A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Right SWG Security Solution

Secure Web Gateway (SWG) software monitors real-time network traffic, blocking access to malicious websites and preventing malware infections. These solutions also prevent data leaks by ensuring sensitive information stays within the network. The best SWGs provide a range of security features to help keep employees and businesses safe.

Cost

An SWG protects your organization’s web traffic by intercepting incoming traffic, scanning for vulnerabilities, and enforcing security policies. It can limit connection sizes to prevent data exfiltration and set and enforce policies for URL filtering, application control, and data loss prevention (DLP). SWG solutions can be deployed as a cloud-based service or on-premises. A cloud-based solution offers scalability, faster deployment, and lower upfront costs.

However, it may raise data sovereignty and compliance concerns. Depending on your organization’s unique security requirements, you can deploy an on-premises SWG for more sensitive data and applications. To determine the best fit for your business, consider factors like security capabilities, integrations, and price. For example, a good SWG should protect against common threats such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and malware.

A secure gateway should also monitor and block sites that violate company policies, such as gambling, pornography, violence, or terrorism. The SWG should also include features such as Zero Trust-based advanced threat protection and in-line scanning of downloaded files. It should also provide granular visibility and control for thousands of managed and unmanaged apps, cloud services, and sync clients led by lines of business vs. IT. It should also provide DLP capabilities for protecting against data leaks.

Scalability

A good SWG security solution provides the scalability needed to grow your business. It can be deployed in various ways, including on-premises and cloud-based. It can also be integrated with your existing network infrastructure. In addition to scalability, it should meet the specific security needs of your organization. SWG solutions protect networks from malicious cyber threats by monitoring and blocking websites and applications.

Many of these solutions use SSL inspection to monitor and detect harmful code encrypted in web traffic. This allows for better visibility and control of network activities. SWG solutions can also identify and categorize various applications to provide granular control and protection. The security capabilities of an SWG solution can help you improve employee productivity and reduce network vulnerabilities. For example, it can filter out distracting websites or interrupt workflow. It can also track and control bandwidth usage.

These features can help businesses save money and reduce risk. SWGs can help businesses protect against cyberattacks from remote workers and protect data transmitted over a compromised network connection. These tools can also block websites containing malicious links and prevent users from connecting to unsecure sites. They can even limit the data sent to websites, such as social security numbers or credit card details.

Integrations

Some SWG solutions include URL filtering and web monitoring that prevent employees from visiting websites known to contain malware or pose other risks. When these sites are accessed, the SWG will alert the administrator and create a data log.

Additionally, many SWGs also offer granular application control policies that can limit access to certain types of applications. This can help reduce security risks, improve productivity, and manage bandwidth usage. Many SWGs also offer features that prevent sensitive data from leaving the network via email. These capabilities can prevent personal information or financial data transmission to malicious websites, which could lead to a security breach or data theft. These tools include keyword monitoring, designed to detect specific types of words or phrases in emails and block them from entering the network.

SWGs can be integrated with other security solutions to provide more comprehensive protection against cyber threats. This includes CASB, zero-trust network access (ZTNA), and Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN). The SWG can prevent data leaks and other potential risks by integrating these solutions. A unified SWG solution can deliver a great user experience while reducing IT costs and complexity. The solution can be deployed on-premise, in the cloud, or at the network’s edge, combining best-in-class security features.

Reporting

As a business, you need to know how much the right SWG security solution will cost and how scalable it is for your company’s future growth plans. In addition, the right SWG will also have reporting capabilities that provide visibility into threats and policy violations. For incoming web traffic, the SWG will compare it against its list of allowed sites and security policies.

The SWG will pass the site to the organization’s network and systems if it matches the allowed criteria. Otherwise, it will block the request. This helps protect the organization’s data, networks, and systems from malicious code and attackers. The SWG also checks outgoing web traffic via a proxy to ensure no harmful agents are embedded in web content. A good SWG will include evolving attack signatures dynamically to increase its detection capability. It will also offer the latest web intelligence correlating with endpoints, emails, records, files, and more to create threat profiles. This provides all-around protection from cyber threats, including SSL decryption.