[December 07, 2016]

ESG Report Illustrates the Case for Secure Virtual Browsers

Ntrepid Corporation, provider of cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, today unveiled research gathered by Enterprise Strategy Group (News - Alert) (ESG) that highlights the growing need for secure virtual browsers as enterprises experience more damaging attacks and data breaches. ESG's research confirms that 90 percent of organizations consider web browsers to be critical to day-to-day business operations and employee productivity; however they remain an incredibly vulnerable access point where most of today's undetected attacks originate. Passages, part of the Ntrepid family of products, offers a simple solution that allows users to navigate and browse the Internet without fear of putting infrastructure and data at risk.

"The Internet is only getting more complex, and browser security is not getting any easier. It is becoming increasingly clear that the use of traditional browsers leaves organizations open to any number of potential attacks," says Lance Cottrell, Chief Scientist of Passages. "Until CISOs start considering new types of browser security models that virtualize web browsers using isolation technology, endpoints and therefor enterprises will remain at risk."

According to ESG, a vast majority of companies say that preventing and detecting security incidents is much more difficult today than it was two years ago. Of these same organizations, 59 percent say that cyber-attacks are more sophisticated than they were two years ago, and 45 percent claim that cyber-attacks are more frequent than two years ago. Despite these perspectives, there seems to be little effort being made by companies to secure Internet browsers: 29 percent of organizations have experienced a security breach within the past 24 months related to an attack that was introduced to the network through an endpoint browser.

Jon Oltsik, ESG Senior Principal Analyst, adds, "Secure virtual browsers, like Passages, can execute web traffic within a dedicated environment and help protect organizations from browser-based exploits and malware. Protecting enterprise data today must encompass all channels for potential attack, including daily employee Internet use."

There are certainly challenges facing browser-specific security. ESG research indicates that 88 percent of organizations report that multiple browsers on each endpoint is a common occurrence, and that breaches as a result of poor browser security are a byproduct of these multiple browser types and versions. In addition, security professionals believe that browser security is difficult because of scalability issues. Twenty-three percent of organizations say that they spend the bulk of their time reacting to security alerts and not enough time in vulnerable areas like browser security, and an additional 23 percent claim that browsers are not monitored for vulnerabilities or configuration problems as often as they should be.

The reality is that many organizations simply can't keep up with the maintenance tasks and security hygiene necessary to protect web browsers from attack. Isolated virtualized browsers like Passages can help reduce the time and effort spent keeping up with patches. More information and the full ESG infographic, The Case for Secure Virtual Browsers, can be found here.

About Enterprise Strategy Group

Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) is an integrated IT research, analysis, and strategy firm that is world-renowned for providing actionable insight and intelligence to the global IT community. Recognized for its unique blend of capabilities-including market research, hands-on technical product validation, and expert consulting methodologies such as the ESG Strategy Lifecycle-ESG is relied upon by IT professionals, technology vendors, investors, and the media to clarify the complex.

About Passages

Passages is a secure virtual browser that protects the enterprise from all web-based attacks, including web-delivered malware, watering hole attacks, spear phishing, passive information leakage, and drive-by downloads. Passages isolates all browsing activity from the local computer and network, allowing users to access any website and follow any link without risk to the company's infrastructure or data. Additionally, Passages hides user identity and corporate affiliation, significantly reducing the ability of adversaries to conduct targeted social engineering attacks.

Passages leverages Ntrepid's platform and 20-year history of protecting the national security community from the world's most sophisticated opponents, allowing organizations to implement security at the speed of business. From corporate identity management to secure browsing, Ntrepid products empower enterprise online research and data collection, eliminating threats to an online workforce. More information can be found at: www.NtrepidCorp.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161207005297/en/

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