Last Updated on March 23, 2023 by Flavia Calina
A web gateway (SWG) secures network traffic from the Internet by filtering unsafe content and blocking risky or unauthorized user behavior. It also helps protect sensitive data from malware attacks and data leaks.
A secure web gateway is essential for organizations that rely on remote workforces and cloud computing. It can help prevent security breaches and data leaks while enhancing employee productivity.
Reduced Risk of Malware Attacks
Cloud-based safe web gateways provide a range of benefits that can help reduce the risk of malware attacks. They include blocking malicious URLs, phishing sites, and other bogus websites designed to deceive users into giving out personal information.
SWGs also monitor internet traffic and detect malware sent or uploaded into a network. They typically do this by comparing code in network traffic with known malware.
A good gateway will also scan SSL-encrypted traffic and remove suspicious code from downloaded content. These features effectively reduce the risk of malware and data leaks.
Secure web gateways can be software- or hardware-based and run in the cloud or on-premise. Regardless of how they are deployed, they are essential tools for securing the Internet.
The rise of cyberattacks and the growing use of remote workforces make secure web gateways essential to protecting an organization from cybercriminals. This safe web gateway also allows organizations to enforce policies around who, what, where, when and how employees use the Internet.
Reduced Risk of Data Loss
As part of a comprehensive security strategy, secure web gateways reduce the risk of data loss from malware and other threats. These gateways act as gatekeepers, inspecting every incoming request and outgoing response to ensure that it aligns with organizational policies.
Unlike traditional firewalls, which only monitor network traffic at the packet level, SWGs inspect each web request at the application level. This allows them to identify attacks in real-time and prevent cyberattacks before they begin.
A secure web gateway can also use data leak prevention (DLP) functionality to block outbound traffic that contains sensitive corporate information. This can include social security numbers, credit card data, medical records, and intellectual property.
As a critical component of a layered security strategy, SWGs can restrict access to websites and applications at specific times, by roles, or by the type of content and applications used. They can also help protect users and the organization from malware by blocking malicious websites and applications. Moreover, they can enforce acceptable use policies to control employee behavior and comply with compliance regulations.
Reduced Risk of Data Breach
A secure web gateway (SWG) is a security appliance that monitors, inspects and prevents suspicious traffic from entering an organization’s network. It typically includes URL filtering, data leak prevention, malware code protection and control.
SWGs can be software, hardware or a virtual appliance and run on-premise or in the cloud as a SaaS application. In either case, all web traffic must pass through the SWG.
This is done to enforce company policies on who, what, where, when and how users access the Internet. Restrictions can be based on time, usage quotas, content, applications, etc.
Some secure web gateways include data loss prevention and protecting of confidential or sensitive data from the network. This feature is handy for organizations that use a distributed workforce and must ensure that remote workers do not inadvertently send personal information outside the corporate perimeter.
In addition, a secure web gateway can detect threats and vulnerabilities that firewalls and other stream-based solutions cannot see. This can help keep an organization’s networks and infrastructure protected against advanced attacks, including those that bypass traditional security solutions.
Reduced Risk of Data Exfiltration
A cloud-based secure web gateway protects users against malware, viruses, and other cyber threats by filtering network traffic like websites, downloads, and content. It also stops incoming threats from breaching your network and compromising your security posture.
Unlike traditional firewalls, which inspect traffic at the network level, secure web gateways mainly protect against advanced Internet-based threats by monitoring and checking traffic at the application level. This allows them to identify friendly vs. malicious applications and control access, preventing damage from known and unknown attacks.
Additionally, they can inspect data that is transmitted to cloud services. This prevents data exfiltration and breaches of compliance standards,.
Another benefit is that they are quick to deploy and easy to maintain. They are deployed in less than 60 minutes, enabling IT administrators to apply security policies across the organization consistently. They simplify administration by automatically using policy configurations, directory synchronization, user accounts, roles and permissions, branding, and audit reporting to email and web security from a single cloud-based console.
Reduced Risk of Data Loss
The reduced risk of data loss associated with cloud-based safe web gateways can help organizations mitigate the impact of cyberattacks. Secure web gateways protect end users and organizations by blocking access to malicious websites and applications.
As a result, secure web gateways are essential for protecting data, systems and networks from malware and other threats that can lead to data breaches and exfiltration. They also help reduce the risk of accidental or deliberate leaks.
A secure web gateway is a security appliance that monitors and inspects network traffic to enforce acceptable use policies and prevents employees from accessing inappropriate content. This includes URL filtering, SSL inspection, advanced threat defense and legacy malware protection.
To improve protection, some gateways include remote browser isolation (RBI), which runs all active code from the web outside of a user’s network. This is designed to prevent credential theft and malware injection from email attachments or download web content.
A secure web gateway can be implemented as a cloud-based service or a legacy on-premises solution on the network perimeter or endpoint devices. Either way, all traffic must pass through the gateway.
Also Read Interesting Articles At: Today World Info.
