SECURING THE
NEW ENDPOINT
Endpoint security is a crucial consideration for CISOs and
security professionals, but there is one new element of it
which might not be getting the attention it requires. Rajesh
Ranganathan, Vice President, ManageEngine, tells us how
the browser has evolved into an endpoint and that there
is now a need to apply the heightened management and
security applied to its hardware-based counterparts.
A
sked to name their
critical network
endpoints, most
IT pros would cite
mobile devices,
laptops, desktops
and servers. A
few might include wearables and other
emerging end-user hardware. Browsers,
though, probably wouldn’t make the list.
After all, they’re applications that run on
the endpoints, not endpoints themselves.
But given the valuable role browsers play
in accessing enterprise applications and
information, it’s time to rethink how we
classify them and, as a result, how we
manage and secure them.
Rise of the browser
Mobility and cloud permeate today’s
workforce and those two trends
underscore the browser’s significance.
The majority of office applications such
as Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce
CRM applications and the Zoho One
business suite runs in the cloud and
is accessible via browser, so users
can work from anywhere, at any time,
using their laptops, smart phones and
other browser-enabled devices. For
many users, the browser has become
a primary work tool – if not the primary
94
work tool – for performing their day-
to-day activities. And that’s proven to
be a boon for IT departments because
browsers simplify life for end users and
IT admins alike. End users don't need
to install any additional components
to access the corporate applications
or data. In turn, IT admins see fewer
application-related trouble tickets.
Evolution