In short
Trend Micro Email Security is now TrendAI Vision One Email and Collaboration Security. It protects Microsoft 365, Exchange Online and Google Workspace through an API connection with an optional inline mode, a cloud email gateway that your MX records point at, or both. Core, Essentials and Pro packages add URL sandboxing, encryption, continuity and XDR for Email.
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From Trend Micro Email Security to TrendAI
Trend Micro now markets its enterprise products under the TrendAI brand (the company is still Trend Micro Incorporated), and its email protection is called TrendAI Vision One Email and Collaboration Security. It is managed in the TrendAI Vision One console alongside Trend Micro's endpoint, network and cloud products.
The product brings together services UK buyers know by older names:
| Older name | Where it lives now |
|---|---|
| Hosted Email Security, then Trend Micro Email Security (Standard and Advanced) | Cloud Email Gateway Protection: the MX-based gateway deployment |
| Cloud App Security | Cloud Email and Collaboration Protection: the API deployment for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Box and Dropbox |
| Trend Micro Email Security Standard in Worry-Free Services Advanced | Still part of Worry-Free for smaller businesses (see below) |
Trend Micro describes the platform as protecting Microsoft 365, Exchange Online and Google Workspace, and says it can meet data privacy and residency requirements across email and collaboration. For organisations that keep mail on their own servers, Trend Micro's ScanMail family protects Microsoft Exchange directly.
Not sure which option fits? Ask us
Tell us what you need and we will recommend the right option for your organisation, with a quote.
Two deployments: API and gateway
Trend Micro offers two independent deployments, and you can run either or both:
| Cloud Email and Collaboration Protection | Cloud Email Gateway Protection | |
|---|---|---|
| How it connects | API connection, with an optional inline mode for Exchange Online and Gmail | Your MX records point at Trend Micro, which filters inbound and outbound mail |
| What it protects | Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams), Google Workspace, Box and Dropbox | Any mail service, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and on-premises Exchange |
| Internal mail | Yes | Not usually seen |
| Post-delivery clean-up | Yes, including retro-scanning | Before delivery only |
| Continuity, encryption, DMARC report analysis | - | Yes, with Essentials or Pro |
That flexibility is the main reason to shortlist Trend Micro. You can start with API protection, which needs no MX change, and add the gateway later for pre-delivery filtering, continuity and encryption, or run a gateway in front of a mixed Microsoft and Google estate. Our ICES vs SEG guide explains the trade-offs between the two models.
Core, Essentials and Pro
Trend Micro packages the features in three tiers:
| Package | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Core | Standard protection on your chosen deployment: anti-phishing, malware and spam filtering, data loss prevention, account takeover detection, internal message scanning, file sandboxing and retro-scanning |
| Essentials | Everything in Core plus URL sandboxing and inline mode for Exchange Online and Gmail; on the gateway, email encryption, email continuity, extra-large message handling and DMARC report analysis |
| Pro | Advanced protection on both the API and gateway deployments, plus XDR for Email |
On Core and Essentials, a user protected by both deployments is counted in each. Pro counts each user once across the API, gateway and XDR components, which often makes it the simpler choice if you want both layers. XDR for Email correlates email detections with endpoint, identity and network activity, so an attack can be traced from the inbox to the laptop it reached.
Is Trend Micro email security the right fit for you?
We will check it against your systems and requirements and recommend the right option.
How Trend Micro detects phishing and BEC
Trend Micro describes several AI techniques aimed at the attacks that carry no malware:
- Writing style analysis: compares a message with how the supposed sender normally writes, to catch payment diversion from a compromised or impersonated mailbox
- Anomaly detection and behaviour tracking: analyses language, sender history and clusters of similar messages to separate genuine business mail from fraud
- AI scoring of phishing intent: text analysis that surfaces the riskiest messages for investigation
- Visual analysis of websites: computer vision inspects web pages, forms and images to flag lookalike and fraudulent sites
- Sandbox analysis: files and, in Essentials and Pro, URLs are detonated to uncover zero-day threats
- DLP for collaboration: real-time file scanning and customisable compliance templates across collaboration platforms
These map directly onto the threats in our BEC attack, invoice fraud and email account takeover guides.
Trend Micro for Google Workspace
Trend Micro is one of the platforms we supply that protects Gmail in more than one way:
- API protection for Google Workspace mail and Google's collaboration services, with an inline mode for Gmail in Essentials and Pro so messages are inspected before they reach the inbox
- Cloud Email Gateway Protection in front of Gmail, using Google's inbound gateway setting so Gmail trusts the gateway and can reject mail that bypasses it
- Encryption and continuity on the gateway for organisations that need them
That makes it a sensible choice for organisations running both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace that want one console. See our Google Workspace email security hub for Gmail's built-in protection and the other options.
