Email remains the number one entry point for cyberattacks—and threat actors are constantly raising the bar. Phishing has moved far beyond fake email IDs; now, AI-driven techniques are used to craft convincing, targeted scams. Impersonation attempts and malware-laced attachments only add to the danger.
The cost of these attacks is staggering, with the average data breach reaching USD 4.88 million. Yet many businesses struggle to keep up, lacking the in-house expertise and budget to deploy enterprise-grade defenses.
This is where managed email security services step in, offering advanced protection against phishing, impersonation, and malware without the burden of managing it all internally.
In this article…
Let’s discuss how managed email security can shield your organization against the major cyber threats—Phishing, Impersonation, and Malware.
What Is Managed Email Security?
Managed email security is a service delivered by specialized providers who safeguard your organization’s email system using advanced tools, policies, and continuous monitoring. Instead of relying solely on in-house teams, businesses gain access to expert support that can detect, investigate, and respond to threats swiftly.
These services combine multiple layers of protection—such as threat intelligence, incident response, real-time reporting, impersonation defense, data encryption, and content analysis—to block phishing, malware, and other advanced attacks before they reach your inbox. In short, managed email security provides a comprehensive, expert-driven shield against evolving email threats.
Email Security: The Usual Suspects
Various threats can affect email security, human negligence being one of them. However, the most potent attacks are phishing, impersonation, and malware. Let’s examine how each affects email systems.
1. Phishing
Phishing is one of the most common but still the most effective forms of cyber threats. In the last quarter of 2024 alone, over 989,000 phishing attacks were reported globally.
In phishing, attackers send employees fraudulent emails to lure them into disclosing sensitive information, such as credit card details or social security numbers. In a business scenario, it can be client information or payment methods.
The ”Nigerian Prince” scam became very popular in its early days. Attackers emailed you as a wealthy individual asking for money and promising to return it multifold. Each of us has received phishing emails at one point or another.
2. Impersonation/Business Email Compromise (BEC)
BEC attacks have surged 1760% from 2022 to 2024. Business Email Compromise is similar to phishing attacks. However, the key difference lies in the targeted approach.
Attackers perpetrating BEC target specific individuals within an organization or vendors who have access to sensitive business information. Attackers pose as executives (generally in key positions), such as the CEO, so the employees must comply.
BEC emails not only impersonate the C-level executive’s email address but also their writing style and signatures. Although a BEC email might target fewer individuals than a phishing email, the information and financial rewards collected may be greater.
3. Malware
Managed email security is a service delivered by specialized providers who safeguard your organization’s email system using advanced tools, policies, and continuous monitoring. Instead of relying solely on in-house teams, businesses gain access to expert support that can detect, investigate, and respond to threats swiftly.
These services combine multiple layers of protection—such as threat intelligence, incident response, real-time reporting, impersonation defense, data encryption, and content analysis—to block phishing, malware, and other advanced attacks before they reach your inbox. In short, managed email security provides a comprehensive, expert-driven shield against evolving email threats.
Malware (an abbreviation of malicious software) is a software program that attackers inject into an employee’s system through email. Cyber threats, like ransomware, Trojan horses, or spyware, can be categorized as malware.
Once inside your business network, malware can cause significant damage. For instance, ransomware can encrypt business data, resulting in downtime and financial losses. Attackers usually send emails containing links to malicious websites or file attachments. Once employees click on them, the system is injected with malware.
How Managed Email Security Stops Phishing, Impersonation, and Malware Attacks
The email security features deployed by service providers may differ from each other. However, some essential features are common. Let’s have a look.
1. Automated Email Encryption
Automated email encryption automatically identifies emails containing sensitive data and encrypts them while being sent and stored. The encryption is based on predefined policies and sensitive data triggers. Encryption ensures that even if your mail is compromised, hackers cannot read it.
