CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Material Security vs Proofpoint

Material Security is the company behind Material, an automated cloud workspace security platform for lean security teams that need to protect the email, files, and accounts that live in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Proofpoint sells security that covers data and AI as one system, with access that follows intent. CISO Tribune files both under Email security. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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  • Material Security
  • Proofpoint
Material Security vs Proofpoint: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
Material SecurityMaterial Security is the company behind Material, an automated cloud workspace security platform for lean security teams that need to protect the email, files, and accounts that live in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.material.securityProofpointProofpoint sells security that covers data and AI as one system, with access that follows intent.proofpoint.com
What it sells
  • Email Security[2][3][5][8]Remediates email attacks that bypass traditional controls in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
  • File Security[2][6][8][13]Finds sensitive data in files and remediates excessive permissions and sharing.
  • Account Security[2][7][8]Detects account takeovers, contains their impact and hardens accounts.
  • OAuth Remediation Agent[8]Watches third-party clients and AI agents across Google Workspace.
  • Drive Agent[9][10]Investigates and remediates over-shared sensitive documents in Google Drive.
  • ITM / Endpoint DLP[19]Endpoint software whose main features are supported on Windows, Mac and Linux.
  • Proofpoint Threat Intelligence Services[21]A Proofpoint team that provides Threat Insights.
  • ET Intel[21]A subscription that gives full access to all insights.
  • ET Pro[21]A subscription that gives full access to all insights.
Categories
Headquarters
Redwood City, United States[1]Sunnyvale, United States[1]
Founded
2017[1][13]2002[1]
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesOwned by Thoma Bravo since 2021[3][12][14][15]
Named customers
Not stated on its pages
  • Xcel Energy[4]
  • Princeton University[5]
  • Columbia University[6]
  • Informatica[7]
  • California Department of Motor Vehicles[8]
Recent news
Not stated on its pages
  • October 15, 2026Proofpoint and Varonis announced a definitive agreement under which Proofpoint will acquire Varonis in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $6.3 billion.[16]
  • September 22, 2026Proofpoint announced the Agentic Collaboration Security system, combining an intent-based detection model with agentic capabilities for email, collaboration tools and the browser.[17]
  • September 22, 2026Proofpoint announced the Proofpoint Agentic Data and AI Security system, built to secure AI and data as one connected risk.[18]
  • September 3, 2026Proofpoint introduced the SOC Analyst Agent, an AI capability that helps security teams investigate threats across Proofpoint security data, built with OpenAI models.[9]
  • August 4, 2026Proofpoint launched an OEM program that lets technology providers, security vendors and managed service providers embed its threat intelligence and detection capabilities.[10]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 4, 2026[12]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[14]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
Not written yetFrom its own pages, Proofpoint addresses cyberattacks on organisations where people and AI agents work side by side across email, cloud and collaboration tools. The customers Proofpoint quotes include an organisation using Proofpoint for AI security for employees using AI services and tools, and for AI security in the tools and agents it is building. A quoted Proofpoint customer runs email security, DLP and insider threat management that work together, with its analyst using a single security console.
Last verified
September 27, 2026October 10, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Email security is the primary category of both Material Security and Proofpoint.
  • Both are headquartered in the United States.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Material Security is also filed under Data security posture management, SaaS security posture and Identity threat detection and response. Proofpoint is also filed under Collaboration app security, Human risk management and Insider risk management.
  • Material Security lists Email Security, File Security, Account Security, OAuth Remediation Agent and Drive Agent. Proofpoint lists ITM / Endpoint DLP, Proofpoint Threat Intelligence Services, ET Intel and ET Pro.
  • Material Security is headquartered in Redwood City, United States. Proofpoint is headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States.
  • Material Security was founded in 2017. Proofpoint was founded in 2002.
  • Proofpoint is owned by Thoma Bravo, since 2021.
  • Proofpoint publicly names Xcel Energy, Princeton University, Columbia University, Informatica and California Department of Motor Vehicles.

How they differ

CISO Tribune files both Material Security and Proofpoint under Email security as the primary category. Material Security sells Email Security, File Security, Account Security, an OAuth Remediation Agent and a Drive Agent, aimed at email, files and accounts in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Material Security connects through native APIs rather than acting as a gateway. Proofpoint sells ITM / Endpoint DLP, Proofpoint Threat Intelligence Services, and the ET Intel and ET Pro subscriptions. Proofpoint also describes security that covers data and AI as one system. The overlap is in email security; the rest of the two catalogs differ, with Material Security centered on workspace email, file and account remediation and Proofpoint listing endpoint DLP and threat intelligence products.

