What is a secure web gateway solution? Learn how it provides security and privacy to websites and their visitors.
Secure Web Gateway Solution
Secure web gateway solution HTTPS uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology for establishing an encrypted connection. This is between your computer and the server hosting the website you are browsing. SSL technology allows only authorized users to access sensitive information on the internet thereby reducing risks of data interception, identity thefts, etc.
It replaces standard HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) which is unsecured. This is with an encrypted HTTPS connection that is secured with both Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Data Encryption Standard (DES). Several other security techniques are also used such as Certificate Authorities and Public Key Infrastructure.
This is in developing secure web gateways solutions that provide security. This is while browsing websites on public networks or any other network for that matter.
Webpage Server Data Interception
When you type in a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in your browser and press enter, it sends a request to the server hosting the site’s web pages. The server then fetches the requested web page, compiles it, and sends it back to your computer. The information is received by your web browser and displayed on your computer screen.
This entire process is unsecured and anyone can intercept the data. This is sent between your computer and the server hosting the website. While data interception is not a major concern for individuals browsing websites from their home computers.
Now it becomes a major issue for corporations and organizations that use public networks. These are such as coffee shops, hotels, or airports for browsing websites. Such networks are prone to malicious hacking attacks which can lead to identity thefts and financial fraud.
SSL-Bump Technology
In SSL-bump technology, browsers with support for HTTPS automatically upgrade HTTP links to HTTPS links. This is when they visit a website that supports HTTPS by default. Browsers without support for HTTPS receive unencrypted HTTP links only.
Browsers with support for HTTPS can be recognized by looking at their address bars. It will show a padlock symbol as shown below. The use of SSLbump technology by ISPs is cost-effective and faster compared to other SSL-based methods.
SSL proxy-based approach involves installing an SSL proxy on the client side and a non-SSL proxy on the server side. SSL proxies are installed on client computers which are then configured. Moreover, clients can access only encrypted websites.
This approach requires technical expertise but can be implemented using tools. These are such as Microsoft’s CryptoAPI, OpenSSL, or products such as WinGate. Since it provides a GUI for this purpose.
SSL proxies are more secure than proxy servers because only authorized users can access them and most importantly. They do not require modification of the HTTP servers that provide content.
Proxy-based Approach
The proxy-based approach uses a proxy server that sits between the end user and the Internet. So, the proxy server can be used to encrypt information that is traversing from users to the Internet or from the Internet to users. HTTPS requests are encrypted in forwarding proxies.
But since the service provider does not have access to web pages served back by the web server, it cannot decrypt them. To overcome this issue, back-end systems that service HTTPS requests need to be configured for encryption.