Secure Remote Browsing Offers New Approach to Thwart Ever-Changing Cyberthreats

Cybersecurity is a moving target, requiring constant vigilance to counter the cat-and-mouse tactics of malicious agents. Because enterprises are only as strong as the weakest link in their protection against internet threats, phishing schemes and rogue email attachments, proactive and defensive activities are essential.

Each day new variations of internet-borne threats are contrived, making cyberdefense a tough challenge—especially as organizations increasingly rely on the web and browser-based applications for business-critical processes. In just a three-month period last year, 18 million malware samples were detected, as reported by PandaLabs—an average of 200,000 new threats every day.

Unfortunately, it is not a matter of if but when you may be a target of a malware or ransomware attack. Digital evil lurks behind every click, and existing security frameworks no longer are effective. A new mindset and tools are needed to isolate cyberattacks, and prevent them from penetrating networks and devices before they can wreak havoc.

Defense-in-Depth Strategy

When establishing a cybersecurity strategy to defend against browser-based threats, it is important to assess the best approach for minimizing risk with finite resources.

Maintaining a balance between performance and security is important. Implementing security measures that are too restrictive can degrade the user experience and reduce productivity. Being too lenient can leave the door wide open, increasing organizational vulnerability to a breach.

All it takes is one employee who unknowingly clicks on a malicious link or downloads an infected file to put an entire organization at significant financial risk. According to a study conducted by IBM, the global average cost of a data breach is $3.62 million.

In addition to existing security technologies, such as firewalls, antivirus programs, anti-malware systems, proxies and web-filtering solutions, a multilayered approach also must include remote containers and browser isolation.

The Emergence of Secure Remote Browsing

Secure remote browsing has been identified as a top technology in 2017 by Gartner. Otherwise known as remote browser isolation (RBI), this technology is rising in importance as a new method to strongly enhance web security and endpoint protection. Implemented in conjunction with existing security frameworks, it serves as an added measure of protection that eliminates enterprise threats without compromising the user experience.

Browser isolation serves as an effective solution for addressing the human element that is responsible for triggering so many browser-borne threats. It provides a fully interactive, native user experience while ensuring that potential malware never reaches the endpoint. Utilizing secure remote browsing, users can browse the internet as they normally do without noticing any latency or other telltale signs.

Remote browser isolation technology delivers unparalleled levels of security. To neutralize the great risk of encountering rogue links or corrupt files, a remote virtual browser isolates actual web browsing from the endpoint device. A newly created container is allocated within a remote “safe zone” for every remote browsing session and tab, disposing of the container once the user exits the session or tab.

Once a browsing session is complete or inactive, the container is discarded along with any potential malware that may have accumulated during the browsing session. There is no performance degradation or noticeable latency that occurs during this process. Enterprises have the flexibility to utilize any HTML5-based browser on any operating system or device.

While not all remote browser isolation solutions are clientless, those that are enable organizations to minimize the IT overhead and complexity associated with ongoing updates and endpoint installs, on which antivirus and other security solutions depend to block cyberthreats from reaching end-user devices.

Browser isolation effectively augments existing web security frameworks, serving as a lead security measure that adds measurable power to existing IT investments, with minimal operational demands.

About the Author / Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller is the Director of Product Marketing at Ericom Software. He has more than 15 years of industry experience in corporate and product marketing, business development, and product management, supporting an array of technology services, hardware and software solutions—with a strong focus on cybersecurity in recent years. He frequently shares his insights on cybersecurity at industry conferences and podcasts, and regularly contributes articles to enterprise security publications. Daniel holds graduate degrees in Behavioral Sciences and Business Administration.