Email Security
"Stop the leading attack vector before it reaches your inbox."
Email is the primary attack vector for Pakistani organisations. Default spam filtering in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace consistently misses targeted attacks, lookalike domains, and novel phishing campaigns. A dedicated gateway with machine learning detection, sandboxed attachment analysis, and DMARC enforcement closes the gaps that native filtering leaves open.
Email is the leading attack vector for the majority of breaches in Pakistani organisations.
Phishing, BEC, malware attachments, and credential harvesting links all arrive via the same channel.
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace default filtering is optimised for low false positives, not aggressive detection.
Targeted phishing and BEC attacks consistently bypass native filtering because they do not match known signatures.
BEC fraud targeting Pakistani finance and HR teams has resulted in significant fraudulent wire transfers.
These attacks use no malware. They bypass antivirus entirely. Impersonation detection is the specific control that stops them.
01 / Gateway
What Does an Email Security Gateway Do?
A dedicated email security gateway goes significantly beyond what native Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace filtering provides. Sandboxed attachment analysis, URL rewriting, and machine learning models trained on current phishing campaign patterns are capabilities that default configurations lack.
The gateway sits in front of your mail platform as a relay. All inbound mail passes through it before reaching user inboxes. Suspicious email is quarantined with clear notification so users and administrators can review it.
Want to see what targeted attacks your current email filtering is missing?
Request an email security assessment →02 / DMARC
What Is DMARC and Why Does It Matter?
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) instructs receiving mail servers how to handle email that fails SPF and DKIM checks. A properly configured DMARC policy in enforcement mode prevents attackers from sending email that appears to come from your domain.
For Pakistani organisations, this matters in two directions: preventing your brand from being used in phishing attacks against your clients and suppliers, and ensuring your outbound email reaches inboxes rather than spam folders. We implement and monitor DMARC as a standard component of every email security deployment.
Without DMARC enforcement, any attacker can send email that appears to come from your domain.
Your clients and suppliers receive phishing emails that look exactly like they came from you. DMARC stops this at the authentication layer.
Not sure whether your domain has DMARC enforcement in place?
Request a free DMARC check →03 / BEC
What Is Business Email Compromise and How Is It Stopped?
BEC fraud involves attackers impersonating executives, suppliers, or trusted contacts to request fraudulent wire transfers or sensitive data. Pakistani finance and HR teams are targeted heavily. BEC attacks typically use display name spoofing or lookalike domains rather than malware, which means they bypass antivirus entirely.
Email security platforms with impersonation detection flag emails that claim to be from executives but originate from external domains, apply warning banners to all external email, and can enforce approval workflows for payment instruction emails where configured.
BEC uses no malware. Antivirus does not stop it. Impersonation detection does.
A finance team receives a wire transfer request appearing to come from the CFO. Without impersonation detection, the payment goes through.
Pakistani finance teams are a primary BEC target. Is yours protected?
Request an assessment →04 / Platforms
What Platforms Does Xtrivain Deploy for Email Security?
Platform selection is based on your existing mail platform, current Microsoft licences, and the level of BEC and targeted attack protection required. We advise transparently on the trade-offs.
Ready to assess
Understand what your current email security is missing. Assessment delivered within 5 business days.
Proofpoint
Market-leading email security with superior BEC detection, targeted attack protection, and threat intelligence. Consistently outperforms native Microsoft filtering in independent tests for targeted and novel attacks.
Mimecast
Strong BEC prevention, email archiving, and continuity capabilities. Effective for organisations requiring both security and email resilience in a single platform.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 P2
Most cost-effective path for Microsoft 365 organisations with existing licences. Adds impersonation protection, attack simulation training, and advanced threat hunting over the base Defender plan.
Barracuda Email Security
Solid protection at competitive pricing for SME environments. Good integration with both Microsoft 365 and on-premise Exchange deployments.
DMARC Implementation
We implement and monitor DMARC, DKIM, and SPF as standard on all email security deployments. Enforcement mode is the target, reached through a structured phased rollout to avoid legitimate mail disruption.
05 / FAQ
Common Questions
Still have questions?
Talk to our team. No obligation, no sales pitch.
Related Services
Relevant Industries
Request an Email Security Assessment
Fill in the form or reach us directly. We respond within one business day. For active incidents, call 03062257557, monitored 24/7.