Absolute Secure Web Gateway vs Menlo Security File Security: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

Absolute Secure Web Gateway

SMB and mid-market teams without a dedicated threat intelligence operation should pick Absolute Secure Web Gateway for its remote browser isolation model, which stops zero-day exploits before they reach endpoints rather than hoping detection catches them afterward. The five incremental protection levels let you tune policy granularity per user or group without overhauling your whole security stack, and NIST PR.DS coverage confirms data loss prevention is genuinely integrated, not bolted on. Skip this if you need network-wide lateral movement detection; Absolute prioritizes web-layer containment and DLP over post-compromise hunting.

Menlo Security File Security

SMBs and mid-market teams handling high-volume file intake from untrusted sources will find Menlo Security File Security's real value in its breadth: 220+ file type support means you're actually sanitizing the complex formats that slip past basic content filters, not just PDFs and images. The CDR engine rebuilds files after stripping malicious content while preserving usability, which matters when your users need the output to work immediately without reprocessing. Skip this if your organization primarily needs network-level file scanning rather than endpoint and portal protection, or if you're already comfortable with air-gapped workflows for sensitive file handling.