Web traffic security is the protection of web-connected devices against attacks that could affect their performance and data. It includes encryption, access control, and other security measures.

The most important aspect of web traffic security is to ensure that connections to websites are encrypted. This protects users from being monitored or logged by the site they are visiting and prevents hackers from intercepting communications.

Encryption

Encryption is a process that scrambles readable text into a secret code that only a recipient who has the correct key can read. It protects sensitive information and helps keep it private from unauthorized parties, including hackers.

In the digital age, encryption has become essential for protecting data privacy and security. It also helps businesses stay compliant with compliance regulations like HIPAA, FERPA, and Fair Credit Practices Act.

Many organizations and individuals now store their personal information in the cloud, which makes it even more crucial to protect that data. Fortunately, data encryption can help keep it safe and secure while it is in transit to the cloud, once it is at rest on a server, or being processed by workloads.

It is possible to encrypt traffic by using HTTPS – Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure – on web browsers like Tor, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari. The internet community of web standards bodies, browsers, and tech companies have all come to agree that all web traffic should be encrypted.

However, SSL decryption is an exceptionally CPU-intensive task, which means most firewalls can’t handle it without a significant performance hit. It’s a good idea to work with a firewall vendor that uses specialized processors for their high-performance solutions, and can handle this heavy load.

Alternatively, you can encrypt your Internet traffic by manually setting your browser to use HTTPS instead of HTTP. It’s a fairly easy thing to do, and it can save you from unwanted spying by government agencies or hackers.

In addition to securing your data, encryption can inspire trust among customers and boost brand reputation. For example, several healthcare providers, retail organizations, and institutions of higher learning require their customers to encrypt their data before sharing it with them. This can be especially important for medical records, student records, and financial records. It can also help businesses avoid fines and penalties for breaching privacy laws.

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

A Secure Web Gateway (SWG) is a network security device that protects the network and users from malicious web traffic. These devices can be hardware, software, or virtual devices, and they may be deployed locally or in the cloud.

A SWG helps businesses keep their networks and employees safe from cyber threats, data breaches, and other forms of malware. It also prevents unauthorized data loss and increases employee productivity.

SWGs protect against malicious web traffic by acting as a proxy between internal network users and the Internet. They inspect network traffic for suspicious content and filter it based on security policies. SWGs can also block websites that don’t comply with a security policy, such as those that promote gambling or pornography.

These filters are typically stored in the SWG solution’s database and triggered when a user attempts to access a site. The SWG solution then examines the request against this list and security policy to determine if it should be passed or blocked.

For example, if an employee attempted to access a malicious website, the SWG would intercept and sanitize the request before it reached the targeted site. This way, the SWG can identify and block the threat without impacting the user’s experience.

Depending on the level of threat, the SWG may send the request to other security systems such as a DLP or CASB for further analysis. This is especially useful in cases where much of the internet traffic is encrypted, which can leave blind spots that can be exploited by attackers.

URL Filtering: The SWG can also block certain sites based on their classifications, such as those that promote violence, terrorism, or the distribution of malware. It can also block content that is not appropriate for work or is distracting to employees.

SSL Inspection: The SWG can also protect users from attacks by analyzing encrypted traffic and comparing it to local and global threat lists and reputation sources. It can then block malicious websites and phishing pages from entering the network.

In addition to web traffic security, SWGs can protect against shadow IT by blocking unauthorized applications that are installed on an organization’s network or remotely accessed through the Internet. This is helpful for enterprises that have remote workers who frequently connect to the Internet.

Web Filtering

Web filtering is a security measure that uses hardware or software-based solutions to restrict access to certain kinds of websites on a network. These devices can be used to protect a company against malware, phishing, and data leakage.

Many businesses use web content filtering to prevent employees from visiting sites that pose a threat to their company and user security. This can include phishing websites, which steal user credentials and other sensitive information. It can also be used to prevent users from visiting websites that are known to contain malware or exploit kits.

There are many ways that web filtering can be implemented, including DNS, URL and keyword filters. DNS filtering blocks all domains associated with a particular category; URL filters block specific pages.

For example, a business might use DNS filtering to block news websites that don’t fit its security policies. Alternatively, the business might use URL filtering to block sports-related websites.

This type of filtration is often more effective at blocking malicious or shady websites, because it allows businesses to block only specific pages. Unlike traditional packet-filtering firewalls, which block all web traffic to a network, these systems can distinguish between legitimate and malicious websites by using domain name, protocol or IP address detection.

Additionally, URL filtering helps companies comply with regulatory and privacy laws. This can be important for hotels and restaurants that want to ensure their customers and guests aren’t consuming inappropriate content while they visit their establishments.

Another common use for network web filtering is at schools and libraries. These institutions need to ensure that minors’ internet usage is safe and does not violate the law.

The filtering can be automated and centralized in a single location, removing the need for employees to manually create access lists. This is beneficial to both the organization and the end-users, as it makes the content management process much more efficient.

Enterprise-grade web content filtering can be implemented with a wide variety of technologies, including cloud-based, next-generation firewalls that can monitor DNS and other layers of the network. These solutions can help organizations enforce security policies, protect users from malware and phishing threats and reduce bandwidth abuse, which can cause latency issues and cause network crashes.

Interception

Interception refers to a practice used by software and devices to monitor and filter web traffic. Just like a football player intercepts the ball and becomes the ball carrier, software or devices can catch web traffic and become the “interceptor”.

Improving security: Firewalls, antivirus solutions, content filters, malware inspectors and other products use interception to protect network users by inspecting encrypted connections to look for threats. These products also often block or modify the contents of these connections, and can help to prevent malware from spreading or detect data exfiltration.

Performing malicious activities: Malware often uses interception to inject advertisements into websites or steal confidential information. Some malware can even modify the data sent and received from a browser to create misleading web pages or to avoid detection.

A recent report reveals that the widespread uptake of HTTPS is being countered by the increasing prevalence of interception products which use insecure cryptography to decrypt user traffic. This is a very bad thing.

Insecure cryptography is a serious problem because it reduces the amount of protection offered by SSL/TLS encryption. When an interception product tries to connect to a website, it usually terminates the existing TLS connection and replaces it with an inferior one, using weaker cryptography.

This can make it easier for hackers to break into the HTTPS connection, since they can use this weakness to decrypt and steal user data. In the case of komodia, this could allow them to steal credentials, instant messages, or emails without the need for a complicated and costly cryptographic attack.

The Internet community has come to understand that HTTPS is the only way to ensure that users are protected and is urging web browsers, companies, and Internet Service Providers to transition away from unencrypted connections and towards secure ones. In order to do this, a number of measures must be taken.

These include implementing stronger cryptography, making it harder for end-users to ignore warnings and promoting the adoption of secure web connections. In addition, it is important to ensure that these products are able to recognize HTTPS certificates and only accept them from trusted providers.