Sophos has added deep learning to its flagship email protection product.
Sophos Email Advanced now offers predictive security with active threat protection (ATP), anti-phishing email authentication, and outbound scanning and policy support.
SophosLabs research discovered that 75% of malware in an organisation is unique to that organisation which indicates the majority of attacks are zero-day. The only way to combat that is with deep learning neural network such as the one integrated into the Sophos Email sandboxing technology to quickly identify never-before-seen malicious files sent in email.
“With the growth of cloud-based platforms such as Office365 and Google G-Suite, organisations need an advanced security solution that detects zero-day threats and advanced malware. Ransomware-As-A-Service (RaaS) and packaged malware kits have made it easier for cybercriminals to customise and deliver more complex, targeted attacks through email,” said Bill Lucchini, senior vice president and general manager, Messaging Security Group at Sophos. “IT needs smarter, predictive security to detect and stop today’s threats. Sophos Central cloud-based management of Sophos Email Advanced can deliver the highest levels of protection to secure any email platform, allowing every user to trust their inbox again.”
Email continues to be a primary attack vector for cybercriminals to launch a spear-phishing, localised or ‘spray and pray’ campaign. Sophos processes data from more than ten million inboxes protected by Sophos Email every day. Approximately 80% of the emails categorised as spam are found to have a malicious payload. As we’ve seen over the past few years, email is also the primary method used to spread ransomware.
A recent study by Sophos showed that more than 50% of organisations worldwide have suffered a ransomware attack in the last 12 months. Sophos Email Advanced includes CryptoGuard technology in the sandbox to stop ransomware before it makes it to employee’s inboxes. Another primary defence against ransomware and phishing attacks is Time-of-Click protection, which scans the URL at the time of click, preventing stealthy and delayed attacks. Outbound scanning and multiple policy support can prevent a compromised organisation from unintentionally forwarding malware or sending spam out to customers or partners, reducing the community impact of an attack and protecting an organisation’s reputation.
When managed through the Sophos Central management platform, Sophos Email forma part of an integrated data protection system for the end user. IT professionals can manage Intercept X endpoint protection alongside Sophos Email Advanced and Phish Threat user awareness training, providing a stronger defence to detect and block threats, and train users against being the weakest link in their security strategy. Threat data from Sophos Email Advanced can enhance Synchronised Security intelligence and contribute to the overall community intelligence within SophosLabs.
