Before You Begin

When you are getting ready to implement Cloud Email Protection (CEP) in your organization, there are several steps you should take before you begin so the implementation will proceed smoothly. This topic details what you should do to prepare, and includes:

  • Identifying key project team members
  • Reviewing important materials
  • Gathering initial data

Identify Key Project Team Members

Having the right people filling the right roles will be important for Cloud Email Protection implementation.

TIP: Some people may fill multiple roles, while some roles may be filled by multiple people.

The roles in your organization you will want to have filled are:

  • Executive sponsor - To act as point of escalation for critical issues and project roadblocks.
  • Project owner - Responsible for the overall success of this project.
  • Project manager - The primary point of contact, serving as the interface to your organization and responsible for :
    • ensuring the project moves forward on the agreed-upon schedule
    • working with other internal groups and departments
  • Deployment engineer - The expert in your deployment and the primary technical contact for the project.
  • Subject matter experts - Technical leaders that provide input into the design and integration; they ensure decisions are in line with the organization’s business strategy.
  • Messaging architect
  • Security architect

Review Important Materials

Understanding the concepts that underlie Cloud Email Protection and the way Cloud Email Protection works and interacts with your email infrastructure will help you make good decisions when you are implementing Cloud Email Protection. The information you should review in advance includes:

  • The Cloud Email Protection User Guide

Gather Initial Data

You will want essential details about your email infrastructure in one place for quick reference.

  • What is your email architecture? Create a diagram showing the end to end mail flow for determining optimal Sensor placement in your environment. The Sensor essentially acts as an SMTP “message sink;” it accepts copies of email messages over SMTP and extracts metadata in a streaming fashion. Message bodies and attachments are discarded. No SMTP messages leave the Sensor.
  • Determine if the sensor is hosted (preferred) or on-premise by your organization.
  • Are DKIM and SPF checks currently being performed? If not we recommend enabling DKIM and SPF. (Fortra's Agari DMARC Protection can help you with this.)

TIP: Note that data modeling will be slower to adjust and less complete without these authentication results.

  • Review requirements for Sensor installation.
  • Capture key users or critical groups to be protected.
  • Make note of your questions and provide the best times to schedule a call with support upon completing this prework guide.