Hornetsecurity - Detailed Review
Privacy Tools
Hornetsecurity - Detailed Review Contents
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Hornetsecurity - Product Overview
Primary Function
Hornetsecurity’s main objective is to provide comprehensive cloud security solutions, ensuring the protection of email communications, data security, and business continuity. It offers a range of services including email security, compliance, backup, and security awareness, all designed to safeguard businesses using Microsoft 365.Target Audience
Hornetsecurity serves a diverse range of companies, but it is most often used by small to medium-sized businesses. Specifically, 61% of its customers have fewer than 50 employees, and 68% have revenues under $50 million. The service is popular across various industries, with a significant presence in the construction sector and a strong customer base in Germany, the UK, the US, and Canada.Key Features
Email Security and Spam Protection
Hornetsecurity offers advanced email filtering services, including multi-level spam detection, phishing filters, and dynamic virus outbreak detection. This ensures that spam and malware are effectively blocked, reducing the strain on mail servers and minimizing false positives.Email Encryption
The service provides fully automated and secure email encryption, supporting standard encryption technologies like S/MIME and PGP. It includes features such as automatic digital signing, certificate management, and adaptable scalability to meet the needs of different users and organizations.Advanced Routing and Management
Hornetsecurity allows for advanced routing of emails to various mail servers, which is particularly useful for companies with distributed mailboxes. It also offers central management of email signatures and quarantine reports that can be customized to fit individual workflows.Compliance and Backup
The platform ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and provides backup services to ensure business continuity. This includes storing incoming emails for up to 7 days if the customer’s mail server is unavailable.Scalability and Integration
Hornetsecurity’s services are highly scalable and can be easily integrated with existing systems. The migration process is straightforward, and additional services such as email archiving and continuity services can be added with just a few clicks. Overall, Hornetsecurity is a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to secure their email communications, protect against malware and spam, and ensure compliance and business continuity. Hornetsecurity - User Interface and Experience
Hornetsecurity’s Privacy and Security Tools
The user interface and overall user experience of Hornetsecurity’s privacy and security tools, particularly in the AI-driven product category, are designed to be user-friendly and efficient.
365 Permission Manager
This tool, part of Hornetsecurity’s offerings, provides a user-friendly interface that allows administrators to manage permissions, enforce compliance policies, and monitor violations within Microsoft 365. The interface is admin-centered, offering a comprehensive view of permissions, which helps in saving time and effort. Administrators can perform bulk actions to manage permissions and maintain a compliant SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive infrastructure. This solution is operational-centered, providing a non-obstructive workflow to easily review and fix permissions.
Spam and Malware Protection
Hornetsecurity’s Spam and Malware Protection features a central control panel that simplifies the management of email security. The setup process is straightforward, allowing for quick migration and integration without significant effort. Users can adjust basic settings, set up MX records, and synchronize user data automatically. The system also offers advanced routing, central management of email signatures, and modular expansion options, all of which contribute to an easy-to-use interface. The quarantine report and one-click release features further enhance the user experience by providing a quick overview and easy management of emails in quarantine.
AI Recipient Validation
This AI-driven email validation tool integrates seamlessly into the local Outlook client, analyzing emails in real-time without transmitting them to Hornetsecurity’s servers. The interface provides instant feedback and warnings when an email triggers certain conditions, such as addressing an unintended recipient or including sensitive information. Users are notified immediately and given the chance to make corrections before sending the email. The AI-based adjustment mechanisms also adapt to user behavior, ensuring that warnings and suggestions become more accurate over time.
General User Experience
Across Hornetsecurity’s products, the emphasis is on ease of use and transparency. For example, the 365 Total Protection solution offers a central console that blends data privacy and ease of use, enabling users to manage their security settings efficiently. The setup is often described as easy and seamless, with minimal tweaking required during the initial setup. Users appreciate the daily, weekly, or monthly reports that show quarantined and blocked emails, which helps in maintaining a clear overview of their email security.
