The latest update of Kaspersky’s email security solution enhances threat detection and mail visibility. Key improvements include advanced heuristics for AI-driven phishing and the detection of list-linking attacks. It also adds flexible mail routing, encrypted document scanning, and a new 'Users at risk' widget.
Email remains the primary cyberattack vector, with 81% of organizations encountering email-based threats over the past year[1]. In an attempt to exploit the essential business communication tool, attackers constantly enhance their tactics and scenarios, using generative AI, malicious password-protected attachments, domain abuse, and other methods. Equipped with new features, Kaspersky Security for Mail Server (KSMS) and its main application, Kaspersky Secure Mail Gateway (KSMG) 3.1, neutralize sophisticated modern attacks and ensure convenient corporate email exchange.
Email security optimized for business needs
According to Kaspersky’s internal statistics, an average of fewer than 30% of a company’s employees receive the majority of unwanted emails (including spam, malicious emails, etc.), rendering them a high-risk group within their organizations. To protect the most vulnerable users, the updated solution features a 'Users at Risk' widget that highlights individuals who receive the most phishing, spam, malicious links, and malware. Grounded in a modern, human-risk-driven framework, this feature enables KSMS to facilitate data-backed security decisions and mitigate the threat of user compromise. Equipped with this visibility, organizations can identify the most likely targets for adversaries and allocate additional training or security guidance precisely where it is needed, saving both time and resources.
Renewed KSMS also strengthens email security at the infrastructure level, preventing threats from spreading across the company’s internal mail systems. With flexible mail routing by multiple conditions, users can now create traffic routing schemes using headers added to messages by content filtering rules. These headers can be assigned based on various criteria, including the sender, recipient, subject, message body, and attachments. As a result, mail routing can be precisely tailored to diverse organizational scenarios, significantly reducing administration time. Rules management has also become much easier, thanks to a new, convenient search tool and the ability to add comments to rules and address records.
KSMS Plus: Countering hidden threats with advanced technologies
The KSMS Plus licensing tier which provides comprehensive email protection introduces additional capabilities designed for mature enterprises more frequently facing complex attacks undetectable by traditional technologies.
Among key new features there are advanced heuristics - dynamic detection rules capable of identifying targeted threats that mimic legitimate emails to bypass standard anti-spam engines:
- AI-Generated Email Detection identifies generative messages related to financial fraud and Business Email Compromise (BEC) attempts, even when messages contain no malicious links or attachments.
- List-Linking detection mitigates subscription bombing (list-linking attacks) by blocking automated registration emails. While these messages originate from legitimate domains and bypass traditional spam filters, this heuristic instantly detects the underlying attack pattern.
- New and Unknown Domain Detection evaluates the age and reputation of the sender's domain. If the domain is new or lacks history in the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) database, the email is automatically flagged as suspicious.
- B2B Advertising Heuristic allows administrators to apply flexible policies, permitting specific departments (such as procurement) to receive commercial offers and advertising emails that are blocked for the rest of the organization.
All heuristics are customizable and can be applied to specific user groups and allow administrators to define actions for detected messages.
Another KSMS Plus feature that allows users to uncover hidden risks is the scanning of password-protected Microsoft Office files. While attackers frequently encrypt malicious attachments to evade signature-based detection and gateway filters, KSMS bypasses this tactic by analyzing not only archives, but also encrypted Microsoft Office documents, such as DOCX, XLSX, PDF and others to stop hidden malware before it reaches the target.
“With this release, we are elevating KSMS with new, powerful enterprise-level features and engines designed to address key priorities: enhancing protection against complex email threats, minimizing human factor risks, and streamlining security management.” - said Alexander Rumyantsev, Senior Product Manager, Cloud & Network Security at Kaspersky. “The updated solution combines R&D expertise, real-life experience, and a people-centric approach to allow our clients to reduce security exposure, optimize resources, and maximize the effectiveness of communication”.
More details on the latest Kaspersky Security for Mail Server version available via this link.
