Symantec Named a Leader

Data security is like a military campaign. Strategies and tactics of attack and defense are constantly being tested, evaluated and improved. Gaps that were plugged last year are ancient history; your task is to focus on new attack vectors and to defend against them before damage is done.

We believe, in a context in which change is the only constant, it’s an extraordinary achievement for a vendor to appear consistently in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant. It means that the vendor is adapting, evolving and innovating in response to new threats. A vendor with that kind of track record gives customers an invaluable feeling of confidence. Symantec is that kind of vendor.

This year, Gartner analysts have recognized Symantec’s capabilities by naming two of our products, Secure Web Gateway (SWG) and Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), in their respective Magic Quadrants. Magic Quadrant status is determined by two x-and-y-axis parameters: completeness of vision (x) and ability to execute (y). High scores in each place a vendor in the upper right – the Leader’s Quadrant.[1]

[1] Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

SWG

Symantec Secure Web Gateway, which we acquired as ProxySG and Web Security Service (WSS) with Blue Coat Systems in 2016, is in the Magic Quadrant for the 12th time. With this accomplishment, it’s worth reviewing why a secure web gateway for web and cloud security is absolutely necessary to your data security strategy.

It is sometimes thought that a Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) is all that’s really needed, because it goes further than a traditional firewall to perform deep packet inspection, application-level inspection and intrusion prevention. Not true. For sure, an NGFW fills a vital role, but the rapidly evolving threat landscape calls for the capabilities of a SWG that incorporates a web proxy server.

While a NGFW observes traffic as it passes/streams by, a proxy-based SWG intercepts traffic and terminates it if necessary. It examines all traffic between users at any location and HTTP/HTTPS sites and categorizes all URLs to identify and block malicious sites, pages and downloads, while allowing safe URLS to remain accessible. It’s simply harder to get malware through a web proxy than a NGFW. Further, a dedicated SWG incorporating a proxy architecture provides higher performance for complete inspection and malware scanning of all web traffic – a must with today’s enormous traffic volume.

CASB

For the third consecutive time, Symantec CloudSOC CASB is named as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant. As organizations increasingly rely on public cloud-based applications and services, the role played by CASB technology in security and compliance is greater than ever. 

CASB software intermediates cloud applications and users, monitoring activity and enforcing security policies across multiple clouds. CASB technology is also important for identifying and protecting personally identifiable information (PII), a critical requirement for compliance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). 

Symantec Enterprise’s CloudSOC CASB provides customers with:

1. Extensive Shadow IT discovery & cloud app intelligence, API integration with popular cloud apps, and in-line monitoring and control options for virtually any cloud application
2. Integrated Symantec DLP for visibility and control across the broadest range of data loss channels, including cloud apps via CASB, endpoints, data repositories, emails and web communications.
3. Adaptive access control and monitoring based on behavior-based user risk levels, risky user activity, data sensitivity, malware and threat detection, device and user anomalies, geolocation, etc.
4.  Integration with a wide suite of Symantec security options, as well as many 3rd party security solutions, from firewalls to SIEMs.

Finally, these achievements come in the wake of the Broadcom acquisition. Sometimes after acquisitions, there can be questions as to changes in commitment and product direction. We believe that the transition will only strengthen our ability to execute and continue to lead. 

• Enjoy a complimentary copy of the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Secure Web Gateways, Q42019.
• Enjoy a complimentary copy of the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud Access Security Brokers

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud Access Security Brokers, Steve Riley, Craig Lawson, 22 October 2019

Gartner Magic Quadrant for Secure Web Gateways, Lawrence Orans, John Watts, Peter Firstbrook, 11 November 2019