Let’s start with inbound email routing:
API point solutions are leaving your MX records exposed
Main Takeaway: API point solutions are broadcasting to hackers where an organization’s email is hosted.
Weighing email security gateways versus point solutions? Let’s start with MX records. An MX record (mail exchange record) publishes where to route an organization’s email to the public internet. API point solutions offer a less secure approach because the organization’s MX will be pointed directly to the email host. This is essentially broadcasting to the public where an organization’s most valuable communication data is kept. There’s nothing between the organization and the Internet, leaving an organization’s MX records exposed. An inbound email gateway protects the location of your email hosting by preventing exposure via your MX records.
When an organization doesn’t have its MX records pointed to a gateway, they are broadcasting to hackers where their email is hosted. Knowing where an organization hosts their email just makes the hackers’ job easier. A secure email platform with an inbound gateway in place masks the hosting information so the organization’s email setup isn’t exposed to a third party.
Mailprotector is the easiest place to deploy MX records. You should be pointing your MX records somewhere other than where you are hosting your email. We have made that a simple process that only takes a few minutes.
Why do email API point solutions say secure email gateways are out-of-date?
Main Takeaway: It is easier for email security startups to use APIs into Google or Microsoft. But because they don’t have a gateway, their marketing tactic is to tell MSPs they don’t need a gateway.
The main reason you don’t see startups investing in secure email gateways is not because the tech is old, as they may have you believe. It is because building a secure email gateway is hard!
The truth is that building a secure email gateway takes infrastructure, capital and a lot of experience. It cannot be built overnight like a web app. It is much easier to build APIs into Google or M365.
These API point solutions are taking the path of least resistance and then their marketing tactic is to tell the world that SEGs are old technology. In actuality, API point solutions leave organizations vulnerable because they don’t control the total flow of email. Organizations using these API point solutions are announcing to hackers where their email is hosted.
The other reason for the bad rap on email gateway services is because many secure email gateway platforms are actually out-of-date. Many become dated because company priorities change, additional offerings are created, and investments are earmarked for the shiny new object. Some of these older secure email gateway vendors have sunset their SEG offerings because they are requiring too much time, effort, and money to stay current. Many other SEGs have become stagnant and failed to innovate their products.
So, the SEG approach isn’t flawed – it has significant advantages for those vendors who are willing to continue the investment in time and staff. Mailprotector understands this and continues to innovate as a complete email security platform that delivers its complete solution through a secure email gateway.