By 2028, 25 percent of organizations will enhance their existing secure remote access and endpoint security tools by implementing at least one secure enterprise browser (SEB) technology to address specific security gaps, a new report from Gartner, Inc. showed.
Threat actors frequently target employees with phishing attacks to steal credentials and bypass endpoint detection and response controls, highlighting the need for an additional layer of visibility and control within the web browser.
“Web browsers are the primary access method for most modern corporate applications and provide an endpoint-agnostic enterprise security control point,” said Max Taggett, senior principal analyst, Gartner. “Security leaders can use a SEB to reduce risk and improve the digital experience.”
Adoption of SEBs remains low among organizations
Currently, Gartner estimates that less than 10 percent of organizations have adopted a SEB. Organizations that primarily rely on SaaS applications, with minimal branch locations or cyber-physical systems to secure, require a simpler method of managing security technology than traditional security stacks. SEBs fulfill that need.
In addition, SEBs facilitate segmented access from unmanaged or lightly managed end-user devices and bring-your-own PC scenarios, where deploying endpoint agents would be inappropriate due to privacy or maintenance concerns.
“SEBs embed enterprise security controls into the native web browsing experience using a customized browser or extension for existing browsers, instead of adding bolt-on controls at the endpoint or network layer,” said Evgeny Mirolyubov, Sr Director Analyst at Gartner. “SEBs also enable segmented access to SaaS applications tunneled directly from web browsers, minimizing the need for full endpoint agents and tunnels.”
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Benefits of deploying SEBs for organizations
Organizations that deploy SEBs can enforce enterprise security policies while gaining visibility into web traffic without needing in-line decryption, which can potentially enhance application performance and reduce latency. Additionally, SEBs support the transition from legacy client applications to modern SaaS application delivery, allowing for a smoother operational shift, Gartner noted. They can complement or even reduce reliance on VPNs, VDIs, and desktop as a service, making them particularly beneficial for organizations focusing on remote or third-party work and cloud delivery.
Furthermore, SEBs augment anti-phishing and credential theft protection capabilities by safeguarding against the reuse of corporate credentials on unauthorized or phishing sites, especially on devices where browser usage is restricted to selected SEBs. Finally, deploying SEBs enhances visibility and reporting of web application usage, performance, and employee behavioral analytics for lightly managed or unmanaged devices and for organizations that lack a mature Digital Employee Experience (DEX) strategy, the report suggested.
