last 15 years. Even though
organisations are moving
to HTML5, they still have to
manage their existing HTML4
applications as well as any
add-on or plugin code used
to enhance them.
Managing and securing
the browser endpoint
To meet the challenges
above, IT teams need to
manage their browser
endpoints with the same
professionalism they use to
manage other endpoints.
Teams need to manage not
only their browsers but also
the extensions as well as the
plugins and add-ons used
by older browsers and keep
all of those technologies up
to date. They need visibility
to determine what should
be given access to which
resources and what should
be restricted.
Teams also need to apply
critical browser controls
and harden browsers. Some
vendors offer enterprise
editions of their browsers,
which include policy engines
that govern the applications
and extensions they can use,
data security and privacy,
and browsing experience.
To harden the browsers,
IT teams need to set
bookmarks – the homepage,
trusted websites – and tweak
configurations to increase
privacy and security.
Likewise, the activity of
browsers and browser
extensions needs to be
sandboxed to prevent
data being knowingly or
unknowingly leaked to
96
unintended third parties.
When the same browser
is used to conduct both
personal and professional
business, the data must be
secured and managed to
prevent any data leakage.
For instance, users should
not be able to download
work documents from
Office 365 and attach them
to an email in their personal
Gmail account.
Last, the team needs to allow
corporate data access from
trusted devices and restrict
usage of untrusted devices
for corporate purposes. When
end users use their personal
computers and devices
to do company business,
there’s a good chance their
hardware doesn’t meet
company security standards.
Is the computer protected
by a strong password? Is it
running antivirus software?
Have all the software updates
and patches been applied?
Bottom line, we need to make
sure that corporate data is
accessed from approved
browsers and from
trusted dev ices.
Taking a closer look at the
browser and the central
position it holds in the
enterprise, it’s clear we
need to rethink the browser.
It’s more than another
application. It’s become
the hub of corporate
collaboration, communication
and business operations.
As such, the browser has
evolved into an endpoint and
now requires the heightened
management and security
applied to its hardware-
based counterparts. u
Issue 06
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