Proofpoint on Monday is announcing a version of its security offering that offers e-mail threat protection, data-leak prevention, and messaging encryption in one box.

Available now as a dedicated appliance, a virtual appliance or software suite, Proofpoint 5 features an integrated architecture that blocks spam, viruses and other malware from entering an organization via e-mail. It also prevents confidential or sensitive data from being sent outside of a company without approval and encrypts outbound e-mail communication, according to Andres Kohn, vice president of product management with Proofpoint.

Proofpoint is the first security company to provide these functions in an integrated product, Kohn says. The new product is being announced at the Gartner IT Security Summit 2007 in Washington, D.C., this week.

In addition to integrating different functions into this product, Proofpoint has upgraded the components.

Data-loss prevention capabilities have been enhanced with tools for creating policies that can prevent information from leaving the company via e-mail, the Web or file transfer, Kohn says. Proofpoint’s Regulatory Compliance module now contains new identifiers and dictionaries to help flag sensitive information without requiring customization.

The City of Topeka, Kan., is planning to use Proofpoint 5 to monitor outbound e-mail, according to Bill Stephens, manager of electronic communications there.

“Our city attorney’s office deals in legal issues, and we want to make certain if any cases under litigation are referenced [in outbound e-mail] we know about it,” he says. Stephens believes that customizing the outbound filters to catch what the city is looking for should be relatively simple, because Proofpoint’s inbound filters can be easily tweaked. The city now uses Proofpoint’s reputation service, antispam, antivirus and zero-hour protection modules.