Mimecast

Overview

Mimecast is a leading cybersecurity company specializing in cloud-based email management and security solutions. Its platform is designed to protect organizations from a wide range of email-borne threats, including phishing, malware, ransomware, and business email compromise (BEC). Beyond security, Mimecast also offers services for email archiving, continuity, and data leak prevention, providing a holistic approach to email risk management and operational resilience.

Key Features

• Advanced Threat Protection: Employs multiple layers of defense, including sandboxing, URL rewriting, impersonation protection, and AI-driven threat detection to identify and block sophisticated cyberattacks.
• Email Security: Offers robust protection against spam, viruses, malware, phishing, and advanced persistent threats (APTs).
• Data Leak Prevention (DLP): Monitors outbound emails and other communication channels to prevent sensitive data from leaving the organization unintentionally or maliciously.
• Email Archiving: Provides a secure, long-term archive for all inbound, outbound, and internal emails, facilitating compliance, e-discovery, and knowledge retrieval.
• Email Continuity: Ensures uninterrupted email access during network outages or planned downtime through a managed failover service.
• User Awareness Training: Offers integrated training modules to educate employees about cybersecurity threats and best practices, helping to build a stronger human firewall.
• Secure Messaging & File Transfer: Provides encrypted channels for sending sensitive information securely.

Typical Use Cases

Mimecast is widely adopted by organizations of all sizes, particularly those in regulated industries or those handling sensitive data, to address critical email security and compliance needs. Common use cases include:

• Protecting against advanced phishing and BEC attacks: Safeguarding employees from sophisticated social engineering tactics that aim to steal credentials or financial information.
• Meeting regulatory compliance requirements: Ensuring adherence to data retention policies, e-discovery obligations, and privacy regulations through secure email archiving and DLP.
• Ensuring business continuity: Maintaining email operations even during critical infrastructure failures or cyber incidents.
• Reducing the attack surface: Consolidating multiple security and compliance tools into a single, integrated platform.
• Securing remote and hybrid workforces: Providing consistent email security and data protection regardless of user location or device.

Pricing & Hosting Model

Mimecast operates on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. Pricing is typically subscription-based and tiered according to the specific modules and services an organization requires. Customers pay per user, per month or year. Mimecast's platform is hosted in the cloud, eliminating the need for on-premises hardware infrastructure for its core services. This cloud-native approach allows for scalability, flexibility, and rapid deployment.

Alternatives

Several other vendors offer comprehensive email security and management solutions. Key alternatives to Mimecast include:

• Proofpoint: A major competitor offering a broad suite of cybersecurity solutions, including advanced threat protection, email security, and compliance.
• Microsoft 365 Defender (formerly Office 365 ATP): Integrated security features within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, offering protection against various email threats.
• Cisco Secure Email: Provides threat intelligence and security controls for email, including anti-spam, anti-malware, and data loss prevention.
• Barracuda Networks: Offers a range of email security and data protection solutions, including threat protection, archiving, and backup.
• Google Workspace Security: Security features built into Google Workspace, designed to protect against email threats and ensure data security.