What is Remote Browser Isolation (RBI)

Remote Browser Isolation (RBI), also known as Browser Isolation or Remote Browser Rendering (RBR), is a cybersecurity technology that enhances web browsing security by isolating the web browser from your local environment. The primary goal of RBI is to shield you and your devices from various web-based threats, such as malicious websites, drive-by downloads, ransomware, and other forms of malware.

The RBI approach operates by running the web browser in a remote, isolated environment, typically on a server or in the cloud. It then streams only the visual output of the browser to your device. You can interact with the browser through your local device, but all the actual browsing takes place securely on the remote server.

How does Remote Browser Isolation work:

1. Initiating a secure web browsing session

The RBI process starts when you open your web browser on your device, just like you would in a regular browsing scenario.

2. Web content processed on a remote server

Instead of processing the browsing request on your device, it's forwarded to a remote server hosting the isolated browser environment. This secure server is typically located in a data centre or the cloud.

3. Isolated sandbox environment for web content

The requested website is loaded in an isolated sandbox environment on the remote server. This controlled space ensures the execution of scripts and plugins in a safe manner, preventing potential malicious threats from affecting your device.

The sandbox includes robust security measures, restricting access to local files and system resources, preventing network communication with your device, and actively monitoring for suspicious behaviour.

4. Streaming visual output to your device

Rather than sending the complete web page data, the remote server processes the content and streams only the visual output (e.g., images, text, videos) to your device. This ensures that harmful web elements don't directly interact with your device, reducing the risk of malware infections or unauthorised access.

5. Secure User Interactions

As you interact with the displayed web page on your device, such as clicking links or entering text, these interactions are transmitted back to the remote server. The isolated browser environment responds accordingly, and the responses are sent back as visual output, completing the browsing session loop.

Why is browser isolation important for cybersecurity?

Browser isolation is a critical cybersecurity technology that enhances web browsing security by isolating browsing activity from your local environment. It addresses the ever-increasing web-based threats users face daily.

By executing web content in a remote and secure environment, browser isolation prevents malicious websites, malware, ransomware, and phishing attempts from directly impacting your device. This isolation is crucial for safeguarding sensitive data and protecting against data exfiltration, as any potential compromise is confined to the isolated environment, preventing unauthorised access to local resources.

One of the key advantages of browser isolation is its effectiveness against zero-day exploits. These are vulnerabilities that attackers exploit before a patch is available, making them challenging to defend against. However, browser isolation mitigates their impact, as attackers would need to breach the isolated environment rather than your local system. This separation significantly reduces the risk of zero-day exploits compromising your device.

Moreover, browser isolation prevents phishing attacks by thwarting attempts to steal login credentials or personal information. Even if you unwittingly enter your data on a fraudulent website, the isolated environment ensures that your actual login details remain secure, safeguarding against identity theft and account compromise.

Another important aspect is that browser isolation enables secure access to potentially untrusted websites and content. You can interact with such websites without fear of your device being directly harmed. Furthermore, browser isolation supports the continued use of legacy web applications that may not be compatible with modern browsers, allowing organisations to maintain operations without sacrificing security.

Overall, browser isolation plays a crucial role in elevating cybersecurity standards, protecting you from a wide range of web-based threats, and ensuring a safe and secure web browsing experience.

Benefits of RBI

• Enhanced security: Since web content is executed remotely, any malicious code encountered on a website does not have direct access to the user's device, minimizing the risk of infection or compromise.
• Malware prevention: RBI prevents web-based malware attacks, including drive-by downloads, which can infect a user's device without any interaction.
• Phishing protection: Even if a user unwittingly visits a phishing website, the actual credentials and sensitive data are not entered on the local device, preventing information theft.
• Zero-day exploit mitigation: RBI can reduce the impact of zero-day exploits since the attack would need to compromise the isolated environment rather than the user's local system.
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP): The technology prevents data exfiltration from the user's device since all browsing activity occurs in the remote environment.
• Legacy software support: RBI can enable access to legacy web applications that may not be compatible with modern browsers.

Challenges of RBI

Remote Browser Isolation offers significant security benefits, but it also comes with its own set of challenges and limitations. Some of the key challenges of RBI include:

• Latency and performance: One of the primary concerns with RBI is the potential increase in latency and its impact on user experience. Since web content is processed remotely and transmitted back to the user's device, noticeable delays in rendering web pages can occur, especially for interactive or media-rich content. This latency can frustrate users and hinder productivity, particularly in situations where real-time interactions are essential.
• Compatibility and user experience: Not all web applications or websites may function optimally within an isolated browser environment. Some websites may require direct access to local resources or use browser plugins that are not supported in the RBI setup. As a result, users may experience broken functionality, reduced feature sets, or an overall diminished browsing experience, leading to potential dissatisfaction and decreased productivity.
• Costs and resource requirements: Implementing and maintaining a robust RBI infrastructure can be resource-intensive and costly. Organisations need to invest in dedicated servers, network infrastructure, and computing power to handle multiple isolated browser sessions. For smaller businesses or individuals, these costs can be prohibitive, making it challenging to adopt the technology on a wide scale.

Understanding these challenges is crucial because it helps organisations and individuals make informed decisions about adopting RBI as part of their cybersecurity strategy. It's essential to weigh the security benefits of RBI against potential drawbacks, particularly in terms of user experience and infrastructure costs. Additionally, exploring alternative cybersecurity solutions may be necessary for those who find RBI's challenges prohibitive for their specific use cases.

Options to think about with RBI

If you are considering implementing Remote Browser Isolation, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

1. The type of isolation technology used: There are two main types of RBI technology. Iframe-based isolation and virtual machine-based isolation. Iframe-based isolation is less expensive, but it can be less secure. Virtual machine-based isolation is more secure, but it can be more expensive.
2. The level of isolation provided: Some RBI solutions provide complete isolation, meaning that the user's device is entirely separated from the remote browser session. Other RBI solutions provide partial isolation, allowing the user's device to interact with the remote browser session in some limited ways.