Gmail phishing protection for businesses
Most Google Workspace plans include basic spam filtering — but not advanced phishing protection. SpoofDefense adds the impersonation, fraud, and spoofing detection that Gmail doesn't include unless you're on Enterprise Plus.
How It Happens
A vendor invoice fraud attack in 4 steps
This is the most common business email compromise scenario targeting Google Workspace users. It bypasses every built-in filter.
Step 1: The email arrives
Your accounts payable team receives an invoice from what appears to be your regular office supply vendor.
Step 2: The domain is almost identical
The email comes from acme-suppiies.com instead of acme-supplies.com — a single character swap that's invisible at a glance.
Step 3: Gmail lets it through
Gmail's spam filter sees a properly authenticated email from a domain with no malicious history. It lands in the inbox.
Step 4: SpoofDefense catches it
SpoofDefense detects the lookalike domain, flags the invoice attachment and payment language, and moves the email to quarantine before your team processes the payment.
Side-by-Side
Gmail built-in security vs SpoofDefense
| Capability | Gmail Business Standard | Gmail Enterprise Plus | SpoofDefense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spam filtering | complementary | ||
| Known malicious URL blocking | |||
| Impersonation protection | Limited | ||
| Lookalike domain detection | |||
| Vendor impersonation | |||
| Payment & invoice fraud | |||
| Brand similarity monitoring | |||
| Two-layer review |
Most businesses use Google Workspace Business Starter or Standard. SpoofDefense gives every plan enterprise-grade phishing protection.
The Problem
What Gmail's built-in security misses
Executive Impersonation
Gmail has no built-in protection against emails from lookalike domains impersonating your CEO or CFO. These pass SPF, DKIM, and DMARC because they come from legitimately registered domains.
Vendor Invoice Fraud
Fake payment requests from domains that closely resemble your real vendors. Gmail sees a clean email from a new domain with no malicious history and delivers it straight to the inbox.
Internal Spoofing
Messages that appear to come from internal addresses but originate externally. Without Enterprise Plus, Google Workspace has no impersonation protection rules to catch these.
Delayed Detection
Gmail scans for known threats at delivery time but cannot detect zero-day spoofing domains. By the time Google updates its threat database, the wire transfer is already sent.
The Solution
26 detection methods working in real time
SpoofDefense layers multiple detection engines on top of Gmail's built-in filters, catching the targeted attacks that spam filtering misses.
- Spots domains that look almost identical to yours or your vendors’ — checked against 256M+ registered domains
- Detects when someone is pretending to be an executive, coworker, or trusted contact
- Flags suspicious payment requests, invoice changes, and wire transfer language
- Every suspicious email is reviewed twice — once by our detection engine, once by a deep analysis layer
- Checks every sender against real-time threat intelligence from global feeds
- Continuously monitors for new domains that mimic your brand
Enterprise-grade protection without the enterprise price
Google charges $25/user/month for Enterprise Plus — and even that doesn't include lookalike domain detection or vendor fraud protection. SpoofDefense adds focused phishing defense to any Google Workspace plan for a fraction of the cost.
“We don't have a security team, so we needed something that just works. Setup took 10 minutes and we blocked 47 spoofing attempts in the first month alone.”
Rebecca Okafor
Managing Partner — Law Firm, 85 employees
47
threats blocked
Easy Setup
Deploys in 5 minutes via Gmail API
Connect your Google Workspace with a single OAuth authorization. SpoofDefense reads email metadata through the Gmail API — no MX record changes, no mail flow disruption, no agents to install.
No MX changes
No mail flow disruption
No hardware
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
Does SpoofDefense replace Gmail’s built-in security?
No. Gmail handles spam, known malware, and basic phishing. SpoofDefense adds the protection Gmail doesn’t include — catching emails from fake domains, people impersonating executives or vendors, and fraudulent payment requests.
Do I need Google Workspace Enterprise Plus?
No. SpoofDefense works with any Google Workspace plan — Business Starter, Standard, or Plus. You get advanced phishing protection without upgrading your Google plan.
What Gmail data do you access?
SpoofDefense connects via the Gmail API using OAuth and reads email metadata — sender addresses, domains, headers, and authentication results. We do not read or store email body content.
How long does setup take?
About 5 minutes. You authorize SpoofDefense via OAuth in your Google Workspace admin console. No DNS changes, no agents, no MX record modifications.
Can I use this alongside other security tools?
Yes. SpoofDefense works with any email security stack — Google’s built-in filters, Barracuda, Avanan, or any other tool. It’s designed as a complementary layer.
See what your current email security is missing
Start a free trial and discover the threats that are getting through to your team.