Zoho eProtect · for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Exchange
Zoho eProtect:secure email gateway
Spam, phishing and malware filtering in and out of your mailboxes, plus an encrypted, searchable email archive. Set up and supported from Dubai, Muscat and Doha.
Why deploy Zoho eProtect with us
Zoho Authorized Partner since 2008serving businesses across the Middle East since 2007.
1,500+ active cloud customersand 350,000+ users migrated since 2007.
Mail flow done rightwe set up eProtect, your mail platform and SPF, DKIM and DMARC together, so they do not fight over your mail.
A fair choicewe also deploy Mimecast and Proofpoint, so we recommend eProtect only where it fits.
Local officesin Dubai, Muscat and Doha with local billing; setup and support are remote, in English and Arabic.
Sender authentication
Action when a check fails
- SPFDeliverTagQuarantineReject
- DKIMDeliverTagQuarantineReject
- DMARCDeliverTagQuarantineReject
- Block lists (DNSBL)DeliverTagQuarantineReject
Latest messages
- accounts@supplier.comDelivered
- it-desk@yourcompany-support.coQuarantined
- “CEO” <ceo.office@freemail.com>Tagged
- invoice_0427.zipBlocked
- hr@yourcompany.comDelivered
A secure email gateway is a cloud service that sits in front of your mailboxes and filters inbound and outbound mail for spam, phishing, malware and impersonation before it is delivered. Zoho eProtect is Zoho's secure email gateway and email archive: it protects Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Exchange and other mail servers, and keeps every message encrypted and searchable for eDiscovery.
What is a secure email gateway, and how does Zoho eProtect work?
A secure email gateway, also called an email security gateway, is a filter between the internet and your mailboxes. Mail is checked at the connection (sender IP, SPF, DKIM, DMARC and block lists) and in the content (links, attachments, wording) before it reaches users. Your mail platform keeps its own filtering; the gateway adds a second, independent layer.
Zoho eProtect is the spam processing and archiving engine that runs Zoho Mail, offered since August 2024 to companies whose mail is hosted elsewhere.
Zoho sells eProtect in three plans: eSecure for email protection, eArchive for archiving and eDiscovery, and Professional for both. If you already use Zoho Mail, you do not need it: the same protection and archiving are built in.
Zoho lets you route mail to eProtect in three ways:
MX change
your MX records point to eProtect, which filters mail and passes it on. Zoho recommends this method when email protection is switched on.
Journaling
your mail platform sends eProtect a copy of every message for the archive.
API sync
eProtect connects to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace with admin authorisation and archives a copy of the mail.
What does Zoho eProtect filter?
Senders
- Spam
- Spoofing
- Malware and links
- BEC and takeover
- In and out rules
- Quarantine
Spam and bulk mail
Zoho's spam engine with allowed, safe-sender and blocked lists, sender, subject and content patterns (text or regular expressions), and rules by language or country.
Phishing, spoofing and impersonation
actions for mail that fails SPF, DKIM, DMARC or block-list checks, quarantine for lookalike domains of brands you trust, and executive impersonation checks on VIP display names.
Malware, links and attachments
URL and attachment analysis with pre-delivery sandboxing, ransomware and zero-day protection, and QR-code phishing (quishing) prevention.
Business email compromise and account takeover
protection against BEC, social engineering and taken-over accounts, with warning banners on suspicious mail.
Inbound and outbound policies
connection- and content-level rules for mail entering and leaving the company, to protect your domain's reputation.
Quarantine your way
tag the header or subject and deliver, or hold in quarantine; give trusted users access to their own quarantine and send others quarantine notifications at a frequency you choose.
Kept by your retention policy
What does eProtect's email archiving include?
Every message kept
inbound, outbound and internal mail, encrypted with AES-256 at rest and in transit.
Retention policies
a default policy plus custom policies for groups of users or departments.
eDiscovery search
investigations with advanced filters, so legal, HR or audit teams find the right message quickly.
