Should you use a secure web gateway? Should you give importance to it today? If you want to know the answers, then don’t stop reading.
Should You Use a Secure Web Gateway?
Today, we now live in a world that has been digitized. The Internet has become the standard for people to communicate. It is where you can find information about virtually everything, and there are also many things that you can do online.
The Internet is a wonderful tool, but it also poses a great danger to people. If you are an internet user in today’s world, then you need to know the threat that exists in cyberspace.
The threat that exists in cyberspace has led to the development of a lot of tools and techniques that can be used to counter them. One such tool is the secure web gateway (SWG). You can use this tool to make your business or organization more secure when using the Internet. What is SWG?
SWG is a security device that is used to protect the internetwork from unauthorized access and malicious software. It is also known as an application gateway or proxy server. In simple terms, it will let you control your network’s access to the outside world by limiting which sites users can visit. And also what type of content they can download onto their computers, phones, and other devices.
So, an SWG should be part of your organization’s security strategy because it helps you improve network security. This is done by filtering out unwanted traffic from the Internet, detecting dangerous code, and preventing data theft.
How Does a Secure Web Gateway Work?
The function of a secure web gateway is three-fold:
- It prevents users from downloading malicious software (malware) onto their computers.
- It will scan all traffic before allowing it into your network. So any malware that gets through will not infect your network resources.
- It will block requests made by users going to websites that contain malware or phishing attacks. This feature makes it nearly impossible for hackers to steal sensitive information. Like usernames and passwords, credit card information, or other sensitive data from your network users.
Then, an SWG functions like an online firewall but has several other differentiating features. Such as filtering capabilities based on URL, IP addresses, and many other factors.
Another difference between a firewall and a web gateway is that firewalls filter traffic at the packet level. While web gateways filter at the application level. So they can examine HTTP headers in addition to just checking packets for malicious code or activity.
Finally, companies using SWG can block users from accessing certain websites and applications. And even filter traffic based on the source IP address and other criteria. So, the threat of malware, phishing attacks, spam, viruses, and spyware can be minimized with the help of SWG.
Conclusion
So, if your company is on the Internet today, then you need to use a secure web gateway. Because it will help you to protect your network from malware and phishing attacks. It will also make it difficult for hackers to steal sensitive information from your network users.