About
Tessian, acquired by and rebranded under Proofpoint, was a pioneer in using advanced machine learning to secure enterprise email communications. The platform's core capabilities are now delivered through Proofpoint's Core Email Protection API and Adaptive Email DLP products. At its heart, Tessian used behavioral AI to understand normal email patterns for each user and flag anomalies — including accidental data leaks, misdirected emails, and sophisticated phishing attacks that bypass traditional rule-based filters. This made it particularly effective against insider threats and human error, which account for a large share of enterprise data breaches. Now under Proofpoint, these capabilities are part of a comprehensive cybersecurity platform covering collaboration security, data security and governance, and AI security. Key offerings include Adaptive Email DLP for preventing misdirected emails and hidden data exfiltration, Enterprise DLP for multi-channel data loss prevention, Insider Threat Management for monitoring risky user behavior, and Core Email Protection for blocking threats via API or gateway. The platform is built for enterprise security teams, CISOs, and compliance officers who need deep visibility into email-borne threats, employee behavior, and sensitive data flows. It integrates with Microsoft 365 and other collaboration tools, making it a strong fit for organizations heavily reliant on cloud-based email and productivity suites.
Key Features
- Adaptive Email DLP: Detects and prevents misdirected emails and hidden exfiltration of sensitive data using behavioral AI.
- Core Email Protection: Blocks 99.99% of email threats including phishing, malware, and fraud via API or gateway deployment.
- Insider Threat Management: Provides visibility into risky behavior by careless, malicious, or compromised users within the organization.
- AI-Driven Behavioral Analysis: Uses machine learning to understand normal communication patterns and flag anomalies in real time.
- Data Security Posture Management: Discovers, classifies, and protects sensitive data across cloud and hybrid environments.
Use Cases
- Preventing employees from accidentally sending sensitive data to the wrong email recipients.
- Detecting and blocking sophisticated phishing and business email compromise (BEC) attacks.
- Monitoring insider threats and risky user behavior within enterprise email environments.
- Ensuring regulatory compliance by governing and classifying sensitive data shared via email.
- Protecting organizations transitioning to cloud-based email platforms like Microsoft 365 from email-borne threats.
Pros
- Advanced AI Detection: Behavioral machine learning catches sophisticated threats and human errors that rule-based systems miss.
- Comprehensive Email Security Suite: Now backed by Proofpoint's broader platform, offering end-to-end protection across email, cloud, and endpoints.
- Reduces Human Error Risk: Specifically designed to prevent accidental data leaks such as emails sent to the wrong recipient.
Cons
- Enterprise-Only Pricing: The platform is tailored for large enterprises with corresponding pricing, making it less accessible for SMBs.
- Brand Transition Complexity: Tessian's full transition into Proofpoint may cause confusion for existing customers navigating new product names and workflows.
- Implementation Overhead: Deep integration with enterprise email infrastructure can require significant IT resources and onboarding time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Tessian?
Tessian was acquired by Proofpoint and its technology has been integrated into Proofpoint's Core Email Protection API and Adaptive Email DLP products.
What is Adaptive Email DLP?
Adaptive Email DLP is a Proofpoint product (originally Tessian technology) that uses AI to detect and prevent misdirected emails and unauthorized exfiltration of sensitive data.
How does Tessian/Proofpoint detect phishing?
It uses advanced AI and behavioral analysis to identify email threats, including phishing, business email compromise, and impersonation attacks, even those that bypass traditional filters.
Who is the platform designed for?
The platform is built for enterprise organizations, particularly security teams, CISOs, and compliance officers who need robust email security and data loss prevention.
Does it integrate with Microsoft 365?
Yes, the platform integrates with Microsoft 365 and other major cloud email and collaboration platforms via API-based deployment.
