Do you want to know the answer to secure web gateway vs VPN? Do you want to know the benefits of using these two? Find out below.
Secure Web Gateway vs VPN
To begin, a secure web gateway (SWG) refers to the gateway that provides secure web browsing. The gateway is the point where the user and the Internet meet. The Web Gateway will be installed at the ISP’s premises or on the enterprise’s network. And it will sit between the user’s web browser and the Internet.
On the other hand, a VPN is also a secure network connection that allows remote users to access private network resources securely. This is over an otherwise unsecured public network.
The VPN technology is based on tunneling protocols, such as PPTP and L2TP, to create a secure connection over an insecure public network. Such as the Internet or a public switched telephone network (PSTN).
There are two major types of VPNs:
- site-to-site VPNs. In a site-to-site VPN, an organization owns and operates a private network that is connected to a public network such as the Internet. Also, these are often used by companies with offices in multiple locations to connect those offices. This is using private high-speed links over a public low-speed link.
- user-to-site VPNs. In a user-to-site VPN, it is a single private network that is connected over a public network. This is often used by companies to allow their employees access to the company’s internal network from anywhere in the world over an insecure public network.
The SWG provides a gateway for secure web browsing, whereas the VPN doesn’t. The SWG also protects users from phishing websites and other online threats. It also defends against online identity thefts and even controls access to adult content.
Furthermore, it also prevents sensitive information from being visible to other people on the internet.
Benefits of Secure Web Gateway and VPN
The VPN allows remote users to connect over an otherwise unsecured public network securely. So, it provides privacy and security while accessing public networks like the Internet. Moreover, it also helps companies to protect their proprietary information. And prevent sensitive information from being exposed on a public network as well.
Moreover, VPNs are also used to connect geographically separated offices of an organization by creating private links through the public internet.
Performance-wise, an SWG offers better performance than VPNs as it connects directly with web servers without any intermediary steps. On scalability, the SWG provides better scalability than VPNs as it is easy for ISPs to scale up or scale down based on their need.
But with VPNs, it’s not that simple as you will have to configure them manually. And you need more hardware resources for scalability which makes VPNs less scalable than SWGs.
Final Words
As you can see, it is easy to tell the difference between the two. The SWG is really useful when you need a secure web gateway and VPNs are useful in other cases. But, if you don’t know what is needed and what is not, then you can use both of them at the same time. In this manner, you will be able to provide better security and privacy to your users.