability when sending emails to organizations using Proofpoint. Understanding Proofpoint's configuration and maintaining awareness of its commercial blocklists can further aid in ensuring successful email delivery.
Key findings
- Widespread Corporate Use: Proofpoint is commonly used by larger corporations as an email security solution.
- Enhanced Security Layer: Proofpoint enhances existing email security systems like Exchange Online Protection (EOP).
- Filtering Mechanisms: Proofpoint uses sender reputation, content analysis, and behavioral analysis to filter emails.
- Blacklisting Impact: Blacklisting by Proofpoint can severely impact email deliverability.
- Potential for False Positives: Misconfiguration or aggressive settings can lead to legitimate emails being blocked (false positives).
- Commercial Blocklist Influence: Proofpoint utilizes commercial blocklists, impacting deliverability to corporate users.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation Monitoring: Proactively monitor sender reputation to avoid blacklisting.
- Email Authentication Best Practices: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for email authentication.
- Content Optimization: Avoid spam triggers within email content (keywords, broken links, etc.).
- Threshold Awareness: Be aware of Proofpoint's potentially aggressive spam thresholds.
- Commercial Blocklist Monitoring: Monitor your presence on commercial blocklists that Proofpoint might utilize.
- Understanding Proofpoint Configuration: Understand how Proofpoint is configured by recipients to tailor sending practices.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
Proofpoint is widely used by larger corporations as an email security solution, providing advanced filtering and protection against various email-borne threats. Its filtering mechanisms can significantly impact email deliverability. Blacklisting by Proofpoint, whether due to poor IP/domain reputation, suspicious content, or aggressive spam thresholds, can result in emails being blocked, quarantined, or sent to the junk folder. While Proofpoint offers robust security, misconfigurations or overly strict settings can lead to legitimate emails being flagged as spam. Some techniques like sophisticated spoofing might bypass its filters. Proactive monitoring of sender reputation and adherence to email authentication best practices are crucial for maintaining deliverability when sending emails to organizations using Proofpoint.
Key opinions
- Widespread Use: Proofpoint is commonly deployed by larger organizations for email security.
- Deliverability Impact: Blacklisting by Proofpoint can severely affect email deliverability, causing bounces or junk folder placement.
- Filtering Mechanisms: Proofpoint uses sender reputation, content analysis, and behavioral analysis to filter emails.
- Configuration Sensitivity: Misconfiguration or overly aggressive settings can lead to legitimate emails being blocked.
- False Positives: False positives can happen, where legitimate email is incorrectly flagged.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation: Monitor your sender reputation to avoid blacklisting.
- Email Authentication: Implement email authentication best practices (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Content Review: Ensure email content is not triggering spam filters (avoid spammy keywords, broken links, etc.).
- Threshold Awareness: Be aware of Proofpoint's spam thresholds, which might be more aggressive than other filters.
- Bypass Potential: While rare, sophisticated spoofing techniques might bypass Proofpoint's filters.
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailVendorSelection.com explains that Proofpoint's filtering can sometimes be bypassed with sophisticated spoofing or if the email originates from a trusted source. Also, internal email can be blocked by ProofPoint, there can be some configuration challenges, and also false positives can happen.
17 Oct 2024 - EmailVendorSelection.com
Marketer view
Email marketer from Slashdot explains that depending on how it's configured, Proofpoint uses sender reputation, content analysis, and behavioral analysis to identify and block spam. Misconfiguration or overly aggressive settings can lead to legitimate emails being blocked.
28 Jul 2024 - Slashdot
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Experts confirm that Proofpoint is frequently used by larger corporations for email security. Triggering Proofpoint's filters can lead to deliverability problems, including blacklisting. While Proofpoint uses commercial blocklists, their impact on deliverability, though significant, is not as widespread as public blocklists.
Key opinions
- Common Usage: Proofpoint is a common email security solution in larger corporate environments.
- Deliverability Issues: Triggering Proofpoint's filters can result in email deliverability issues, including blacklisting.
- Commercial Blocklists: Proofpoint utilizes commercial blocklists that influence email deliverability.
- Transparency: Proofpoint is fairly transparent about its processes and configuration
Key considerations
- Email Practices: Ensure email practices do not trigger Proofpoint's filters to avoid deliverability problems.
- Blocklist Awareness: Be aware that being listed on Proofpoint's commercial blocklists can impact email delivery to corporate users.
- Proactive Measures: Take proactive measures to avoid getting added to Proofpoint's commercial blocklist
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource details that commercial blocklists like the ones used by Proofpoint do have an effect on email deliverability, but they are not used as widely as public blocklists. Being listed on such a list can definitely impact whether your email reaches the inbox of corporate users.
11 Mar 2023 - Spamresource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Proofpoint is indeed frequently used by larger corporations and that if your email practices trigger their filters, it can cause deliverability problems, including blacklisting. She also mentions that they are fairly transparent with their processes which is good.
28 Feb 2023 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Documentation from various sources indicates that Proofpoint is used for comprehensive email security, protecting against malware, phishing, and other threats. It can enhance existing systems like Exchange Online Protection by providing an additional layer of security. Poor sender reputation, spam scores, and content matching phishing patterns can lead to emails being blocked. Proactive monitoring of sender reputation and implementing email authentication best practices are crucial to avoid deliverability issues when sending to organizations using Proofpoint.
Key findings
- Comprehensive Security: Proofpoint provides comprehensive email security, protecting against various threats.
- Enhanced Protection: Proofpoint can enhance existing email security systems like Exchange Online Protection.
- Blocked Emails: Poor sender reputation, spam scores, and phishing patterns can lead to emails being blocked.
- False flagging: Services like Proofpoint, if configured with aggressive settings, can incorrectly flag legitimate emails.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation: Proactively monitor sender reputation to avoid being blacklisted.
- Authentication: Implement email authentication best practices (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Content: Avoid spam triggers within email content (keywords, links, etc.).
- Reputation Monitoring: Proactively monitor domain reputation for malicious activity
Technical article
Documentation from Proofpoint states their solutions provide comprehensive email security, protecting against malware, phishing, and other email-borne threats. They offer advanced threat detection and prevention capabilities that can filter out malicious content before it reaches the user's inbox.
6 Jun 2024 - Proofpoint
Technical article
Documentation from Cisco describes their email security appliance which is a competing product and explains that poor sender reputation, high spam scores, and content matching known phishing patterns can lead to emails being blocked. If Proofpoint or similar services are configured with aggressive settings, legitimate emails might be flagged incorrectly.
29 Jul 2022 - Cisco
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