A secure web gateway (SWG) is a cyberbarrier that keeps unauthorised web data out of a company’s system. Rather than being led to a website directly, the user connects to the SWG, which then redirects the user to an authorized website.
A secure online gateway prevents fraudulently programmed websites and viruses from gaining access to a company’s data or infecting its system. Authorized users can access secure websites over a secure web gateway. SWGs also provide services like preventing the exfiltration of copyrighted content, sensitive data, and confidential documents.
Secure Web Gateway’s Importance
Cybercriminals’ methods for embedding potentially dangerous content into legitimate-looking websites have become more polished. If an unwitting employee visits one of these faked websites, the implications for the firm can be severe, such as allowing harmful code to be executed on the company’s network or granting the criminal unauthorized access.
Some websites only require a connection to overcome web browser security and infect the targeted network with malware. SWGs can be implemented to block access to these sites and prevent data from being exfiltrated by hostile actors, reducing the likelihood of an organization being harmed in this way.
How It Works
Secure web gateways can be set up on the edge of a network or at user endpoints by installing a software component or a hardware appliance. The gateway extension filters all transmissions between users and networks before determining whether or not they are malicious. A non-user attempting to initiate a URL connection is also flagged by the gateway.
The gateway checks URLs in conjunction with a list of permitted websites, blocking URLs that are not listed as approved as well as sites that are known to be harmful. Whitelists and blacklists are often maintained and managed in the database of a secure internet gateway.
Companies can also use the application to filter data that is transmitted out of the network, detecting and blocking the distribution of restricted data in the network. Because of the enhanced flexibility and lower maintenance and installation costs, many companies choose cloud-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) secure web gateways.
Companies that already have SWG hardware sometimes mix software installations, putting the hardware version in place for bigger, physical sites and the software version in place for remote locations and traveling staff.
Furthermore, business owners, employees, and general users may forget to run frequent scans to keep an eye on the health of their operating system, which hackers might utilize to get unauthorized access by exploiting unknown underlying flaws.
