HEC - Protect Your Business Email Before It Costs You

October 3, 2025

Email is the backbone of business communication. It connects teams, drives decisions, and manages customer relationships. However, email is also the single most targeted channel for cyberattacks. Each week, businesses face threats that range from phishing attempts to highly sophisticated Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks.

Often, these threats appear innocuous at first — a link that looks legitimate, an email that seems to come from a trusted colleague, or a seemingly harmless attachment. Within hours, the consequences can escalate, from stolen sensitive data to fraudulent wire transfers.

The financial impact is clear, but the reputational damage is often even more severe. Rebuilding trust with clients, partners, and employees can take months, if not years.

At 101 IT, we help businesses stay ahead of these threats by implementing Check Point’s Harmony Email & Collaboration (HEC) — a solution designed to protect your email and collaboration platforms before attackers can exploit them.

What is Harmony Email & Collaboration (HEC)?

Harmony Email & Collaboration (HEC) is a modern, API-based email security platform that protects organizations from the evolving landscape of cyber threats. Unlike traditional MX-based gateways, HEC integrates directly with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Teams, Slack, Zoom, and other collaboration tools.

This API-driven, inside-out approach allows HEC to actively monitor your environment, detect suspicious activity, and respond in real time. It does not merely filter messages before delivery; it provides comprehensive visibility and protection across your entire communication ecosystem.

HEC addresses the modern security challenges that traditional solutions often fail to catch. Here’s why it’s a game-changer:

Direct API Integration
HEC connects seamlessly with email and collaboration platforms without rerouting traffic or modifying MX records. Deployment is quick, and there’s minimal disruption to daily operations.
Inside-Out Threat Visibility
By integrating directly into your environment, HEC can detect unusual login attempts, compromised accounts, lateral movement across platforms, and suspicious file sharing. This is critical because many modern attacks come from within the organization.
Advanced Phishing and BEC Detection
HEC uses AI-driven analytics to identify subtle signs of phishing and Business Email Compromise. It can detect domain impersonation, spoofed sender addresses, and suspicious payment requests that traditional filters would miss.
Account Takeover Prevention
HEC continuously monitors user behavior and blocks unauthorized access attempts, preventing attackers from exploiting compromised accounts.
Zero-Day and Malware Protection
Powered by Check Point’s ThreatCloud intelligence, HEC identifies and blocks new malware, ransomware, and zero-day threats as soon as they appear.
Automated Remediation
Threats can be removed from all affected inboxes within seconds, minimizing exposure and limiting potential damage.
Lower False Positives
With intelligent detection, HEC reduces unnecessary quarantines, ensuring legitimate emails reach employees without delay.
Comprehensive Protection Beyond Email
HEC safeguards not just emails but collaboration tools like Teams, Slack, and Zoom. This ensures a broader defense against attacks that move beyond the inbox.

Why Traditional Email Gateways Are No Longer Enough

For many years, businesses relied on MX-based email gateways. These solutions filtered emails before they reached the inbox, which worked when most attacks were external and relatively simple.

However, attackers have adapted:

They compromise trusted accounts, sending malicious messages from within your organization.
They exploit cloud collaboration platforms to deliver phishing links and malware.
They use AI to craft messages that bypass conventional filters, making attacks more sophisticated and harder to detect.

Traditional gateways are limited in visibility. They cannot monitor internal account activity, collaboration platforms, or user behavior in real time. As a result, many attacks go unnoticed until damage is done.

The Importance of API-Based Security

Modern threats require modern solutions. API-based platforms like HEC provide real-time visibility and protection by working directly inside the systems your organization uses every day.

Key benefits include:

Real-Time Monitoring and Detection
HEC constantly analyzes user activity and email content to detect threats immediately.
Proactive Threat Response
When a threat is identified, HEC can act automatically to remove malicious emails or block suspicious activity.
Scalable Protection
As your organization grows, HEC scales to protect more users, devices, and collaboration tools without creating bottlenecks.
Comprehensive Coverage
Beyond email, HEC secures chat, file sharing, and video conferencing platforms, providing complete communication protection.

Real-World Example: How HEC Prevented a Costly Attack

Consider a mid-sized company in the financial services sector that faced a sudden spike in phishing attacks over just one month. Employees were receiving emails that appeared to come from the CEO, finance department, and trusted vendors. Using their traditional MX-based gateway, several malicious emails made it to employees’ inboxes.

One particular email nearly led to a fraudulent wire transfer of $75,000. Fortunately, the finance team noticed inconsistencies and halted the transaction in time. However, the scare highlighted just how vulnerable the company’s email systems had become.

After implementing Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration (HEC), the results were immediate and measurable:

100% of phishing emails were flagged immediately before employees could interact with them.
Suspicious activity across collaboration platforms like Teams and Slack was detected and blocked in real time.
Account takeover attempts dropped by over 90%, preventing attackers from gaining internal access.
Employee-reported phishing incidents decreased by 80%, because HEC caught the threats automatically.
Zero financial losses occurred after HEC implementation, avoiding costly wire fraud and reputational damage.

This proactive, API-driven approach demonstrates how a modern solution like HEC goes beyond traditional email gateways. Not only did it stop attacks before they could escalate, but it also gave the company confidence in its security posture, allowing employees to focus on work instead of worrying about phishing threats.

According to recent industry statistics:

76% of organizations reported a successful phishing attack in the last year, resulting in financial and data losses.
Businesses using advanced API-based email protection saw a reduction of phishing-related incidents by up to 85%.
Companies that adopt proactive email security solutions recover faster from attempted attacks and report higher employee confidence in email safety.

This example clearly illustrates that adopting HEC isn’t just about blocking spam — it’s about preventing financial losses, protecting sensitive data, and maintaining trust with clients and employees.

Attackers are becoming more sophisticated every day, and email and collaboration platforms are often the weakest link in an organization’s security defenses. With Check Point’s Harmony Email & Collaboration, your business can prevent advanced phishing and Business Email Compromise attacks, detect account compromises in real time, and protect all communication channels — not just email. This proactive approach significantly reduces the risk of financial loss and reputational damage.

At 101 IT, we guide businesses to implement solutions like HEC before a crisis occurs, ensuring security, productivity, and peace of mind. The time to act is now; protecting your business email and collaboration platforms today can save you from costly consequences tomorrow.

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