Remote browser isolation is one of the web browser security methods users adopt to prevent cyber threats. Most individuals and organizations prefer this type of browser security since it prevents certain malicious elements from entering a user’s browser.
But not everyone knows how remote browser isolation works or the benefits they can get from using it to protect their browser. So you will learn the mechanism of remote browser isolation and how it helps mitigate browser attacks.
What is Remote Browser Isolation?
In the past, individuals and organizations protected themselves from cyber threats using less effective traditional methods. Cyber attacks have grown beyond phishing: your data can still be stolen even without clicking a link. Because of how advanced cyber attacks have become, web users must employ new technologies to help them stop cyber threats.
Remote browser isolation is a form of browser isolation that hosts a user’s browsing data and activity remotely in the cloud to prevent a successful cyber attack. Using a cloud-based container, remote browser isolation basically stops a user’s device from doing the actual browsing by running their browsing activities in the container.
It is a form of cyber sandboxing which remotely isolates a user’s browsing activity from any endpoint that may compromise the security. In other words, the actual browsing does not occur on the user’s device; they only use it to view what is happening in real time.
How Does Remote Browser Isolation Mitigate Cyber Threats
Many cyber threats and elements exist on the internet, and most people unknowingly fall into the traps of cybercriminals waiting to steal data. Cases like this make individuals and companies use different web security services like LayerX, enterprise browsers, and remote browser isolation. Like other forms of browser security, remote browser isolation has its own way of mitigating cyber threats.
First, you should already know that malicious sites harbor cyber threats that immediately activate themselves and cause problems to a web browser.
This is where remote browser isolation comes in — It immediately assumes that every website has some kind of malicious element waiting for its victim. This approach to web browser security is known as the zero-trust approach, which means no website is spared of scrutiny.
Once a remote browser isolation solution is deployed, it immediately isolates every website a user visits on a virtual container on the cloud. In this virtual container, the remote browser isolation solution scans the website and removes every malicious element before sending the results to the user. The process through which the remote browser isolation solution shows website content to a user is known as rendering, and it can be done in different ways.
Types of Rendering Modes for Remote Browser Isolation
● Pixel Rendering
Pixel rendering is mostly meant for those who handle highly sensitive data for their private use or organization. For instance, in an organization, those that usually use pixel rendering are top-profile employees like the CEO or CFO of a company. High profiles like these have access to a large array of data, and any access by cybercriminals can lead to huge damage.
To prevent scenarios like this, pixel rendering is used whenever such personalities enter a site. Pixel rendering is a situation where no website content can interact with the web browser. In other words, those viewing sites in this form will do so at the barest appearance. There will be no JavaScript, fonts, style sheets, pictures, or other elements that cyber attackers can corrupt.
● DOM-Rewriting
DOM rewriting is less intensive than pixel rendering based on the number of elements you can view while using a browser. While using DOM-rewriting as the rendering method, the remote browser isolation solution opens a website, inspects, and rewrites the web page to remove any malicious element.
The rewriting of these web pages happens on the isolated container before users can view them on their devices. The policy enforcement of DOM rewriting is not as strict as pixel rendering, as users can still view less risky elements like style sheets and fonts.
● Streaming of Media
This form of remote browser isolation rendering is mostly used for less risky websites or by users with less important information. Once all the elements of the browser load on the isolated container, the content is sent in vector representation to the user’s device.
Benefits Of Mitigating Cyber Threats with Remote Browser Isolation
● Malicious Website Protection
Since the actual browsing activity happens in a remotely isolated container and not in the user’s device, it protects the user’s data from being stolen. It also prevents malicious websites from executing any malicious code.
● Prevents Hidden Attacks
Since every web page content is scanned in an isolated container, it makes it possible for any hidden malicious element to be fished out. Some hidden attacks, such as corrupted video files or plugins, can be identified using this method.
● Protection Against Redirect Attacks
Remote browser isolation prevents you from visiting any browser you didn’t intend to by halting any redirect attacks. While remote browser isolation provides certain solutions to browser security, other platforms like LayerX give much more protection to redirect attacks.
● Protection Against Drive-by Downloads
Have you ever visited a website, and a file starts to download immediately without your permission? This example of drive-by downloads can be very dangerous to a user; malware can be installed with this method. However, using remote browser isolation blocks access to any site with drive-by downloads or removes the corrupt file that will be downloaded.
● Protection Against Cross-site Scripting Attacks
With remote browser isolation, a user’s browser is protected from any attack involving injecting malicious codes into the user’s browser.
Conclusion
Remote browser isolation has helped many organizations prevent hackers from accessing their data. It isolates a user’s browser from any endpoints that may compromise the browser’s security.
Some benefits of using remote browser isolation to mitigate cyber threats are protection against malicious sites, drive-by downloads, redirect attacks, and many others.