Hello Community!

Understanding Secure Web Gateway (SWG) fundamentals is key to leveraging Netskope effectively. We're kicking off a series to help you navigate Netskope's capabilities, starting with how traffic gets directed to the Netskope cloud.

Netskope Traffic Steering Mechanisms

Netskope offers a comprehensive suite of methods to direct your network traffic into its cloud, ensuring robust security and visibility across your environment:

• Netskope Client: This is our primary and most widely used mechanism for steering traffic from endpoints, whether users are on-premises or roaming. It provides comprehensive control and visibility for both web and non-web traffic from managed devices, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Chromebooks.

• Enterprise Browser: A newer method specifically designed to steer traffic from unmanaged devices, primarily for HTTPS traffic. It extends Netskope's security controls, including DLP, to personal or non-corporate devices, enhancing visibility and data protection.

• GRE: A tunneling protocol commonly used for steering traffic from network devices (like firewalls or routers) at branch offices or data centers to the Netskope cloud.

• IPsec: Another secure tunneling protocol, often used as an alternative to GRE for connecting network perimeters to the Netskope cloud.

• Cloud Explicit Proxy: This method directs web traffic (HTTP/HTTPS) to Netskope using direct proxy settings or PAC (Proxy Auto-Configuration) files, often utilized for managed devices or specific network segments.

• Proxy Chaining: Allows you to integrate Netskope with your existing explicit proxy infrastructure by chaining Netskope as an upstream proxy.

The Netskope Client, with its unified approach for all devices, is increasingly the preferred method for most deployments, simplifying management and enhancing user experience. The Enterprise Browser provides a crucial extension for unmanaged device security.

Stay tuned for our next post, where we'll deep dive into the Netskope Client!

Further Reading & Resources:

• Netskope Enterprise Browser: Learn more about securing unmanaged devices.

  • https://docs.netskope.com/en/enterprise-browser

• Choose a Traffic Steering Method: Explore detailed options for directing traffic to Netskope.

  • https://docs.netskope.com/en/choose-a-traffic-steering-method/

• Steering Traffic through Netskope Security Service Edge (SSE): Reference architectures for deploying Netskope SSE.

  • https://www.netskope.com/resources/reference-architectures/steering-traffic-through-netskope-security-service-edge