Conclusion
Overall, Hornetsecurity’s tools are designed to be intuitive and efficient, making it easier for administrators and users to manage security, compliance, and data protection without significant technical hurdles.
Hornetsecurity - Key Features and Functionality
Hornetsecurity’s AI-Driven Email Security Solutions
Hornetsecurity’s AI-driven email security solutions are comprehensive and highly integrated, offering several key features that enhance email protection and user safety.Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)
Hornetsecurity’s ATP is a crucial component that examines incoming emails for potential threats such as ransomware, spyware, and viruses. This feature uses AI and machine learning to continuously analyze threat patterns, quickly identifying and neutralizing new and emerging threats. It is particularly effective against spear-phishing and forged invoices, which often evade traditional filters.AI-Driven Email Encryption
This feature ensures that sensitive information is protected during email transmission. Hornetsecurity’s AI-powered encryption is user-friendly, allowing secure email exchanges without disrupting workflows. This is especially important for compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR.Enhanced Secure Links Protection
Secure Links, part of the ATP, protects against malicious email links, a common vector for phishing and malware. Using machine learning and deep learning, it inspects URL characteristics and utilizes AI-driven computer vision models to detect phishing indicators such as logos and QR codes embedded in emails. The feature includes an improved link decoder, a more intuitive interface, and enhanced scanning reliability.Malicious Document Decryption
This feature analyzes the content of incoming emails with encrypted attachments to detect and block malware. It removes the encryption to examine the behavior of the decrypted file using static and dynamic analysis techniques, ensuring that the underlying malware is detected and blocked before it reaches the recipient’s inbox.AI Recipient Validation (AIRV)
AIRV is an email validation tool that safeguards users by analyzing emails based on their previous communication patterns. It triggers warnings when:- An unintended recipient is being addressed
- A recipient who should have been included is missing
- An email contains sensitive information like Personal Identifiable Information (PII)
- An email contains inappropriate wording
- A user is about to reply to a large distribution list
Fraud Attempt Analysis and Identity Spoofing Recognition
Hornetsecurity’s AI-powered tools analyze the authenticity and integrity of metadata and mail content to detect and block fraud attempts and identity spoofing. This includes recognizing forged sender identities and detecting content patterns that suggest malicious intent.Intent Recognition System and Spy-Out Detection
The intent recognition system alerts users to content patterns that indicate malicious intent. Additionally, the system defends against attacks designed to obtain sensitive information, such as spy-out attacks.Security Awareness Training
Hornetsecurity’s Security Awareness Training uses AI to simulate phishing campaigns, helping users identify and avoid phishing attacks. The AI manages the training automatically, adjusting the level of sophistication based on user responses. This ensures that users receive the right amount of training without unnecessary interruptions.Integration and Management
Hornetsecurity’s solutions integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure, such as Microsoft 365, and offer a centralized portal for easy administration and security management across the organization. This comprehensive protection covers all aspects of email security, from spam and malware to legally compliant archiving and encryption. These features collectively ensure that Hornetsecurity’s AI-driven email security solutions provide proactive, rather than reactive, defenses against a wide range of cyber threats, safeguarding sensitive data, organizational reputation, and financial stability. Hornetsecurity - Performance and Accuracy
Performance
Hornetsecurity’s spam and malware protection is highly efficient, with a setup process that is quick and straightforward. The system can be integrated in just a few minutes, including setting up domains, adjusting basic settings, and configuring MX records. This ease of integration and the ability to synchronize user data automatically through LDAP or AD connections enhance the overall performance of the mail server. The Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) feature is powered by AI and includes a Sandbox Engine that scans email attachments in a virtual environment to detect and block malware, such as Emotet, Hancinator, and Trickbot. This ensures that malicious content is identified and blocked before it reaches the user’s inbox.Accuracy
