If your company does not have an office space where employees can physically meet, it is vital to implement a secure web gateway. Cloud-based applications are increasingly vulnerable to hacking, and data can be compromised if a business does not have a secure web gateway.
The exemplary gateway should provide URL filtering, malicious code detection, and application controls for popular web-based applications. This article will give you an overview of the essential features and functions you should look for in a secure web gateway.
1. URL filtering
URL filtering prevents malicious websites from infecting your organization's network. It can block sites with inappropriate content and protect your employees from accessing harmful websites. With URL filtering, administrators can limit the bandwidth for streaming services and create granular web security policies based on users, groups, and machines.
They can also keep track of employee web usage with URL filtering. Application Control lets administrators create granular security policies based on web applications, allowing them to be blocked, limited, or disabled.
One benefit of secure web gateways is that they have a comprehensive URL filtering database. As a result, they don't burden your local machine, and cloud-based ones don't require backhauling network traffic. In addition to URL filtering, these gateways can apply URL filtering policies to any device or cloud service, reducing performance concerns. In addition, these solutions also help protect your network from illegal data leaks.
2. SSL inspection
A Secure Web Gateway is a critical component of a business's security strategy. It serves as a checkpoint and protects the organization from malicious website traffic and malware. A Secure Web Gateway enables users to access only authentic and approved websites and prevents sensitive data from leaving the enterprise site. It works regardless of user location, operating system, and application and ensures that users are protected no matter where they browse or use the Internet.
SWGs work in the same way as physical security checkpoints. The client device sends a request to a website or application, and the gateway examines the proposal to ensure it doesn't violate security policies. Just as security guards inspect possessions at physical checkpoints, an SWG checks incoming data to ensure it doesn't contain malicious code. If the information is suspicious, it blocks access to the site.
3. Advanced threat defense
A safe web gateway can provide the organization with a layered security approach to prevent cyber attacks. Advanced threat defense, URL filtering, SSL inspection, and legacy malware protection work together to protect the enterprise network and enforce acceptable use policies.
Today, many organizations implement a hybrid hardware and virtual appliances model to improve security. This type of gateway has several advantages. First, it can offer better visibility into an organization's network and better identify and respond to shadow IT.
A security gateway protects the network perimeter from attacks. It can detect phishing sites, malware, and other malicious code, allowing the security team to block them better. It can also see standard business terms and patterns and personally identifiable information.
A security gateway combined with data leak prevention software can provide the best protection. Moreover, the security gateway also protects sensitive corporate data from being leaked. A combination of these two technologies can provide complete security.
4. Legacy malware protection
A Secure Web Gateway combines advanced malware protection with traditional antivirus solutions. It protects against new and evolving threats, including malware that uses cloud-enabled techniques to avoid detection.
Additionally, it protects against malware that disguises itself as a legitimate website to steal credentials from unsuspecting victims. A Safe Web Gateway eliminates legacy malware from corporate networks by combining prevention, detection, and response. This combination has many benefits, including the ability to monitor all aspects of web traffic.
A secure web gateway is a combination of URL filtering, advanced threat defense, and legacy malware protection. This technology also helps enterprises enforce internet policy compliance. The gateway can be installed on-premises or as a cloud-based service.
As with other types of internet security products, the security features of different vendors may differ. In addition, each solution's security capabilities depend on the complexity level. For example, some vendors offer cloud-based services, while others are hardware-based appliances.
5. Monitoring How Employees use Social Networking Websites
In today's world, monitoring employee usage of social networking websites is essential to any company's security strategy. Unfortunately, while social networks are an excellent source of business development, they can also expose an organization to security threats.
Thankfully, web gateways can help companies establish security policies and monitor employee usage more effectively. By supporting real-time visualization, they can help enterprises monitor bandwidth usage and track websites visited by employees.
Final Words
An SWG can prevent employees from visiting malicious websites, blocking them from accessing company resources, and enforcing corporate policies. These tools can also block specific websites or applications. By blocking access to particular websites, employers can limit employee use of social networking applications or stop them altogether.
Regardless of the method used, monitoring how employees use social networking websites is essential to ensure they are not compromising company privacy.