Legal hold
keep relevant mail beyond its retention period while a case is open.
Export
scheduled exports as ZIP or PST.
Control and audit
custom admin roles (for example an eDiscovery admin), user access to their archived mail, audit logs and delivery logs, and two-factor authentication. Extra archive storage can be added per user.
Does eProtect work with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and other mail servers?
Yes. Zoho lists Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Amazon WorkMail and on-premise Microsoft Exchange 2016, 2013 and 2010, and says any other provider can be configured.
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
- Exchange, Amazon WorkMail and other servers
- Zoho Mail
| Mail platform | Email protection | How mail reaches the archive | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 | Yes, by MX change with an outbound connector | Journaling, API or MX | Users and domains import from Microsoft 365 |
| Google Workspace | Yes, by MX change with outbound routing | Journaling, API or MX | Google allows third-party archiving (journaling) on its Enterprise and Education plans; other plans use API or MX |
| Exchange, Amazon WorkMail and other servers | Yes, by MX change | MX | Domains added and verified by DNS record |
| Zoho Mail | Built in | Built in | Included in Mail Premium and Workplace Professional; no separate purchase |
Takeaway: for filtering and archiving together, route mail through eProtect by MX; for an archive alone on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, journaling or API leaves your mail flow unchanged.
Is Zoho eProtect an alternative to Mimecast and Proofpoint?
Yes, for many companies. All three filter mail before it reaches users and can keep an archive. We deploy all three, so we recommend eProtect where it fits. Zoho eProtect suits:
- cost-conscious small and mid-sized companies that want filtering and an archive in one product
- companies on Zoho Mail or Zoho Workplace, where it is already included
- Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 teams that need an archive with eDiscovery and legal hold without upgrading every user to a higher plan
When do Mimecast or Proofpoint fit better?
Mimecast or Proofpoint is the better choice when you need:
- mail continuity during an outage, so users keep sending and receiving (Mimecast as an MX gateway, Proofpoint 365 Total Protection)
- security awareness training and DMARC reporting from the same vendor (Mimecast Engage and DMARC Analyzer; Proofpoint ZenGuide and DMARC Manager)
- archiving of Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Slack (Mimecast) or Microsoft 365 backup in the same subscription (Proofpoint 365 Total Protection)
- a group standard that already names one of them, or a security team that wants Proofpoint's add-ons for domain fraud, data loss prevention and account takeover
See Mimecast email security, Proofpoint email security and our Mimecast vs Proofpoint vs Defender comparison.
Zoho eProtect vs Mimecast vs Proofpoint: how do they compare?
The table uses what each vendor publishes; where we have no confirmed fact, it says "Ask us".
| Feature | Zoho eProtect | Mimecast | Proofpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it connects | MX change, journaling or API sync | MX gateway, or API for Microsoft 365 (no MX change) | Core Email Protection: API or inline gateway; 365 Total Protection: MX or API |
| Mail platforms | Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Exchange, Amazon WorkMail, other servers; built into Zoho Mail | Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, on-premise, hybrid | 365 Total Protection: Microsoft 365; Core: confirmed per platform |
| Links and attachments | URL and attachment analysis, pre-delivery sandboxing, QR-code phishing prevention | On-click link protection, attachment sandboxing, QR-code phishing | Sandboxing, URL rewriting |
| Impersonation and BEC | Lookalike-domain and VIP display-name checks, BEC and account takeover protection | Computer-vision detection of brand and login-page impersonation, BEC remediation | BEC detection; Email Fraud Defense and Account Takeover Protection as add-ons |
| Outbound filtering | Yes, connection and content rules | Ask us | Ask us |
| Archive and eDiscovery | Yes (eArchive or Professional plan): AES-256 encryption, retention policies, legal hold, ZIP or PST export | Yes, Mimecast Email Archive, with Teams, Zoom and Slack archiving | Yes, in 365 Total Protection; Core: ask us |
| Continuity during an outage | Email spooling listed; ask us about continuity | Yes, with MX deployment | Yes, in 365 Total Protection |
| Awareness training | Not part of eProtect | Mimecast Engage | ZenGuide; phishing tests in 365 Total Protection |
| DMARC tools | Acts on DMARC failures; DMARC reports are built into Zoho Mail | DMARC Analyzer | DMARC Manager (365 Total Protection), Email Fraud Defense |
Takeaway: eProtect is the simplest way to get a gateway and a long-term archive in one product; Mimecast and Proofpoint add continuity, training and wider bundles.
