What is a Next-Generation Secure Web Gateway (NG-SWG)?

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• Next-Generation SWGs (NG-SWGs) provide advanced protection for both web traffic and cloud services.
• NG-SWG protection includes real-time application control, enabling organizations to regulate both managed and unmanaged apps.
• With machine learning, sandboxing, and real-time monitoring, NG-SWGs also offer next-level threat prevention against zero-day attacks.
• There are three main SWG deployment models (on-premises, cloud-based, or hybrid), with hybrid SWG solutions combining the benefits of both on-prem and cloud-based solutions.
• NG-SWGs seamlessly integrate with SASE frameworks, providing unified, cloud-native security while supporting Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).

An Introduction to Next-Generation Secure Web Gateways

Traditional SWGs provided sufficient coverage when organizations had to only worry about web traffic, and employees primarily worked in a small number of fixed office locations. However, as enterprise workflows increasingly rely on cloud services and SaaS applications accessed by remote employees, next-generation SWGs are required to maintain Netzwerksicherheit. 

NG-SWGs filter both web and SaaS traffic. They extend visibility and security controls to cover web- and SaaS-based threats, monitoring user interactions and applications regardless of where they are located. NG-SWGs are cloud-based solutions that provide protection at the network edge, eliminating the need to route traffic back to centralized data centers and adding unnecessary latency.

NG-SWG also offers advanced protection compared to previous traditional solutions, incorporating new threat detection technologies, inspecting encrypted traffic, and identifying instances of unsanctioned SaaS use. Known as shadow IT, the sharing of data with SaaS services outside the IT department’s control is a major security challenge. Additionally, NG-SWGs are needed, as businesses often allow critical SaaS services to bypass firewalls and other enterprise defenses, significantly increasing risk.

What makes these new solutions “next generation” is the level of control, visibility, and protection they provide for all internet traffic. Traditional SWGs typically do not extend their protections to critical operations such as data loss prevention (DLP) policies and security controls to SaaS applications. This creates security gaps that attackers are happy to exploit using an array of modern, sophisticated attack vectors.

The evolution from traditional SWG to NG-SWG in cybersecurity is driven by the rapid adoption of cloud-first architectures, SaaS applications, and the shift to remote work. With next-generation secure web gateways, you can safely adopt these new tools and strategies without sacrificing visibility or control over your sensitive data.

Common Capabilities and Benefits of a Next-Generation SWG

Below, we take a look at the solution’s common capabilities and functionality, and how they benefit modern enterprises.

• SaaS Visibility: Provides clear visibility into both managed and unmanaged applications and cloud services, ensuring comprehensive monitoring
• Real-Time Application Control: Enables immediate, granular regulation of SaaS applications, including those not directly managed by IT, allowing organizations to block risky apps and safely enable authorized ones
• Policy Implementation: Supports comprehensive security and acceptable use policies for both web and cloud environments to be implemented, combining traditional web filtering with dynamic cloud application ratings
• Advanced Threat Protection: Utilizes advanced threat protection mechanisms like machine learning-based anomaly detection, sandboxing, and pre-execution analysis to detect and block web and cloud-delivered malware, phishing, and advanced threats.

NG-SWGs provide visibility into the cloud and applications as well as web traffic, while also enabling more extensive protection and security controls. This includes granular and adaptive policies based on new insights, such as:

• Application risk
• User behavior and typical patterns
• Data sensitivity

With more advanced monitoring, you can develop policies to better balance the user experience and productivity with risk. This is a step forward from the more basic controls provided by traditional SWGs, which often relied on sweeping block/allow lists and static rules. NG-SWGs are also more responsive, enabling dynamic policies based on real-time risk factors and context.

Secure Web Gateway Deployment Models

While next-generation SWGs are cloud-based solutions, there are three main SWG deployment models, each with its own pros and cons.

On-Premises SWG

Vor Ort Secure Web Gateway are solutions deployed by the organization within its own physical infrastructure. While it requires you to set up, manage, and maintain the SWG on your own network hardware, such as within the organization or on a dedicated data center, it provides complete control. You can comply with data sovereignty and other regulations, as data does not leave on-premises hardware.

However, on-premises SWGs have a higher Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), as you have to invest in dedicated hardware upfront and maintain and update the solution. They are also harder to scale efficiently, requiring additional hardware once traffic reaches a limit.