Worry-Free Services Advanced for smaller businesses
Smaller organisations often meet Trend Micro email protection through Worry-Free, Trend Micro's cloud-managed suite for small and medium-sized businesses. Worry-Free Services Advanced adds email and collaboration protection to the endpoint suite: it includes Trend Micro Email Security Standard and Cloud App Security, covering Microsoft 365, Exchange, Gmail and other mail services, with email continuity during an outage and collaboration protection for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Box and Dropbox.
It is licensed per user, covering the person's devices and mailbox, which suits offices that want one product for laptops, mobile devices and email. Our licensing site explains Trend Micro Worry-Free editions. Larger or growing organisations usually move to Vision One for the package choice above.
Which Trend Micro option fits you
Trend Micro gives you more combinations than most vendors, so it helps to start from your situation:
- Microsoft 365 only, want quick protection: the API deployment on Core, adding Essentials if you want URL sandboxing and inline mode
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace together: the API deployment covers both from one console, with the gateway optional
- Need continuity, encryption or DMARC report analysis: the gateway deployment on Essentials or Pro
- Want both layers and XDR: Pro, which counts each user once across API and gateway
- Small business wanting one product for devices and email: Worry-Free Services Advanced
- Mail still on your own Exchange servers: the gateway in front, or Trend Micro's ScanMail family on the servers themselves
We can map your users, mail platforms and existing Trend Micro licences to the simplest combination before you commit.
How Trend Micro email security is licensed
Email and Collaboration Security is licensed per user, at a rate set by the package. On the API deployment, the users counted are those covered by your protection policies, with unlicensed, guest and disabled users and shared mailboxes excluded. On the gateway, active users or active email addresses on your protected domains are counted. Through Forever Systems, Trend Micro is billed monthly in arrears for what you actually used.
Pricing depends on the package, deployment and user count, so ask us for a quote. The detail is on our licensing site's Trend Micro email security licensing page.
How we help
We can check your mail flow and DNS, recommend a deployment and package, connect the APIs or set up the gateway and lock your mail platform to it, tune quarantine and DLP policies and review your DMARC set-up so legitimate mail keeps flowing. If you already use TrendAI Vision One for endpoints, we can bring email detections into the same console.
Contact us for a quote based on your users and the deployment you want.
How Forever Systems helps with email security
We are an independent UK IT and cyber security provider. We supply several email security platforms, so we can suggest what suits your mail system, your risks and your budget rather than pushing one product.
- Start with what you have: we can review the protection already built into Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace before suggesting anything extra
- Compare like for like: API-based protection, secure email gateways, encryption and DLP from the vendors we supply, explained in plain English
- Get authentication right: we help you plan SPF, DKIM, DMARC and MTA-STS so genuine mail is delivered and spoofed mail is not
- Deployment help: connecting a platform to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, mail routing changes and policy set-up, scoped at quote
- People and backup too: security awareness training, Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration and Sophos from our specialist sites
Tell us about your mail system and we will suggest options, with pricing confirmed at quote.
Frequently asked questions
What is Trend Micro Email Security?
It is Trend Micro's email protection, now sold as TrendAI Vision One Email and Collaboration Security. It protects Microsoft 365, Exchange Online and Google Workspace by API, with an optional inline mode, or as a cloud email gateway, or both.
What happened to Trend Micro Hosted Email Security and Cloud App Security?
Their capabilities now sit inside TrendAI Vision One Email and Collaboration Security: the gateway as Cloud Email Gateway Protection and Cloud App Security as Cloud Email and Collaboration Protection, managed in the Vision One console.
What is Trend Micro Email Security Standard?
Email Security Standard is the gateway service included in Worry-Free Services Advanced, Trend Micro's small business suite, alongside Cloud App Security. Vision One customers choose between the Core, Essentials and Pro packages instead.
Does Trend Micro email security need an MX record change?
Only for the gateway deployment. The API deployment connects without an MX change, and you can add the gateway later.
Does Trend Micro protect Gmail?
Yes. It protects Google Workspace by API, with an inline mode for Gmail in Essentials and Pro, and its cloud email gateway can sit in front of Gmail.
What does the Pro package add?
Pro covers both the API and gateway deployments, counts each user once across them, and adds XDR for Email to correlate email threats with endpoint, identity and network activity.
Still have a question about Trend Micro email security?
Ask us and a member of our team will reply by email.
More email security guides
Bitdefender email securityGravityZone Extended Email Security: MX perimeter filtering, Microsoft 365 API protection, or both, in the GravityZone console.ICES vs SEGAPI email security or a secure email gateway: a side-by-side decision guide.Secure email gatewayHow an MX-based gateway filters mail before Microsoft 365 or Gmail, and who still needs one.Google WorkspaceGmail's built-in protection, what your edition adds, and the third-party layers that protect Gmail.