Proofpoint vs Microsoft 365 — What Small Businesses Need

Introduction

Choosing between Proofpoint vs Microsoft 365 for email security can be confusing for small businesses. Each platform plays a different role in protecting users from phishing, spam, and account compromise.

Two of the most common security options are:

• Microsoft 365’s built-in email security (Exchange Online Protection + Defender for Office 365)
• Proofpoint Essentials, a dedicated third-party email security platform designed for stronger threat filtering and granular controls

Both solutions protect small businesses, but they offer different layers of security, usability, and management. This guide breaks down what each platform provides — and which option makes the most sense for small businesses.

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What Microsoft 365 Provides

1. Exchange Online Protection (EOP) – Included

EOP is automatically included with all Microsoft 365 business plans. It provides:

• Baseline spam and malware filtering
• Anti-phishing protection
• Attachment scanning
• Basic message tracing
• DKIM, DMARC, SPF support

It’s a good foundation, but not strong enough on its own for businesses targeted by phishing or impersonation attacks.

2. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (Add-on)

Businesses needing stronger protection must add Defender for Office 365 P1 or P2, which adds:

• SafeLinks (rewrites URLs to block malicious sites)
• SafeAttachments (detonates attachments in a sandbox)
• Advanced phishing protection
• Impersonation detection for users and domains
• Automated investigation and response
• Threat analytics dashboard

Defender is powerful — but can feel overly complex for smaller teams that aren’t full-time IT.

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What Proofpoint Essentials Provides

Proofpoint Essentials is a cloud email security solution built specifically for SMBs. It adds a layer in front of Microsoft 365 to block threats before they reach your tenant.

Key features:

1. More Accurate Filtering

Proofpoint is widely considered one of the most accurate email filters in the industry.
It reduces:

• Spam
• Malware
• Advanced phishing
• Business email compromise (BEC)
• Spoofed messages
• Fraud attempts

Its filtering engine is generally more aggressive and precise than Microsoft’s defaults.

2. Impostor & BEC Protection

Proofpoint specializes in:

• Display-name spoofing defense
• CEO/CFO impersonation detection
• Supplier fraud
• Language pattern analysis
• Suspicious-tone detection

Great for businesses frequently targeted by impersonation attacks.

3. Email Continuity

If Microsoft experiences outages, Proofpoint allows:

• Sending mail
• Receiving mail
• Accessing the last 30 days of messages

…directly from Proofpoint’s portal.

Microsoft 365 does not offer this.

4. Quarantine & User Control

Users get an easy-to-use:

• Quarantine digest
• Self-service release options
• Spam classification visibility
• Phishing visibility

Simple for end-users — no IT help required.

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Feature Comparison

• Spam filtering: Microsoft 365 – Good; Proofpoint Essentials – Excellent
• Phishing / BEC defense: Microsoft 365 – Good (with Defender); Proofpoint Essentials – Exceptional
• Malware protection: Microsoft 365 – Strong with Defender; Proofpoint Essentials – Strong
• URL & attachment detonation: Microsoft 365 – Defender required; Proofpoint Essentials – Included
• Email continuity: Microsoft 365 – No; Proofpoint Essentials – Yes
• User-friendly quarantine: Microsoft 365 – Moderate; Proofpoint Essentials – Very easy
• Admin controls: Microsoft 365 – Complex; Proofpoint Essentials – Streamlined
• Best for: Microsoft 365 – Microsoft-focused small businesses; Proofpoint Essentials – Small businesses needing stronger filtering

Which Is Better for Small Businesses?

Choose Microsoft 365 if:

• You want one vendor and prefer Microsoft-only tools.
• Your business does not face targeted spear-phishing or advanced impersonation.
• You already have Defender licenses and are willing to manage them.
• You’re comfortable managing more complex policies and configurations.

Your business is targeted by impersonation or business email compromise.

Choose Proofpoint if:

• Your business is targeted by impersonation or business email compromise.
• You need better phishing/BEC protection.
• You want email continuity during Microsoft outages.
• You want a simple quarantine and clear visibility for users.
• You want more accurate threat filtering without heavy tuning.

What Most Small Businesses Actually Need

For many small businesses, the ideal setup combines the strengths of both services.

➡️ Microsoft 365 + Proofpoint Essentials

Proofpoint handles frontline protection and filtering, while Microsoft handles delivery, authentication, and identity security. This combination gives:

• Better security
• Less spam
• Fewer impersonation attacks
• More uptime
• Simple user experience