Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Symantec Messaging Gateway comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and Symantec Messaging Gateway based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Email Security solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Symantec Messaging Gateway Report (Updated: January 2024).
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Q&A Highlights
Question: Which product do you prefer: Symantec Messaging Gateway or Microsoft Defender?
Answer: By far Defender for the Win! It integrates, no MX record, etc, nonsense like other products. It offers training simulations as well for end users who are the primary target of bad actors and the most vulnerable of part of any organization. The nice feature is that with Microsoft 365 premium products, its included in the package. Otherwise, for basic and standard users, the Defender for Office 365 is a great add-on with lots of features!
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"Since we have started using the solution, there have been fewer compromises.""It gives us visibility into threats and, for endpoints, it helps us to prioritize threats. We used to have a lack of visibility, but now our time to detect and respond has decreased.""The two main features that prove most beneficial for us are URL scanning and attachment scanning.""I would say that 90% of the spam and phishing attack emails get blocked right off the bat.""Our customers are satisfied with Defender for 365 because Microsoft products are easy to use and customize to meet the client's needs. Everything is in one place, so we can adjust policies as needed for phishing, DLP, ATP, or any other security features that our clients want to apply.""I like its investigation capabilities, as that is what is most important to me. It is fairly simple with a user-friendly interface.""The benefit that stands out to me is the ability for multiple individuals to collaborate simultaneously within the same document. Additionally, there is the option to save the document directly in the integrated OneDrive or SharePoint.""The risk level notifications are most valuable. We get to know what kind of intrusion or attack is there, and we can fix a problem on time."

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"Symantec Messaging Gateway has a good GUI, and it is very powerful in detecting viruses and spam.""Symantec Messaging Gateway is stable and scalable. Installation is easy, and the deployment and maintenance can be done by one administrative person.""Symantec is a secure product.""It has very good capabilities for managing malware.""Symantec Messaging Gateway has a huge knowledge base about phishing, spamming, spoofing, etc.""The most valuable feature of the solution is the content filtering policies because the solution offers huge options for configuration, such as hardware manipulation, et cetera, and the dictionaries make the work easier.""The feature that I like the best is the fingerprinting concept.""The solution is "set and forget". You pay for it and everything is done for you."

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Cons
"The phishing and spam filters could use some improvement.""This product's effectiveness could be improved, in terms of detecting unwanted spam or even malware between the emails, compared to other products.""The product must provide better malware detection.""We need to be able to whitelist data at the backend.""We need a separate license and we don't know how to get the license that is required.""Configuration requires going to a lot of places rather than just accessing one tab.""They can improve their security in a way where a customer can know if all their attachments are safe or not to open through a report. The solution does its job perfectly, but it never reports to the customer whether those attachments have been stopped before or not.""We are always looking for others tools to increase automation on tasks. There can be better integration with other solutions, such as PowerPoint and email."

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"We've had issues in the past where the user finds spam, and Symantec does not recognize it as spam.""The solution takes up a lot of memory.""It will provide Excel reports and PDF reports, but it would be great if they supported the concept of Crystal Reports.""The documentation could have more detailed examples of how to use the product in various situations. As more companies shift to the cloud, they could better integrate the on-prem and cloud versions through an on-prem client.""The solution interface is from 2003 and is outdated. Symantec Messaging Gateway needs to update the interface.""Sometimes the solution picks up false positive for viruses during scans.""What needs to be improved in Symantec Messaging Gateway is its local partner support, as it's not as technical. The support my company gets from the partner isn't good. Vendor support is good, but local partner support isn't. I'm happy with Symantec Messaging Gateway as a solution, but the problem is with its partner support. To me, Symantec Messaging Gateway is a complete solution, but it can be very difficult to search the web for resolutions to issues or problems you experience from it. If this could be improved or resolved in the next release of Symantec Messaging Gateway, then that would be good.""What's lacking when you compare it with Proofpoint and other threat protection solutions is that it does the basic stuff, but we need more advanced threat handling."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "It's a user-base subscription."
  • "From the pricing point of view, like any other product in the market, there is scope for negotiation."
  • "Defender is a little bit more expensive as compared to others. We are in the manufacturing environment. So, we don't have a high budget for all of our endpoint devices. Its cost is a major concern for us."
  • "For licensing, it's usually a yearly package for customers who are subscribed to Office 365, but they can also pay on a monthly basis."
  • "Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is an add-on to the Office license. Many customers are purchasing this solution."
  • "Microsoft Defender for Office 365 comes with Microsoft Windows. It is free with the operating system."
  • "The solution saves money so we have seen a return on investment."
  • "Defender for 365 comes in various plans and licenses, along with other Microsoft security solutions. Purchasing this kind of package or security bundle gives good value for money, and that's what I recommend."
  • More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "A subscription for technical support costs extra."
  • "It's a bit expensive compared to its competitor Barracuda Email Security Gateway but cheaper than Sophos Email."
  • "The cost of Symantec Messaging Gateway is too expensive in general. However, the appliance also includes the price of the license in the same bundle."
  • "They're a little costly compared to Microsoft."
  • "For 150 users, we pay INR 1,60,000."
  • "Symantec Messaging Gateway’s pricing is very cheap."
  • More Symantec Messaging Gateway Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Threat Explorer is an invaluable tool for me, and it plays a crucial role in helping me discern the origins of various email campaigns, pinpointing where they emanate from, and identifying the… more »
    Top Answer:The product must provide better malware detection. The detection algorithms don't perform the way I hope they would.
    Top Answer:The solution takes up a lot of memory. The system becomes slow. The performance must be improved.
    Top Answer:We use the solution to secure our data and emails.
    Ranking
    1st
    out of 107 in Email Security
    Views
    13,167
    Comparisons
    10,373
    Reviews
    28
    Average Words per Review
    653
    Rating
    8.4
    Views
    548
    Comparisons
    383
    Reviews
    10
    Average Words per Review
    399
    Rating
    8.3
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    MS Defender for Office 365
    Symantec.cloud, Symantec Email Security.cloud
    Learn More
    Overview

    Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect organizations against advanced threats in their email, collaboration, and productivity environments. It combines the power of Microsoft's threat intelligence, machine learning, and behavioral analytics to provide real-time protection against phishing, malware, ransomware, and other malicious attacks.

    With Microsoft Defender for Office 365, organizations can safeguard their email communication by detecting and blocking malicious links, attachments, and unsafe email content. It employs advanced anti-phishing capabilities to identify and prevent sophisticated phishing attacks that attempt to steal sensitive information or compromise user credentials.

    This solution also offers robust protection against malware and ransomware. It leverages machine learning algorithms to analyze email attachments and URLs in real-time, identifying and blocking malicious content before it reaches users' inboxes. Additionally, it provides advanced threat-hunting capabilities, allowing security teams to proactively investigate and respond to potential threats.

    Microsoft Defender for Office 365 goes beyond email protection and extends its security features to other collaboration tools like SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. It scans files and documents stored in these platforms, ensuring that they are free from malware and other malicious content. It also provides visibility into user activities, helping organizations detect and mitigate insider threats.

    Furthermore, this solution offers rich reporting and analytics capabilities, providing organizations with insights into their security posture and threat landscape. It enables security administrators to monitor and manage security incidents, track trends, and take proactive measures to enhance their overall security posture.

    Symantec Messaging Gateway is a comprehensive email security solution designed to protect organizations from advanced threats and spam. It combines multiple layers of protection, including anti-malware, anti-spam, and data loss prevention, to safeguard sensitive information and ensure email continuity. 

    With its advanced threat intelligence and machine learning capabilities, it can detect and block sophisticated attacks, such as ransomware and spear-phishing. The solution also offers robust encryption and authentication features to secure email communications. 

    Its intuitive management console provides administrators with granular control and real-time visibility into email traffic. Symantec Messaging Gateway is a reliable and scalable solution that helps organizations mitigate email-borne threats and maintain a secure messaging environment.

    Sample Customers
    Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is trusted by companies such as Ithaca College.
    Doric, Joblink Plus, Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta, PPB Advisory, Slater & Gordon Lawyers, Sydney Adventist Hospital Ltd.
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Manufacturing Company16%
    Computer Software Company16%
    Comms Service Provider13%
    Financial Services Firm6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Government7%
    REVIEWERS
    Pharma/Biotech Company27%
    Financial Services Firm18%
    Energy/Utilities Company18%
    Healthcare Company9%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company21%
    Financial Services Firm14%
    Government10%
    Manufacturing Company6%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business42%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise42%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business29%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise51%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business55%
    Midsize Enterprise10%
    Large Enterprise35%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business28%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise57%
    Buyer's Guide
    Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Symantec Messaging Gateway
    January 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Symantec Messaging Gateway and other solutions. Updated: January 2024.
    765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is ranked 1st in Email Security with 41 reviews while Symantec Messaging Gateway is ranked 6th in SEG (Secure Email Gateway) with 20 reviews. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is rated 8.4, while Symantec Messaging Gateway is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 writes "Allows for easy reporting of problems, valuable anti-phishing, and anti-malware support". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Symantec Messaging Gateway writes "A stable and reasonably priced solution that performs well and has a very good malware database". Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is most compared with Proofpoint Email Protection, Mimecast Email Security, Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP), Barracuda Email Security Gateway and Cisco Secure Email, whereas Symantec Messaging Gateway is most compared with Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP), Cisco Secure Email, Fortinet FortiMail, Trend Micro Email Security and Proofpoint Email Protection. See our Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs. Symantec Messaging Gateway report.

    We monitor all Email Security reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.