A secure web gateway versus a firewall. This is the topic for this blog post. So, if you are interested, then read on.
A Secure Web Gateway versus a Firewall
To begin, a secure web gateway (SWG) is a policy enforcement point, which is used to control web traffic for a given company. The main difference between SWG and a firewall (FW), is that the SWG focuses on web traffic only. In other words, it’s a layer of security that sits between the Internet and your internal network.
The SWG performs three main functions:
1. Traffic analysis
2. Packet filtering
3. Data loss prevention
As you can see, these are very different from the ones performed by a firewall. However, it’s not correct to call the SWG a firewall, as it’s not one. For example, if you configure the SWG to perform content inspection, then it will be used to scan URLs and/or content to block any malicious activity or policy violation.
Functions of a Secure Web Gateway
To be more specific, the SWG can function in three different ways:
1. Traffic Analysis. The SWG will analyze the data flow on an application level to detect any possible threats or policy violations that may exist. This kind of inspection will never block any traffic and it’s used for monitoring purposes only.
2. Packet Filtering. This is similar to what an FW does, as it will block or allow traffic based on certain criteria that you specify. That is, source IP address, destination IP address, port number, and more. Basically, this option will be used if you want to set up your protection against certain threats (e.g., botnet activity).
3. Data Loss Prevention. This option allows you to scan data using pattern recognition techniques (e.g. keyword recognition). This is to prevent sensitive data from being sent outside your network via email or file transfer protocols (FTP). All without proper encryption (e.g., SSL). Then, this is similar to what a spam filter does with email traffic. As it will scan each message for spam content before allowing it to pass through the gateway. And then onto its destination server/client system(s).
Functions of a Firewall
When it comes to firewalls, they can perform three main functions:
1. Packet Filtering. This is the most common function of an FW and it’s used to block or allow traffic based on certain criteria that you specify.
2. Stateful Inspection. This is a very powerful method of blocking unwanted traffic. This model is more advanced than packet filtering.
3. Application Level Gateways. It acts directly on the application layer and it’s used for application protocol inspection.
Basically, all this function does is inspect data packets within an application flow to determine if they’re part of an authorized communication or not (i.e., policy violation).
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, if your company is experiencing an increased amount of cyber-attacks, then you should consider implementing an SWG. It allows you to control and monitor web traffic to deter malicious activity as well as policy violations. However, keep in mind that the SWG is different from an FW, as it only focuses on web traffic.