Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense offers an extensive suite of DMARC management tools, going beyond basic reporting. It focuses on streamlined DMARC deployment with dedicated consultants, guided workflows, and identification of legitimate senders to ensure a smooth transition to an enforced DMARC policy.
Beyond DMARC, it protects organizational reputation by identifying domain and lookalike domain spoofing. It provides 360-degree visibility into your email ecosystem, dynamically detects lookalike domains, and even offers a Virtual Takedown Service for malicious lookalikes. Their hosted authentication services for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are robust, overcoming common challenges like the 10-lookup limit for SPF and simplifying key management for DKIM, all supported by a globally distributed infrastructure.
ELK DMARC is an open-source, self-hosted solution that leverages the powerful ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) for DMARC reporting. Its core strength lies in providing detailed DMARC aggregate and forensic report analysis, allowing for deep insights into email authentication data within your own environment. This gives us complete control over our data, which is a significant advantage for those with strict data governance requirements.
The platform excels at visualizing DMARC data through Kibana dashboards, offering customizable views of authentication results, sender IP addresses, and policy actions. While it requires manual setup and configuration of the ELK stack, its open-source nature means we can extend its functionality and integrate it with other security tools within our infrastructure, tailoring it precisely to our needs. It's truly a toolkit for the technically proficient.
ELK DMARC
How easy is each product to use
User experience
ELK DMARC
Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense, as a managed service, aims to simplify the DMARC journey. From initial setup to ongoing management, the user experience is largely guided by their professional services. While this means less direct hands-on configuration for us, the dashboard itself, as noted in some reviews, can sometimes feel less intuitive. However, its comprehensive nature demands a certain level of complexity.
The process for releasing legitimate emails caught in filters, or managing quarantines, is generally straightforward once we understand the system. Proofpoint's strength here is in abstracting much of the underlying complexity, providing us with a high-level view and expert assistance to navigate DMARC policies effectively. It’s less about DIY and more about a guided tour through DMARC enforcement.
ELK DMARC offers a very different user experience. As a self-hosted solution, the initial setup and configuration require significant technical expertise in Docker, Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana. There's no fancy onboarding wizard; it's a 'read the documentation and roll up your sleeves' kind of product. Once deployed, the user experience revolves around Kibana dashboards.
For those familiar with Kibana, the interface is powerful and highly customizable, allowing us to build bespoke visualizations and reports. However, for users new to the ELK stack, there's a steep learning curve. While the data analysis capabilities are robust, the overall UX depends entirely on our comfort level with managing and querying big data visualization tools. It's a blank canvas where we are the artist.
ELK DMARC
Which product has the best support
Support
ELK DMARC
Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense emphasizes a high-touch support model, often involving dedicated consultants and professional services. This is a significant advantage, particularly for organizations that need expert guidance through the complexities of DMARC implementation and enforcement. Our experience shows that their team is capable and knowledgeable.
However, some G2 reviews indicate that responsiveness can sometimes be an issue, requiring multiple follow-ups to get a reply. While the quality of support is generally praised, the speed of engagement may vary. For critical enterprise deployments, the direct access to Proofpoint's DMARC expertise is invaluable, even if we occasionally need to be persistent.
ELK DMARC, being an open-source project, relies primarily on community support. This means support comes from GitHub issues, forums, and potentially direct engagement with the project's maintainers. There are no formal support channels, SLAs, or dedicated support teams in the traditional commercial sense. We are largely responsible for troubleshooting and problem-solving ourselves.
For organizations with internal technical teams skilled in the ELK stack and DMARC, this model works well. We can leverage the collective knowledge of the open-source community. However, for those lacking such expertise, the absence of dedicated commercial support can be a significant drawback. It's very much a 'help yourself, or find someone who can help' situation.
ELK DMARC
Who should use each product
Suitability
ELK DMARC
Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense is highly suitable for large enterprises and organizations with complex email environments and a strong need for brand protection and regulatory compliance. It's ideal for those who prefer a managed service approach and are willing to invest in a comprehensive, albeit costly, solution. It also caters well to MSPs managing DMARC for enterprise clients due to its robust feature set and professional support.
It's a strong fit for organizations that prioritize reducing supplier risk, need advanced domain discovery, and require seamless integration with existing email security gateways. SMBs might find it overkill in terms of features and pricing, but for larger entities, it's a solid, secure choice that covers all bases, ensuring we don't accidentally block legitimate email while moving to DMARC enforcement.
ELK DMARC is best suited for technically proficient organizations, typically those with in-house IT and security teams comfortable with self-hosting, open-source solutions, and the ELK stack. It's a good choice for businesses or MSPs that need granular control over their DMARC data, have specific customization requirements, and prefer to manage their infrastructure.
SMBs with strong technical capabilities and a desire to minimize recurring software costs could consider it, but the initial setup and ongoing maintenance are significant. Enterprises might use it if they have specific integration needs within their existing big data platforms. It's less for those seeking a 'set it and forget it' solution and more for those who enjoy the hands-on control and flexibility that self-hosting offers.
ELK DMARC
How does Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense compare with ELK DMARC?
ELK DMARC
DMARC report analysis
Analysis of aggregate and forensic DMARC reports.
Source detection
Ability to identify legitimate and illegitimate email sending sources.
Forward detection
Detection of email forwarding scenarios.
Spoof detection
Advanced detection of domain spoofing and lookalike domains.
Includes lookalike domain detection and takedown service.
Visualizes spoofing attempts based on DMARC data.
Notifications and alerts
Automated alerts for DMARC policy changes or threats.
Requires custom configuration within ELK stack.
Reporting
Comprehensive and customizable reporting features.
