Palo Alto Networks On Why It’s Time To Secure The Browser

These days, 85 percent of work happens right inside the browser. It’s where teams collaborate, where data lives, and where business gets done. But it’s also where cybercriminals are focusing their attacks. In fact, 95 percent of organizations—even those with strong security stacks—report security incidents that originate in the browser.

To unpack what this shift means for the channel, CRNtv host Sydney Neely speaks with Monique Lance, senior product marketing manager at Palo Alto Networks. Lance explains why the browser is now ground zero for cyberattacks—and how partners can help customers stay protected while unlocking new opportunities with secure browser solutions like Prisma Access Browser.

Sydney: Let’s start with the basics. What is a secure browser, and what’s driving the growing demand for this type of solution?

Monique: Well, unlike traditional browsers, a secure browser embeds enterprise-grade security in the browser. And that’s absolutely necessary today because the cybersecurity landscape has changed and the way we work has changed.

A shift to the cloud means that the majority of our work is done in the browser. In fact, for some people it’s even 100 percent of their day. And that means the browser’s become the hub of an organization’s sensitive data. Attackers know this and they’re targeting the browser.

As you mentioned, 95 percent of organizations have suffered an attack originating in the browser. And we’ve also seen a huge increase in work from anywhere and BYOD. So people are accessing sensitive corporate applications from unmanaged devices, and 90 percent of successful ransomware attacks originate from these unmanaged devices.

Sydney: Even with strong security stacks in place, many organizations are still seeing incidents tied to browser activity. Why is that, and where are traditional tools falling short?

Monique: Well, existing tools were not built for this cyber landscape where the browser has become the most popular workplace. Traditional tools rely on decrypting traffic or controlling the endpoint. And that’s become increasingly difficult with the increase in unmanaged devices and also with the shift to working with SaaS applications.

Large organizations are now using approximately 10,000 SaaS applications, and that number is just going to increase. And what we also see is that 64 percent of web traffic remains encrypted. Organizations cannot secure what they cannot see.

So the browser provides visibility and control of all user actions across all applications, and that’s without the need for decryption. And it’s also great for unmanaged devices too. It’s about 80 percent less costly to deploy than alternative solutions, can be installed in minutes and you don’t need admin privileges.

Sydney: With so many different approaches to securing browser-based work, how does Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma Access Browser stand out?

Monique: Well, first of all, unlike VDI solutions and other solutions that run in the cloud, it was built to protect the work and the workspace against malware on untrusted devices such as keyloggers and screen scrapers.

A secure browser is as good as the security engines that it leverages. Prisma Access Browser is powered by Palo Alto Networks’ Cloud Security Service engines, and that means advanced malware and advanced phishing protection.

Every user gets the benefit of platformization across Palo Alto Networks’ 70,000 customers. That means when our engines identify an attack on one customer, all 70,000 customers are going to be protected within seconds. So our detection to prevent is about 180 times faster than other security solutions.

Sydney: As adoption grows, what types of organizations are leading the way, and how can partners identify when a secure browser is the right fit for their customers?

Monique: Well, we’re seeing a lot of organizations who want to safely enable BYOD. So, with Prisma Access Browser they can enable secure access, and they can secure work on employees’ personal devices.

We’re also helping organizations that use a lot of independent workers, third parties and contractors and those that are very frustrated with the cost and complexity of VDI.

We have a lot of customers that are using Prisma Access Browser to facilitate their M&As. They can very, very quickly deploy and get a lot of new users on-board within minutes or hours, unlike alternative solutions, and save a lot of IT time and resources in the process.

And then of course, any organization using a lot of SaaS applications will benefit from Prisma Access Browser and the added visibility of being able to control and protect their data in those applications.

Want to see how it works?

Book a demo of Prisma Access Browser at start.paloaltonetworks.com.