Proofpoint Adds Core Email Protection API to Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Microsoft 365 customers can now view third-party email threat detections directly within the Microsoft Defender portal, following an announcement that Proofpoint has joined Microsoft’s Integrated Cloud Email Security (ICES) vendor ecosystem. By extending Proofpoint’s interoperability across ICES, we’re delivering a more unified security experience that strengthens defence-in-depth and simplifies operations for our shared customers,
said Tom Corn, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Threat Protection Group at Proofpoint.
Unified Console Visibility and Shared Security Detections
The integration embeds Proofpoint’s Core Email Protection API straight into the primary Microsoft security interface. Security operations centre teams no longer need to jump between separate dashboards during threat investigations. Proofpoint detections now appear side-by-side with native Microsoft alerts in a single console environment. Proofpoint stated that its API-based detection layer achieves a 99.999% detection efficacy supported by its Nexus AI technology. The combined architecture targets widespread threats like phishing, business email compromise, and ransomware campaigns that typically originate in enterprise user inboxes.
Platform Strategy and Operational Efficiency
Microsoft designed the ICES framework to accommodate specialist email security providers while maintaining Microsoft Defender as the central operational hub. Oz Wilder, Partner Director for Email and Collaboration Security at Microsoft, noted that the programme aims to reduce operational friction. Our focus is on building a cohesive defence fabric that drives real efficiency for security operations centres, anchored in Microsoft Defender,
Wilder said. The arrangement responds directly to corporate demand for security stack consolidation amid persistent staffing shortages and mounting alert volumes.
Enterprise Scale and Partnership Reach
Proofpoint protects more than 1.8 million Microsoft customers worldwide. The company provides human and agent cybersecurity services to over 80 of the Fortune 100, more than 14,000 large enterprises, and millions of smaller organisations globally. This existing footprint makes the ICES integration a logical extension of interoperability between the two vendors, giving shared customers a streamlined method to scale their defences against evolving threat landscapes without adding administrative complexity.