The accuracy of Hornetsecurity’s email security solutions is high, with a very low rate of false positives. For instance, the spam filter has a false positive rate of less than 0.00015, meaning out of one million emails scanned, only a maximum of four authentic emails are falsely classified as spam. The AI-driven fraud attempt analysis, identity spoofing recognition, and intent recognition system are highly accurate in detecting and blocking malicious emails. These features use machine learning (ML) and deep learning to analyze metadata, mail content, and URL links for malicious behavior, ensuring that the system catches even highly targeted and sophisticated attacks.AI-Driven Security Awareness
Hornetsecurity’s Security Awareness Service, which has earned the 2025 EMEA Human Risk Management Company of the Year Award from Frost & Sullivan, uses AI to provide individualized and automated cybersecurity training. This service includes realistic spear phishing simulations and eTraining modules that adapt to the user’s behavior, ensuring that employees are well-equipped to identify and mitigate cyber threats.Limitations and Areas for Improvement
While Hornetsecurity’s solutions are highly regarded, there are some areas identified for improvement:Third-Party Integrations
There is a recognized need to expand third-party integrations. Hornetsecurity is addressing this by prioritizing robust API development to allow customers to integrate their solutions into reporting and PSA tools.Administrative Requirements
Although the system is generally easy to manage, there is an ongoing effort to reduce administrative requirements further. For example, the Security Awareness Service is designed to be low on administration, but there may still be some tasks that require attention from security teams.Continuous Innovation
The threat landscape is constantly evolving, and Hornetsecurity continues to invest in research and development to stay ahead. This includes enhancing their GRC capabilities, further developing automated security awareness training, and expanding their threat detection capabilities. In summary, Hornetsecurity’s AI-driven privacy tools demonstrate strong performance and accuracy, with a focus on continuous innovation and improvement to address emerging cyber threats effectively. Hornetsecurity - Pricing and Plans
365 Total Protection Plans
Hornetsecurity’s 365 Total Protection comes in three main pricing editions:365 Total Protection Business
- Price: $2.00 per user, per month.
- Features: This plan provides a comprehensive security solution for Microsoft 365 customers, including email security, data protection, and compliance features.
365 Total Protection Enterprise
- Price: $4.00 per user, per month.
- Features: This plan includes all the features from the Business plan, plus additional enhancements such as advanced security, governance, and risk management.
365 Total Protection Enterprise Backup
- Price: $6.00 per user, per month.
- Features: This plan includes all the features from the Enterprise plan, with the added benefit of automated Microsoft 365 data backup and recovery.
Additional Features and Services
365 Total Backup
- This service offers automated Microsoft 365 data backup, recovery, and protection. Key features include:
- Ransomware protection with backups stored on Hornetsecurity infrastructure.
- Unlimited storage with the option to choose the data storage region.
- One all-inclusive fee covering the solution, storage, and support.
VM Backup
- This is a backup and replication solution for virtual machines (VMs). Key features include:
- Ransomware protection using immutable cloud storage.
- Continuous Data Protection (CDP) and WAN-optimized replication.
- Central management and backup health monitoring.
- Options for monthly subscription or perpetual licenses.
Pricing Adjustments
As of January 1st, 2024, there was a 15% price increase across all Hornetsecurity product and service offerings due to increased licensing costs and enhanced local support.
Free Trial
Hornetsecurity offers a free trial for its 365 Total Protection and other services, allowing users to test the features before committing to a plan.
In summary, Hornetsecurity provides a range of plans with escalating features and prices, catering to different business needs and security requirements. Each plan is designed to offer comprehensive security, data protection, and compliance solutions for Microsoft 365 users.
