Secure web gateways or SWG are third-party web security solutions that prevent unauthorized web domains from entering a network. These tools reduce clickbait, regulate employee policies, and protect against cyber threats. SWG software secures your browser and system applications and provides encryption against vulnerabilities.
Secure web gateway software provides services such as URL filtering, anti-malware, anti-phishing, decryption, DNS filtering, and content filtering. These tools offer cloud-based network security to safeguard on-premise or cloud data.
Three types of secure web gateways exist: physical servers, cloud-based virtual machines, and software applications. SWG tools prevent companies from disclosing critical information on encrypted websites to avoid the scope of malware or ransomware. They are pivotal for operations like web payment processing, browsing online data, data exchange, data transmission, data warehousing, and content distribution as they create a barrier between protected networks and unauthorized websites.
Secure web gateway solutions give organizations increased control and visibility over threats and enable them to establish regulatory policies and guidelines to monitor public assets. They are essential for the modern digital landscape, where hackers maliciously code genuine-looking websites to deceive users and trick them into sharing data.
SWG solutions often integrate with security software or security information and event management (SIEM) software to provide holistic security coverage.
They offer a solution similar to browser isolation software but provide protection differently. While browser isolation offers a layer of abstraction from the user to the web, SWGs deliver a filtering system for policy enforcement and malware protection.
To qualify for inclusion in the SWG category, a product must:
Filter or scan web content for viruses, spam, or other malware
Identify and block potentially dangerous URLs or web traffic
Provide policy enforcement capabilities for compliant web browsing
Offer SSL and TLS inspection and data loss prevention capabilities
Provide comprehensive reporting and logging capabilities
