On-Premises Email Security That Removes Threats Pre-Delivery
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security is OPSWAT's on-premises solution for protecting organizations from phishing, ransomware, and zero-day email threats. It inspects, sanitizes, and controls email content before delivery across enterprise and critical infrastructure environments.
- Block AI Phishing
- Sanitize Encrypted Attachments
- Support Compliance Audits
OPSWAT is Trusted by
2025 OPSWAT Threat Landscape Report
127%
Malware Complexity*
1 in 14 Files
Proven to Be Malicious*
7.3%
as Malicious Within 24 Hours*
On-Prem Email Security for Phishing, Malware, and Data Loss
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security provides advanced email protection at SMTP/MX level, inspecting inbound and outbound emails before they reach the inbox. It applies real-time anti-phishing, Metascan™ Multiscanning, Deep CDR™ Technology, MetaDefender Aether, Predictive Alin AI, and Proactive DLP™. This combination of technologies helps organizations reduce the window of vulnerability against AI-generated phishing, ransomware, zero-day threats, and sensitive data loss.
Advanced Phishing Detection
Detects phishing attempts, malicious URLs, and socially engineered attacks before delivery
Uses machine learning, sender reputation checks, and on-arrival and time-of-click URL analysis from 30+ online sources to evaluate potentially malicious emails.
Attachment Inspection and Sanitization
Processes email attachments, including encrypted files, and sanitizes them before delivery
Analyzes attachments through successive security layers, applying deeper analysis only when needed so legitimate files move quickly while suspicious files receive additional scrutiny.
Policy Enforcement and DLP
Applies DLP and policy controls across inbound and outbound email workflows
Detects and redacts sensitive data across 125+ file types, including PII, PHI, and credentials, while supporting reporting, audit trails, and compliance evidence.
Key Features & Benefits
Advanced Prevention-First Email Security
Neutralizes threats by applying real-time anti-phishing, Metascan™ Multiscanning, Deep CDR™ Technology, MetaDefender Aether, Predictive Alin AI, and Proactive DLP.
Encrypted Attachment Sanitization
Processes encrypted and password-protected attachments when a password is available or provided, reducing blind spots without creating unnecessary IT workload.
AI Email Threat Detection and Prevention
Uses Predictive Alin AI and MetaDefender Aether to identify unknown, evasive, and file-based threats with rapid verdicts and deeper behavioral analysis when needed.
On-Premises and Air-Gapped Email Security
Supports on-premises, disconnected, and air-gapped environments, helping organizations maintain control, data sovereignty, and resilience.
Pre-Delivery User Exposure Reduction
Inspects and sanitizes every email before delivery, with no noticeable delay for users or disruption to business workflows, which is critical for regulated industries.
See Pre-Delivery Email Protection Policies in Action
Explore how MetaDefender Email Gateway Security inspects incoming and outgoing email content.
Effectively eliminate zero-day targeted attacks by relying on prevention rather than detection
Real-time detection of malicious content and unknown threats in attachments
Ensure compliance with PCI and other regulations for emails, including protection of PII data within companies
Protect users from social engineering attacks before they reach users, ensuring IT can rely less on user awareness & training
Increase the detection rate of unknown threats with unique dynamic analysis technology
Reduce accidental threat engagement by uncovering potential phishing attacks at multiple stages before they reach users
Protect business productivity files by removing document-based threats from attachments
Zero-Day Malware PreventionEffectively eliminate zero-day targeted attacks by relying on prevention rather than detection
- Advanced Threat Prevention
Real-time detection of malicious content and unknown threats in attachments
- Data Loss Prevention
Ensure compliance with PCI and other regulations for emails, including protection of PII data within companies
- Unsolicited Emails
Protect users from social engineering attacks before they reach users, ensuring IT can rely less on user awareness & training
- Threat Analysis
Increase the detection rate of unknown threats with unique dynamic analysis technology
- Real-Time Anti-Phishing
Reduce accidental threat engagement by uncovering potential phishing attacks at multiple stages before they reach users
- Attachment Sanitization
Protect business productivity files by removing document-based threats from attachments
MetaDefender™ Email Gateway Security
Real-time Anti-Phishing With a
99.98% Detection Rate
Metascan Multiscanning Through
30+
AV Engines
99.5%
Zero-Day Efficacy Rate Through MetaDefender Aether
Deep CDR™ Technology with 200+ file types supported, including encrypted
<100 ms anti-malware verdict delivery without sandbox detonation
Proactive DLP Covering
125+ File Types
Secure Email Gateway:
Prevention Beyond Detection
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security combines layered inspection, file sanitization, phishing protection, URL analysis, Predictive Alin AI, and policy enforcement to reduce threats before email is delivered and give organizations the utmost tight control on their email flow. Detection-only approaches leave an exposure window, as attackers increasingly use links, trusted file types, and AI-assisted lures to reach users.
