Mimecast: Email Security, Archiving & Cyber Resilience for Businesses

Email remains the backbone of business communication, but it’s also the primary attack vector for cybercriminals. With 91% of cyberattacks starting with a phishing email, businesses need robust email security solutions that go beyond basic spam filtering. Mimecast offers comprehensive email security, archiving, and cyber resilience services designed to protect organisations from evolving threats whilst ensuring business continuity.

This guide explores how Mimecast can transform your email security posture, streamline compliance requirements, and build cyber resilience across your organisation. You’ll discover the platform’s key features, implementation benefits, and why thousands of businesses worldwide trust Mimecast to safeguard their digital communications.

Understanding Mimecast’s Core Services

Email Security Solutions

Mimecast’s email security platform provides multi-layered protection against sophisticated threats. The system analyses incoming and outgoing emails using advanced threat detection technologies, including machine learning algorithms and behavioural analysis.

Key security features include:

Advanced Threat Protection: Real-time scanning detects malware, ransomware, and zero-day threats before they reach user inboxes. The system continuously updates its threat intelligence database to identify emerging attack patterns.

Anti-Phishing Technology: Sophisticated URL rewriting and attachment sandboxing prevent users from accessing malicious links or downloading dangerous files. The platform also provides user education through simulated phishing campaigns.

Data Loss Prevention: Automated scanning identifies sensitive information in outbound emails, preventing accidental data breaches and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

Spam and Bulk Mail Filtering: Advanced algorithms reduce spam volume whilst maintaining legitimate email flow, improving productivity and reducing security risks.

Email Archiving and Compliance

Mimecast’s archiving solution helps businesses meet regulatory requirements whilst providing efficient email management capabilities. The cloud-based archive stores emails securely with robust search and retrieval functionality.

Regulatory Compliance: The platform supports compliance with various regulations including GDPR, HIPAA, and financial services requirements. Automated retention policies ensure emails are preserved for required periods.

eDiscovery Capabilities: Advanced search tools enable legal teams to quickly locate relevant communications during litigation or regulatory investigations. The system maintains chain of custody documentation for legal proceedings.

Storage Optimisation: By moving historical emails to the cloud archive, businesses can reduce on-premises storage requirements and improve email server performance.

Cyber Resilience and Business Continuity

Mimecast’s cyber resilience services ensure business operations continue even during security incidents or system failures. The platform provides backup and recovery capabilities that extend beyond traditional email archiving.

Email Continuity: If primary email systems fail, Mimecast provides seamless access to email services through web-based interfaces and mobile applications. Users can send, receive, and access historical emails without interruption.

Disaster Recovery: Comprehensive backup solutions protect against data loss from hardware failures, natural disasters, or cyberattacks. The platform maintains multiple copies of data across geographically distributed data centres.

Incident Response: Integrated tools help security teams investigate and respond to threats quickly. The platform provides detailed forensic capabilities and automated threat containment options.

Implementation Benefits for Businesses

Enhanced Security Posture

Deploying Mimecast significantly improves organisational security by addressing email-based threats comprehensively. The platform’s multi-layered approach catches threats that might bypass traditional security measures.

The system’s machine learning capabilities continuously improve threat detection accuracy, reducing false positives whilst maintaining high security standards. This means fewer legitimate emails are blocked, improving user experience without compromising security.

Simplified IT Management

Mimecast’s cloud-based architecture reduces IT overhead by eliminating the need for on-premises security appliances. The platform handles updates, maintenance, and scaling automatically, allowing IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives.

Centralised management consoles provide visibility across all email security activities, making it easier to monitor threats, generate reports, and maintain compliance documentation.

Cost Efficiency

By consolidating email security, archiving, and continuity services into a single platform, businesses can reduce licensing costs and management complexity. The cloud-based model eliminates capital expenditure on hardware whilst providing predictable operational costs.

The platform’s efficiency improvements, including reduced spam processing and faster threat detection, contribute to overall productivity gains that offset service costs.

Key Features and Capabilities

Advanced Threat Intelligence

Mimecast’s threat intelligence network analyses billions of emails daily, creating a comprehensive understanding of emerging threats. This global intelligence feeds into the platform’s protection algorithms, ensuring rapid response to new attack vectors.

The system shares anonymised threat data across its customer base, meaning an attack detected at one organisation immediately strengthens protection for all users. This collective security approach provides superior protection compared to isolated security solutions.

User Education and Awareness

Beyond technical protections, Mimecast includes comprehensive user education tools. Simulated phishing campaigns help employees recognise threats whilst providing detailed reporting on organisational vulnerability levels.

The platform’s awareness training modules cover various security topics, from email best practices to social engineering recognition. This human-focused approach addresses the fact that technology alone cannot prevent all security incidents.

Integration Capabilities

Mimecast integrates seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and on-premises Exchange servers. The platform’s APIs enable custom integrations with security information and event management (SIEM) systems and other security tools.

This interoperability ensures businesses can maintain their preferred productivity tools whilst enhancing security capabilities. The integration process is designed to minimise disruption to daily operations.

Getting Started with Mimecast

Assessment and Planning

Successful Mimecast implementation begins with a thorough assessment of current email security posture and business requirements. This evaluation identifies specific threats facing the organisation and determines appropriate service configurations.

The planning phase should include stakeholder engagement from IT, security, legal, and business teams to ensure all requirements are addressed. Consider factors such as regulatory compliance needs, user training requirements, and integration complexity.

Deployment Options

Mimecast offers flexible deployment models to suit different organisational needs. Cloud-based deployment provides the fastest implementation with minimal on-premises requirements. Hybrid options allow businesses to maintain some on-premises components whilst leveraging cloud capabilities.

The platform’s migration tools facilitate smooth transitions from existing email security solutions. Professional services support is available to ensure successful deployment and user adoption.

Ongoing Management

Post-implementation success depends on active management and optimisation. Regular policy reviews ensure security settings remain aligned with business needs and threat landscapes. User training programmes should be updated periodically to address new threats and reinforce best practices.

Mimecast’s reporting and analytics capabilities provide insights into security effectiveness and areas for improvement. These metrics help demonstrate return on investment and guide future security investments.

Strengthening Your Email Security Strategy

Mimecast provides a comprehensive approach to email security that extends beyond traditional protection methods. The platform’s integration of security, archiving, and continuity services creates a robust foundation for business communications whilst addressing compliance and resilience requirements.

The evolving threat landscape demands proactive security measures that can adapt to new attack vectors. Mimecast’s continuous innovation and global threat intelligence ensure your organisation stays protected against emerging risks.

Consider conducting a security assessment to identify gaps in your current email protection strategy. Evaluate how Mimecast’s capabilities align with your business requirements and explore deployment options that suit your organisational needs.