Is a secure web gateway the same as a proxy? What do you think? If you want to know more, then keep on scrolling below.
Is a Secure Web Gateway the Same as a Proxy?
A secure web gateway (SWG) is a network security device that is used to inspect traffic that passes through it. It’s a combination of a firewall and a proxy server because it can filter, analyze, and inspect the data packets that are transmitted through it.
The gateway is also known as a
- web application firewall (WAF),
- internet security gateway (ISG),
- application gateway, or
- web security gateway (WSG)
All of these terms mean the same thing, the SWG is a hardware or software device that inspects data packets that pass through it before they are forwarded to their intended destinations. In the past, proxies were used for this purpose. But with current technology, SWGs are more efficient than proxies.
A proxy server, on the other hand, is used for caching and filtering requests for Internet resources. Such as websites, FTP servers, email servers, and more. In addition to caching and filtering requests, proxies also proxy connections between client computers and destination servers.
The SWG can be located on the same computer as the proxy server or different computers altogether. If they’re on different computers, then they have to be configured to communicate with each other.
The Differences Between Secure Web Gateway and Proxy
Here are some differences between SWGs and proxies:
- SWGs are better at filtering traffic than proxies. Because they offer a larger number of features such as protocol awareness and packet processing. Proxies don’t provide this level of sophistication when analyzing traffic.
- Then, SWGs can filter traffic based on criteria. Such as the source IP address, destination IP address, port number, content type, content size, and more. Proxies can only filter based on criteria such as source IP address.
- Then, proxies are better at caching than SWGs. Because they can cache web objects from popular websites. SWGs don’t support caching web objects from popular websites. However, SWGs can cache objects from websites that have been placed inside the Gateway’s Deny List or Black List.
- Moreover, proxies are easier to manage than SWGs. Because they only allow administrators to configure access rules for one protocol (HTTP). While SWGs allow administrators to configure access rules for multiple protocols (HTTP, HTTPS, FTP).
- Finally, proxies can support protocols other than HTTP while SWGs only supports HTTP and HTTPS.
So, when considering which one to use, companies must first analyze their needs and then choose the one that best suits their needs.
For commercial-grade secure web gateway solutions, enterprises can either buy them or rent them from security service providers. Whereas for proxies, enterprises can either buy them or rent them from security service providers.
Conclusion
So, is your company still confused about whether to use an SWG or a proxy? Is it still confusing whether an SWG is the same as a proxy? If you are, then you can rest assured that it’s okay. You can always opt to use both for better security.