A firewall controls network traffic. Is a firewall a secure web gateway?
Is a Firewall a Secure Web Gateway?
A firewall is an advance physical and logical control that monitors or controls the incoming or outgoing traffic from or to a network. It is designed to monitor, check, control, and block malicious traffic to maintain the security of a network. It is a logical device that has one or more layers of protection to stop unauthorized access to a computing device or a server.
A firewall can control both incoming and outgoing traffic for protecting computer systems from internal and external threats. It can also be used as a secure web gateway to protect the internal network from external threats. These are hackers, viruses, worms, etc.
It is a must for every organization to have a firewall for protecting the internal network from outside attacks. Therefore, we can say that firewall acts as a secure web gateway for protecting the internal networks from outside threats.
Virtual Private Network
A Virtual Private Network is a private network that is built on top of a public network. Most commonly, the public network is the Internet. The VPN software protects the confidentiality of data traveling across a public network.
It does so by encrypting the data packets sent across a public network or the internet. Encryption prevents anyone without a VPN from seeing or modifying the data being transmitted. The VPN also enables users to send data packets faster than normal in a secure manner.
VPNs are used by corporations to allow their employees access to their internal systems. Such as email servers and file servers from anywhere in the world, at any time, and from any device. Corporations use VPNs because it enables them to connect to remote offices and branches.
That is without having to pay for expensive long-distance phone lines or dedicated point-to-point lines. VPNs are also used by individuals because they provide a way to access the Internet while keeping your IP address private. Without an IP address, you cannot be tracked on the internet.
Furthermore, some ISPs can block certain websites. However, if you have an IP address that is not blocked by your ISP, they cannot block it either. Also, if you live in an area where there are no providers of Internet service (for example, in some remote areas in Africa).
Secure Web Gateway as a Firewall
Secure Web Gateway is the security system to protect the network and the information. It prevents unauthorized access to the computer or network. Secure Web Gateway is a software or hardware device, which act as a router and also as a proxy server.
It is also known as an Internet firewall. This protects all the computers behind it by controlling, monitoring, and scanning the incoming and outgoing traffic. It controls the incoming and outgoing traffic based on its policies according to the rules that are set by the administrator of a network.
To prevent outside attacks, Secure Web Gateway acts as a secure web gateway. It restricts unauthorized access to an internal network from outside threats such as viruses, worms, hackers, etc. It also secures the internal network from internal threats like employee error, unsafe applications, and many more.