A next-generation secure web gateway is a different kind of tool from what we have before. What makes it different?
What Is a Next-Generation Secure Web Gateway?
To begin, a traditional secure web gateway (SWG) works by checking the server-side response and then delivering that response to the client. The SWG acts as a filter that inspects each packet, in the hopes of catching malicious requests and responses.
On the other hand, next-generation SWG is more intelligent. It uses a combination of advanced algorithms, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to deliver the most relevant information to users.
Moreover, a next-generation SWG takes advantage of the fact that users are not always good at telling the difference between good and bad. In this way, it can improve security by helping users navigate safely through hostile websites.
In addition to improving security, it can also improve performance by serving web content and resources from its cache instead of fetching them from external sources. This can lead to an improved end-user experience and faster website loads.
An example of such an intelligent tool is Google Safe Browsing. If you’ve used Chrome or Firefox (or any other Google product) before, you’ve likely utilized Safe Browsing without even knowing it. When accessed for the first time, Safe Browsing checks URLs against its database as well as against well-known blacklists. Then, Safe Browsing decides on whether or not to allow access to a page based on how it compares against these lists.
The important part here is that Safe Browsing doesn’t just check the server-side response; it checks the entire page, including all links on that page. After all, links are what drive most attacks today. They’re not part of most signatures built into traditional firewall rulesets because they were simply too difficult to manage and enforce.
Next-Generation Secure Web Gateway Benefits
What are the key benefits of a next-generation SWG? Firstly, it improves security for users by helping them navigate hostile websites. This is because it analyzes web content and user behavior patterns to identify potential threats and provide users with information that can help them avoid these attacks.
Secondly, it can perform content delivery network (CDN) load balancing. By using a combination of data from the client, server, and its advanced algorithms, a next-generation SWG can prioritize and reroute traffic on the fly, which means faster website loads.
Thirdly, it can filter malicious requests and responses so that users only see responses that they should be seeing (e.g., they don’t see any malicious requests).
Lastly, it can be utilized in conjunction with a web application firewall (WAF) or endpoint protection software to provide comprehensive application security. In this way, it can protect users against threats not just from the web browser but also from any other endpoints on which applications are being accessed or used.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, it is possible to build a next-generation SWG. It does, however, require a different approach than what we’ve had before. This approach is more dynamic and intelligent. It also requires significant computing power, complex algorithms, and a lot of data to work.