Hornetsecurity - Integration and Compatibility
Hornetsecurity Product Integration
Hornetsecurity’s products are designed to integrate seamlessly with various tools and platforms, ensuring comprehensive security and ease of use across different environments.Email Security Integration
Hornetsecurity’s email security solutions, such as those offered through their hybrid model, integrate well with popular email platforms. For instance, their Secure Email Gateway (SEG) and Integrated Cloud Email Security (ICES) work in tandem to provide complete protection. This hybrid approach allows for seamless integration with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspaces, enabling advanced threat detection and response. The ICES uses APIs to detect and respond to threats within the email platform itself, ensuring real-time scanning and post-delivery threat remediation.Hornet.email Compatibility
Hornet.email, their cloud-based corporate email platform, is compatible with a wide range of devices and clients. Users can access Hornet.email via a web interface, native clients, and Outlook clients on Windows, Mac, Linux, as well as mobile devices running iOS and Android. This ensures that users can manage their email securely and efficiently across various platforms.Webfilter Connector Integration
The Hornetsecurity Webfilter Connector is designed to integrate with company IT systems to enforce corporate policies. It works by routing internet traffic through a proxy, allowing administrators to set up and manage internet usage policies for different departments. The Connector can be downloaded directly from the control panel or distributed centrally by administrators, making it easy to implement across the organization.VM Backup Compatibility
Hornetsecurity’s VM Backup solution is compatible with Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines. This solution leverages immutable cloud storage to protect data from ransomware and other threats. It offers continuous data protection and WAN-optimized replication, ensuring that backup files are available quickly in the event of data loss. This compatibility ensures that businesses using these virtualization platforms can protect their data effectively.Cross-Platform Compatibility
Across all their products, Hornetsecurity emphasizes ease of use and broad compatibility. Whether it’s the Webfilter Connector, VM Backup, or email security solutions, these tools are designed to work seamlessly with existing IT infrastructures. This ensures that businesses can implement these security measures without disrupting their current operations or requiring significant changes to their setup.Conclusion
In summary, Hornetsecurity’s products are engineered to integrate smoothly with a variety of tools and platforms, providing comprehensive security and ease of use across different devices and environments. This integration and compatibility make it easier for businesses to protect their data and enforce corporate policies effectively. Hornetsecurity - Customer Support and Resources
Customer Support
Contact Forms and Email
Phone Support
Live Chat
Additional Resources
Documentation and Fact Sheets
Webinars and Podcasts
Control Panel and Central Management
Specific AI-Driven Products
Security Awareness Service
Email Encryption
Hornetsecurity - Pros and Cons
Advantages of Hornetsecurity’s AI-driven Privacy Tools
Hornetsecurity’s AI-driven products offer several significant advantages in the realm of email security and privacy:Enhanced Threat Detection
Hornetsecurity utilizes AI, including machine learning (ML) and deep learning, to improve threat detection. These technologies enable the recognition of patterns, intent, and anomalies, helping to block spam, phishing, and malware effectively. For instance, AI-powered fraud attempt analysis, identity spoofing recognition, and intent recognition systems help in detecting and blocking malicious emails.Advanced Email Security Features
The platform includes a multi-level filtering system, which ensures that more than 99.9% of spam and 99.99% of viruses are detected and blocked. Features like dynamic virus outbreak detection, link tracking, and phishing filters further enhance email security.Automation and Efficiency
AI-driven tools automate repetitive tasks, such as outbound scanning and recipient validation. The AI Recipient Validation (AIRV) system analyzes email communication patterns to detect unintended recipients and emails containing sensitive information, thereby reducing the risk of data breaches.User Training and Awareness
Hornetsecurity’s Security Awareness Training uses AI to simulate phishing campaigns, helping users identify and avoid phishing attacks. This training is adaptive, providing more training to users who need it based on their responses to simulated phishing emails.Compliance and Management
The platform offers compliance filters, audit logs, and centralized management, making it easier to observe and enforce compliance policies and regulations. This includes automated application of rules for inbound and outbound emails and indelible logging of changes to the Control Panel.Performance and Reliability
