Getting Started with SafeSquid Secure Web Gateway
Welcome to SafeSquid!
SafeSquid is the world’s most advanced HTTP Proxy Server, specifically designed for Application Layer Security.
The purpose-oriented architecture promises scalable performance while ensuring comprehensive mitigation of Layer 7 threats.
SafeSquid based Secure Web Gateway (SWG) shields enterprises from advanced cyberthreats, by delivering robust perimeter level application layer security.
Typical High-Level Solution Architecture
In a typical organization setting, the amalgamation of SafeSquid Application Eco-system constitutes the complete SWG solution.
Deployment Provisioning
Engineered for adaptability, SafeSquid is a fully software-based open-architecture solution supporting non-proprietary hardware, platform-agnostic deployment, and seamless integration with all network solutions.
SafeSquid SWG is compatible with standard Intel architecture server-class hardware, operable as a virtual guest on varied virtualization platforms, or configurable in private cloud settings.
To cater to your organisation’s web traffic load, estimate the Hardware Requirements optimal to deploy SafeSquid.
Get activation key
Product activation key is the unique secret required to activate and validate authenticity of your SafeSquid.
To generate the product activation key, create your account on the SafeSquid Self-Service portal. Registration is free, quick and does not require credit card details. Using business email unlocks enterprise account benefits, like team onboarding, and POC support. Post registration, download the activation key.
Installation
You can setup your secure web gateway using different installation mechanisms based on your deployment plan.
SafeSquid Appliance Builder (Recommended)
SafeSquid Appliance Builder (SAB) is a security-enhanced ISO of the latest minimal Ubuntu LTS. On booting from the SAB ISO, Ubuntu is automatically installed, and SafeSquid SWG is downloaded and deployed with all necessary dependency libraries, and services. Using the SAB ISO, you may create a virtual appliance on any virtualization infrastructure or create a hardware appliance on a standard Intel Server hardware.
SafeSquid On Cloud
To setup SafeSquid SWG on your preferred Cloud PaaS platform or your own private cloud infrastructure, use our cloud-init script.
Building from source
If you want to setup SafeSquid on already existing infrastructure or if you want to use other Operating System in Linux family other than Ubuntu, you can use the TAR package. You will need to make some additional configurations, like Monit and BIND9 services used by SafeSquid.
Activate your SafeSquid
Configure your browser to use SafeSquid as the HTTP(S) proxy, access the SafeSquid's Interface (http://safesquid.cfg/), and upload the activation key.
You can validate the activation under License details section under the Support tab on the Interface.
Note: The same key must be uploaded on every SafeSquid instance in the proxy cluster to ensure seamless synchronisation between them.
SSL Inspection
Since overwhelming majority of web traffic is now encrypted, enable HTTPS Inspection to safeguard from hidden threats.
On the Self-Service Portal, configure your Enterprise CA as the Root SSL certificate. If you do not have an Enterprise CA, generate SafeSquid’s Self Signed Certificate. Import the Root SSL certificate into client browsers’ trusted authorities.
User Authentication
SafeSquid SWG has a robust user and group identity management system, with multiple authentication options.
You can setup user authentication based on device-specific network identifiers, or your preferred credential verification system. Choose a combination of in-built local credential storage, Linux-PAM, or integrate with enterprise-grade directory services, like Microsoft® Windows Active Directory, and OpenLDAP.
Furthermore, configure user verification via basic authentication or Kerberos (SSO) for seamless domain network access. You may also implement Multi Factor Authentication by combining IP-based and credential-based authentication for heightened security.
Custom Categories
Manually classify websites into custom categories on the SafeSquid Self-Service Portal or SafeSquid interface as per the business use case.
Security Policies
Achieve Zero-Trust Web Security strategy by enforcing organisation’s web usage policies using SafeSquid’s Polymath Profiling Engine, and Advanced Traffic Flow Management.
Reporting
SafeSquid offers in-depth reporting for process audit, system performance, and traffic forensic analysis. The reporting suite includes detailed web usage reports, threat prevention reports, system reports, and performance reports. An interactive real-time dashboard, also, offers customization, exporting and distribution options to suit the organisation’s needs.
Integrate with other security systems
Integrate with existing security infrastructure, such as firewalls, endpoint protection platforms, third-party malware detection systems and SIEM systems, for a cohesive security posture.
Customisation
SafeSquid provides extensive options for customization to meet specific organizational demands and user experiences.
You may alter the dashboard, reporting interfaces, and analytics to suit user preferences and requirements. You can also customize blocking templates to conform to organizational branding and communication styles. For specialized tasks and automation, administrators can use our comprehensive customisation library or create their custom bash scripts.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting is a cakewalk for any average Linux technician using the comprehensive SafeSquid Logs.
You will find all the logs under /var/log/safesquid/ directory. Tweak the LOGLEVEL to control the depth of logging required. In addition to this, you will find prompt assistance by SafeSquid Community at any time.
Related Articles
Recommended Hardware Specifications for SafeSquid Secure Web Gateway Deployment
Minimal Hardware RAM: 4 GB CPU: 4 Core HDD: 160 GB (Depending upon the number of logs and database you want to keep) Recommended Hardware The above-specified Minimal Hardware should enable you to do a functional setup of SafeSquid. However, ...