Do you really need an enterprise-grade browser?
In the hybrid era, enterprise-grade browsers are now mandatory
The rise of hybrid work means many of us multitask all day long, mixing work and personal without much thought. This means downloading sensitive data and watching our favorite show on the same device, usually with the same browser. Users love it, and they’re getting their work done. So, what’s the problem?
This article looks at how browser security has become more critical than ever in a hybrid work world, exploring the potential risks of consumer browsers and discussing how enterprise-grade browsers can help.
As computing innovation accelerates, from the cloud to AR/VR to AI to whatever comes next, lots of shiny new technologies get all the attention. All the while, the hardworking browser has become the center of our digital world, helping us explore, create, and communicate.
This is especially true for enterprise users, where the browser is effectively the new ‘business machine’. Even as we see 85% of business software is now consumed via SaaS, we often take the browser for granted, forgetting the critical role it plays in productivity and security.
We live and work inside browsers. While organizations might not always remember the critical role browsers play in overall enterprise security, attackers definitely haven’t.
Even with all these dangers lurking, users are generally unaware. More importantly, the enterprise doesn’t know anything either. So, what does the alternative look like? What can enterprise-grade browsers offer that consumer ones don’t?
Like a well-managed corporate device, enterprise-grade browsers ensure both usability and security.
So, what do enterprise-grade browsers offer that consumer browsers can’t? Let’s look at some specifics.
A well-managed browser gives IT control over what’s done with it, as well as visibility into changes made to it. IT also gets enhanced detection and response (XDR) at the endpoint, and the browser becomes another sensor, making security teams more effective against threats.
This happens because the organization manages the browser (and user behavior) via policy. Integrating the browser into other security fundamentals (like access control, etc.) automates a lot of the decision-making and action-taking that go into smart security operations.
Finally, an enterprise-grade browser is adaptive. This means it’s automatically updated as new versions and features are available and instantly patched with new security. The browser also keeps IT and security updated with continuous and complete logging and telemetry data.
Browsers are under continuous attack from very smart people. Using a secure browser helps the organization detect and defend against threats while protecting important data and credentials from extraction by attackers with credential vaults and DLP (data lost protection) controls.
These features include integrated defenses against malware as well as anti-phishing controls that help users spot fake sites or even fake messages. This means that even if a user visits unauthorized sites or opens the wrong message, a threat’s blast radius can be dramatically reduced.
Enterprise-grade browsers ensure only authorized users can access data and applications, especially when they’re sensitive. They integrate both single-sign on (SSO) and MFA (multi-factor authentication) controls that plug into your identity/access management suite. The browser can also implement conditional access to add even more security.
The browser can also be compartmentalized as required, with all sessions carefully managed. This might mean completely segregating personal and work browsing sessions or also isolating and quarantining a browser when suspicious activity is detected. Both are especially important for BYOD organizations.
Sounds good in principle. But are consumer browsers really that risky? Let’s look at a real-world example.
While Julie used to be fully remote, in the last two years, she’s now in the office two days a week. As a result, she is rarely without her laptop, which she’s carefully customized and personalized. Julie loves this freedom, and IT doesn’t seem to care–until something goes wrong.
It might happen like this:
We know something bad comes next, even if we don’t know what or when. And since IT wasn’t managing the browser, they don’t know either. That’s a very serious risk, but it’s also easily solvable by adopting a secure browser across the org.
If Julie worked with an enterprise-grade browser, lots of things about the day would go differently.
All this happens with Julie changing almost nothing about how she works, and all of those advanced defenses and controls are built right into the browser. This is why it’s “enterprise-grade”.
Whether it was the rise of remote work or just inattention to detail, there are probably more browsers working inside most businesses than IT realizes. This is an especially risky aspect of “shadow IT”, especially given the predominance of SaaS already discussed. Now that the “return to office” is underway, the number of browsers will probably only increase, not decrease.
Remote work makes the problem even worse. More users, connecting from more locations and more devices, accessing sensitive data and IP. The AI moment makes the challenge even sharper, with more sensitive information being shared across the enterprise, and organizations simply aren’t ready
Attackers are tuned into this as well, and a rise in browser-focused attacks are proof. Every unmanaged browser inside your organization increases their chances of success, but an enterprise-grade browser can go a long way in slowing attackers down. Security leaders love to talk about perimeters—and the browser is now probably the most critical.
For almost every risk mentioned in this article, there are theoretical controls and defenses that can be put into place to mitigate the threat. You can always add another system, analyze another log, or deploy new defenses that make complex security stacks even more complicated and costly.
The smartest way is obviously solving all these threats inside the browser. Enterprise-grade browsers do exactly that. And, as threats multiply and AI drives the stakes around data and system security even higher, higher standards are no longer optional. No matter the size of your business, your browsers better be enterprise-grade.
Sean M. Dineen has spent over 20 years as a technical and marketing communicator with a strong focus on compliance and security. He has spent the last ten years helping leading B2B technology and security companies from AMD + AT&T to NVIDIA and Palo Alto Network bring their solutions to market.