# Advanced Email Threat Protection for UK SMEs

Advanced email threat protection (ATP) is a security layer that goes beyond standard spam filtering to defend against sophisticated phishing, malicious attachments, impersonation attacks, and zero-day email threats. Where basic email filtering relies on known threat signatures and reputation lists, ATP adds real-time analysis, sandboxing, and machine learning to catch the attacks that standard filtering misses.

## Why This Matters

- **43%** of UK businesses experienced a cyber breach in 2025 (DSIT)
- **85%** of breaches involved phishing (DSIT 2025)
- **£3,550** average cost of a disruptive breach for UK businesses
- **19,000** UK businesses hit by ransomware in the past year

## What's Included

Everything you get with this managed service.

### Proactive Protection

Continuous monitoring and threat detection to prevent incidents before they impact your business.

### Expert Management

UK-based engineers handle configuration, updates, and incident response — so you don't have to.

### Regular Reporting

Monthly reports on security posture, incidents handled, and recommended improvements.

### Dedicated Support

Direct access to your account team for questions, changes, and escalations.

## How We Protect Your Email

From initial assessment to active threat blocking — fully operational within 48 hours.

1. **Email Audit** - We analyse your current email flow, identify vulnerabilities, and review existing filtering rules.
2. **Policy Configuration** - Custom threat policies are configured for phishing, spoofing, malware, and impersonation attacks specific to your industry.
3. **MX Record Cutover** - We route your email through advanced threat filters with zero downtime — no emails lost during the switch.
4. **Monitoring & Tuning** - Ongoing monitoring of blocked threats, false positive reviews, and quarterly policy adjustments to stay ahead of new attack methods.

## Why Choose AMVIA for Advanced Email Threat Protection

UK-based specialists delivering measurable results for businesses of every size.

### Sheffield-Based, UK-Focused

Our engineering and support team operates from Sheffield. We understand UK compliance requirements, network infrastructure, and the specific challenges facing British businesses.

### Accredited & Certified

AMVIA holds Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001, and Microsoft Gold Partner status — giving you confidence that our services meet the highest UK security and quality standards.

### 1,200+ UK Businesses Protected

We manage IT and security for over 1,200 UK businesses across sectors including legal, finance, healthcare, and professional services. Our track record speaks for itself.

### Fast, Responsive Support

Critical issues are responded to within one hour. Our helpdesk is available by phone, email, and portal — with dedicated account managers who know your environment.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is advanced email threat protection?

Advanced email threat protection (ATP) is a security service that extends standard spam filtering with sandboxing of attachments, real-time URL scanning at click time, impersonation detection, and machine learning-based phishing analysis. It is designed to catch sophisticated phishing and malware attacks that bypass conventional email security.

### Is Microsoft Defender for Office 365 included in Microsoft 365?

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium. It is not included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic or Business Standard. Businesses on lower-tier licences can add Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 as a standalone licence or consider a third-party ATP solution.

### Can advanced email threat protection stop Business Email Compromise?

ATP significantly reduces BEC risk through impersonation detection and sender anomaly analysis. However, BEC that originates from a legitimately compromised account (rather than a spoofed address) is harder to detect technically — the attacker controls a real, trusted account. AMVIA's approach combines ATP with account security via Microsoft Entra ID, monitoring for account anomalies, and staff awareness training on BEC warning signs.

### How long does ATP deployment take?

For Microsoft 365 environments, configuring Defender for Office 365 policies typically takes two to four hours for a standard tenant. Third-party ATP gateway deployments require DNS changes (MX record updates) and typically take one to two business days including testing. AMVIA manages the full deployment process.