How does a secure web gateway work? What are the key functions of this tool? Let us explore this topic below.
How Does a Secure Web Gateway Work?
A secure web gateway (SWG) works by analyzing the traffic coming in and out of your network. This packet-filtering tool can block malicious traffic. Such as viruses, malware, spyware, phishing emails, and other threats. While allowing legitimate traffic to pass through.
The primary function of an SWG is to provide protection from web-based attacks and allow for web-safe surfing. It allows users to access the Internet from within their network without having to worry about malicious threats and attacks.
Then, an SWG works by accepting the incoming requests through the firewall. And then filtering for content that contains undesirable elements like viruses or spam. The whole process is also known as content filtering or application control.
The basic functionality of an SWG can be summarized into five stages. Incoming connections are analyzed by looking at the handshake process and then inspecting the payload. Next is examining the packet header, inspecting the return address, and finally inspecting the server certificate.
Based on these analyses, a decision will be made whether to allow or deny access to a particular site or server. If there’s a match between an inspected element and a rule in your policy database then action will be taken accordingly.
Thus, this results in traffic being either allowed or denied to an endpoint. If a decision is made to deny access, then the user will be redirected to a page that will inform them of the reason why they were unable to access it.
Example of How a Secure Web Gateway Work
For example, if a user tries to connect to a phishing site, they will be redirected to a page that tells them that they are attempting to visit a site. Or servers that could potentially harm their computer or device.
If the user attempts to connect to an unsecured server, they will be redirected back to their original page with a warning notification about the potential dangers of accessing an unsecured site. However, if the user is connecting to a secure server then the user will have no issues accessing it.
All of these actions are done automatically without any human intervention needed.
You need to keep in mind that there are two main types of SWG available on the market; network-based and host-based. Then, the basic difference between these two tools is which monitors the traffic and where.
The first one (network-based) works by monitoring the traffic as it comes into your network through your firewall. And it doesn’t require any software installation on individual PCs or devices.
On the other hand, the other type (host-based) works by installing its software on each device that you want to monitor and protect. And this software tracks any activity performed on each endpoint as it communicates with web servers.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is very important to have an SWG in place as it will protect your network from potential threats. It will also make sure that your users can easily access the Internet without any security concerns.