Clearswift, A HelpSystems Company

What Clearswift, A HelpSystems Company does

Clearswift, A HelpSystems Company is the email security business unit of Fortra (Fortra, LLC), a privately held US cybersecurity vendor headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The company sells an integrated email security and data loss prevention platform — built around Cloud Email Protection, Secure Email Gateway, DMARC Protection, Threat Intelligence Services, and Human Risk Management (via sub-brand Terranova Security) — with module add-ons for adaptive redaction, advanced threat protection, encryption, archiving (Cryoserver partnership), and Exchange/ICAP/Web gateways. The technical foundation combines rule-based policy, threat intelligence, and AI-assisted detection across text and structured data, with deep file/message deconstruction for real-time inspection of Microsoft 365, Microsoft Exchange, and Google Workspace environments.

Clearswift generates revenue primarily through quote-based annual subscriptions priced per enterprise seat or deployment, sold via a direct enterprise field-sales motion supplemented by a channel partner/VAR program and a global self-service platform portal. Named customers include Adobe, Informatica, Merck & Co., a large Los Angeles-based credit union, and an unnamed Fortune 200 mining company, with explicit vertical emphasis on Healthcare, Financial Services, Public Sector, Manufacturing, SaaS, Energy & Utilities, and Retail. Differentiation rests on Adaptive Redaction (policy-aware content removal), deep file deconstruction, and integrated DLP-with-email rather than competing primarily on price.

The company has been built largely through acquisition — Content Technologies (2002), Jedda Systems (2013), Microdasys (2014) — and now operates within the Fortra (formerly HelpSystems) portfolio under private-equity ownership (Francisco Partners, subsequently TPG). Founded in 1982 with 251-500 employees, Clearswift's growth model is platform-level M&A and cross-portfolio upsell rather than standalone hyper-scaling.

Name

Clearswift, A HelpSystems Company

Legal name

Fortra, LLC

Website

https://clearswift.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Clearswift, operating as Fortra's email security business unit, provides AI-assisted email threat protection and integrated data loss prevention for enterprises across Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Google Workspace, sold via direct field sales and channel partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Email Security

NAICS

Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Email Data Loss Prevention & Encryption (HDADAKAD)

Keywords

• Email security
• Data loss prevention
• Content inspection
• Threat protection
• Cybersecurity software

Headquarters

HQ city

Eden Prairie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Email Security Platform Subscriptions: Subscription-based licensing for cloud email security, secure email gateway, and related email protection solutions. Includes various product tiers and add-on capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clearswift delivers content-aware email security and data loss prevention software that inspects inbound and outbound messages, attachments, and metadata to block advanced threats and prevent sensitive data leakage. Offerings are delivered as Cloud Email Protection, Secure Email Gateway, and the Human Risk Management platform, complemented by modular add-ons for DMARC, encryption, archiving, and threat intelligence.

Product overview

Fortra Email Security is a unified platform-plus-modules architecture offering comprehensive email threat protection. The core Cloud Email Protection and Secure Email Gateway products provide foundational defense, supplemented by specialized modules including Suspicious Email Analysis for triage, DMARC Protection for authentication, Threat Intelligence Services for actor disruption, Human Risk Management for training, and gateway products (Exchange Gateway, ICAP Gateway, Web Gateway) for infrastructure integration. Additional security layers include Secure Archiving, Email Encryption, Adaptive Redaction, and Advanced Threat Protection for deep file inspection. The platform combines built-in tools with specialized email security solutions for Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Google Workspace environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Terranova Security: Human risk management platform offering engaging training courses, realistic simulations, and gamified learning that transforms end users into a security layer.

Products and services

• Cloud Email Protection
• Secure Email Gateway
• Human Risk Management

Quantifiable outcome

• Eradicated phishing attacks for Los Angeles-based large credit union
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CryoservercoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for Secure Email Archiving solution. Cryoserver provides superior email archiving that captures emails in real-time the instant they are sent or received, freezing them in a tamper-evident environment. Emails are fully indexed, encrypted, and compressed. Fortra integrates Cryoserver into its core Email Security product suite.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Proofpoint: Leading pure-play email security and DLP vendor offering threat protection, secure email gateway, and archiving. Closest direct competitor to Clearswift's email security suite, particularly in regulated verticals like financial services and healthcare.
• Sophos Email: Email security product within Sophos's broader cybersecurity portfolio, offering anti-phishing, sandboxing, and encryption. Comparable to Clearswift's Secure Email Gateway and Encryption products with similar mid-market and SMB distribution.
• Mimecast: Cloud-native email security, archiving, and resilience provider targeting mid-market and enterprise. Direct overlap with Clearswift's Cloud Email Protection, Secure Email Gateway, and Email Archiving offerings.
• Forcepoint: Enterprise security vendor with strong DLP heritage and email/web security offerings. Direct overlap in email DLP, data loss prevention, and adaptive policy-driven redaction — the core differentiator Clearswift highlights.
• Barracuda Networks: Provides email security gateways, phishing protection, archiving, and DLP with both appliance and cloud delivery. Comparable product breadth across the email security lifecycle and similar mid-market/enterprise go-to-market motion.

Emerging players

• Virtru: Email and data encryption specialist providing end-to-end encryption with policy controls. Comparable to Clearswift's Email Encryption offering, particularly in government and regulated verticals, though with a narrower product scope.
• Egress Software: Specializes in email data loss prevention, encryption, and adaptive security — directly competing with Clearswift's Adaptive Redaction and Email Encryption modules. Smaller and more focused, but a meaningful emerging competitor in the DLP-adjacent email space.

Broad incumbents

• Trend Micro Email Security: Broader cybersecurity vendor with email security as one module within a wider portfolio. Comparable feature set across phishing protection, sandboxing, and DLP, but competes as part of a larger platform play.
• Cisco Secure Email (IronPort): Long-standing enterprise email security gateway (formerly IronPort) with phishing, malware, and DLP capabilities. Competes in enterprise deployments, particularly where Cisco networking and security stack already exists.
• Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Native email security bundled with Microsoft 365 E3/E5 licenses. Represents the largest competitive threat given Clearswift's deep Microsoft 365 integration and the prevalence of bundled native protection in enterprise environments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clearswift
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuiogAh6174TT6ms4bEz3og
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clearswift
• Facebookfacebook.com/Clearswift

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clearswift, A HelpSystems Company