The environment of browser security has experienced major changes during the last decade. While Browser Isolation was previously considered the gold standard for defending against browser vulnerabilities and malware downloads, it has become more ineffective and risky in today's SaaS-centric environment.
The limits of Browser Isolation, such as poor browser performance and inability to manage new web-borne threats like phishing and malicious extensions, need a transition towards more complex solutions. These are the conclusions of a recent paper, titled "The Next Generation of RBI (Remote Browser Isolation)" (Download here).
The Roots of Browser Isolation#
In the past, classical signature-based antiviruses were routinely employed to guard against on-device malware infestations. However, they failed to stop two key categories of threats. The first, browser vulnerability, specifically in Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The second, drive-by malware downloads, i.e utilizing social engineering to deceive people into downloading a harmful program.
Browser isolation evolved as a simple and efficient solution to these issues. With browser isolation, unknown code executes in an isolated environment rather than directly on the endpoint. This insulates the devices and users from the code, which protects them if the code is dangerous.
Browser Isolation Security Gaps in a Browser-centric Era#
While browser isolation was an excellent security technique, it hampered company productivity. Isolation and virtualization demand CPU, resulting in a speed and performance loss. As a consequence, adoption was restricted, as many firms put their productivity above security. Today, the contemporary office depends even more heavily on the browser and SaaS programs, making the performance effect all the more severe when making security choices.
Additionally, there has been a flux in web-borne dangers, such phishing, malware, ransomware, and others, and their nature has altered as well. Browser isolation solutions were developed to guard against the previous generation of attacks, creating a security gap.
The Next Generation of Browser Security Solutions: Secure Browser Extensions#
Secure Browser Extensions are developed to solve these developing difficulties in browser security. This new solution intends to replace the now-obsolete Browser Isolation approaches, giving a more efficient, safe and user-friendly approach to online security.
Such extensions offer:
Visibility: Real-time insights into every occurrence inside the browsing experience.
Risk Analysis: Continuous monitoring and validation of harmful activities.
Granular Enforcement: Automated responses to recognized risks, including removing dangerous web page components or barring access entirely.
The Secure Browser Extension integrates seamlessly into current browsers, giving a smooth user experience. It leverages machine learning algorithms to watch and analyze each component of a web page as it loads, efficiently detecting and eliminating threats including file downloads, credential harvesting, and illegal extension installs.
Key Advantages Over Browser Isolation# - No Impact on Performance: Unlike Browser Isolation, which is notorious for excessive CPU use, Secure Browser Extensions have little influence on the surfing experience.
- Easy Deployment: The extension may be centrally deployed on managed devices and readily installed on unmanaged devices, making it perfect for all sorts of workplaces and for third-party usage.
To view the complete analysis, including a detailed comparison of browser isolation with safe browser extensions, you can read the entire report here.
