The shift to remote and hybrid work has enabled businesses to adapt swiftly and ensure continuous operations in an ever-evolving landscape. However, this transformation has also exposed organizations to emerging security risks while navigating the web and using cloud applications for day-to-day work.

The need for organizations to adopt a Zero Trust model is especially important now, as employees expect to be fully productive wherever they work. It's no longer sufficient to rely on traditional perimeter-based security measures as before. However, implementing a Zero Trust model may seem daunting, and organizations may not know where to begin, particularly if they lack the necessary resources or expertise.

Convergence of Security

One of the most effective ways to adopt a Zero Trust model is with a unified security platform that can protect against threats across different access channels. By enforcing explicit permission for web, cloud, and private apps, organizations ensure greater visibility and control for their employees accessing sensitive business resources.

In 2021, Gartner introduced the term Security Service Edge (SSE), describing it as a convergence of security capabilities that secure access to the web, cloud services, and private applications on a unified cloud-based service. As this security cornerstone, SSE is the security component of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), which together provides both strong network and data protection.

Gartner predicts:

"By 2025, 80% of enterprises will adopt a strategy to unify web, cloud services and private application access from a single vendor’s SSE platform."

For businesses, an SSE platform provides a comprehensive solution that integrates all the necessary security tools into a single, unified console, simplifying security management and reducing the complexity of managing multiple point product security solutions.

Organizations can benefit from an increase in their security posture by adopting an SSE platform and accelerate their Zero Trust journey.

Understanding Secure Web Gateway

A Secure Web Gateway (SWG) is the web security component of a SSE platform and is a security solution that can combine URL filtering, malware detection, dynamic real-time threat analysis of websites, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) to protect users and devices from online threats. SWGs provide granular control over user and device access to web applications and services.

Whether in the office or remote, workers require secure access to websites and downloaded documents without sacrificing performance. Ensuring secure yet fast, reliable web access is essential for employees to perform their jobs effectively. Latency while browsing the web may lead to risky workarounds by workers.

A modern SWG should deliver fast, safe access to the web, enforce acceptable use policy (AUP) controls on risky websites, block uploading of sensitive data to unsanctioned websites, and stop malware from getting onto user devices without compromising usability.

Choosing the right SWG is an important decision for businesses, considering factors such as investment protection, performance, scalability, and the ability to integrate with existing apps and expand to other security tools.

Watch this video to get a better idea of how it works:

Simplify your Journey to Zero Trust Web Access

Forcepoint ONE is an industry-leading Data-first SASE platform that simplifies the journey to Zero Trust. This cloud-native platform offers a complete solution that includes out-of-the-box:

• Secure Web Gateway (SWG) for secure web browsing without sacrificing performance. And the ability to sanitize all downloaded documents and visit any website, even malicious ones (RBI with CDR) for true Zero Trust Web Access.
• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) for cloud applications (O365, Salesforce, Google Workspace, and over 800,000 more apps including custom apps) to protect against Shadow IT.
• Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) for secure access to business-critical private applications without the need for VPNs.
• Built-in industry leading Data Loss Prevention (DLP), to prevent sensitive data exfiltration across cloud, web and private applications.

All on a unified platform, eliminating the need for individual point products and delivering a holistic security solution.

Forcepoint’s data-first approach has the industry’s strongest data security at the heart of everything, providing benefits like enabling organizations to confidently embrace new technologies, processes and innovations like ChatGPT and generative AI. (read Unlock Productivity with ChatGPT and Forcepoint Data Security)

Key outcomes of using Forcepoint ONE’s Data-first SASE platform:

Security Simplified

Forcepoint ONE is a Data-first SASE platform that simplifies security management, reduces risks of cyber-attacks, and provides users with secure access across the web, in the cloud, and on private applications. This all-in-one platform offers a complete solution that includes SWG, CASB, ZTNA, and DLP for a holistic approach to security.

Forcepoint is recognized as an industry leader in Data Security, providing customers comprehensive solutions to protect business critical data from internal and external threats. We are proud to have a strong focus on innovation and delivering to customers the best of breed security solutions to address the evolving threat landscape.

Learn more about how Forcepoint ONE SWG can modernize web security and accelerate the journey to Zero Trust.

Next week on ‘Accelerate Zero Trust’ series

Thanks for reading the first post in our Accelerate Zero Trust blog series. Don't miss next week's post, where we'll explore another Forcepoint product to help you accelerate your Zero Trust journey.
 

Related Resources

• Forcepoint ONE Secure Web Gateway (SWG)
• Forcepoint ONE SWG Solution Brief
• Forcepoint ONE SWG Datasheet
• Forcepoint Remote Browser Isolation (RBI)
• Forcepoint Zero Trust CDR

Tuan Nguyen