Web browsers have become the most strategically important application for business, but they also represent the application most vulnerable to cyber-attacks; browsers are typically permitted to download program code from unknown sources and fully render it inside a secure network.
Looking to address this, Spikes Security has introduced the Isla family of web malware isolation appliances, which process all web content on secure appliances deployed outside the network. There, the content remains in hardware-isolated VMs created for each user session. All web content—audio, video, text, and graphics—is then delivered to end user browsers.
This means that user activity, including tablets and mobile devices, that used to bypass corporate security can now pass through Isla appliances positioned outside the firewall.
“Virtually every enterprise includes mobile as a key work platform, and…cyber-threats don’t respect the traditional security boundaries that enterprises typically rely upon,” said Bob Tarzey, analyst and director at Quocirca. “It’s essential to prevent lateral threat movement from mobile across the enterprise.”
Research conducted with the Ponemon Institute earlier in 2015 revealed that using web browsers cost organizations an average of $5.62 million each year—a total that includes the cumulative costs associated with detection, prevention, forensics and remediation of malware attacks directly related to undetectable browser-borne malware.
"Isla is the result of over two years of intense engineering effort to build an enterprise-class solution that is fast, convenient, and powerful, yet makes no compromises on security," explained Branden Spikes, Founder, CEO and CTO of Spikes Security. "Based on early response from customers, we expect Isla to be broadly adopted and designed into enterprise network security architectures. It solves a massive security problem that has plagued organizations for years."
Isla provides transparent integration with all modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Explorer, Safari and the new Microsoft Edge, but there’s an optional native Isla client viewer that can replace commercial browsers in high security organizations that prefer not to have browsers on endpoint devices at all.
Much malware is delivered through web activity, either visiting infected web sites or clicking on links embedded in emails. The increasing sophistication of the malware makes it harder to detect using conventional signature-based techniques.
“There are multiple examples of security breaches due to browser-borne malware over the last six months, so organizations really need to take a 'big picture' look at solutions to address these breaches,” said Jon Oltsik, senior principal analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG). “ESG research indicates that cybersecurity professionals may be open to a new approach; one that offers a secure, scalable, and high performance solution that can empower businesses with the freedom to safely use the web without fear of cyber-attacks.”