Area 1 Security Alternatives: Email Security Options and the Training and DLP Tools to Pair Them With

Area 1 Security built cloud email protection against phishing, business email compromise and malware, and is now part of Cloudflare. Teams look for alternatives when they want a different deployment model, a vendor already in their stack or bundled training and data protection. Cloudflare now sells the technology as Cloudflare Email Security, which can be deployed inline, through an API or both.

SaaSPodium does not list standalone email security gateways today, so this guide compares the main alternative families and then points to listed products that close the gaps around them: awareness training, data protection and security operations. For sender authentication fundamentals, read the DMARC specification (RFC 7489) and the NIST guide to trustworthy email (SP 800-177). Browse the Security Awareness Training Software category for the human layer.

What Area 1 Security Does

Area 1 Security analyzes incoming messages for phishing, malware and impersonation before they reach inboxes. Cloudflare describes its current service as AI-driven protection that looks at sender reputation and conversation context, with deployment inline, by API or both.

• Targets phishing, business email compromise and malware.
• Flexible deployment, as described by Cloudflare.
• Sold today under the Cloudflare Email Security name; confirm pricing with Cloudflare.

How to Evaluate an Email Security Alternative

Judge each option on how it deploys, how well it catches targeted attacks and what it costs your administrators. Ask for a proof of concept on your own mail flow, because vendor detection rates rarely match your traffic.

• Deployment: MX record gateway, inline connector or API to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace.
• Detection: impersonation, link rewriting, attachment sandboxing and post-delivery removal.
• Authentication: support for SPF, DKIM and DMARC reporting.
• Response: user report buttons and automated clean-up.
• Integrations: SIEM, SOAR and ticketing.

Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is the native option for organizations on Microsoft 365. It reduces vendor count and integrates with the rest of the Microsoft security stack, although some teams add a second layer for specialized impersonation detection.

• Best for: Microsoft 365 customers.
• Check: licensing tier required for the protection you need.
• Pair with: a SIEM for incident correlation.

Proofpoint and Mimecast

Proofpoint and Mimecast are long-established secure email gateway vendors that also sell awareness training. Both suit organizations that want a mature gateway with broad policy controls and are willing to run an MX-based deployment.

• Both appear on SaaSPodium through their training products: Proofpoint Security Awareness and Mimecast Awareness Training.
• Check: archiving, continuity and data loss prevention add-ons.
• Best for: larger enterprises with dedicated email administrators.

Barracuda and FortiMail

Barracuda and Fortinet FortiMail offer gateway and cloud options that attract small and mid-size businesses and customers already standardized on their other products. They are practical when you want email protection bundled with network security.

• FortiMail suits teams running Fortinet FortiGate firewalls.
• Check: appliance versus cloud, since support models differ.
• Best for: teams that value a single-vendor security fabric.

Check Point Harmony Email (Avanan)

Check Point Harmony Email, formerly Avanan, connects to cloud email through APIs rather than redirecting mail flow. That approach deploys quickly and can remove threats after delivery, which suits teams that want less change to existing routing.

• Best for: Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace users.
• Related listings: Check Point Quantum for network security.
• Check: coverage of internal email and collaboration tools.

Close the Human Gap With Awareness Training

No gateway stops every message, so train staff to spot and report what gets through. Phishing simulation and short lessons reduce click rates over time and give security teams real reports to act on.

• KnowBe4: phishing simulation and training, from $18 on SaaSPodium.
• Hoxhunt: human risk management platform.
• Cofense PhishMe: phishing simulation backed by crowd-sourced intelligence.
• PhishingBox: phishing simulation and training, from $3.

Protect Data That Leaves by Email

Email security also covers outbound mistakes, such as sending the wrong spreadsheet to the wrong person. Data loss prevention tools inspect outgoing messages and block or encrypt sensitive content.

• Proofpoint Enterprise DLP: people-centric data loss prevention.
• Microsoft Purview Information Protection: governs and protects data across Microsoft 365.
• See the Data Loss Prevention Software category for ten options.

Running a Proof of Concept

A two-week proof of concept on live mail gives you better evidence than a demo. Run candidates in monitor mode first, compare what each catches that your current filter misses and measure false positives before enforcement.

1. Pick one or two alternatives and a pilot group.
2. Deploy in monitor or API mode alongside the current filter.
3. Record caught, missed and falsely flagged messages.
4. Test user reporting and automated remediation.
5. Calculate cost per protected mailbox before deciding.

Licence is the vendor quote, admin hours cover tuning and incident handling and mailboxes is the number of protected users. Use the same inputs for every vendor.

Reporting and Response Workflow

Detection is only half of email defense. The other half is what happens when a user reports a suspicious message: how fast it is triaged, whether copies are pulled from other mailboxes and whether the sender is blocked everywhere.

• Add a one-click report button to every mail client.
• Route reports to a shared queue with a response target.
• Automate removal of confirmed phishing from all mailboxes.
• Feed indicators to your SIEM so analysts see related activity.
• Tell the reporter the outcome, which keeps reporting rates high.

Which Alternative Fits Which Team

Microsoft 365 shops with limited staff often start with Defender for Office 365. Larger enterprises that want a mature gateway with archiving look at Proofpoint or Mimecast, while Fortinet users consider FortiMail. Teams that prefer quick API deployment evaluate Check Point Harmony Email or Cloudflare itself.

Whatever you choose, record a clear exit plan. Email security sits in the mail path, so know how to bypass or replace it if the vendor has an outage, and test that plan once a year.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does email security software cost?
Email security is usually priced per mailbox per year and is quote-based, so there is no single figure. Ask each vendor for a quote based on your mailbox count and compare cost per protected mailbox including administration time. Check current pricing with Cloudflare for Area 1.

Can I replace Area 1 Security without changing my email provider?
Usually yes. API-based and inline tools connect to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace without moving mailboxes, while gateway tools need an MX record change. Run the new tool in monitor mode first so you can compare results before switching enforcement.

Do I still need security awareness training with an email security tool?
Yes. Filters miss some targeted messages, and attackers also use phone, chat and text. Phishing simulation and reporting habits reduce the damage from messages that slip through, and the reports give your security team early warning.