This is an article that will discuss secure web gateway versus firewall. So, if you think this topic is interesting, don’t stop reading.
Secure Web Gateway versus Firewall: The Similarities
To begin, let us define what each of these tools means. A secure web gateway (SWG) refers to any solution that allows remote users to access protected resources across the Internet. Just as if they were accessing them from inside their network.
On the other hand, a firewall allows or prevents the passage of specific types of network traffic in or out of a network or computer. It is a security system that protects the networks and computers.
Then, it is important to note that firewalls were designed to address issues that generally arise due to a lack of security. That is, weak passwords and improper configuration. While SWG is more effective in securing applications and data against attacks.
When it comes to functionality, while both firewalls and SWGs share some common features, they also have some differences. The following features are commonly found in both:
- Application Intelligence. It allows a user to control each application’s access to all available ports on a firewall or SWG.
- Security Policy. The security policies determine what traffic is allowed through the firewall/SWG. The policy also determines how packets are processed based on information contained in packets.
- Screening Router. This feature refers to both firewall and SWG devices. Since they can evaluate whether a packet should be allowed into or out of the network based on individual packet content, source/destination IP addresses, and port numbers.
Secure Web Gateway versus Firewall: The Differences
Now let us focus on the differences between these two tools:
- A firewall can only protect one network segment. On the other hand, SWG can protect multiple segments because it performs at OSI layer 7.
- A firewall relies on software. However, SWG uses hardware components such as line cards, processors, and memory.
- A firewall supports specific protocols such as TCP/IP. But SWG can support numerous protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
- As mentioned earlier, a firewall blocks unwanted traffic by blocking an entire port. While SWG blocks unwanted traffic by inspecting individual packets based on content. Such as URL and IP address.
- A firewall depends on the operating system it is running on. However, SWG depends on hardware components such as processor and memory.
- A firewall can be configured using GUI or command-line interface. However, SWG is only configured using a command-line interface or scripts.
As you can see from the differences mentioned above, firewalls and SWGs perform different functions; thus having different purposes. Nowadays many organizations use both firewalls and SWGs depending on the network infrastructure they have. This means that they can have the best of both worlds when it comes to protecting their network and data assets.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is important to have a clear understanding of the difference between firewalls and SWGs. This is because you may not want to miss the opportunity to be able to secure your organization’s network and data assets.