Direct Connect (Classic)

The Direct Connect endpoint contacts the cloud service for each request, to determine whether to block or permit a website, but routes the web traffic itself directly to the Internet. Direct Connect also routes traffic to the cloud service to perform content analysis, if configured in your policy, and connects to the cloud service to retrieve its configuration settings.

Note: The Direct Connect endpoint is not suitable where data security features are required, since this requires all traffic to be directed to the cloud service.

Direct Connect endpoint is designed for use in situations where the use of proxy connections may be problematic. Direct Connect endpoint can improve the security and usability of the service in the following scenarios:

Off-site (roaming) users for whom proxy connections may cause issues
In complex or changing network environments
In areas where geographic firewalls prohibit the use of proxies
When users need to access websites that do not work well with a proxy
When users need to use non-browser or custom applications that do not work well with a proxy
When geographically localized content is critical.

Important: While the Direct Connect endpoint can provide improved security coverage in these scenarios, administrators should check that the networking requirements and level of feature support are acceptable for your intended deployment.

For more information on feature support, see the Release Notes for Forcepoint Web Security Direct Connect Endpoint, available in the portal on the Web > Endpoint > General page.