Abnormal Security has solved the BEC detection problem that traditional gateway-based email security cannot address. By deploying via API rather than MX record changes, it analyses every email against a behavioural baseline of normal communication patterns, detecting impersonation and social engineering that rules-based systems miss entirely. The documented 65% reduction in BEC incidents and the 4.7 out of 5 ratings on both G2 and Gartner reflect customers who find the product genuinely transformative.
The limitation is scope. Abnormal specialises in BEC and social engineering. Traditional malware, spam, and bulk phishing detection are less the focus. Organisations with high BEC risk will find it excellent. Organisations wanting comprehensive email threat protection across all threat types should also evaluate Proofpoint.
The verdict: Abnormal Security is right for organisations where BEC, vendor fraud, and executive impersonation are the primary email threat, particularly financial services and organisations processing high-value transactions. Organisations wanting the broadest email threat coverage should evaluate Proofpoint, potentially alongside Abnormal.
Last reviewed: May 2026
G2
4.7520 reviews
Gartner
4.7280 reviews
Gartner MQ: Leader (Email Security MQ 2025)
Email Security assessment
PROTECTIONStrong
Threat detection quality
4 / 5
AI-native behavioural baseline approach detects anomalies humans and rules miss. Scored 4 because traditional malware/spam detection is narrower — Abnormal is purpose-built for social engineering.
Scored 5 for the strongest BEC and social engineering detection in the category. AI-native approach that detects based on communication patterns rather than signatures — catches novel attacks that Proofpoint's rules miss.
Sources: G2 reviews, Gartner Peer Insights — both 4.7/5
OPERATIONSStrong
M365 / Google integration
5 / 5
API-only integration with M365 and Google Workspace — 5-minute deployment, no MX record change. Scored 5 for the fastest, most seamless enterprise integration.
Sources: Abnormal Security documentation
Policy & user management
3 / 5
Scored 3 because policy management is less granular than Proofpoint or Mimecast — Abnormal operates more autonomously with less admin-configurable policy.
Sources: G2 reviews
ANALYTICSStrong
Threat & compliance reporting
4 / 5
Good BEC and account takeover reporting. Scored 4 because reporting is strong for the social engineering use case but narrower for compliance frameworks.
Sources: Abnormal Security documentation
TRUST & ECOSYSTEMStrong
Deployment & mail flow
5 / 5
API-based — completely transparent to mail flow. Scored 5 for zero-latency, zero-disruption deployment.
Sources: Abnormal Security documentation
Strongest: BEC & impersonation protection
Watch out for: Policy & user management
Strengths & limitations
Strengths
●4.7/5 on both G2 and Gartner — highest satisfaction in email security
●AI-native BEC detection — significantly better than rule-based gateways
●API integration — no MX record change; 5-minute deployment
Watch out for
●Primarily BEC focused — less strong on malware/spam vs Proofpoint
●Newer vendor — smaller compliance certification set
●Premium pricing for BEC-specialist layer
Best for
Organisations primarily concerned with BEC, vendor fraud, and social engineering where AI-native detection outperforms gateways.