Material Security is headquartered in Redwood City, United States, and was founded in 2017. Material Security says it has raised venture capital from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund. Proofpoint is headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States, was founded in 2002, and has been owned by Thoma Bravo since 2021. Proofpoint publicly names Xcel Energy, Princeton University, Columbia University, Informatica and California Department of Motor Vehicles as customers. Material Security says its automated user report response has cut phishing triage by up to 91 percent at companies like Gusto.

On October 15, 2026, Proofpoint and Varonis announced a definitive agreement under which Proofpoint will acquire Varonis in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $6.3 billion. On September 22, 2026, Proofpoint announced the Agentic Collaboration Security system. On September 3, 2026, Proofpoint introduced the SOC Analyst Agent.

What it sells: Material Security

What Email Security does[2][3][5][8]
Material runs on auto-pilot to remediate sophisticated email attacks that bypass traditional controls. It automates user report triage with AI-powered investigation and response workflows. It connects through native APIs rather than acting as a gateway.
What File Security does[2][6][8][13]
Material detects sensitive content in files and includes tools to automatically remediate excessive permissions and inappropriate sharing. It discovers and classifies sensitive data across Google Drive and maps it to every sharing permission.
What OAuth Remediation Agent does[8]
The agent classifies risk in real time and revokes access tokens the moment behavior turns suspicious. It can message the user in Slack to confirm whether an authorization was legitimate.

What it sells: Proofpoint

What Proofpoint Threat Intelligence Services does[21]
Threat Insights are provided by the Proofpoint Threat Intelligence Services team. Premium Threat Intelligence Services analysts curate threat news highlights.
What ET Intel does[21]
Subscribing to ET Intel or ET Pro gives full access to all insights. Threat Insights are provided by the Proofpoint Threat Intelligence Services team.
What ET Pro does[21]
Subscribing to ET Intel or ET Pro gives full access to all insights. Threat Insights are provided by the Proofpoint Threat Intelligence Services team.

Questions about Material Security and Proofpoint

What do Material Security and Proofpoint sell?
Material Security sells Email Security, File Security, Account Security, OAuth Remediation Agent and Drive Agent. Proofpoint sells ITM / Endpoint DLP, Proofpoint Threat Intelligence Services, ET Intel and ET Pro.
Are Material Security and Proofpoint in the same category?
Yes. Email security is the primary category of both on CISO Tribune.
Where are Material Security and Proofpoint headquartered?
Material Security is headquartered in Redwood City, United States. Proofpoint is headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States.
When were Material Security and Proofpoint founded?
Material Security was founded in 2017. Proofpoint was founded in 2002.
Who owns Material Security and Proofpoint?
Proofpoint is owned by Thoma Bravo, since 2021.
Which customers do Material Security and Proofpoint name?
Proofpoint publicly names Xcel Energy, Princeton University, Columbia University, Informatica and California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Who are Material Security and Proofpoint sold to?
From its own pages, Proofpoint addresses cyberattacks on organisations where people and AI agents work side by side across email, cloud and collaboration tools.
What have Material Security and Proofpoint announced recently?
October 15, 2026: Proofpoint and Varonis announced a definitive agreement under which Proofpoint will acquire Varonis in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $6.3 billion.

About Material Security

Material Security is the company behind Material, an automated cloud workspace security platform for lean security teams that need to protect the email, files, and accounts that live in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Material Security says it secures the productivity suite by stopping attacks and reducing risk across Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace with unified cloud email and file security, data loss prevention and posture management.[2][3][5][7]

Material Security says point solutions and home-grown detections create gaps and drain efficiency. Material replaces that patchwork with a single platform that combines threat detection and response across email, files, and accounts. The company describes modern attacks as deliberately spanning email, identities, data, and connected apps.[3][7][9]

On email, Material remediates sophisticated email attacks that bypass traditional controls. Material automates user report triage with AI-powered investigation and response workflows. Material says it stops VIP impersonations, BEC attacks, and sophisticated phishing that slips past native defenses, including vendor email compromise, invoice fraud, quishing, and ransomware. Material says teams using its automated user report response have cut phishing triage by up to 91 percent at companies like Gusto.[3][5]

On files and accounts, Material detects sensitive content in files and includes tools to automatically remediate excessive permissions and inappropriate sharing. Material detects account takeovers, contains their impact, and hardens accounts. Material monitors signals across the cloud office, from forwarding rules and mailbox rule changes to brute force logins and credential stuffing.[3][7]