Hornetsecurity’s spam filter significantly increases mail server performance by allowing only valid messages through. The service also includes a standardized SLA for availability and filter performance, ensuring high reliability.Disadvantages of Hornetsecurity’s AI-driven Privacy Tools
While Hornetsecurity’s AI-driven products offer numerous benefits, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider:Data Quality and Privacy Concerns
AI systems rely heavily on data, and if the data is flawed or biased, the AI’s decisions can be inaccurate. This raises concerns about data quality and the potential for false positives. Additionally, the use of AI involves handling large amounts of personal and sensitive data, which can lead to privacy breaches if not properly secured.Dependence on High-Quality Data
For AI to be effective, it needs high-quality, representative data. Poor data quality can lead to flawed decisions and a higher rate of false positives, which can be problematic in a security context.Need for Experienced Professionals
Implementing and operating AI-driven security systems requires experienced AI professionals and cybersecurity specialists. The lack of such experts can be a significant hurdle for organizations.Governance and Integration Issues
Integrating AI into existing systems can raise governance issues, such as ensuring that the AI system is free from biases and that it complies with regulatory requirements like GDPR and HIPAA. Regular auditing and updates are necessary to maintain the effectiveness and compliance of the AI models.Potential Misuse by Malicious Actors
AI can be misused by malicious actors to improve their phishing emails, malware code, and other cyber threats. This highlights the need for continuous monitoring and updating of AI models to stay ahead of evolving threats. By considering these advantages and disadvantages, users can make informed decisions about whether Hornetsecurity’s AI-driven privacy tools meet their specific needs and security requirements. Hornetsecurity - Comparison with Competitors
Unique Features of Hornetsecurity
- Advanced Threat Protection (ATP): Hornetsecurity’s ATP uses AI and machine learning to identify and neutralize new and emerging threats, including ransomware, spyware, and viruses. It is particularly effective against spear-phishing and forged invoices, which often bypass traditional filters.
- AI-Driven Email Encryption: Hornetsecurity offers user-friendly email encryption that protects sensitive information during transmission, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR.
- Enhanced Secure Links Protection: This feature uses machine learning and deep learning to inspect URL characteristics and detect phishing indicators, such as logos and QR codes embedded in emails.
- AI Recipient Validation (AIRV): This solution analyzes each user’s email communication patterns to detect unintended recipients, emails containing Personal Identifiable Information (PII), and inappropriate wording. It continuously learns and adapts to user behavior.
- Security Awareness Training: Hornetsecurity’s training solution uses AI to simulate phishing campaigns and provide targeted training to users based on their responses, helping to improve user vigilance against phishing attacks.
Potential Alternatives
IRONSCALES
- IRONSCALES is known for its user-friendly phishing protection and offers features like phishing simulation, real-time threat detection, and automated response capabilities. It integrates well with Microsoft 365 and is favored for its easy setup and management through an intuitive dashboard. However, it may lack the comprehensive feature set of Hornetsecurity.
Securiti AI
- Securiti AI provides a comprehensive platform for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, focusing on data privacy automation, AI security, consent management, and workflow automation. It includes features like automated sensitive data discovery, AI-powered risk assessment, and zero-trust access controls. While it is strong in data governance and compliance, it can be complex to implement and has high licensing costs.
Protecto
- Protecto is an AI-driven data privacy platform that specializes in detecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and Payment Card Information (PCI) across large datasets. It is particularly suited for companies prioritizing AI security and compliance, but it may not offer the same level of email-specific security as Hornetsecurity.
DataGrail
- DataGrail is a data privacy management platform that offers real-time data mapping, automated DSR management, and privacy risk assessments. It integrates well with third-party tools and helps streamline compliance with privacy regulations. However, it is more focused on general data privacy management rather than email security specifically.
Key Differences
- Scope of Protection: Hornetsecurity is highly specialized in email security, using AI to protect against a wide range of email-borne threats. In contrast, tools like Securiti AI and DataGrail have a broader focus on data privacy and governance across various data sources.
- User Experience: Hornetsecurity and IRONSCALES both offer user-friendly interfaces, but Hornetsecurity’s solution is often noted for its comprehensive feature set, which can sometimes make the initial setup more complex. IRONSCALES, on the other hand, is praised for its ease of setup and management.
