Introduction
In an age where cyber-threats are rapidly evolving, email remains the #1 attack vector for businesses used for phishing, ransomware distribution, business-email compromise (BEC), data leaks, and more. That’s why choosing the best cloud email security provider in Australia isn’t just about filtering spam it’s about safeguarding your communications, your clients’ trust, and your company’s reputation.
In this article, we explore leading cloud-email security solutions available to Australian organizations, outline what to look for, and help you select the right provider based on real business needs.
Why Cloud Email Security Matters in 2025
Email is one of the most frequent and persistent threat vectors malicious actors continue to exploit it via phishing, social engineering, and zero-day attacks. According to providers, many email threats are “fast-breaking” and can hit within hours.
Default email security (e.g. out-of-the-box with mailbox providers) often isn’t enough as organisations adopt cloud mailboxes like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, additional layers of security become critical.
Cloud-based email security offers benefits: no infrastructure to maintain, automatic updates, and scalability ideal for businesses of all sizes.
What to Look for in a Cloud Email Security Provider (Key Criteria)
When evaluating providers, consider:
Threat detection & prevention: ability to block phishing, malware, BEC, ransomware, zero-day attacks, etc.
Real-time / AI / ML threat intelligence: modern threats evolve fast providers using advanced machine learning or AI tend to stay ahead.
Compatibility & integration: seamless work with major email platforms (e.g. Microsoft 365, Google Workspace).
Data leakage protection & compliance: DLP, encryption, archiving if your business handles sensitive data.
Email continuity & archiving: ability to deliver or store emails even during outages or system disruptions.
Ease of management & total cost: minimal admin overhead, transparent pricing, scalability.
Support and service reliability: responsive support, regular updates, good track record.
Top Cloud Email Security Providers in Australia
MailGuard
MailGuard is among Australia’s most established and recognised cloud email-security providers. Since 2001, they’ve offered Secure Email Gateway (SEG) and Integrated Cloud Email Security (ICES) solutions delivering real-time protection against malware, ransomware, phishing/spear-phishing, spam, and other malicious threats.
Key strengths: no infrastructure maintenance, works with major email services (e.g. Microsoft 365, Google Workspace), and threat detection engines that reportedly stay 2–48 hours ahead of emerging zero-day threats.
Ideal for: Australian businesses seeking a local, mature provider with good compatibility and proven threat-detection history.
Proofpoint (with Cloudmark)
Proofpoint often used in combination with their email-filtering arm (formerly Cloudmark) is a global email security leader. Their cloud offering provides real-time spam, phishing, malware, and impersonation protection using advanced threat-intelligence and machine learning.
Proofpoint’s strengths include robust data loss prevention (DLP), content classification, and threat forensics suitable for organisations that need tight control, auditability, and compliance.
Mimecast
Mimecast’s cloud-based email security is known for thorough protection against sophisticated threats including spear-phishing, ransomware, and business-email compromise plus features like URL protection, attachment sandboxing, data leak prevention, secure messaging, archiving, and email continuity.
Mimecast is especially good for businesses that value continuity and compliance e.g. regulated industries (legal, finance, healthcare) where audit trails, guaranteed email delivery, and archiving matter.
Cisco Secure Email (formerly IronPort)
Cisco via Cisco Secure Email offers a strong solution backed by global threat-intelligence and advanced machine-learning. Their solution combines traditional secure email gateway defenses with more modern protections (advanced malware protection, URL filtering, outbound content control, DLP).
This makes Cisco Secure Email a solid choice for organisations that want a mature, globally supported solution and have existing Cisco infrastructure or networking expertise.
Avanan (through Australian implementers like IT Leaders)
IT Leaders offers cloud email security based on Avanan a modern, API-based email protection platform. Their offering includes advanced phishing & malware detection, sandboxing, data leak prevention, and protection for cloud collaboration environments (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, etc.).
Avanan’s strengths lie in its ability to integrate deeply with SaaS and cloud collaboration tools making it a good fit for modern, cloud-native businesses. According to marketing materials, Avanan can reduce phishing attacks by up to 99.2%.
Comparative Analysis: Features, Strengths & Weaknesses
Here’s a simplified comparison table:
| Provider | Strengths | Best For | Possible Weakness / Consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| MailGuard | Mature Australian provider, no infra overhead, real-time ML/AI threat detection | Australian businesses seeking local services & compatibility | May not have as many advanced enterprise-level features as global vendors |
| Proofpoint (Cloudmark) | Advanced threat intelligence, DLP, compliance & forensics | Enterprises needing tight control & auditability | More complex, possibly more expensive |
| Mimecast | Strong continuity, compliance, archiving, sandboxing, URL/attachment protection | Regulated industries, businesses needing archiving + threat protection | Complexity, may require dedicated management |
| Cisco Secure Email | Global threat-intelligence network, mature platform, robust protections | Organizations with existing Cisco infrastructure or needing enterprise-grade security | Requires some networking/security expertise |
| Avanan (via IT Leaders) | API-based, cloud-native, good for SaaS workflows, high phishing protection | Cloud-first businesses using Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace | Newer relative to legacy providers; integration might require correct configuration |
How to Choose What’s Best for Your Business in Australia
Start with your needs: Are you a small business, SME, or large enterprise? Do you need compliance, archiving, legal record-keeping — or mostly spam/phishing protection?
Consider integration: If you use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace — pick a provider that integrates seamlessly (MailGuard, Avanan, Mimecast, etc.).
Evaluate threat landscape: For high-risk industries (finance, legal, health), go for providers with strong DLP, continuity & archiving (Proofpoint, Mimecast, Cisco).
Budget vs features: A local provider (MailGuard) might be more cost-effective for SMEs. Enterprise-grade platforms (Proofpoint, Cisco) might cost more but offer more control.
Support & compliance needs: If you require regulatory compliance, audit logs, email continuity during downtime — prioritise solutions with archiving and strong reporting.
Conclusion
Choosing the best cloud email security provider in Australia depends on your organization’s size, risk profile, compliance needs, and infrastructure. For many Australian businesses, MailGuard offers a reliable, locally based, easy-to-deploy solution — a great balance of price, simplicity, and security. For larger enterprises or risk-sensitive industries, established global players like Proofpoint, Mimecast, Cisco Secure Email, or modern API-based platforms like Avanan may deliver stronger protections, better compliance, and more enterprise-grade features.