Why focus on secure web gateway? What does this tool offer to companies and organizations using it today? Know below.
Why Focus On Secure Web Gateway?
Focusing on secure web gateway (SWG) allows companies to enjoy a lot of benefits. Firstly, an SWG is like a gateway to the internet. It is the very first line of defense against any kind of cyber attack. This shield can prevent or detect and block any malicious activity on the internet, including the ones that target web applications.
Secondly, an SWG acts as a barrier against any unwanted activity on the web. It allows companies to control and manage all your web traffic, ensuring that it is safe at all times. This allows companies to monitor application logs, blocking inappropriate access and limiting exposure to threats.
Thirdly, an SWG improves the overall productivity of employees by allowing access to only authorized sites. This tool can also control traffic flow, manage bandwidth consumption, and avoid unwanted distractions in organizations.
Fourthly, an SWG helps in monitoring employees’ actions online. This can help companies protect their intellectual property. This is by preventing employees from downloading and sharing sensitive data over the internet.
The role of SWG in today’s business world is growing every day as more organizations turn to cloud computing for cost-cutting and strategic advantages. Thus, this becomes more and more of a requirement than only a nice-to-have tool. How, then, does SWG work?
How Does Secure Web Gateway Work?
An SWG works by filtering all internet traffic entering and leaving your network. This tool must be installed on a server that has a public IP address. It intercepts packets traveling through the gateway and analyzes them. The SWG then passes legitimate traffic to your network and stops any malicious traffic from getting through.
Then, an SWG is made up of two main components: the proxy server and web application firewall. The former is responsible for packet inspection, allowing only authorized requests to pass through to your network. Then, the latter is responsible for detecting any kind of malicious activity on the internet and blocking it from reaching your network.
So, a good SWG should be able to:
- Detect and block web-based attacks such as drive-by downloads, phishing, spoofing, and cross-site scripting (XSS) among others;
- Use a central configuration that allows you to apply security policies across multiple servers;
- Scale-up easily to include more traffic without the need to change configurations;
- Provide detailed reporting for each attack so you can evaluate how well your system is working; and
- Provide a centralized policy management system that allows you to control various policies from one location. For example, authentication, authorization, logging, etc.
Thus, when you need to cater to the rapidly growing number of mobile devices in your organization, a good SWG can be your best friend. This tool can help you deliver the right applications, at the right time, to the right people.
Consider Using SWG
An SWG should be considered by any company looking to protect its web applications against malicious threats. As mentioned earlier, this tool can block or detect and block any kind of threat today.