2. Advanced Threat Protection
Managed email security providers deploy advanced threat protection, which involves proactively identifying and mitigating advanced threat factors. It is achieved with the help of AI-based tools that inspect emails for malicious links and attachments.
3. Sandboxing
Sandboxing is a technique where the provider tests every email attachment and link in an isolated environment before delivering it to the user’s inbox. It adds another layer to spam filtering because sandboxing can easily detect the malicious file even if malware bypasses it.
4. 24/7 Monitoring
The service provider has a team of experts that monitors your email security system around the clock for any unusual behavior. The team identifies and responds to security incidents in real-time. Moreover, they also have escalation protocols to notify stakeholders.
5. Sender Authentication
Managed email security provider implements sender authentication to prevent impersonation attacks. They implement authentication standards, such as Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance), to ensure that the email is sent by a genuine person, not an impostor.
6. Multi-layered Content Analysis
Managed email security providers integrate AI-based tools to identify anomalies in writing patterns, email signatures, and URLs. Email attributes are analyzed to check authenticity. Moreover, providers block typo-squatted domains to prevent impersonation attempts.
For instance, for the email ID “[email protected],” all other similar IDs like [email protected] and [email protected] are blocked.
7. 360-Degree Visibility
Managed email security providers offer a centralized dashboard, real-time reports, and incident summaries, ensuring process visibility. They also ensure adherence to compliance standards, such as GDPR, and automate notifications and alerts in the case of a security event.
Secure your business with fully managed email security & 24/7 threat monitoring.
Why Businesses Must Opt for Managed Email Security
Managed email security is vital for every organization. However, with the evolving threats, deploying email security in-house can be challenging. Here is why businesses must opt for managed email security services.
1. Expert Operations
Managed email security providers deploy a team of experts with years of experience in managing an organization’s email security. For a small or medium-sized business, hiring such experts would mean added costs and effort.
2. No On-premise IT Dependencies
Security service providers manage every aspect of email security, from monitoring to mitigation. It relieves your IT team from all email security-related tasks and enables them to focus on other core matters.
3. Round-the-Clock Technical Support
Managed email security providers offer 24/7 customer support. Representatives are available 24/7 by phone, email, or chat to resolve any issue related to email security.
4. Access to Advanced Tools
A company must invest in an integrated set of tools and IT infrastructure to create a robust email security system. However, advanced tools available in the market are generally quite expensive, which takes up a large part of your budget. Email security providers offer a comprehensive email security solution with the latest tools and technologies on a subscription basis.
5. Cost Predictability
Most email security providers offer subscription-based pricing. It enables you to analyze the ROI better and avoid surprises in pricing. Moreover, businesses can reduce capital and operational costs, such as team training and hardware investments.
6. Compliance Guarantee
Opting for an email security provider helps you comply with all the major regulations, such as GDPR and FINRA. The providers have a compliance management team that updates the email security solution as per the new amendments. Moreover, they also offer compliance reports required for adherence.
7. Peace of Mind
Outsourcing email security frees businesses from all the hassles of managing email security in-house. Moreover, since providers mitigate most email threats, you don’t need to worry about data loss, information leaks, or reputational damage.
Choosing the Right Managed Email Security Partner
A managed email security service is one of the most effective ways to defend against advanced threats like phishing, malware, and Business Email Compromise (BEC). However, true protection depends on selecting the right provider. Not every vendor offers the same level of expertise, integration, or reliability.
When evaluating providers, look beyond the basics. Check their track record, industry reputation, and customer feedback. Ensure their solution integrates seamlessly with your email platform, offers multi-layered protection, and provides responsive 24/7 support. Pricing transparency and advanced features like automated reporting and impersonation defense are equally important.
With Ace Cloud Hosting, you don’t just get a service—you gain a trusted security partner. Our managed email security includes advanced threat defense, 24/7 monitoring, multi-layered content analysis, automated reporting, and a dedicated emergency inbox to keep your communication running even during an attack. Book a free consultation today!