- AI Capabilities: All these tools leverage AI, but Hornetsecurity’s use of AI in email security is particularly advanced, with features like AI-driven email encryption, secure links protection, and recipient validation. Securiti AI and Protecto also use AI, but their applications are more geared towards general data privacy and compliance.
Hornetsecurity - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Hornetsecurity
1. What is Hornetsecurity’s Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) and how does it work?
Hornetsecurity’s Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) is a security layer that examines incoming emails for potential threats such as ransomware, spyware, and viruses. It uses AI and machine learning to continuously analyze threat patterns, quickly identifying and neutralizing new and emerging threats. This includes detecting and blocking spear-phishing and forged invoices that often bypass traditional filters.2. How does Hornetsecurity’s Email Encryption work?
Hornetsecurity’s Email Encryption provides secure email communication by encrypting emails using standard encryption technologies like S/MIME and PGP. The service includes automatic digital signing and encryption of outgoing emails, automatic certificate management, and individual setup and definition of encryption policies. This ensures that sensitive information remains confidential during transmission, complying with data protection regulations like GDPR.3. What is AI Recipient Validation (AIRV) and how does it help?
AI Recipient Validation (AIRV) is a feature that analyzes each user’s email communication patterns to detect unintended recipients, emails containing Personal Identifiable Information (PII), and inappropriate wording. It continuously learns from user behavior and flags potential issues, such as sending emails to new or potentially unintended recipients, or emails with sensitive information. This helps prevent data leaks and ensures emails are sent to the right people.4. How does Hornetsecurity’s Security Awareness Training work?
Hornetsecurity’s Security Awareness Training uses AI to provide simulated phishing campaigns that help users identify and avoid phishing attacks. The training is adaptive, meaning users who click on links or open attachments in simulated phishing emails receive more training, while those who do not are not bothered with additional training requests. This approach ensures that users are adequately prepared to spot even the most advanced phishing attacks.5. What support options are available for Hornetsecurity users?
Hornetsecurity offers 24/7 support with an average chat response time of less than 60 seconds. Their support team is available to answer queries around the clock, ensuring that any issues are resolved quickly. Users can also provide feedback directly to the Global Head of Service Desk, and there are numerous testimonials from satisfied customers praising the support team’s responsiveness and professionalism.6. How does Hornetsecurity’s DMARC Manager help with email security?
The DMARC Manager by Hornetsecurity safeguards domains against email impersonation, phishing, and spoofing by managing DMARC, DKIM, and SPF protocols. This intuitive tool helps organizations protect their email domains from being used in malicious activities, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of their email communications.7. What backup and recovery solutions does Hornetsecurity offer?
Hornetsecurity provides a range of backup and recovery solutions, including Virtual Machine Backup (VMB) for Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware, 365 Total Backup (365TB) for Microsoft 365, Endpoint Backup (EPB), and Physical Server Backup (PSB). These solutions are designed to prevent enterprise data loss and ensure data is securely backed up and easily recoverable.8. How does Hornetsecurity’s AI-powered email threat protection handle evolving cyber threats?
Hornetsecurity’s AI-powered email threat protection uses technologies like artificial neural networks, deep learning, and machine learning to recognize patterns and improve performance over time. These tools help in detecting and blocking evolving cyber threats, including those that use better grammar, translations, and AI-assisted target research and malware code generation.9. Can Hornetsecurity’s email encryption be adapted to different organizational needs?
Yes, Hornetsecurity’s Email Encryption is highly adaptable. It allows administrators to set different encryption policies at the domain, group, and user levels. The service is cloud-based, ensuring automatic updates and the ability to adjust the number of encrypted email users according to customer needs.10. How does Hornetsecurity ensure compliance with data protection regulations?
Hornetsecurity’s solutions, including email encryption and advanced threat protection, are designed to comply with data protection regulations such as GDPR. The email encryption service ensures that sensitive information is protected during transmission, and the ATP helps in preventing data breaches by detecting and blocking malicious emails.