What Is a Remote Browser?

A remote browser is just like the browser that you are probably using right now, except that instead of living natively on your computer or device it lives in the cloud.

According to Gartner, more than 50% of enterprises will begin to adopt remote browsers in order to reduce the impact of cyber attacks over the next three years. Gartner also recommends remote browsers as one of the most effective ways that an enterprise can reduce web-based malware attacks. Let's take a closer look at exactly what remote browsers are and why they are being adopted by individuals and small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs).

The problem with a locally installed browser is that it lives on your local machine. If the local browser picks up a malware or ransomware infection while you are using the web, the infection can spread from your browser to your local machine and network. If your PC or laptop is connected to a corporate network, the infection could spread to the rest of the organization. Your web browser does not need to live on your local machine and you can quite happily use a web browser that has been hosted in the cloud, what we call a remote browser.

Remote browsers are an effective way of protecting users from attacks and shutting down the common infiltration points on your network.

With remote browsing, instead of using your locally installed browser to browse the public internet (which exposes your PC or laptop to malware infections), you use a physically isolated remote browser hosted in the cloud. When using a remote browser, if you do happen to pick up a malware or ransomware infection during the course of your browsing session, it is confined to the browsers cloud infrastructure and unable to leap across the physical space between it and your local machine, isolating you from the cyber risks.

By physically isolating your browsing activity away from your local machine and networks, you are shutting down the most common infiltration/exfiltration point and dramatically enhancing your overall cybersecurity posture in the process. When you isolate your browser, you also isolate the malware, ransomware and browser based cyberattacks by default. In high-security environments this is considered best practice and cybersecurity teams now see internet users browsing on local machines as a huge security risk. By giving their users a remote browser and shutting down local internet access, they push all of that cyber risk away from their local IT infrastructure.

If you are looking for a cost-effective remote browser service, please take a look through our website.

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