The solution is for general protection, specifically for email scanning to protect against threats.
Consultant at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Effective scanning and integrated right into Office 365 but needs better support
Pros and Cons
- "It is scalable."
- "The biggest issue that I experience is that Microsoft keeps moving things around, and it's very inconsistent as to where you find the information when you're trying to work on different pieces."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The value of the solution is the fact that it's completely already integrated into the Office 365 environment so you don't have to go do different things to manage and be able to control, configure, and integrate security as part of the overall Mailpack.
For some customers, they don't feel comfortable having all their eggs in the Microsoft basket. Some prefer to have another scanner to do the scanning for protection.
What is most valuable?
The scanning is quite effective.
It's integrated right into Office 365.
The solution is stable.
It is scalable.
What needs improvement?
The biggest issue that I experience is that Microsoft keeps moving things around, and it's very inconsistent as to where you find the information when you're trying to work on different pieces. The fact that they keep changing it, keep changing the portals and moving things around, gets to be very frustrating when you're trying to get something configured for customers.
Technical support needs improvement.
The solution is a bit pricey.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)
May 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for quite a while at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We've had no issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We've had no problem with scalability.
How are customer service and support?
We deal with support all of the time. Technical support could be better.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Negative
How was the initial setup?
The implementation is somewhere in the middle of easy and difficult. You do need to know what you're doing, and you're not always sure of both the level of the spam policies and the protection you're putting on, for example, what it's actually gonna do to mail. It takes experience. Somebody new is not generally going to figure it out quickly.
The level of maintenance depends on the size of the organization. That said, it doesn't take a lot of care and feeding once it's set up properly.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is moderate. I'd rate them five or six out of ten. They are a bit expensive, considering I'm already paying for staff in the portal.
What other advice do I have?
I spend 99% of my time working with Microsoft products. We do resell Microsoft. We're a small business partner.
I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner

Senior Services Manager at NextCom Systems Inc
Scalable solution with great admin interface but issues with impersonisation
Pros and Cons
- "Online Protection's most valuable feature is its admin interface."
- "Online Protection has an issue in that it doesn't provide an option to stop impersonation."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use Online Protection for technical support.
How has it helped my organization?
Online Protection has allowed our customers to keep their data on our site using the DLP the solution offers.
What is most valuable?
Online Protection's most valuable feature is its admin interface.
What needs improvement?
Online Protection has an issue in that it doesn't provide an option to stop impersonation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Online Protection for about a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate Online Protection's stability seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate Online Protection's scalability ten out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Online Protection is fairly expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would give Online Protection a rating of seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP)
May 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Software Engineer at Eighty 20 Solutions
Helpful safe links, reliable, and plenty of features
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection are the EOP, ATP, safe links, fishing, and antispam."
- "Not all settings can be configured automatically and most still require manual configuration. However, there is an automation tool available that can be used to input all the configurations either as a script or a tool it would be helpful."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Microsoft Exchange Online Protection for the migration of users from on-premise to the cloud.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection are the EOP, ATP, safe links, fishing, and antispam.
What needs improvement?
Not all settings can be configured automatically and most still require manual configuration. However, there is an automation tool available that can be used to input all the configurations either as a script or a tool it would be helpful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Exchange Online Protection for approximately three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is good. We have not had many issues.
I rate the stability of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection a nine out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Mimecast. I do not have a lot of experience in Mimecast.
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection can handle a more broad range of areas than Mimecast.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection and streamlining is complex. When we use a feature and we try to streamline them based on its outcomes can be difficult, such as false positives.
We often use third-party tools for the deployment. We try and use Microsoft native tools, such as Office Configuration Analyzer.
What about the implementation team?
I help my customers implement the solution and it typically takes one week with two consultants.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
If you're looking for recommendations, I suggest selecting the standard or strict settings provided by Microsoft for configuring Microsoft Exchange Online Protection. You can start with the standard settings and gradually increase the blocking and other settings such as spam confidence level based on your experience over time. It's important to keep in mind that further tuning may be required based on false positives and other factors, which will require manual adjustments based on experience. This configuration process is not a one-time setup and will evolve based on your customer experience.
I rate Microsoft Exchange Online Protection a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Senior Information Security Analyst at Rewterz
Quick support, easy to use, and simple setup
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is the accidental release of information protection capabilities. Additionally, the solution is easy to use."
- "The price of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection could be reduced to make it more competitive."
What is our primary use case?
I work in a financial institution and we use Microsoft Exchange Online Protection to protect our CEO's emails and all users' emails from phishing and other threats.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is the accidental release of information protection capabilities. Additionally, the solution is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The price of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection could be reduced to make it more competitive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Exchange Online Protection for approximately one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is stable.
How are customer service and support?
We have had some issues and the support we received was good and quick.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used other solutions, such as Carbon Black and Trend Micro Deep Discovery Email Inspector. I found that Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is a much better solution because the search time is quicker and there are more alert results.
How was the initial setup?
The configuration of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is easier than other solutions.
What about the implementation team?
We did the deployment of the solution in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is priced high and could be less expensive compared to other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
There is no maintenance needed for this solution, but we have analyzed the results from the findings from the alerts.
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Microsoft Exchange Online Protection a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Cyber Security Consultant at HCL Technologies
An easily scalable, cloud-based solution that would benefit from an update to its in-built policy application
Pros and Cons
- "We like the holding facility that is available for potentially suspicious URL's. This allows a real-time review to be performed before the email reaches a users inbox."
- "We would like the solution to have more in-built intelligence in the way that it reviews potential security risks, rather than our team constantly having to update the policies."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product to provide full email security protection policies.
What is most valuable?
