Legacy gateways aren’t always enough

The evolution to API-based email security

The worldwide pandemic reshaped the core of enterprise collaboration. As organizations rushed to Microsoft 365 for seamless cloud productivity, many carried over legacy security tools that were not designed for a borderless, cloud-native workplace.

In one case, a company relied on a traditional secure email gateway (SEG) positioned in front of its on-premise email system. When it migrated to Microsoft 365, integrating the two created new problems instead of improving protection. Because the SEG sat between employees and Microsoft’s built-in defenses, it prevented Microsoft from fully detecting and blocking threats. Microsoft 365 is designed to stop a high percentage of spam and phishing emails using insights from billions of global signals each day, so the company was paying for top-tier protection it couldn’t fully leverage. The result was a setup where neither system worked optimally, leaving IT teams to manage outdated tools, inconsistent filters and frustrated users—all while their workload continued to grow.

API-enabled platform for proactive defense

SDC launched a demo and trial of an advanced tool—Check Point Email & Collaboration—to clearly demonstrate its impact. It is an Application Programming Interface-based email and collaboration platform designed to operate within the cloud ecosystem, not in front of it. By plugging in, Email & Collaboration continuously scans messages, shared files, and user interactions using the provider’s own data.

By starting in detect-only mode, SDC could allow existing email to flow freely while also collecting data on spam, phishing, malware and other anomalous activity touching user inboxes. These initial insights prompted a trial extension to a group of highly targeted users. Results from this second trial gave management the confidence to approve a full rollout, which quickly delivered measurable gains. The company saw lighter strain on email defenses, less IT remediation, fewer disruptions, and far fewer phishing and malware incidents.

This real-world example underscores a larger truth: the perimeter-based security model doesn’t always fit the fluid nature of cloud collaboration. Tools like Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint expand how people share and store information, but in doing so, they also expand attack surfaces. As users add content to chats and shared folders, traditional email gateways lose visibility and security gaps widen. API-driven defenses connect directly to the cloud, preserving native protections while adding continuous monitoring, behavioral analytics and automation.

Achieving more from unified cloud-native email security

Security is not static—it’s a complex system that evolves alongside communication. Modernizing from legacy SEGs to API-based data and identity protection brings many advantages. It enables higher detection accuracy, and provides measurable improvements to user experience and alignment with Microsoft’s native security controls. Messages can be scanned, re-evaluated and remediated in real time, streamlining the user experience and raising overall efficacy.