What Is Mimecast?

If your business is keen to step up its cybersecurity, then you might need to know about services such as Mimecast. 

Mimecast is a cloud-based email and data security service designed to protect businesses from email-related threats and data loss. It does an important job, especially considering that email is one of the most common entry points for cyber attacks. 

Here, we’ll explore more about how Mimecast helps to protect organisations against the risks of phishing, ransomware and impersonation.

Mimecase is a cloud-based cyber security platform, one which primarily focuses on protecting email systems within organisations. 

It works in a different way to traditional kinds of email security tools. While these usually rely on perimeter defences such as firewalls to stop external threats from entering the network, services like Mimecast operate within the cloud. 

It integrates directly with the company’s email environment, so it can inspect, filter, detect threats and manage email traffic before anything potentially dangerous lands in anyone’s inbox. 

Mimecast is commonly used by organisations that need:

• Advanced email threat protection
• Secure email archiving and retention
• Business continuity during email outages
• Compliance with data protection regulations.

It is best used as part of a wider cyber security framework, as Mimecast can integrate with other measures such as endpoint protection, network security and user awareness training. 

A popular way to use it is as a managed cyber security service, rather than as a standalone tool.

What Does Mimecast Do?

Mimecast offers a number of features to help organisations to manage email-related cybersecurity. This includes:

Email Threat Protection

Mimecast blocks malicious emails before they reach users, effectively neutralising threats ranging from phishing, malware and ransomware to malicious URLs, impersonation and spoofing attempts. 

It uses a combination of detection methods, including machine learning, reputation analysis and behavioural inspection.

Spam Filtering

While it may not be directly related to security, Mimecast also offers another benefit to businesses – it significantly reduces unwanted emails by filtering spam and bulk mail. This helps users to focus on legitimate communications, while at the same time lowering the risk of any malicious content slipping through.

Email Continuity and Resilience

If your primary email service is down, Mimecast can provide continued access to email. It allows users to send and receive messages through its platform, which helps to keep core business operations on track.

Archiving and Compliance

Mimecast securely stores emails for long-term retention. This makes it easy to search and retrieve particular emails, such as for audits, legal discovery or compliance purposes. This is particularly valuable for organisations operating in regulated industries.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Lastly, Mimecast helps to prevent sensitive information from being shared unintentionally or maliciously via email. The organisation can set its own policies to detect and control the transmission of confidential data – for example, financial details, trade secrets, intellectual property or personal information.

How Does Mimecast Work?

Mimecast works by positioning itself between the wider internet and your company’s email system. In this way, it acts as a secure gateway for all email traffic going in and out. 

As it is cloud-based, it doesn’t require any on-premises hardware to be installed. All email is directed through Mimecast’s secure data centres, where it is analysed before being delivered to the recipient.

When emails are sent or received, the following happens:

1. The message passes through Mimecast’s cloud platform
2. Attachments and links are scanned for threats
3. Content is analysed for phishing indicators and impersonation attempts
4. Policies determine whether the email is delivered, quarantined or blocked.

Does Mimecast Encrypt Emails?

Yes, Mimecast supports email encryption as part of its core services. This includes using Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt emails as they travel between mail services, reducing the risk of interception.

For highly sensitive communications, Mimecast can also provide an additional service. Instead of sending the message directly to the recipient’s inbox, the recipient is directed to a secure portal. Here, they’ll need to provide authentication in order to view the message.

Organisations can also set policies to determine which emails will be encrypted and how. Encryption rules can be triggered automatically based on:

• Keywords or content patterns
• Recipient domains
• Attachments or file types.

How Does Mimecast Work With Microsoft 365?

If your organisation uses Microsoft 365, it’s useful to know that Mimecast is compatible with it. In fact, the two are often deployed alongside each other, especially in organisations which rely heavily on cloud-based systems and technologies. 

While Microsoft 365 has its own built-in security features, Mimecast can provide more advanced phishing and impersonation detection. It also has enhanced archiving and compliance tools, and can be more useful during service outages.

Ultimately, it can be used to add an extra layer of security to Microsoft 365, for additional reassurance and to ensure all potential cyber security gaps and vulnerabilities are covered. 

Get in touch with our specialists here at Avoira to find out more about email protection and cyber security for small businesses – and to discuss your needs.