Ian Lee, Senior Tech Product Marketing Manager
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The air gap advantage: What it is and why it matters in cybersecurity

These days, corporate IT security looks different.

With the lingering popularity of remote work, employees are accessing files and networks from anywhere—sometimes on non-corporate devices.

This means that traditional security for corporate networks isn’t as effective. Methods like VPNs and network-based security controls don’t work as well—and even when they do, they cause issues for users’ experiences.

That’s where private access browser isolation comes in.

What is private access browser isolation?

Private access browser isolation is a type of browser isolation solution that secures data center apps, privately hosted apps, internal web apps, and SaaS applications similarly to remote browser isolation, but it’s hosted on-premises or on other infrastructure owned by an organization.

It creates sandboxed containers directly on an organization’s own infrastructure, away from endpoints. These separated containers create an air gap, keeping any potentially malicious web content away from corporate assets. Instead, there’s a visual stream of the site or app sent to the end user.

What is an air gap?

An air gap is the protective space created by a browser isolation solution between essential structures and the risks of the internet.

It isolates an organization’s network and devices from external networks, protecting against cyberattacks. In private access browser isolation, an air gap does its job without impacting user experience or restricting access.

7 ways private access browser isolation is different from legacy solutions

Because legacy solutions don’t typically provide an air gap for organizations, solutions like browser isolation offer several advantages.

1. Complete protection from web-based threats

Where detection-based methods alert a user when malware arrives on a device, browser isolation stops it from reaching the device in the first place.

By executing all web code within a sandbox environment, browser isolation compartmentalizes threats like zero-day attacks, drive-by downloads, and browser-based attacks before they reach corporate assets.

2. Converged security for SaaS and internal apps

Usually, security solutions do well at either defending SaaS apps or safeguarding access to internal resources—not both.

Private access browser isolation tackles that issue by protecting all web apps, no matter where they reside, in a unified way. This simplifies the security architecture a company needs to have in place while simultaneously reducing attack surface.

3. Reduced reliance on endpoint security

Traditional security models rely heavily on each endpoint having security products installed and functional. Unfortunately, differences in devices and operating systems can make this approach problematic and overly complex for IT teams.

Because browser isolation handles security in its cloud-based containers rather than on individual devices, it can deliver consistent protection even with BYOD policies or contractor devices that operate outside of corporate best practices.

4. Better protection against data loss

Private access browser isolation goes beyond the capabilities of traditional security solutions to provide organizations with better control over policies.

Because organizations can set policies that, for example, can block data exfiltration through methods like copy-pasting or downloading and uploading, they can improve their data loss prevention strategies without impacting business operations.

This is particularly useful when protecting sensitive data in SaaS and internal apps.

5. Simpler compliance

It’s not an easy task to keep all application environments compliant with regulations.

Browser isolation solutions give organizations a consistent control layer to enforce compliance policies on every web application. This simplifies auditing and reduces compliance risk.

6. Improved user experience

Traditional security methods like VPNs and other remote access technologies have a tendency to degrade performance for users.

Modern browser isolation technologies, on the other hand, can enhance the user experience through pixel streaming and selective isolation. Security teams get complete visibility and control, and users get the performance they’re used to.

7. Reduced attack surface

By isolating web browsing activity with an air gap, organizations substantially reduce their attack surface.

Even if the user visits malicious websites or interacts with hijacked web applications, private access browser isolation confines threats in an isolated environment and away from company systems.

What to consider when implementing private access browser isolation

When planning to introduce private access browser isolation at an organization, there are a few things to consider and questions to answer:

Preparing for the future with air gaps and browser isolation

As cyberattacks increase and companies rely on more web-based applications to operate, the idea of an air gap becomes ever more important. Organizations need to be able to isolate web browsing without limiting access to essential resources.

Companies that adopt private access browser isolation early will have an advantage in protecting their digital assets—and defining flexible work patterns for the future of business.

Create your air gap with PBI Private Access

Parallels Browser Isolation (PBI) Private Access is a private access browser isolation solution that gives organizations a comprehensive way to create air gaps.

Learn more about it and start your free trial today to protect your organization’s data center apps, internal web apps, privately hosted apps, and SaaS apps alike.