Browser Isolation: A Growing Necessity in the Age of Cloud Computing
The rise of remote workers and the move to cloud infrastructure has made the browser the focus of many employees’ workdays. According to a 2020 Forrester report, sponsored by Google, the average worker spends three-quarters of the workday in the browser or virtual meetings. This growing trend has increased the potential for data exposure, making browser isolation technologies increasingly popular. This security technology typically uses a security-enhanced browser locally or connects to a remote virtual machine running a proprietary browser to protect the user’s device and corporate cloud services.
Remote and Local Browser Isolation
Whether the isolated browser runs remotely or locally is the first major decision that companies have to make. However, remote browsers are managed by service providers and do not impact the local device on which workers access the Internet, making it a popular choice for larger firms in regulated industries. Remote browser isolation has also gained popularity due to its ease of deployment and an actual physical air gap. On the other hand, small and midsize firms tend to prefer local browser isolation technology for its flexibility, especially if employees need to use both remote and local resources.
Standalone or Integrated?
Browser isolation can be built right into an enterprise’s zero-trust architectures. In such cases, the technology is usually included as part of a multipronged cloud service. Alternatively, some vendors bundle browser isolation as a part of an endpoint detection and response package, which includes local isolation. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on the company’s specific needs.
The Importance of Minimizing Impact on Workers
A platform that minimizes its impact on workers is perhaps the most crucial consideration for companies. In the replaces of Mark Guntrip, senior director of cybersecurity strategy at Menlo Security, “It’s not the fact of what we do — it’s the fact that we do it without interfering with that digital experience of the end-user. So they can interact with whatever they want. They can click on whatever they want, but we hold anything that’s active away from them.”
Increasing Popularity of Browser Isolation
According to a recent survey by a marketing and market research firm, it was found that more than half of all companies (51%) deployed some form of Internet or browser isolation in 2023, up from 47% in 2020, suggesting that browser isolation’s popularity is on the rise. This is due to the evolving threat landscape and growth in remote work, leading many companies to put up additional defenses, such as browser isolation to protect their users, devices, and services.
Final Thoughts
For modern enterprises, the internet now represents the corporate network. Therefore, browser isolation has become a necessity in the age of cloud computing to protect the user’s device and corporate cloud services. The decision to use remote or local browser isolation depends on the company’s specific needs. However, whichever approach the company decides on, it is essential to choose a platform that minimizes its impact on its workers to ensure a seamless digital experience.
<< photo by Nick Kwan >>