Cloud SWG

Next-generation SWGs are fully cloud-based solutions that monitor traffic without requiring you to install on-premises infrastructure. Instead, web and other traffic is routed through the cloud and inspected against internal policies before reaching the user or accessing corporate resources. As with many cloud-based solutions, this SWG deployment model offers significant benefits for scalability, reduced TCO, and global reach.

Despite these benefits, cloud SWGs present potential challenges, particularly around data privacy and compliance. Sensitive data processed and stored outside the company’s infrastructure could lead to compliance issues, especially when the cloud provider’s data centers are located in different jurisdictions and subject to varying regulations.

Hybrid SWG

When choosing between these deployment models, there is a clear trade-off between the control and compliance benefits of on-prem solutions and the scalability and lower costs of cloud-based SWGs. To solve these issues, some vendors, including Check Point, have developed hybrid SWGs that combine the strengths of both deployment models.

A hybrid next-generation SWG routes web and cloud traffic using both on-device and cloud-based services, depending on the specific needs of the data it contains. This enables scalability, lowers SWG TCO, and makes it easier to comply with regulatory requirements.

What to Look for When Choosing a SWG Solution

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a SWG solution, including:

• Choosing Between SWG Deployment Architectures: Selecting one of the three deployment models described above: On-Premises (greater control and security for local users with lower latency, but comes with a higher TCO due to the need for dedicated hardware), Cloud-Based (Provides scalability and lower TCO with simpler deployment and maintenance, but may face performance issues due to cloud inspection), and Hybrid (A combination of on-device and cloud-based models, offering flexibility, scalability, and compliance adherence while reducing TCO).
• Enhanced Security and SWG Threat Protection: Look for SWGs that offer real-time traffic inspection and robust threat protection, including URL filtering, HTTPS inspection, application control, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and sandboxing. Additionally, behavioral analysis and machine learning (ML) can detect unknown or zero-day threats by analyzing traffic patterns, complementing traditional signature-based detection methods.
• SWG Policy Management and Reporting: Ensure the SWG provides granular policy management based on factors such as user, role, device, and location. This allows tailored protection that meets specific needs. Effective policy enforcement is supported by comprehensive reporting and traffic visibility, ensuring compliance and enhancing threat protection with actionable insights.
• Performance and User Experience: While security is crucial, a SWG solution’s performance must not degrade user experience. High latency or poor performance could lead users to bypass SWGs, increasing the risk of cyberattacks. Choose a SWG that maintains strong security without compromising network speed or causing disruption in daily operations.
• Integration with Broader Security Frameworks: SWG solutions should integrate seamlessly with other security tools or with broader frameworks such as SSE (Security Service Edge) oder SASE (Secure Access Service Edge). By integrating into comprehensive security architectures, SWGs enhance coverage and provide consistent protection across users, devices, and locations, ensuring continuous defenses.

When it comes to next-generation secure web gateways, other considerations include:

• True Cloud Architecture: The solution is built on cloud-native microservices rather than on separate legacy solutions deployed in the cloud.
• Comprehensive Coverage: NG-SWG must be able to inspect web traffic as well as traffic from SaaS applications and cloud services in real time.
• Updates for New Attack Vectors: Given the constantly evolving threat landscape, next-generation secure web gateways need to be regularly updated to prevent emerging threats from bypassing their security controls.

How NG-SWG fits into SASE

Next-generation secure web gateways play a vital role in modern SASE architectures, enhancing security and extending visibility across web, cloud, and private applications. Within SASE frameworks, NG-SWGs integrate seamlessly with capabilities such as FWaaS, ZTNA, DEM, Und DLP.  to provide a unified, cloud-native security platform. This integration enables organizations to inspect and control all traffic beyond traditional web traffic, ensuring comprehensive protection for all environments.

This consolidated approach delivers NG-SWG benefits at scale while minimizing latency and ensuring real-time, cloud-first security. As part of a SASE architecture, they enable consistent, flexible, and scalable web and cloud security for today’s distributed workforce.

Secure Your Network with Check Point

Delivered as part of its SASE platform, Check Point SASE secure Internet Access offers a unique, hybrid experience that provides superior security and network performance while simplifying compliance. The Check Point hybrid approach was designed with feedback from IT teams across the cybersecurity industry to solve the challenges of modern traffic inspection. With protection against both known and unknown threats, advanced URL filtering, and controls for over 9,000 popular enterprise applications, Check Point SASE Internet Access offers next-generation security and simplified operations with an easy-to-deploy platform.

Learn more by scheduling a demonstration of Check Point SASE today.