The Internet gateway is the device that connects you to the world wide web. It could be a modem or router.
Computer servers may also function as both firewalls and proxies.
Thailand’s government is considering creating a single internet gateway that will monitor all incoming traffic into the country. This initiative has been met with fierce opposition, including from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which views it as an impediment to online freedom.
Connection to the Internet
An internet gateway is a Virtual Private Cloud component that facilitates communication between your VPC and the internet. It presents no availability risks or bandwidth limits on your network traffic, since it can be horizontally scaled, redundant and highly available regardless of Availability Zone specificity.
Your VPC route tables must include this target for Internet-routable traffic and it performs network address translation (NAT) for instances with public IPv4 addresses. Furthermore, it offers security features like security groups and network access control lists to monitor inbound and outbound traffic flow.
In an office or home setting, an internet gateway is usually a modem/router combination provided by your internet service provider to access the web through their network. This hardware appliance may come preinstalled with customizable software or be an entirely separate entity altogether.
Router
An internet gateway is a hardware device that connects networks together and offers various functions like security and access control. It often acts as both modem and router in one, or can be an all-inclusive device with preinstalled but customizable software.
Routers route data packets by reading a routing table, which determines the most direct path to its destination. Routing tables use static or dynamic metrics to decide the optimal way to route data, and may be configured manually or automatically based on network activity.
A router functions like an air traffic controller for data packets, helping ensure they reach their destinations safely and quickly. To do this, it calculates the most optimal route based on each packet’s destination IP address.
Firewall
In essence, a firewall is the ultimate protection layer that sits between your outside world and internal network. It monitors all incoming data packets to decide whether to accept or deny them.
When a data packet arrives from the outside, a firewall checks it against pre-set security rules to decide whether to allow or block it. This helps safeguard the network against threats like hackers and viruses.
The firewall also functions as a proxy server, acting as an intermediary between programs on one computer and their actual server. This role is essential because it guarantees that the requested data can be handled by the desired server.
When traffic flows from a public subnet to an internet gateway, you must create a route rule that points towards its private IP address. Typically, use a default route with a destination of 0.0.0.0/0 so that all requests go through the internet gateway instead of your router.
Security
A Secure Web Gateway (SWG), also referred to as a Secure Internet Gateway (SIG), is an essential security measure that shields the network from malware and viruses. It detects harmful web pages and blocks them from being loaded on user computers.
Secure web gateways can also prevent data exfiltration by restricting unauthorized access to sensitive information, such as user data and confidential files. This makes them ideal for companies that rely on remote employees for the security of their networks and data.
To reduce the risk of security breaches, it is essential to regularly upgrade your gateways with new features and security requirements. Furthermore, testing should take place after any configuration changes and at regular intervals no more than six months apart to confirm they conform to expected security configurations.
To ensure the security of your SWG, it is important to regularly review and update the list of users and devices authorized to access it. Furthermore, you should revoke any permissions that no longer seem valid or suspicious.
