The fact that human error is the biggest security risk to any organisation should not be news to anyone. However, the notion that a harmless, daily routine for most users is one of the top security risks organisations face today might come as a surprise.

Internet browsing — the most common break activity of the modern worker — is classified by many industry analysts as a leading way for attackers to do phishing and spread malware and ransomware to your organisation.

For security professionals, this is not news. They have standardised on the most secure browser, locked it down (as well as the end-point), implemented a rigorous patching schedule and the best antivirus solution. The ones a bit further ahead have smart, next-generation firewalls and web gateways. And nevertheless, the attacks succeed — why?

One could say that it is because all the solutions mentioned above are reactive and not proactive, and while that is partially true, that is not the root cause. The key problem in this case stems from the fact that web code is executed on the end user’s device utilizing weaknesses in the OS, the browser and the browser plug-ins. Only by virtualising the browser and isolating the browsing traffic can you protect the user and your network.

Many of our security-conscious customers have been doing exactly this for a long time by setting up an isolated XenApp or XenDesktop environment in an enclaved network serving the browser and other applications that could pose a threat to the internal network. Over the last few years, it became so common we even created two whitepapers on the subject which you can access  .

While that is still a valid solution to the problem, perhaps you are looking for a quicker and easier solution?

If so, then you are in luck, because today we announce the Tech Preview of a new Secure Browser Service focused purely on isolating web browsing. In three simple steps, you are able to create a secure, isolated browser that you can distribute to your end users. The whole process will take you just a few minutes at most, and it requires no extra investment or extensive configuration in your datacentre, nor any configuration on the user side. Is that easy enough?

Available as a Citrix Cloud service, the solution is based on our proven application virtualization technology, a Linux OS and the Chrome browser. The solution is fully isolated from the corporate network, hosted in a public cloud and managed by Citrix. Each end user will get a unique, isolated browser session that is disposed at the end of the browsing session. The web code is executed in the remote network, and only the screen updates are sent to the user’s device using the high performing HDX technology and rendered on the user device using Citrix Receiver for HTML5. All of this is completely seamless to the user.

Should you already have a Citrix XenApp or XenDesktop solution configured, you can use that to improve the user experience. By simply installing two Citrix Cloud Connectors and adding them to your StoreFront configuration, you will be able to aggregate your secure browsers with your existing published applications and desktops. This setup will also allow you to use the native Citrix Receiver for an improved user experience.

Interested? Learn more about Secure Browser Standard Service and experience the easiest way to securely browse the web right now!