The Missing Layer: Email Protection That Exchange Online and Gmail Users Urgently Need

In our previous blog (Beyond Attachments: How Email Becomes Your Biggest Data Exfiltration Vector), we exposed the critical gaps in standard email data loss prevention (DLP) tools that allow data exfiltration to continue despite significant investment in native controls.

Organizations that have implemented targeted solutions to address these gaps report dramatic improvements in their security posture. Here's what comprehensive email DLP actually looks like in practice:

Protection for Exchange Online and Gmail

A purpose-built email protection solution delivers capabilities that native Microsoft Purview and Google Workspace controls simply cannot match:

Precision Policy Control

Deploy granular rules that distinguish between communication contexts:

• Apply different standards to internal vs. external communications, preventing accidental oversharing, if needed
• Create specific controls for communications with partners, contractors, and personal domains
• Implement domain-specific policies that allow business-critical sharing while preventing data leakage
• Enforce stricter controls for sensitive departments without impacting broader business operations

Copy/Paste Protection

Stop the most common exfiltration method that native tools miss entirely:

• Detect sensitive data copied directly from documents into email bodies
• Identify structured data formats (like code, credentials, or PII) within message text
• Apply consistent protection whether data appears in attachments or message content

Intelligent Response Actions

Move beyond binary block/allow decisions with context-appropriate controls:

• Automatically encrypt outgoing emails containing sensitive content
• Quarantine suspicious communications for security review
• Block truly dangerous communications before data leaves your environment

User-Centric Security

Transform security from obstacle to enabler:

• Provide in-the-moment coaching when employees trigger policy violations
• Explain risks with custom notifications
• Build security awareness through contextual feedback
• Reduce friction for legitimate business needs while maintaining protection

Comprehensive Visibility

Gain insights that native dashboards can't provide:

• Monitor all emails with attachments sent to external or free email domains
• Track patterns of communication that might indicate data exfiltration
• Identify shadow data sharing channels before they become breaches
• Create an auditable record of sensitive information movement

Implementation That Delivers Results

Gaining Control Over Sensitive Data in a Fast-Paced Environment

Nova Credit operates in the fintech space, handling sensitive information as part of its core business. As a growing company, ensuring data security across their collaboration tools and endpoints became increasingly critical. Adam Davis noted that a primary driver was a requirement from their largest customer to implement robust DLP.

Their previous experiences with other DLP tools, especially for email were also unsatisfactory, often returning inaccurate results with excessive noise and user fatigue. The team needed a solution that offered accurate detection, seamless integration, and effective control without impacting productivity.

Nova Credit also needed reliable DLP for other critical SaaS applications like Gmail and Google Drive. Their previous email DLP solution suffered from poor accuracy. “The other DLP solution we were using for email wasn't that great,” Adam says. “It was like a blunt hammer. It wouldn't catch the things that Nightfall did catch. It was so inaccurate it became an annoyance, and users stopped paying attention to it.” 

Implementing Nightfall AI allowed Nova Credit to replace ineffective, disruptive controls with a sophisticated, accurate, and efficient DLP program. They gained comprehensive visibility across critical SaaS applications and macOS endpoints, fulfilling customer requirements and significantly strengthening their security posture.

Read the full case study here.

See the Difference in Your Environment

Our AI-native DLP for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace environments integrates seamlessly with your existing email security investments to deliver immediate protection against sophisticated email exfiltration techniques and inadvertent sensitive data exposure. We're confident in the difference Nightfall’s comprehensive email DLP makes. 

Don't wait for a breach to expose the gaps in your email DLP approach. Contact us to schedule a demo.