What do we deliver?
Fit check
your mail platform, user count, domains, retention needs and the threats you see, and whether eProtect, Mimecast or Proofpoint fits.
Licensing
a quote for the eProtect plan you need, or for Zoho Mail Premium or Workplace Professional if you are moving your mail to Zoho, in OMR, AED, QAR or USD.
Setup
domain verification, user import, spam processing and quarantine policies, the MX change at a quiet time, and outbound relay through your platform's connector.
Archive
journaling, API or MX for the archive, retention policies by department, and eDiscovery and admin roles for your legal or audit team.
Authentication
SPF, DKIM and DMARC aligned with the new mail path. See DMARC setup.
Tuning and support
quarantine and false positives reviewed with your team in the first weeks, then monitoring, release requests, policy changes and escalation to Zoho, with quarterly reviews.
Email security in your country
Frequently asked questions
What is a secure email gateway?
A secure email gateway is a cloud filter between the internet and your mailboxes. It checks every message at the connection (sender, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, block lists) and in the content (links, attachments, wording), and blocks or quarantines spam, phishing, malware and impersonation before delivery. Most gateways, Zoho eProtect included, also filter outbound mail and can keep an archive.
Does Zoho eProtect work with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365?
Yes. eProtect protects Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 by an MX change, and archives their mail by journaling, API or MX, importing domains and users from either platform. Google allows third-party archiving by journaling on its Enterprise and Education plans; on other Google plans we use the API or MX method. Exchange, Amazon WorkMail and other servers connect by MX.
Is Zoho eProtect included in Zoho Workplace?
Yes. Zoho lists eProtect, with email retention and eDiscovery, in Workplace Professional (with 100 GB of retention storage per user) and Mail Premium (with 50 GB). Zoho Mail users do not buy eProtect separately. Companies on Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or another mail server buy eProtect on its own; ask us for a quote for your plan and user count.
Can we buy Zoho eProtect on its own?
Yes. Zoho sells eProtect on its own in three plans: eSecure (email protection), eArchive (archiving and eDiscovery) and Professional (both). Ask us for a quote for your user count, in OMR, AED, QAR or USD. Setup, migration, training and support are separate components.
Is eProtect a good Mimecast or Proofpoint alternative?
For many small and mid-sized companies, yes: it filters inbound and outbound mail, sandboxes links and attachments, and keeps an encrypted archive with eDiscovery and legal hold. Choose Mimecast or Proofpoint if you need continuity during outages, awareness training or DMARC reporting from the same vendor, or Teams and Zoom archiving. We deploy all three and compare them on your mail flow.
Where is eProtect data stored?
eProtect stores mail and archives on Zoho's servers, encrypted with AES-256 at rest and in transit. Zoho says it runs seven global data centres, and the server details eProtect gives you are specific to your region. If your sector or group policy requires data in a specific country, tell us before ordering and we will confirm the data centre for your account with Zoho in writing.
Do you manage it for us?
Yes. We monitor email security and the quarantine Sunday to Friday, 8:30 am to 6:00 pm GST, release held messages on request, update policies, add domains and users, and escalate to Zoho support, with a quarterly review of what was blocked. Your IT team keeps its own admin access, and we can give your legal or audit team eDiscovery access only.
Get a Zoho eProtect plan
Tell us your mail platform, user count and how long you must keep mail, and we will recommend eProtect, Mimecast or Proofpoint, or tell you if your platform's own filtering is enough.