<!-- Copyright (c) 2026 defconxt. All rights reserved. -->
<!-- Licensed under AGPL-3.0 — see LICENSE file for details. -->
---
name: performing-email-security-posture-assessment
description: >-
  Conduct comprehensive assessments of email security controls, configurations, and policies against industry benchmarks.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: email-security
tags:
  - posture-assessment
  - email-hardening
  - security-audit
  - configuration-review
  - benchmarking
version: "1.0"
author: defconxt
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  mitre-attack: ["T1566"]
---

# Performing Email Security Posture Assessment

## Overview

Email security posture assessment evaluates the completeness and effectiveness
of an organization's email security controls. Assessments cover authentication
(SPF/DKIM/DMARC), gateway configuration, encryption, access controls, and
user awareness. Results drive prioritized remediation roadmaps.

## Prerequisites

| Requirement | Install |
|---|---|
| DNS access | Ability to query SPF, DKIM, DMARC records |
| Email gateway admin | Configuration review access |
| Exchange/Google admin | Tenant security settings access |
| Python 3.10+ | For agent tooling |

## Key Concepts

### Assessment Domains

| Domain | Controls |
|---|---|
| Authentication | SPF, DKIM, DMARC enforcement level |
| Gateway | Anti-spam, anti-malware, sandboxing config |
| Encryption | TLS enforcement, S/MIME, message encryption |
| Access | MFA, conditional access, legacy protocol status |
| Awareness | Phishing simulation results, training completion |

### Scoring Framework

Each control scored 0-5:
- **0** — Not implemented
- **1** — Partial implementation, major gaps
- **2** — Implemented but not monitored
- **3** — Implemented and monitored
- **4** — Optimized with metrics-driven tuning
- **5** — Industry-leading, continuous improvement

### Remediation Prioritization

Prioritize by: risk impact x ease of implementation.
Quick wins first — DMARC enforcement, disabling legacy protocols.
Complex improvements — custom DLP policies, advanced threat
protection tuning — follow in later phases.

## Workflow

1. **Scope assessment** — define email domains, tenants, and gateways in scope
2. **Collect DNS records** — query SPF, DKIM, DMARC for all domains
3. **Review gateway configuration** — audit anti-spam, anti-malware, sandboxing
4. **Assess encryption posture** — check TLS enforcement and message encryption
5. **Evaluate access controls** — MFA status, conditional access, legacy protocols
6. **Review awareness metrics** — phishing simulation results and training data
7. **Score and report** — calculate posture score with prioritized remediation plan

## Quick Reference

```bash
# Run the agent
node scripts/agent.js analyze --target <scope>
node scripts/agent.js report --target <scope>
```

## Detection

```yaml
title: Email Security Posture Assessment Detection
id: 37834aa3-a6e3-4736-af83-171cd44e307f
status: experimental
description: Detects suspicious activity related to performing email security posture assessment techniques in email security context
logsource:
  category: email
  service: exchange
detection:
  selection:
    Subject: "*urgent*"
  condition: selection
level: medium
tags:
  - attack.t1566
  - attack.initial_access
falsepositives:
  - Bulk email migration by authorized IT administration tools
```

## Verification

| Check | Method |
|---|---|
| DNS checks complete | SPF/DKIM/DMARC records retrieved for all domains |
| Gateway reviewed | All gateway policies documented with gap analysis |
| Encryption assessed | TLS report showing enforcement percentage generated |
| Access controls audited | MFA and legacy protocol status for all users |
| Report delivered | Posture score with prioritized remediation roadmap |

## References

- [CIS Microsoft 365 Benchmark](https://www.cisecurity.org/benchmark/microsoft_365)
- [NIST SP 800-177 — Email Security](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/177/r1/final)
- [Google Workspace Security Checklist](https://support.google.com/a/answer/7587183)
- [DMARC.org](https://dmarc.org/)
