Did you know that there are 6 questions to ask before evaluating secure web gateways? If not, then you came to the right article.
6 Questions to Ask Before Evaluating Secure Web Gateways
What Is a Secure Web Gateway?
A secure web gateway (SWG) is a security tool used to filter and control traffic to and from the Internet. SWGs are typically used to provide, maintain, and protect Internet connectivity for an organization. They can also be used to perform basic security functions such as blocking unwanted Internet traffic and preventing access to unauthorized users.
How Do They Work?
SWGs filter out any unwanted traffic while allowing only authorized network traffic to flow through the gateway. These gateways do a great job at preventing viruses, worms, and other malicious software attacks originating from the Internet. Additionally, they provide several other advanced features such as web content filtering, anti-spam, bandwidth management, security alarms, etc.
What Are the Components of Secure Web Gateway?
Web gateways typically consist of two components:
1) Firewall (or Network Layer Gateway). The firewall is responsible for security at the network layer of the OSI model. It also blocks any unwanted or unauthorized traffic from crossing through the network. And also prevents network attacks from getting into internal network resources.
2) Web Proxy (or Application Layer Gateway). The web proxy is responsible for security at the application layer of the OSI model. It blocks unwanted or unauthorized web traffic from accessing internal network resources while allowing only authorized web requests to cross through the firewall into internal systems.
What To Look For When Choosing A Web Gateway?
Before choosing a web gateway, you need to consider a few factors that will affect your decision:
1) Scalability. How easily will it scale up or down? How many users will it support? What kind of hardware does it require? Also, does it require dedicated hardware or it can run on a server with other services running on it?
2) Performance. How fast does it perform? Does it require a high-performance environment? Also, how many servers are required to support the web gateway?
3) Security. How secure is it from external threats and attacks? Does it protect from web-based malware and viruses? What kind of web content filtering does it provide?
What Does Web Content Filtering Do?
Web content filtering is a security feature that helps block access to malicious web content. It can also help prevent users from installing malware on their computers, downloading viruses and worms, accessing inappropriate or illegal websites, etc.
What Are Web Security Threats?
There are several different web security threats out there. To name a few:
1) Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks. These types of attacks typically target the server or network infrastructure. Then, these attacks are usually performed by numerous bots (zombie computers) that send a large amount of traffic to the target server or network in an attempt to overload it and bring it down.
2) Brute Force Attacks. These types of attacks try every possible combination of characters to guess passwords and gain access to a system. They are not sophisticated but they can be extremely effective when used against weak passwords.