API-Based Email Security vs Secure Email Gateways (SEGs)
API-based email security is a modern approach to protecting your organization's email environment by integrating directly with cloud email platforms like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace via APIs. Unlike traditional Secure Email Gateways, API-based solutions work natively inside your email platform.
How API-Based Email Security Works
API-based solutions connect directly to your cloud email system using OAuth and secure APIs. Instead of scanning emails in transit, they monitor mailboxes, analyze message metadata, content, and user behavior after delivery—enabling detection of sophisticated threats that bypass traditional gateways.
Post-delivery threat detection
Detects business email compromise, account takeovers, and sophisticated attacks after email delivery
Behavioral analysis and contextual detection
Analyzes user behavior patterns and communication context to identify anomalies
Automated remediation
Automatically quarantines threats, rewinds malicious emails, and alerts security teams
Advanced visibility into internal emails
Monitors lateral phishing attempts and internal communication threats
API vs. Secure Email Gateway (SEG)
See how API-based email security compares to traditional Secure Email Gateways across key features and capabilities.
Why Organizations Are Switching to API-Based Email Security
Modern threats like phishing, account compromise, and zero-day attacks don't follow predictable patterns. Attackers now use trusted infrastructure (e.g., Google Drive, Salesforce, Zoom) to deliver malicious links and payloads.
API-based security advantages:
Detects social engineering and intent-based threats better
Integrates directly with SIEM/SOAR platforms for faster response
Works alongside Microsoft Defender or Google protection, not in place of it
Offers instant deployment with no impact on mail flow
Modern Threat Landscape
Who Should Use API-Based Email Security?
API-based solutions are ideal for modern organizations looking to enhance their email security posture.
Cloud-native organizations using Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
Security teams looking to augment existing native tools
Companies tired of managing brittle SEG rules and false positives
Those seeking real-time incident response and forensic capabilities
Ready to Modernize Your Email Security?
As email attacks grow more sophisticated, API-based email security is becoming the preferred approach for forward-thinking security teams. It offers faster deployment, deeper protection, and smarter detection—without the complexity and limitations of traditional gateways.
The Future of Email Security is API-Based
As email attacks grow more sophisticated, API-based email security is becoming the preferred approach for forward-thinking security teams. It offers faster deployment, deeper protection, and smarter detection—without the complexity and limitations of traditional gateways.
If you're evaluating ways to modernize your email defenses, API-based security should be at the top of your list.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Secure Email Gateway (SEG) is a traditional email security solution that filters inbound and outbound email traffic, typically by rerouting MX records. SEGs scan emails for spam, malware, and phishing before delivery.
API-based email security integrates directly with cloud email platforms like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, providing post-delivery protection, behavioral analysis, and seamless deployment without MX record changes.
Yes, API-based email security is designed to augment native cloud protections, providing additional layers of detection and remediation.
Yes, API-based solutions require no MX record changes and can be deployed in minutes, reducing complexity and risk.