This post will feature some easy steps to a winning secure web gateway strategy. So, if you want to know more, keep on reading.
Easy Steps to a Winning Secure Web Gateway Strategy
The best strategy in using a secure web gateway is to first start by defining your security requirements, then have a good look at the available solutions and products. Finally, when you have found a good match, don’t be afraid to ask yourself if you are getting the best deal with your secure web gateway solution.
Let’s see what are the main steps to get the best out of your SWG:
Have a clear understanding of what you need to protect and why
Before even buying a secure web gateway solution, you should know what your security requirements are, and why they are important. The only way to do so is to clearly understand what assets you have.
And also, who are the people behind them, and how they can affect your business. In the end, you should be able to determine what kind of threats those assets might face and how they can negatively affect your business.
Identify threats related to the assets you want to protect
Now that you know what you want to protect and why the next step is identifying potential threats against those assets. By doing so, it will become clearer in your mind how important it is to protect them with a secure web gateway.
For example, an asset is an application server running on Windows OS, which hosts a database server used by an internal application. Next, this in turn handles confidential information such as employees’ salary information.
Then one possible threat would be someone who knows SQL injection attacks trying to gain unauthorized access to a database server. This is by exploiting a vulnerability in an internal application. This threat can be addressed by using an SWG solution with advanced features such as URL filtering.
Find Out the Security Features You Need
After knowing your assets and the threats against them, it is time to find out which security features you need from your secure web gateway. Again, there are many such features available.
Some of the main security features you should look at are:
- URL filtering,
- malware scanning,
- Web application firewall (WAF),
- Intrusion prevention system (IPS),
- Anti-virus, and
- Anti-spam.
Of course, you also need to know what exactly to look for to take advantage of this type of protection without affecting productivity in your network environment. Then, there are also some other useful ones such as anti-XSS attacks or anti-malware URL filtering solutions. You may want to check them out as well. Doing so will help you find the right provider for your company.
Follow These Easy Steps to a Winning Secure Web Gateway Strategy
In conclusion, if your company is looking for a secure web gateway solution, following the steps above should help you find the right solution for your business requirements. If you want to learn more about how to get the best deal with your SWG provider, make sure to stay tuned.