What Is Browser Isolation?

Browser isolation is a cybersecurity model used to physically isolate an internet user's web browsing activity away from their local IT infrastructure and network; it is the underlying model and technology that supports a remote browsing platform.

According to Gartner, more than 50% of enterprises will actively begin to isolate their internet browsing to reduce the impact of cyberattacks over the next three years (Gartner BIT Report). Gartner is also recommending browser isolation technologies as one of the most effective ways that an enterprise can reduce web-based attacks. With this in mind, let's take a closer look at exactly what browser isolation is, and why remote browser isolation is being adopted so quickly by security-conscious organizations.

Browser isolation was an invention borne out of necessity. Our current security tools (antivirus, firewall, IDS/IPS) are failing to protect us from malware, ransomware, and other sorts of cyberattack. Browser-based attacks are increasing in frequency, with Gartner estimating that 98% of external information security attacks are carried out over the public internet, and of those attacks, 80% of them are targeted directly at end-users through their browsers as they use the internet normally, meaning that just merely the internet is enough to get you infected.

Over time and beneath the weight of regular cyberattacks, many organizations realized that their browsers (along with all of the associated browsing activity and risk) do not need to be directly connected to their internal infrastructure. From a cybersecurity perspective, allowing users to browse the internet from their work machines is a bad idea because it directly exposes your IT infrastructure to browser-based cyber threats.

The endpoint is the new perimeter and many organizations are physically isolating their users’ browsers and the associated cyber risks away from their endppints using the browser isolation cybersecurity model.

We know that most cyberattacks begin with the browser. We understand that the browser is the window through which cyber-criminals climb into your local machine and networks, but our browsers are so useful to our everyday work and lives, that we leave the window open. There is a better way to handle this; you can physically isolate your browsers and the associated cyber risks away from your local computer and networks. This is done by putting an air gap between you and the internet. We call this model browser isolation cybersecurity and the WEBGAP remote browser platform is underpinned by the principle of security through physical isolation.

The browser isolation cybersecurity model recognizes that the vast majority of cyberattacks begin with the browser and seeks to physically isolate the browser, along with all of the associated cyber risks, onto a platform that is built to handle those cyber risks while physically isolating them away from your IT infrastructure.

Browser isolation solutions provide their users with 'disposable' (non-persistent) browsers. Once a browsing session is closed, the entire browser environment is destroyed, and its resources are returned to the pool for use by other users. Any malicious code encountered during that session is thus prevented from reaching the endpoint or persisting within the network, regardless of whether or not any threat was detected. This solution proactively combats both known, unknown, and zero-day threats, complementing other security measures and contributing to a defense-in-depth, layered approach to web security.

A quick-and-easy way to physically isolate your users' browsers is to give each of them their own cloud-hosted remote browser, a fully functional browser hosted on a cloud server and delivered to the user over the internet. Users log on into their hosted remote browsers, and browse the internet through them rather than the browser on their local machines, physically isolating themselves from web-based cyberattacks. This is a highly effective model which allows you to quickly shut down the most common infiltration points on your networks, but without worrying about setting up and configuring the associated server infrastructure.

Alternatively download and install WEBGAP, a browser isolation cybersecurity platform built using a completely containerized and grid distributed architecture, one that is both highly scalable and cost-effective. If you are looking for an affordable way to physically isolate your users' browsers and internet browsing activity, have a browse around our website and get in touch for a conversation with us––we have been isolating browsers longer than most, and we love talking about browser isolation models, technologies, and platforms.

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