A Secure Web Gateway (SWG) inspects and controls all web and internet traffic from corporate devices — blocking malware downloads, enforcing acceptable use policies, preventing data exfiltration, and providing visibility into web activity regardless of where users are working.
SWG is a foundational component of cloud security architecture, but the quality of URL filtering, threat detection, SSL inspection, and cloud application visibility varies significantly across platforms. RLM advises on SWG selection and integration with your broader security architecture.
A structured advisory process — from discovery and market evaluation to vendor selection and post-deployment optimization — tailored to your specific environment and objectives.
We assess your web security requirements — acceptable use policy, SSL inspection scope, DLP requirements, cloud application control, and the compliance framework that governs web access.
We evaluate SWG platforms — Zscaler Internet Access, Netskope, Palo Alto Prisma Access SWG, Cisco Umbrella — against your URL filtering quality, threat detection capability, and CASB integration requirements.
Most threats travel over encrypted connections. We design the SSL inspection architecture — certificate authority deployment, bypass policies for sensitive categories, and the client trust configuration — that provides effective inspection without breaking legitimate applications.
SWG policy enforcement improves significantly with identity context — applying different policies to different user groups. We design the identity integration with your IdP and the endpoint enrollment that enables user-aware policy.
These are the dimensions that consistently separate successful network deployments from costly ones — and the questions RLM will help you answer before any commitment.
Modern threats primarily use HTTPS. Evaluate what percentage of your traffic can be SSL-inspected and the categories that require bypass (financial, healthcare, private browsing) that create uninspected blind spots.
The breadth and accuracy of URL categories determines the effectiveness of acceptable use policy. Evaluate coverage of new domains, IP-based traffic, and the recategorization SLA for miscategorized sites.
SWG must provide visibility into sanctioned and unsanctioned cloud application usage. Evaluate CASB integration depth — shadow IT discovery, data upload/download controls, and application-level policy.
SWG must cover users regardless of location. Evaluate the endpoint client approach — agent-based vs. PAC file vs. DNS-based — and the coverage for devices that bypass the agent.
Data loss prevention requires deep content inspection. Evaluate the SWG's DLP capability — inline content inspection, pattern matching, and integration with enterprise DLP platforms.
SSL inspection adds latency. Evaluate the performance impact on your most latency-sensitive web applications and the bypass mechanisms available for applications where inspection latency is unacceptable.
"RLM gave us an objective view of our network options that no single vendor could. We replaced aging MPLS across 40 locations and came in 28% under our original budget."
"The RLM team understood our network complexity from day one. Their vendor-neutral approach helped us find the right solution — not just the one with the biggest marketing budget."
Start with a no-cost conversation with an RLM network advisor — vendor neutral, no agenda, just clarity on the right path forward for your environment.
Speak to a Network Advisor