Today, we will discuss SWG vs WAF. What does each one of these stand for? And how can they be used for security?
SWG vs WAF
SWG stands for secure web gateway, while WAF stands for web application firewall. What are they? Firstly, SWG is a network security appliance that sits in between the application and the internet. It can detect and stop attacks while communicating with the application to ensure secure traffic.
On the other hand, WAF is software that monitors, inspects, and filters traffic to stop web application attacks.
SWG is a physical device that inspects traffic physically and analyzes it, while WAF is software that inspects traffic at the packet level. An SWG has many advantages over a WAF, including:
- Physical inspection allows for deep inspection of traffic and blocking of malicious traffic before it reaches the application. It does not have to depend on signatures, since it can inspect data at the network level. The same cannot be said for a WAF since it relies on signatures.
- An SWG can also be used as a load balancer or as a reverse proxy. This means that you will only need one device to do multiple tasks. WAFs are standalone devices or software solutions that cannot be used for other tasks.
SWG vs WAF: Different Types of Web Attacks
SWGs can defend against Distributed Denial Of Service (DDoS) attacks. Thus, making it easier for web administrators to focus on business-critical applications rather than DDoS protection. Security experts agree that there are four types of DDoS attacks. TCP SYN floods, UDP floods, ICMP floods, and Application Layer floods. All of which can be stopped by SWGs.
Unlike SWG, WAF cannot stop DDoS attacks. It can only block requests from known attackers. However, a WAF can defend against SQL Injection attacks, Cross-site Scripting (XSS) attacks, SQL Injection attacks, etc.
Moreover, SWGs can defend against malware injected into web forms by URL whitelisting. This prevents malware without compromising user experience or functionality. You must whitelist applications and websites users visit often. So they do not have to wait for approval before they access them.
WAF is used by banks and other companies with sensitive online transactions or information. Because it blocks malicious traffic without affecting user experience or functionality.
But you can use both SWG and WAF together. This means that you can defend against malware while preventing DDoS attacks.
We now know that SWG is a physical object and WAF is software that can be used by both private and government sectors. SWG also stops DDoS attacks while WAF cannot. However, WAF is better than SWG in that it can defend against SQL Injection and other web attacks.
Final Words
To conclude, we can say that both SWG and WAF are essential for cyber security. However, they have their differences in terms of the threats they can combat. You need to know the differences between SWG and WAF so you can choose the correct one for your business or organization.