We like the holding facility that is available for potentially suspicious URLs. This allows a real-time review to be performed before the email reaches a user's inbox.
What needs improvement?
We would like the solution to have more in-built intelligence in the way that it reviews potential security risks, rather than our team constantly having to update the policies.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for around 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have found the stability of this solution to be good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have found the solution to be easily scalable when new users need to be added; this is a multi-tenant product.
How are customer service and support?
We have found the support to be good. However, the default first line of issue resolution for this product is the online community and FAQ pages.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was very straightforward due to the solution being completely cloud-based.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licenses for this solution are available as packages of different tiers. The package will differ depending on the features that an organization wants, but all packages come with some default features included.
What other advice do I have?
We would advise organizations who wish to build customized policies that this will increase the implementation time for this solution.
We would also advise organizations to carry out extensive testing before implementing this solution; this will ensure that it is set up exactly the way that they need it to be.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Consultant
Security Specialist at Engen
Scans and protects emails, attachments, and URLs against threats and has good integration with Windows
Pros and Cons
- "What I like most about Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is its integration with Windows, so we have one central view for all alerts and incidents."
- "Having orchestration features added to Microsoft Exchange Online Protection, particularly automation and remediation, would be quite useful."
What is our primary use case?
We use Microsoft Exchange Online Protection for scanning and protecting email attachments and URLs. Primarily we use Mimecast for URL protection, but it's good to have a second step, particularly Microsoft Exchange Online Protection, just in case something slips through.
What is most valuable?
What I like most about Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is its integration with Windows, so we have one central view for all alerts and incidents.
What needs improvement?
I'm pretty happy with Microsoft Exchange Online Protection, so off the top of my head, I can't think of any reason for me to want to change something in the solution.
Having orchestration features added to Microsoft Exchange Online Protection, particularly automation and remediation, would be quite useful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Microsoft Exchange Online Protection for five or six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is quite stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't contacted technical support for Microsoft Exchange Online Protection.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before Microsoft Exchange Online Protection, we used Mimecast. We still use Mimecast, but for an antimalware solution, we've always used what's available on Windows.
How was the initial setup?
I didn't configure the solution, so I can't tell if the setup was straightforward or complex. Our Exchange administrators were the ones who set up Microsoft Exchange Online Protection.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented the solution in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Our license for Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is covered by our enterprise agreement.
What other advice do I have?
There are three thousand users of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection in our company. There is no plan to increase the number of users, at least not in the near future.
Microsoft Exchange Online Protection is quite a difficult product. I would recommend it because it's a good product. My advice to others looking into using it is to make sure their rules are configured correctly, and they have turned on all the necessary features.
I'm rating Microsoft Exchange Online Protection eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Solutions Architect at One Click
Protects our customers from spammers
Pros and Cons
- "It has a really nice web-based administration console."
- "I think the implementation could be more streamlined."
What is our primary use case?
It's a spam filter and an antivirus solution. It protects our clients from spammers.
What is most valuable?
It has a really nice web-based administration console. Thanks to this, our clients are not tied to a particular server or workstation. They can just hit a URL anywhere in the enterprise and view the console.
The included patch management system is really good. It keeps itself up to date which is critical when you're dealing with anti-virus and spam filtering. Overall, I think it's really a great product.
What needs improvement?
It kind of has a heavy footprint — in terms of an implementation footprint. I think the implementation could be more streamlined. The implementation could be more flexible in terms of allowing users to pick and choose where they want to deploy.
Personally, I like to be able to pick and choose what I'm implementing and where I am implementing it in the environment instead of having to install the whole stack.
In the next release, I would like to see them add some features beyond just spam and anti-virus. Maybe some bulk email tools — in terms of being able to send them from within the environment. Send group emails, send information to the administration team; I'd like to see them add some MailChimp kind of functionality or mailing lists.
Instead of just providing spam and anti-virus filtering, I'd like to see them add more feature functionality. The one thing that I don't like is that it's very much a point product. It just does what it does, very specialized. I think this industry as a whole is going away from point products and heading towards suites — integrated suites that do a number of different things. I think that they would be wise to fold this into a broader overall suite of products.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Exchange Online Protection for roughly 15-16 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is exceptionally stable. It scales excellently for what it's used for.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is outstanding.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
What was our ROI?
ROI-wise, this solution has been great.
What other advice do I have?
If you're interested in using this solution, make sure you understand the technical requirements and deploy it somewhere where it will have access both inside and outside that it needs. Inside, it needs to see the mail stores, and outside it needs to be able to download the packages that it needs to provide the spam and anti-virus filtering with protection.
Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Infrastructure Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Has efficient integration features, but the configuration process could be easier
Pros and Cons
- "The product's most valuable feature is third-party integrations."
- "The management interface of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) could be intuitive."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product to configure anti-spam solutions.
What is most valuable?
The product's most valuable feature is third-party integrations.
What needs improvement?
The management interface of Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) could be intuitive. Additionally, it could be easy to configure and fine-tune the components.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable platform.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable product.
How are customer service and support?
I work with Microsoft's technical support team a lot. In some simple cases, the services are very good. However, it needs improvement for dealing with complex issues.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have experience working with Mimecast and Barracuda. In comparison, Microsoft Exchange Online Protection has good integration and policies. However, it is not easy to configure.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup process is easy. At the same time, it's complicated to configure. From a maintenance perspective, it requires keeping a tab on the console for security or operations to filter out emails.
What was our ROI?
The product generates a good return on investment for the US market.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product's pricing is competitive for the US market. However, it is expensive for the regions where businesses don't have enough budget to invest.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) to others and rate it a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator

Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
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Updated: May 2025
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Download our free Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
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