Technology | MetaDefender Email Security | Other Email Security Vendors |
|---|---|---|
Known & Zero-day Malware Protection: Multiscanning Includes more than 30 anti-malware engines | ||
AI-Generated Malware Detection: Predictive Alin AI <100 ms verdict delivery without sandbox detonation | ||
Unknown & Zero-day Exploit Prevention: Deep CDR™ Technology Supports 200+ file types | ||
Credential Harvesting & Phishing Protection: Real-Time Anti-Phishing Time-of-click analysis referencing 30+ online sources | ||
Unknown Malware Protection: Real-Time MetaDefender Aether ~10 second fast-pass analysis | ||
Decrypt Password Protected Attachments Interactive Password Archive decryption |
Deployment Options
On-Premises
Deploys in front of existing mail servers at SMTP/MX level or as a second line of defense after existing email gateways.
Disconnected
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security operates without external connectivity, supporting secure email inspection in restricted environments.
Air-Gapped
Supports fully isolated environments requiring local inspection, policy enforcement, and data control.
Integrations
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security integrates with Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, MetaDefender Managed File Transfer, and any SMTP-based email gateway or mail server to inspect inbound and outbound email traffic before delivery. Deployed at the SMTP/MX level, it adds prevention-first protection across existing email ecosystems without requiring organizations to replace their current platforms or disrupt established mail workflows.
Proven Across High-Risk Email
Environments
- “Because we deployed Deep CDR™ Technology into the email channel, they [the bank] are very confident to say that there is almost a 95% reduction of malware from the email channel.”Lambert LinInformation Security Consultant
- “OPSWAT helps us prevent [files that could contain] malware from getting into the network.”Tobias MüllerTeam Leader of Technical Engineering at Luzerner Psychiatrie AG
- “During this evaluation process, OPSWAT’s MetaDefender Email Security stood out as the ideal solution due to its Multiscanning technology, seamless integration capabilities, and great user experience.”Guy ElmalemIT and Cyber Infrastructure Manager
Turn Email Security into Compliance Evidence
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security helps regulated organizations support compliance requirements with prevention-first email security, documented inspection and sanitization outcomes, audit-friendly evidence trails, and DLP across inbound and outbound email workflows. These capabilities are built for the highest security requirements, demonstrate control effectiveness and support timely response expectations across frameworks such as DORA, NIS2, GDPR, and 30 additional frameworks.
Recommended Resources
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security
Best Practices for Email Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection
Email Security for Banking, Financial Services and Insurance Companies
Email Security for CISOs
Email Gateway Security Migration Guide
Email Security: A Buyer's Checklist
Before You Buy: 7 Email Security Questions
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FAQs
Microsoft 365 native protection inspects attachments in the cloud using its own detection stack. MetaDefender Email Gateway Security adds Metascan Multiscanning across 30+ AV engines, Deep CDR™ Technology across 200+ file types, and Proactive DLP at the SMTP/MX level on-premises, so attachments are sanitized before delivery rather than scored after it. In Microsoft Exchange Server environments, it runs upstream of Microsoft Defender as a second line of defense.
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security analyzes attachments with Metascan Multiscanning across 30+ AV engines, Deep CDR™ Technology, MetaDefender Aether, and Predictive Alin AI, an AI-powered malware detection engine.
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security analyzes links and attachments before delivery using multiscanning, Deep CDR™ Technology, adaptive sandboxing, and AI-powered malware detection to reduce exposure to file-based ransomware and malicious payloads. Additionally, it does reputation checks, and on-arrival and time-of-click URL analysis from 30+ online sources to evaluate potentially malicious emails.
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security uses real-time anti-phishing, machine learning, reputation checks, and URL analysis to detect sophisticated phishing, including AI-assisted and socially engineered attacks.
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security scans the email body for the password, and automatically inspects, sanitizes and sandboxes the file, before delivering it safely and fully functional if it poses no threat. If no password can be found, the user will receive a notification via email to provide the password through a self-serve portal. Then the file is pushed to Metascan Multiscanning, Deep CDR™ Technology, MetaDefender Aether and Proactive DLP without IT or SOC manual validation.
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security helps enforce email security and data protection policies with DLP, content inspection, redaction, reporting, audit trails, and centralized controls. Compliance readiness covers GDPR, DORA, NIS2 and 30+ additional frameworks. The full list can be accessed on our compliance page.
Yes, MetaDefender Email Gateway Security is built for critical infrastructure, OT, ICS, government, defense, and other regulated environments that need strong control over email-borne risk. MetaDefender Email Gateway Security supports local inspection, data control, DLP, and air-gapped deployment models for environments where cloud-only email security may not meet operational or regulatory requirements.
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security can run upstream of Microsoft Exchange Server or Microsoft Defender in Exchange environments, adding another inspection layer before email reaches users, with no noticeable delays for users or disruption to business workflows.
MetaDefender Email Gateway Security can send security logs to a SIEM-provisioned syslog server using standard syslog and CEF formats, helping organizations centralize monitoring and investigation workflows.