Material sells two agents for specific workspace risks. For business-critical clients, customers can require analyst approval before revocation happens. Material's Drive Agent finds and investigates PHI, PII, and sensitive documents shared too broadly in Drive. When over-sharing is identified, the Drive Agent enforces policy and remediates in bulk.[8][9]

On deployment, Material connects to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace in minutes via native APIs, with no network changes and zero downtime. Material lets customers implement protections for just the users or teams that need them, and syncs groups from Active Directory, Google, or IdPs for targeted deployments and staged rollouts. No agents, plug-ins, or other end-user installs are required. Material can be operated by Material while the customer's team has full access to and ownership of the underlying infrastructure. Material links with SIEM or SOAR platforms to bring cloud workspace visibility and protection under the broader security ecosystem.[3]

On security assurance, Material states it has received a SOC 2 Type II Report through an independent third-party auditor. Material undergoes regular external pentests and runs a private bug bounty program through HackerOne. Material keeps immutable audit logs of all admin activity and application events, and access to the Material admin console can be gated through Single Sign-On.

On pricing, Essentials starts at $4 per user/month, billed annually. Advanced is $6 per user/month, billed annually. ATO Resilience can be added to either plan for an additional $3 per user/month, or bought as a standalone license for $5 per user/month.[14]

Ryan co-founded Material in 2017 and has served as Chairman since 2023. Abhishek co-founded Material in 2017. Chris has been VP of Engineering at Material Security since 2017 and co-founded the company. Material Security says it has raised venture capital from Martin Casado at Andreessen Horowitz, Elad Gil, and Trae Stephens at Founders Fund.[2][3][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][14]

Material Security on the record

Sources

Material Security full record

  1. [1]Material Security Raises $40 Million Series B To Protect the Worlds Email From the Next SolarWinds AttackMaterial Security via Business Wire · businesswire.com · published May 26, 2021 · Tier A
  2. [2]ProductMaterial Security · material.security · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Cloud Workspace Security Platform | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Deployment and Security | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Email Security Solutions for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 | MaterialMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]File Security for Google Drive and Gmail | MaterialMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Account Takeover Prevention & Detection | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]OAuth Security That Stops Malicious Apps | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Material Security | Security for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365Material Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Google Drive Security for the Agentic AI Era | MaterialMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Helping Secure Our Customers | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Material Security Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier C
  13. [13]About Us and Leadership | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Our Pricing Packages | Material SecurityMaterial Security · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A

Proofpoint full record

  1. [1]AboutProofpoint · proofpoint.com · published April 21, 2025 · Tier A
  2. [2]ProductsProofpoint · proofpoint.com · published September 24, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Thoma bravo completes acquisition of proofpointThoma Bravo · thomabravo.com · published August 31, 2021 · Tier A
  4. [4]Xcel energyProofpoint · proofpoint.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Princeton university safe with proofpoint email securityProofpoint · proofpoint.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Columbia universityProofpoint · proofpoint.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]InformaticaProofpoint · proofpoint.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]California department motor vehiclesProofpoint · proofpoint.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Proofpoint soc analyst agent openai daybreakProofpoint · proofpoint.com · published September 3, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Proofpoint launches oem program help security providers embed trusted threatProofpoint · proofpoint.com · published August 4, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Proofpoint launches dedicated msp business unit and introduces 365 totalProofpoint · proofpoint.com · published May 13, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Enterprise Cybersecurity Solutions, Services & Training | Proofpoint USProofpoint · undated page, accessed October 27, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Integrating ITM On-Prem (ObserveIT) with a Service Desk SystemProofpoint · undated page, accessed October 27, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Proofpoint Core Email Protection Reviews & Product Details - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 27, 2026 · Tier C
  15. [15]Proofpoint Acquires Acuvity to Deliver AI Security and Governance Across the Agentic WorkspaceProofpoint · published February 12, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Proofpoint to Acquire Varonis in a $6.3 Billion TransactionProofpoint · published October 15, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Proofpoint Stops the Attacks Traditional Defenses Miss in the AI EraProofpoint · published September 22, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Proofpoint Breaks Down the Divide Between Data Security and AI Security with the Industry’s First Unified Agentic SystemProofpoint · published September 22, 2026 · Tier A
  19. [19]ITM / Endpoint DLP Windows / Mac / Linux SupportProofpoint · published November 9, 2026 · Tier A
  20. [20]Assigning SQL Permissions to the Service Account UserProofpoint · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  21. [21]Proofpoint: Emerging Threats IntelligenceProofpoint · published November 9, 2026 · Tier A

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