Security events require timely action. While dashboards and integrations are valuable, not everyone checks them consistently. Email remains the most direct, universal, and trackable way to deliver critical alerts—especially to teams outside the security tooling ecosystem.
This is why Strobes includes SMTP-based email notifications. It ensures that alerts about findings, SLA breaches, and status changes land where they will be seen and acted upon your inbox.
Let’s break down how SMTP notification configuration works, what kind of operational benefits it delivers, and why it matters to cross-functional teams handling vulnerability management.
What Is SMTP Email Notification?
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the standard for sending email messages. In the context of Strobes, it enables the platform to send automated emails to recipients when specific security events occur.
These notifications include:
- Critical vulnerabilities identified
- SLA timers breached
- Status updates (e.g., from “Open” to “In Progress”)
- Workflow triggers (e.g., findings tagged as “Production” or “Crown Jewel”)
Strobes doesn’t rely on external email tools or plugins. It supports native SMTP configuration to ensure secure, rule-based, and customizable email alerts.
Why Native Email Alerts in Strobes Matter?
Not every stakeholder uses Slack or Teams. Not every team logs into the Strobes dashboard daily. And not every update warrants a ticket. Email fills this operational gap.
The SMTP feature in Strobes is designed for:
- Security teams needing broad communication coverage
- DevOps leads responsible for remediations
- Third-party collaborators outside internal systems
- Compliance and audit teams who prefer traceable logs
Whether you’re alerting a single owner or a shared mailbox, Strobes ensures that emails are sent promptly and consistently, based on real-time triggers.
What the SMTP Integration Actually Does
Once SMTP is configured, here’s how the feature functions inside Strobes:
1. Email Configuration via SMTP
You’ll input the necessary mail server settings into Strobes:
- SMTP Host and Port (supports 25, 465, 587)
- Sender email address
- Authentication (username/password or app token)
- Encryption protocol (TLS or SSL)
This setup enables Strobes to act as a sender for all email-based notifications.
2. Rule-Based Triggering
Notification rules are set up under the automation engine. Triggers may include:
- Finding creation
- SLA violation
- Status transition
- Asset tag conditions
For example:
Send an email to [email protected] when a critical vulnerability is reported on an internet-facing asset.
You can define who receives the email, the content format, and conditions for suppression to avoid alert fatigue.
3. Email Delivery and Tracking
Once triggered, the message is composed using dynamic templates:
- Subject line: Includes severity, asset, and finding ID
- Body: Contains finding summary, status, due dates, and direct links to Strobes
- Headers and timestamps: For traceability and audit
These emails are then sent via your configured SMTP server ensuring delivery even in secure enterprise environments.
Operational Value: From Configuration to Action
Reduce Alert Blind Spots
Many security incidents are missed because the right person never sees the update. SMTP notifications remove this risk. Alerts go straight to inboxes individual or group without depending on third-party apps.
Enable Accountability
Every alert is timestamped, archived, and linked back to the original finding. This gives you a traceable path for audits and root cause reviews.
Customize Who Sees What
Rules can be built to route alerts by severity, asset tags, or SLA status. This means finance teams don’t receive staging environment issues, and production leads aren’t spammed with low-priority dev alerts.
How It Works
Security Event in Strobes → Automation Rule Match → Email Composed → SMTP Delivery → Inbox
All steps happen behind the scenes once rules are active.
Common Use Cases
- Compliance Alerts: Notify GRC teams when SLA breaches occur.
- DevOps Response: Alert service owners immediately when findings emerge on high-value assets.
- Patch Coordination: Loop in IT operations when fixes need cross-functional alignment.
- Audit Preparation: Ensure every finding and status change is logged and retrievable via email trails.
Why SMTP Integration in Strobes Matters?
Configuring SMTP is not about adding another feature. It’s about making sure your alerts aren’t trapped in dashboards. It enables broader reach, lower turnaround time, and better communication between silos.
Strobes makes SMTP setup simple but flexible, ready for both small teams and enterprise environments with layered responsibilities.
Final Thoughts
Most security platforms overlook email as a primary alerting method. Strobes doesn’t. It recognizes that different teams need updates in different formats and email remains the lowest-barrier, most widely adopted channel.
If your current alerting mechanism isn’t reaching the people who need to act, configuring SMTP in Strobes changes that.
Want help configuring it?
Talk to our team or explore our documentation to get started.
