Fortra Secure Gateway 6.2: What’s Coming and How HANDD Can Support Your Upgrade

Posted by HANDD on 5th December 2025

Fortra has announced the upcoming Secure Gateway 6.2 release — a major update focused on improved detection, enhanced platform stability and better processing accuracy across the Secure Email Gateway.

With Version 5.x approaching its end-of-life and many organisations preparing for change freezes, now is the right time to prepare your upgrade strategy. HANDD is here to support you through the process with expert guidance and proven upgrade experience.

What’s New in Secure Gateway 6.2

The 6.2 release introduces a series of improvements powered by Fortra’s Threat Brain, which combines commercial and open-source data feeds with threat intelligence gathered from 30,000 Fortra customers.

The Threat Brain delivers:

Improved phishing detection
Enhanced malware and spam identification
An upgraded URL feed for the Secure Email Gateway at no additional cost

These updates are curated using AI and human analysis by Fortra’s FIRE Threat Intelligence team and delivered directly to customers.

Platform Enhancements in Version 6.2

The new release also includes updates designed to keep Secure Gateway environments stable, secure and compliant.

Fortra highlights improvements such as:

Reduced attack surface to strengthen security
Better processing of malformed messages
Cleaner extraction of data
More accurate OCR scanning to improve detection of URLs and sensitive information

These enhancements help organisations maintain a robust email security posture as threats continue to evolve.

Current Deployment Status

According to Fortra:

Version 6.1.2 is now the most widely deployed version
Version 6 represents 67% of the top 5 deployed versions
While some customers remain on 5.7, over 60% have fully migrated and 21% are currently migrating

However, a number of organisations have still not started the move to Version 6.

Version 5.x End-of-Life Is Approaching

Fortra advises that:

Many organisations will find it difficult to migrate before year-end due to change freezes
They recommend using the holiday season to download Version 6 and install it in a test environment
Feed services will not degrade past 31 December 2025
Technical support for Version 5.7 will be limited to best endeavours, and support for earlier versions will be restricted to online resources
There is no cost to test Version 6
Your licence key is not version-specific

Starting your evaluation early helps ensure a smoother transition.

What’s Involved in a Version 6 Upgrade

As this is a major OS-level upgrade, it requires a fresh installation on a new platform. This is a good opportunity to modernise infrastructure, whether running on physical hardware, VMware, Hyper-V, AWS or Azure.

Fortra outlines the typical upgrade flow:

1. Backup Configuration

Export configuration from Version 5.7

2. Build and Install Version 6.1.2

Install the new Secure Email Gateway environment

3. Connectivity Check

Confirm all connections are functional

4. Upload and Validate Configuration

Upload 5.7 configuration
Validate integrity and compatibility

5. Cutover

Stop inbound transport on 5.7
Release held email
Confirm outbound delivery
Switch NAT (if required)
Verify inbound and outbound mail flow

Customers who have completed the upgrade report smooth migrations and seamless email processing.

Why HANDD Is the Partner of Choice for Your Upgrade

While Fortra provides support and documentation, upgrading Secure Gateway is a business-critical exercise. HANDD’s professional services team ensures your migration is planned, validated and executed with minimal disruption.

With deep experience across Secure Gateway deployments, HANDD provides:

Expert guidance at every stage
Hands-on support for planning, testing and migration
Validation of policies, reporting and configuration
A smooth transition with reduced operational risk

We ensure your upgrade aligns with best practice and maintains the integrity of your secure email environment.

Prepare for Secure Gateway 6.2 with HANDD

The upcoming 6.2 release introduces important improvements that strengthen threat detection and platform reliability. With Version 5.x reaching end-of-life and support limitations approaching, now is the right time to begin planning your move to Version 6.