Overview

Proofpoint Email DLP and Encryption is an organizational email security product that detects sensitive information in messages and attachments, then applies policy-based encryption and incident controls. It is best suited to teams protecting regulated or confidential communications across internal and external recipients. Its strength is the breadth of email detection and policy controls; its custom pricing makes it harder to assess fit before speaking with sales.

Key features

Administrators can set encryption policies at global, group, and user levels through LDAP and Active Directory integrations. Policies can respond to the destination, sender, or message attributes, with encryption also serving as a TLS fallback. That granularity suits organizations with different handling rules across teams, though it also puts policy design and administration at the center of deployment.

Detection combines hundreds of built-in identifiers and dictionaries with support for custom ones. The service scans more than 300 file types out of the box and can be extended to proprietary formats. It covers sensitive information in Microsoft 365 content, PDFs, images, and other unstructured content, with templates for PCI, SOX, GDPR, PII, and HIPAA-related needs. This is useful for broad compliance workflows, but organizations with unusual data definitions may need to build and maintain custom detection rules.

Recipients can open encrypted messages through a web portal, mobile browser, or Outlook client; secure delivery through the portal and message expiry are supported. Outlook integration can reduce friction for users already working in that client, while the portal and browser options give recipients alternatives. A centralized dashboard provides real-time trends, incident review, and actions on non-compliant messages, including views of policy violations alongside the original document or policy.

Proofpoint says Email DLP integrates with Unified DLP to share configuration, detection, and remediation across email, cloud, applications, and endpoints. The service uses HTTPS/TLS for data in transit and AES 256 encryption at rest, and undergoes an annual SOC 2 Type II audit. These claims support its enterprise security case, but do not replace an organization's own review of deployment and compliance requirements.

Pricing

This is paid software with custom pricing. There is no free plan, and the product page offers a demo request rather than stated trial terms. That makes it a sales-led option rather than a quick, self-serve purchase; teams should request pricing and confirm whether a trial is available before comparing total cost.

Platforms

Proofpoint lists Android, iOS, web, and Windows platforms. Hybrid deployment is supported, with cloud deployment also identified. Recipients can access encrypted messages in mobile browsers and Outlook clients, which broadens access beyond the main web experience.

Who it's for

This is a strong fit for organizations that need to detect sensitive data in outbound or internal email, apply differentiated encryption rules, and review policy incidents centrally. Its broad file scanning and directory integrations are particularly relevant to compliance and security teams operating across established user groups. It is less compelling for small buyers seeking transparent pricing, a free tier, or clear trial terms before engaging sales.

Pros and cons

Pro: Hundreds of built-in identifiers, custom dictionaries, and scanning for more than 300 file types provide broad starting coverage for email DLP.
Pro: Encryption rules can vary by destination, sender, or message attributes, with LDAP and Active Directory support for global, group, and user policies.
Pro: Portal, mobile-browser, and Outlook access give recipients multiple ways to retrieve encrypted messages.
Con: Custom pricing and unstated trial terms make it difficult to evaluate cost and fit without contacting sales.
Con: Organizations with nonstandard sensitive-data patterns may need custom identifiers and dictionaries rather than relying only on the prebuilt library.

Alternatives

For buyers comparing adjacent security and data-governance categories, browse Insider Risk Management Software, Social Media Archiving Software, User and Entity Behavior Analytics Software, Security Awareness Training Software, Identity Threat Detection and Response Software, or Phishing Simulation Software.

Choose Cyberhaven Insider Risk Management if you want a paid insider-risk product spanning API, browser extension, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows platforms. Teramind Insider Risk Management may suit buyers who want a paid product with a free trial and an Enterprise plan that includes tailored deployment assistance, custom reporting and behavior-rule configuration, and premium support and SLA. Behavox Falcon is another paid option, with commercial options discussed with sales.

CurrentWare Data Loss Prevention is worth comparing for buyers seeking a free trial and an AccessPatrol standalone plan at 12.00 USD per month, billed annually, for USB/device control plus DLP; on-prem pricing requires contacting Sales. Mimecast Data Leak Prevention is a paid, web-based alternative with a custom-priced Advanced plan described as adding data protection. Safetica Insider Risk Management offers a free trial and Standard at 72.00 USD per year, billed annually per user, starting at $72, with five reports, five admin accounts, and 12 months of data retention; its Premium plan is 96.00 USD per year. Varonis Data Discovery and Classification is a quote-priced option for buyers focused on data discovery and classification. Anexet Insider Threat Detection is a paid option with a free trial and Linux, macOS, and Windows support.

Verdict

Choose Proofpoint Email DLP and Encryption if your organization needs email-focused sensitive-data detection, directory-aware encryption policies, and centralized review of incidents. Its broad identifiers, file scanning, and recipient access options make it a capable fit for complex communications controls. Look elsewhere if transparent pricing or a defined trial is essential before committing to a sales process.

	OpenText Retain Unified Archiving	Proofpoint Email DLP and Encryption
Free plan	No	No
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	—	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, api, iOS, Linux, self-hosted, Web, Windows	Android, iOS, Web, Windows

OpenText Retain Unified Archiving vs Proofpoint Email DLP and Encryption

OpenText Retain Unified Archiving

Proofpoint Email DLP and Encryption