Businesses rely on web-based cloud services, remote work, and a diverse array of devices for productivity. But this productivity depends upon having robust security to keep internet-based threats out and sensitive data in. For most organizations, SWG technology is the first line of defense, inspecting web traffic to and from each user. And while there are a lot of web security solutions on the market, there are big differences among them. Having the right SWG determines how efficiently you can adapt to modern architectures such as Zero Trust and Security Service Edge (SSE) or safely address business needs such as safeguarding the use of GenAI sites. 

Modern Secure Web Gateways are built on Zero Trust 

Secure Web Gateways like Forcepoint ONE Web Security act as a security checkpoint between users and the internet. They intercept and filter web traffic, applying Zero Trust principles to ensure that every web action follows the organization’s security policies. This is done in both directions, protecting against incoming advanced threats such as ransomware, phishing, and other malware as well as making sure that sensitive data isn’t uploaded to inappropriate sites. Modern SWGs do all of this while also ensuring that users have a good browsing experience wherever they’re working. We call this approach Zero Trust Web Access: 

The key functions to look for in a modern SWG include: 

• Secure Access – Today’s SWG provides control over which users can access which resources on the web, based on their identity, group memberships, and other attributes. 
   
• Content Filtering – SWGs were originally created to provide granular, policy-based control over content to prevent exposure to inappropriate or malicious material and enforce compliance with organizational policies. 
   
• Advanced Threat Protection – Full-featured SWGs use advanced threat intelligence and real-time analysis to detect and block malicious URLs, malware downloads, and other web-based threats, even over connections that are encrypted with SSL/TLS. Modern SWGs also provide automated zero-day threat sandboxing and remote browser isolation to keep people safe without sacrificing user productive. 
   
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) – With so much work done in SaaS and web apps, preventing accidental or malicious data leaks is crucial. Most SWG now provide the ability to inspect outbound web traffic for sensitive information; modern SWGs also provided granular controls such as enforcing encryption of specific types of data. 
   
• Delivering a Great User Experience – When security is done right, it should make life easier for the user, not harder. Ensuring that the right content is delivered in the right language, quickly, is one of many examples of a modern SWG optimized to keep people productive as well as safe.  

Safeguarding Use of New Technologies like Generative AI (GenAI) 

The web has become one of the first ways that new technologies are accessed. With everybody having and knowing how to use a browser, innovations such as GenAI can simply provide a website for people to use without the complexity of deploying software. This accelerates adoption—but also potentially creates new challenges for IT organizations.  

Today’s SWGs easily control which groups of users can have access to which web tools. But more powerful SWGs also enable businesses to manage which data can be shared with different web services. This is particularly important with GenAI sites that often depend upon having large volumes of data to provide the quality of answers that people are looking for. Users with the best of intentions may be tempted to upload sensitive data, not realizing that GenAI may reuse their data in unexpected, and inappropriate, ways.  

Using a SWG to prevent the exposure of sensitive data is crucial both for complying with regulatory requirements and protecting business-critical information such as intellectual property. We think it’s important to go further, integrating with comprehensive data security solutions so that you can extend DLP policies you’re using on endpoint devices or in SaaS apps to any website. We call this unified approach Data Security Everywhere, and customers tell us that it is one of the keys to reducing the complexity of adopting new technologies like GenAI. 

Moving Toward a Unified Security Service Edge (SSE) Platform 

Most mature SWG solutions today are part of an SSE platform that offers makes it easier for organizations to protect their networks and sensitive data consistently. The SSE concept, which originated as the “security half” of the SASE architecture that took the industry by storm starting in 2019, brings security for accessing SaaS apps (CASB), the web (SWG), and internal private apps (ZTNA) together in a single cloud service. This approach aligns security with the distributed nature of modern IT environments and is seen by many organizations as a natural way to accelerate performance and boost scalability while improving their security posture and simplifying management. 

SWG – Enabling Modern Business Transformation 

Having a SWG that provides a graceful path to a full SSE architecture helps organizations drive better business outcomes: 

• Boost Productivity – To be competitive, many organizations are having people work from home as well as in the office, often on the same day. An SSE platform with an integrated SWG ensures secure access to corporate resources from any location or device.
   
• Cut Costs – Consolidating security functionality into the cloud reduces infrastructure costs and operational overhead associated with managing disparate security solutions.
   
• Reduce Risk – Modern SWG and SSE platforms are incorporating advanced threat intelligence and machine learning capabilities to provide threat detection and response, minimizing the chance of breaches and downtime.
   
• Streamline Compliance – Centralized visibility and consistent control makes it easier to meet regulatory requirements and industry best practices required in modern business. 

No, SWG isn’t dead. Today’s Secure Web Gateway has evolved beyond being a tactical cybersecurity tool into a strategic asset that enables modern businesses to embrace digital and AI transformation securely, enabling people to work anywhere with data that is everywhere. 

You can learn more about a modern SWG that provides true Zero Trust Web Access on our Forcepoint ONE Web Security webpage.