In today’s ever-changing world of digital transformation, organizations grapple with new challenges in keeping their day-to-day operations secure. A big part of the puzzle is the web browser, which according to Forrester, the typical enterprise worker spends 75% of their “device time” on. This article takes a closer look at browser security, highlighting its vulnerabilities, and suggests solutions to protect your organization against evolving cyber threats.
Understanding Browser Security: An overview
The browser, integral to daily work, has become a prime target for threat actors. This section categorizes browser security solutions into three main types, shedding light on Local Browsers, Browser Extensions, Traditional Remote Browser Isolation, and Cloud-Based Browser Security.
Local browsers
- Mainstream Browsers: (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Safari) with continual security enhancements.
- Enterprise Browsers: Chromium-based, tailored for enterprise policy enforcement.
- Enterprise Browser Extensions: Add-on solutions to enhance browser functionality.
Traditional remote browser isolation (RBI)
- A Zero Trust approach to prevent web-based malware, but with bandwidth and user experience challenges.
Cloud-based Browser Security
- A hybrid solution combining the strengths of Enterprise Browsers, Browser Extensions, and RBI.
- Enables security for any device and browser, providing a seamless user experience.
Three key capabilities of Browser Security
To comprehensively address browser security, we identify three key capabilities: managing the browser, protecting the user, and securing access and data.
Managing the browser
- Browser management platforms like Microsoft Intune and Google Chrome Enterprise Manager offer hundreds of control parameters.
- Best practices involve configuring a minimal set of parameters, focusing on versioning, extension management, and essential security configurations.
- Strategies for supporting unmanaged endpoints, balancing user experience, deployment overhead, and legal considerations.
Protecting the user
- The epicenter of browser security, preventing exploitation, malware, and phishing attacks.
- Highlights the challenges of maintaining browser security amid evolving attack techniques.
Securing access and data
- Integrating browser security with zero-trust network access strategies.
- Granular access control, data leakage protection, and infrastructure cost savings.
- Overcoming challenges posed by legacy web applications and immature Software as a service (SaaS) solutions.
In-depth analysis of Browser Security solutions
A detailed examination of how local browsers, browser extensions, traditional RBI, and cloud-based Browser Security manage, protect, and secure access and data.
Local browsers (Mainstream and Enterprise)
- Managing and protecting browsers through centralized platforms.
- Addressing vulnerabilities, malware, and phishing risks specific to local browsers.
Browser extensions
- Leveraging extensions to enhance security features.
- Balancing security capabilities with potential risks and adapting to browser vendor policy changes.
Traditional remote browser isolation (RBI)
- Examining how RBI manages vulnerabilities, malware, and phishing threats.
- Limitations of the user experience and bandwidth requirements.
Cloud-based browser security
- Managing browsers agnostically with a focus on security.
- Addressing vulnerabilities, malware, and phishing threats while ensuring a native user experience.
Choosing the right solution
While many solutions aim to protect browsers, the business's unique needs must guide the selection process. As the industry shifts towards cloud-based solutions, Cloud-Based Browser Security emerges as the scalable and holistic approach to mitigate threats. Explore the comprehensive insights in our full white paper for a detailed understanding of the evolving landscape of browser security.
Read the full white paper here.
