Proofpoint, a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, has secured the top position in four out of five use cases in the 2025 Gartner Critical Capabilities Report for Email Security Platforms. This achievement comes shortly after Proofpoint was named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Email Security Platforms, where it was recognised for its Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute.
What the 2025 Gartner critical capabilities report covers
The 2025 Gartner Critical Capabilities report evaluated 14 different email security platform providers, putting each one through a detailed technical review. The report gives organisations a deeper look at how each platform performs in real-world situations, helping companies understand which solutions are best suited to their security needs.
Acting as a companion to the Gartner Magic Quadrant, this report shifts the focus from overall market positioning to practical performance. It highlights how well each provider handles specific challenges that businesses face when securing their email environments.
Proofpoint ranks first in 4 out of 5 use cases
The 2025 report evaluated vendors across five key use cases, which represent the most important areas of email security for businesses today. Proofpoint received the highest ranking in four of these categories: core email protection, outbound protection, security platform integration, and power user capabilities.
This strong performance highlights Proofpoint’s ability to provide comprehensive protection across multiple areas of email security. It also reinforces its reputation as a trusted provider in a competitive market.
Darren Lee, executive vice president and general manager of Proofpoint’s Security Products and Services Group, said: “We believe this recognition from Gartner further reflects our commitment to delivering leading solutions and expanding our expertise in human-centric security. Unlike piecemeal solutions from multiple vendors, which are both complex and costly to operate, Proofpoint provides the efficacy and breadth of protection our customers need. Our email security platform delivers unmatched protection against emerging sophisticated threats targeting users across channels, applications, and cloud services, meeting global customer needs for sovereignty, simplicity, and efficacy.”
What makes Proofpoint stand out
Each of the four use cases where Proofpoint ranked first reflects a different aspect of email security. Core email protection focuses on stopping threats like phishing, malware, and business email compromise before they reach users’ inboxes. Outbound protection covers preventing data leaks, whether caused by mistakes or intentional data theft by insiders. Security platform integration looks at how well the email security platform works with other security tools, allowing businesses to apply consistent protection across their entire IT environment. Power user capabilities measure advanced features that allow security teams to fine-tune their defences and respond quickly to threats.
Proofpoint’s success in these areas builds on its earlier recognition as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Email Security Platforms. While the Magic Quadrant focuses on the provider’s overall strategy and execution, the Critical Capabilities report dives deeper into how well their solutions work when applied to specific challenges.
With email remaining one of the top targets for cyberattacks, organisations are under pressure to find solutions that offer strong protection without creating unnecessary complexity. Proofpoint’s focus on human-centric security — protecting the people who are targeted, rather than just the technology they use — fits well with this need. Many modern attacks rely on tricking people through tactics like phishing or social engineering, rather than exploiting software flaws.
By performing well in both the Magic Quadrant and the Critical Capabilities report, Proofpoint has shown that its platform can meet the security needs of businesses today while continuing to evolve to handle future threats.
