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Secure Web Gateway (SWG)

Secure Web Gateway (SWG) provides centralised, controlled access to the internet. It comes with configurable web protection capabilities to manage and control traffic in accordance with your policy.

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What is it?

What is Secure Web Gateway?

Secure Web Gateway (SWG) is a cyber security solution designed to safeguard corporate data and uphold security protocols.

Positioned between company employees and the Internet, SWG filters unsafe content from web traffic, mitigating cyber threats and preventing data breaches. SWG also blocks risky and/or unauthorised user behaviour.

Secure Web Gateway includes:

Uniform Resource Locator (URL) Filtering
Domain Name System (DNS) Inspection
Application Control
Proxy Services
Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)

Read the full service definition here:

Service Definition

Uniform Resource Locator (URL) Filtering

URL filtering prevents end-users from accessing potentially harmful websites or resources that could be deemed non-work related. URL filtering can be specified by using major categories (gambling, adult, IT) or by reputation; these category databases are automatically updated dynamically every hour to ensure a robust filtering process.

Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)

DPI allows SWG to apply controls based on information within the payload, which may not otherwise be seen due to encryption such as HTTPS/TLS in a web browser. DPI provides a more effective mechanism for executing network packet filtering. In addition to the inspection capabilities of regular packet-sniffing technologies, DPI can find otherwise hidden threats within the data stream, such as attempts at data exfiltration, violations of content policies, malware, and more.

Domain Name System (DNS) Inspection

DNS is the mechanism to resolve a human-friendly name to the computer-friendly IP address. For example, 172.217.169.4 is commonly known as www.google.com. Amongst other capabilities, DNS filtering can filter DNS requests based on the domain category rating, or by your own domain categories. It also allows you to define and enforce domain and IP address lists to block or allow.

Application Control

With application control, you can identify and control which applications are trusted in the IT environment. An example may include “permit Zoom via the browser” but “deny the Zoom application”. You can also prevent unauthorised applications from running. These unauthorised applications may be from an unknown source, potentially malicious, or could simply be blocked to eliminate Shadow IT or duplication.

Proxy Services

Proxy Services act as a gatekeeper between your environment and the internet. An intermediary server separates end users from the websites they browse rather than routing directly to the internet. This feature is usually combined with the URL filtering and DNS Inspection services. For some organisations a “protocol break” is required between the user and the remote web location (server) for security compliance, an explicit proxy provides this.

URL Categories

We utilise a global threat intelligence subscription that categorises websites. SWG can be configured to combine both category and specific URL filtering. Block / allow websites that consume heavy bandwidth, contain mature content, carry a security risk or are simply unrelated to your business. The choice is yours!

Benefits

SWG benefits

Safe browsing and controlled productivity for the entire organisation.

: Set URL filters and application controls by category, by recommended defaults, or go granular with specific websites and domains. Every security policy configuration is unique, and we'll help you deploy the perfect blend.
: As part of your managed service, Cloud Gateway become the custodians of your WAF policy, but you have full control over the rules you want to set for your organisation.
: New URL filters, application controls or amendments to policy can be deployed within minutes through the My Cloud Gateway portal.
: Mix and match your SWG functionality with Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) and Web Application Firewall (WAF), as part of a comprehensive network security posture.
: My Cloud Gateway allows you to review and edit security rules. See all your security events and top threats via a simple, intuitive display. You can raise support tickets and run reports too!