A secure web gateway (SWG) is a cybersecurity solution that protects users from malware and enforces corporate policies. SWGs inspect user-initiated Internet traffic and block websites based on security policy rules. SWGs can be software or hardware-based and sit on the network perimeter or endpoint devices. They monitor both inbound and outbound traffic.
URL Filtering
One of the essential features of a web gateway security solution is URL filtering. It helps organizations prevent their employees from wasting company resources by accessing websites that are not relevant to their work. URL (Uniform Resource Locator) filters compare users’ navigation requests against an approved list and security policies. This enables organizations to differentiate good vs. bad traffic, improve productivity and reduce network bandwidth usage while maintaining compliance with legal regulations. Another way URL filtering works is to compare the URL a user requests against an existing database of URLs known to contain malware or malicious content. This prevents employees from visiting sites with malicious software and phishing attacks. Some URL filtering solutions also block specific categories of websites, such as adult entertainment, social media, alternative beliefs, and alcohol. This enables companies to restrict their employees’ access to these sites while reducing distractions and increasing productivity.
Malware Detection
As cyberattacks and data breaches threaten businesses, deploying advanced technology to protect data and implement security policies is essential. However, many security solutions need to improve against these threats. To help organizations fight against these threats, a Secure Web Gateway (SWG) is an ideal solution. These security gateways inspect and analyze all incoming and outgoing web traffic to block malware, viruses, and other threats. SWG solutions use URL filtering, SSL inspection, threat detection, and legacy malware protection to ensure safety and compliance. They also provide real-time web traffic monitoring and logging, which can be used to identify and patch vulnerable sites and links. Malware detection is an essential feature of a secure web gateway because it allows organizations to detect and remove malicious files before they cause damage to critical systems. This helps organizations prevent data loss, ransomware, and other cyberattacks.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Data loss prevention (DLP) is a critical component of a web gateway security solution, preventing sensitive information from being leaked or lost. It monitors and controls endpoint activities, filters data streams on the corporate network, and monitors data in the cloud to protect data at rest, in motion, and use. Using machine learning to assess risk, DLP monitors user behavior at all control points and can prevent or deter data leakage through blocking, quarantining, and alerts. DLP also provides remediation capabilities, including encryption, isolation, and forensics, to accelerate incident response. DLP can also help organizations comply with regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR. It streamlines reporting to meet these compliance and auditing requirements. DLP solutions classify regulated, confidential, and business-critical data and detect violations of policies defined by organizations or within predefined policy packs. It also identifies areas of weakness and anomalies for incident response. Once violations are detected, DLP enforces remediation with alerts, encryption, and other protective actions to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, or destruction.
Application Controls
Application controls are the steps organizations can implement within applications to keep them private and secure. They ensure that only authorized users can access the data stored in the company’s information technology system, reducing the risk of a data breach. In addition, application controls prevent unauthorized inputs from entering the information system. These checks can be done through completeness and validity checks, identification, authentication, authorization, and input controls. These checks can be based on various factors, including the sensitivity level of data and the organization’s risk assessment. Lastly, they provide forensic control that guarantees that data from upstream sources is scientifically and mathematically correct. Generally, these controls work by uniquely matching the network traffic of different applications to predefined models. This enables exceptionally granular security and networking policies that can block or limit unauthorized applications, improve the performance of the corporate network, and protect sensitive data from being stolen.
P2P Control
A secure web gateway (SWG) is an essential security tool that protects organizations from malicious threats and data breaches. They are available in various modes, such as software-based and hardware systems running on the organization’s premises or in the cloud. Unlike firewalls, SWGs analyze the contents of incoming traffic and can block or allow connections or keywords based on an organization’s security policies. SWGs also ensure corporate and regulatory policy compliance standards by preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data. SWGs have a pivotal role to play in organizations today, especially in the era of remote workforces. Companies are susceptible to cyberattacks with employees working from different locations and using unsecured endpoints on public networks. A secure web gateway must have P2P control as an essential feature to safeguard data. This allows you to monitor and track all applications running over the network. It also localizes and blocks high-risk applications. The gateway must also provide real-time analytics to determine the risk and impact of each application.