Managed, high-level reports.
Highly customizable Kibana dashboards.
API
Application Programming Interface for data access and integration.
ELK stack APIs for data interaction.
Multi-tenancy
Support for managing multiple domains or clients within one account.
Can be configured for multi-tenancy within Kibana.
SPF flattening
Automated SPF record optimization to avoid the 10-lookup limit.
As part of hosted SPF services.
Requires manual SPF management.
Hosted DMARC
Managed DMARC record hosting services.
Provides hosted DMARC record management.
Requires user to host their own DMARC record.
BIMI
Support for Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI).
MTA-STS/TLS-RPT
Support for MTA-STS and TLS-RPT for secure email transport.
Blocklists and reputation
Monitoring of blocklists (or block lists) and sender reputation.
Integrated with Proofpoint's threat intelligence.
Not a native feature, requires external integration.
AI copilot
AI-powered assistance for DMARC management.
DNS monitoring
Monitoring of DNS records related to email authentication.
Extensive domain discovery.
Indirectly through DMARC record validation.
Self hostable
Option to host the solution on private infrastructure.
Free trial/free tier
Availability of a free trial or a permanently free tier.
Open-source, self-hosted.
Drawbacks and what to watch out for
Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense, while powerful, can sometimes be an 'overkill' with filtering, occasionally catching legitimate emails. The UI is also noted for being less intuitive than some users would prefer, potentially making configuration challenging. ELK DMARC's main drawbacks stem from its self-hosted, open-source nature, requiring significant technical expertise for setup and maintenance, and lacking formal commercial support or advanced integrated features like SPF flattening and blocklist monitoring.
We have pulled the average ratings from G2 for each product, and also included the most recent negative reviews for each product in full. Positive reviews tend to have less detail and have a higher chance of being fraudulent, so negative reviews are a better signal for your decision.
4.3 / 5(12)
ELK DMARC
0 / 5(0)
Overkill
2.0 / 5
What do you like best about Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense?
Great filters for junk and spam. Easy widgets in email notifications to release legit email that is not spam
What do you dislike about Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense?
Too much filtering. At times, overkill. Filters out legitimate emails.
What problems is Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense solving and how is that benefiting you?
Protect network from illicit email spoofing. Employees that are non tech savvy that click on fishing emails.
Verified User in Food & Beverages
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
No G2 reviews
G2 is the most popular review platform for DMARC products, so this is a strong signal that this product is not popular.
Not sure if it's worth the hassle
2.5 / 5
What do you like best about Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense?
I do like that it auto scans my emails and sorts out the scam/fraudulent ones.
What do you dislike about Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense?
I greatly dislike having to wait for the flagged emails, that are actually not fraudulent, but something that I am looking for. It does not send me the alert until the next day, and then once its been released and approved, it ends up taking another 10 minutes or so (Max) to get to me.
What problems is Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense solving and how is that benefiting you?
I am getting significantly fewer fraudulent/scam emails
Verified User in Construction
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
Email Protection by Proofpoint Fraud Defence
4.0 / 5
What do you like best about Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense?
This product provides email protection for both Inbound and outbound emails from all the domains which help in securing the mailboxes. This adds the advantage of the analytics features alike continuously shows the volume of mails as phishing /secures messages.
What do you dislike about Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense?
Like other proofpoint products this also has implementing and configuring problems as they are not easy to configure in the organization environment.
Recommendations to others considering Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense:
This product offers you great security over emails and customers can leverage the support and different product portfolio they offer.
What problems is Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense solving and how is that benefiting you?
We are securing our emails from phising mails /messages for all the domains and for both inbound outbound messages.
Anjali V.
Cyber Security Analyst Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
Reliable tool for spam emails!
4.0 / 5
What do you like best about Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense?
It's a great reliable tool and keep your inbox more secure and spam free. As a security measure this is great tool which prevents from any fraudulent emails and send alerts as necessary. I am currently using at my company and find all the spam emails being avoided. We usually receives too many on our generic email alias and this help in securing.
What do you dislike about Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense?
It's a great tool, though I find the use of it a very little. Only being capable of avoiding spam emails. Also the dashboard is not much interactive
Recommendations to others considering Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense:
It was always better to have precaution than being penalized by unwanted threat. It's always good to be more secure and spam free and take preventive steps towards running your business securely.
What problems is Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense solving and how is that benefiting you?
We consider our emails to be safe and spam free. And probably easy to set up
Verified User in Information Technology and Services
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
We use it as our Email Proxy.
4.5 / 5
What do you like best about Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense?
Ability to filter by most likely spam emails. We also have the ability to open up domains.
What do you dislike about Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense?
The UI can be a bit more intuitive if it was up to me.
Recommendations to others considering Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense:
I would recommend for the ease of use and security features offered.
What problems is Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense solving and how is that benefiting you?
Fraud emails and Spam emails for our Enterprise account.
Verified User in Computer & Network Security
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
Pricing
Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense requires contacting their sales team for specific pricing, indicating a tailored enterprise-level cost, while ELK DMARC is an open-source solution, meaning the only costs are for hosting and infrastructure.
ELK DMARC
Small
Up to 10k emails / month
Contact for pricing
Self-hosted: Infrastructure costs
Medium
Up to 100k emails / month
Contact for pricing
Self-hosted: Infrastructure costs
Large
Up to 1 million emails / month
Contact for pricing
Self-hosted: Infrastructure costs
Enterprise
Over 1 million emails / month
Contact for pricing
Self-hosted: Infrastructure costs
Suped hard sell incoming!
Still not satisfied with Proofpoint Email Fraud Defense or ELK DMARC?
4.3 / 5(12)
