On-Premises vs. Cloud SWG: What’s the Difference?

What Is a Secure Web Gateway (SWG)?

Secure web gateways filter, monitor, and enforce policies on web traffic to protect an organization's users and resources from malware and malicious websites. As a barrier between users and the web, a SWG ensures safe usage of web-based apps while inspecting traffic in real time.

SWGs are designed to:

• Block access to unsafe websites and apps
• Detect and stop malware and phishing attempts
• Enforce usage policies on web-based apps
• Prevent sensitive data loss (via DLP)
• Inspect encrypted traffic for hidden risks

Read the full article: What Is a Secure Web Gateway (SWG)?

Why Are SWGs Important for Modern Cybersecurity?

Organizations increasingly rely on remote users and cloud-based resources, which creates gaps and vulnerabilities for threat actors to exploit. SWGs help them adapt by enforcing security policies across all web traffic and—in theory—scaling to protect diverse, distributed workflows. Beyond protecting users and data, SWGs support regulatory compliance, making them a cornerstone of secure, modern operations.

That said, the meaning of "modern operations" has rapidly changed over the past decade. The challenges of securing distributed users, apps, and data are showing many organizations that their on-premises SWGs may no longer be fit for purpose.

Why On-Premises SWG Falls Short

On-premises SWGs were designed for a time when most applications were on-premises, and internet traffic was simpler and used fewer protocols. Virtualized SWGs aim to better suit cloud-centric environments by offering more flexible software-based deployments, but they often carry the same weaknesses as their hardware-based predecessors.

Key issues with traditional and virtualized SWGs include:

• Limited visibility into encrypted traffic: With over 95% of web traffic being encrypted and over 87% of threats hiding in encrypted traffic, inspecting 100% of traffic is essential. Unfortunately, hardware-bound SWGs struggle to do so without adding significant latency.
• Inability to match cloud innovation: Traditional SWGs can't easily adapt to evolving cloud apps or modern protocols, such as IPv6 and HTTP/2. As new technologies introduce new threats and vulnerabilities, this leaves organizations open to growing risk.
• High deployment and upkeep costs: Hardware requirements and complex management make traditional SWGs expensive and resource-heavy to maintain. With today's distributed environments and tight budgets, this is making legacy SWGs increasingly impractical.

Why Modern Organizations Need a Cloud-Delivered SWG

In contrast, cloud-delivered SWGs provide flexibility, scalability, and advanced capabilities designed for cloud-first environments, reducing the complexity associated with physical deployments.

Key benefits of cloud SWGs:

• Stronger security: Identify and block advanced threats, including zero-day attacks, using AI and detections that leverage the latest threat intelligence.
• Enhanced scalability and performance: Handle traffic spikes and support distributed users while maintaining reliability and speed.
• Lower costs and management overhead: Reduce expenses and streamline deployment and operational processes.
• Greater agility: Leverage rapid updates and responsive configurations to meet changing needs.

Choosing the Right SWG: Key Considerations

Selecting the ideal SWG solution is a matter of matching it to the demands of a cloud-driven world. Start with this short checklist, and look for a SWG that offers:

✅ Robust Security Features
The most effective SWG is part of a complete zero trust architecture, with multifactor authentication (MFA) as well as advanced threat protection that adapts to emerging threats.

✅ Full Encrypted Traffic Inspection
Choose a cloud native SWG that can inspect 100% of TLS/SSL-encrypted traffic without hindering the user experience. This is essential now that most threats hide in encrypted traffic.

✅ Support for the Latest Protocols
Opt for a SWG that supports modern, secure protocols like IPv6 and HTTP/2. IPv6 adoption is growing worldwide, making future-proof compatibility essential.

✅ High Performance and Scalability
The ideal SWG can scale dynamically without sacrificing speed or usability, ensuring that even major surges in traffic won't disrupt your operations.

✅ Seamless Integration
Verify that your new SWG integrates with your existing security tools (firewalls, intrusion detection systems, SIEM, etc.) to simplify threat management, visibility, and control.

✅ Cost-Effective Security
Compare total costs, including licensing, maintenance, and support. Look for a subscription-based model to reduce upfront expense and support predictable costs over time.

How Zscaler Can Help

The cloud native Zscaler SWG inspects 100% of internet traffic inline while applying user-centric policies to eliminate the attack surface, prevent compromise, stop lateral movement, and halt data loss.

Our AI-powered SWG delivers unmatched security as part of the world's most deployed security service edge (SSE) platform.

Key Features of Zscaler SWG

• Leverage AI-powered defense: Stop phishing, botnets, and other advanced threats while isolating risky or malicious websites to protect users in real time.
• Inspect 100% of traffic at scale: Analyze all traffic, including encrypted traffic and protocols like IPv4, IPv6, and HTTP/2, without slowing performance.
• Enforce dynamic risk-based policies: Apply adaptive controls and continuously assess users, devices, apps, and content to stop active attacks and enhance defenses.
• Streamline threat insights: Speed up response times with contextualized, correlated alerts that reveal risk scores, affected assets, severity, and more.
• Assess and improve security posture: Strengthen your defenses with automated cyber risk assessments and built-in best practice recommendations.