Proofpoint Alternatives for Data Security in 2024

Proofpoint is a cybersecurity company known for its email security and data loss prevention (DLP) solutions. Using Proofpoint, businesses can protect sensitive data across email, cloud applications, and endpoints. Companies often choose Proofpoint for DLP due to its strong email security heritage and integration capabilities.

While Proofpoint offers robust features for data protection, it may not be the ideal solution for every organization. In this article, we review Proofpoint's capabilities and limitations, comparing them against top competitors in the market to help you make an informed decision about your data security solution.

Limitations of Proofpoint

User-generated reviews help illustrate Proofpoint's limitations:

• “1. Some [features] are still being developed and support is slow to help remediate issues. 2. Apple Mac support and features are minimal. 3. No easy way to send outputs for review to different parties or support staff.” (Gartner)
• “No simple way for exclusions. There isn’t a easy way to send outputs for reviews to different parties. Ordering/rule management can become cumbersome. UI is legacy and missing some QoL features.”  (Gartner)
• “Interface can become cluttered easily.” (Gartner)
• “1. Multiple endpoint agents are required. 2. Memory consumption on the endpoint can be rather high. 3. Vendor support's knowledge of product is not as strong as one would hope.” (Gartner)

Summary of limitations

These insights provide a comprehensive view of the challenges users face when implementing and using Proofpoint, which are crucial for potential users to consider:

High cost of ownership

• Significant learning curve to fully utilize features, potentially complicating onboarding.
• Fragmented experience with multiple consoles for administration, making efficient management difficult.

Limited support

• Slow support responses, especially for features still in development.
• Delayed problem resolution, particularly for Mac support lagging behind Windows.
• Separate agent update process causing additional complications.

Outdated UI

• Interface criticized for being clunky and lacking modern features.
• Limited integration capabilities with other DLP tools, restricting functionality like document fingerprinting.

Complex policy management

• Lack of flexibility in creating custom DLP templates without professional services.
• Difficulty in managing policies and rules, with cumbersome rule ordering.

Performance issues

• Problems with false positives and erratic dictionary scoring for flagged words.
• Inadequate reporting capabilities, especially for heavily customized implementations.

Alternatives to Proofpoint

Nightfall AI

Nightfall AI is a comprehensive, AI-native data security platform that helps organizations to discover and protect sensitive data across SaaS, email, AI apps, and endpoint devices. Nightfall's industry-leading detection engine and flexible APIs cover a wide variety of use cases for complex cloud-based workspaces.

Powered by advanced AI and machine learning techniques, including Large Language Models (LLMs), Nightfall's detectors for PII, PCI, PHI, secrets, and IP have 2x greater precision and 4x fewer false positives than legacy DLP solutions. This increased accuracy allows security teams to respond to high-priority alerts in near-real time and maintain continuous compliance with leading standards like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, and GDPR.

Get a demo of Nightfall here.

Forcepoint DLP

Forcepoint prioritizes data-driven security, offering robust protection from endpoints to the cloud. Forcepoint ONE consolidates DLP for web, cloud apps, email, and endpoints into a single dashboard, simplifying management and reporting. Customers may choose Forcepoint over Proofpoint for its behavior intelligence and threat research capabilities, which enhance security teams' ability to stop ransomware and other advanced threats.

However, Forcepoint has been criticized for its complex setup and management, especially for smaller organizations. Users report a steep learning curve and occasional workflow interruptions due to unnecessary application blocking.

Symantec DLP

Symantec DLP is part of a broader security ecosystem, offering data protection across multiple channels. Customers may choose Symantec over Proofpoint due to its comprehensive security suite and strong endpoint security roots. Organizations already using other Symantec products may benefit from seamless integration and a unified management console.

However, Symantec can be resource-intensive, potentially impacting system performance. Users report a complex configuration process and inconsistent support quality, with some experiencing long response times.

Trellix DLP

Trellix DLP (formerly McAfee) uses behavior analytics for data protection across cloud services, email, and endpoints. Customers may choose Trellix over Proofpoint due to its focus on XDR (Extended Detection and Response), which can provide broader endpoint security.

However, some users report frequent false positives requiring ongoing adjustment. The interface can be unintuitive, making policy management challenging. Trellix's history of acquisitions has led to integration and seamlessness challenges across its product line.

Fortra's Digital Guardian

Digital Guardian offers data protection across endpoints, networks, and cloud environments. Customers may choose Digital Guardian over Proofpoint when looking for more robust data discovery capabilities or an endpoint-centric approach.

However, the solution can be complex to deploy and manage effectively. Some users report performance issues, especially on endpoints. The pricing structure can be confusing and potentially expensive for a full feature set.

Final thoughts

When choosing a data security solution, it's crucial to consider your organization's specific needs, budget, and existing infrastructure. While all the mentioned alternatives offer robust features, Nightfall AI stands out as the most innovative and effective option, particularly for organizations prioritizing cloud security and AI-driven protection.

Nightfall's use of generative AI (GenAI) and advanced machine learning techniques provides superior accuracy in detecting sensitive data, with significantly fewer false positives compared to traditional solutions. Its ability to secure both SaaS and GenAI applications, along with email and endpoints, makes it a versatile choice for modern enterprises.

However, each solution has its strengths. Ultimately, while Proofpoint remains a viable option for some organizations, alternatives like Nightfall AI offer more advanced technologies and better accuracy, potentially providing more value and stronger protection in today's rapidly evolving threat landscape. We recommend thoroughly evaluating each solution, with particular attention to Nightfall AI's cutting-edge features, before making a final decision.