Organizations can enhance their defense-in-depth strategies by using secure web gateways (SWGs) to protect their users’ internet traffic. SWGs can block malware and malicious websites, prevent data exfiltration, and prevent access to unauthorized sites or web apps. strategies.

What are the benefits of a Secure Web Gateway?

Most organizations have used some combination of content filters, network foresees the convergence of several networking technologies, including secure web gateways. SASE is a cloud-native architecture in which policy enforcement occurs at the network’s edge. As a result, SWGs have become part of many enterprises’ long-term network strategies.

How do Secure Web Gateways work?

Secure web gateways are proxies inserted between end-users and the internet. They can be implemented in traditional network architecture as appliances or proxy servers. This centralized approach, however, has drawbacks. Like VPN gateways, secure web gateways concentrate user traffic. Bandwidth bottlenecks and increased latency can be an issue — especially with geographically dispersed workforces.

Cloud-based SWG providers use software-as-a-service business models and large point-of-presence (PoP) networks to address these performance issues. A company’s facilities and remote users connect to the provider’s nearest PoP rather than a central hub.

Secure Web Gateway vs. IPsec VPN

Secure web gateways are distinct from solutions are based on a much different paradigm from legacy network access technologies. Zero Trust assumes that trust must be earned and continuously justified rather than assuming that certain users, devices, or networks are safe. This is the only way to operate in today’s threat environment. Any network, device, or user credential can be compromised — and at least one probably already has.

Zero Trust systems deny access by default. All incoming requests, whether remote or on-premises, must be authenticated. Zero Trust systems apply the principle of , making it easy to deploy and scale over time.

Begin the journey to Zero Trust with Twingate

For all its benefits, the internet is a dangerous place. Secure web gateways protect organizations from internet threats and prevent unauthorized internet use by employees. Besides reducing a company’s attack surface, SWGs improve administrators’ visibility into the company’s internet activity — an essential step towards regulatory compliance.

Even though secure web gateways are not Zero Trust technologies, they can complement Zero Trust solutions such as Twingate. Split-tunneling lets companies route users’ internet traffic through their SWG while giving users direct, performant connections to protected resources.

You can try Twingate’s Zero Trust solution yourself with our free starter tier for individuals and small teams. Or contact us to learn more about using Twingate Zero Trust to protect your most sensitive resources.