The modern browser is under attack: Here's how to protect it

The modern web browser has undergone a profound transformation in recent years, becoming an indispensable tool in today’s digital age. It facilitates online communication and provides unparalleled productivity, especially as organizations continue to transition to hybrid work models and embrace cloud-based operations. Unfortunately, security infrastructures haven’t evolved as fast as they should, making these browsers prone to attacks.

The secure access service edge (SASE) framework, however, presents a unique opportunity for enterprises. Its holistic approach to cybersecurity integrates wide-area networking and security services into a unified cloud-delivered platform. Incorporating enterprise browsers into SASE architectures has bolstered security by providing potent, comprehensive protection tailored to the unique challenges posed by modern web usage.

Web application use at a tipping point

Despite approximately 85- 100% of the workday taking place within web browsers, many enterprises lack security robust enough to respond to threats. In fact, in a recent Palo Alto Networks survey, a staggering 95% of respondents reported experiencing browser-based attacks in the past 12 months, including account takeovers and malicious extensions. The concern becomes even more alarming when you consider that businesses already operate approximately 370 web and SaaS applications, with organizations anticipating a 50% surge in application use over the next 24 months.

This influx of vulnerable browsers and applications can have severe consequences for enterprises, including data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage. For instance, account takeovers can result in unauthorized access to sensitive information, allowing attackers to steal data or disrupt operations. Malicious browser extensions can introduce malware, exfiltrate data, or provide a backdoor for further attacks. Data breaches can even lead to regulatory penalties, loss of customer trust, and significant financial costs associated with remediation and recovery efforts.

As these threats become more sophisticated, the potential impact on enterprises becomes more severe, necessitating more refined and comprehensive security strategies. Enterprise browser-based SASE enables real-time detection and prevention of threats in the browser as they arise. Advanced threat intelligence and machine learning algorithms detect anomalies, phishing attempts, malicious file upload and download, and malware infections. Threats like these require a proactive approach to security, ensuring potential issues are addressed before a network is compromised.

Hybrid work model and the challenge of personal devices

The shift to a hybrid work model has led to the widespread use of personal devices for accessing corporate applications. Nearly 90% of organizations enable employees access to some corporate applications and data from their personal devices. Personal devices, though, lack the stringent security controls of corporate devices, making them prime targets for cyberattacks. Over 80% of successful ransomware attacks originate from these unmanaged devices.

SASE enforces Zero Trust principles, ensuring that every access to SaaS, web, and GenAI apps is authenticated and authorized. Zero Trust Network Access continuously verifies users and devices before granting access to corporate applications, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches. By extending SASE protections through an enterprise browser, personal devices receive a similar level of security that corporate-managed devices do.

Phishing attacks and organizational vulnerability

Phishing remains a pervasive threat, with 94% of organizations experiencing such incidents over the last year. Strengthening defenses against these threats is crucial to safeguarding sensitive data and maintaining organizational resilience.

SASE automatically detects and filters out phishing. By scanning links, websites, and files, SASE can identify and block phishing websites and other attempts. Furthermore, SASE’s Data Loss Prevention (DLP) capabilities monitor data flows and apply policies to prevent unauthorized data transfers and protect sensitive information from being exfiltrated following a successful phishing attack, from the SaaS service side. This way, DLP ensures minimal impact on critical data, even if a phishing attack succeeds.

Financial impact of threats on unmanaged devices

Securing the modern browser isn’t just about protecting data; it’s about protecting an organization’s bottom line. Nearly one-third of companies say losses on poorly managed or unmanaged devices are higher in terms of financial cost/business impact than all other security incidents. What’s more troubling is that despite all the tools available to address cybersecurity challenges, 53% of organizations expressed a lack of confidence in their ability to address security issues on unmanaged or poorly managed devices.

Upgraded device security and management tactics are essential to reduce the financial and operational impacts of such threats. SASE solutions significantly decrease the risk of costly breaches and provide enhanced security posture overall.

Future trends and considerations

The mismatch between the expanding use of web browsers and their stagnant security measures highlights the need for urgent action. Future trends indicate an increasing reliance on AI-driven security measures and emphasize the importance of combining security tools within a unified SASE platform.

By integrating an enterprise browser into a SASE framework, organizations reap the benefits of unified visibility across all of their devices, managed and unmanaged, AI-powered security from the app to the browser, and increased ease of operations with the ability to apply a single policy across all apps in a unified console.

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