Remote Browser Isolation: What RBI Is and How it Works

What is Remote Browser Isolation?

RBI is a cybersecurity solution that isolates web browsing activity from endpoints to prevent the execution of malicious code such as malware on local devices. Picture it as a protective fence encircling your user’s web browser, whenever they go online. This barrier acts as a guard between their computer and potentially dangerous websites, ensuring that any lurking threats never make it to the device or network. RBI enables a Zero-Trust framework to web browsing, allowing organizations with overstretched IT teams or lacking dedicated Web security knowledge to focus on high-value tasks instead of time-consuming incident response activities.

How Does RBI Work?

When users click on a link or visit a website, instead of the browser directly accessing the site’s content, RBI directs the web browsing session to a secure remote server. This server acts as a virtual browser opening the website on the user’s behalf and interacting with it and its content in a safe isolated environment. Once the session ends, the environment collapses, deleting all content including malware. This ensures that potentially malicious code or malware on the website never reaches the actual device and remains completely unharmed.

All users experience the full streaming content of the website. They are still able to fully interact with the websites —clicking on any links, filling out forms, even watching videos— without any of the associated risks.

A complete RBI solution needs to go beyond simply isolating content. It should also offer advanced data protection features, including control over website functions like read and write, copy/paste, clipboard access and printing. Additionally, strong solutions like Forcepoint RBI go further to offer Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) capabilities to sanitize downloaded files, delivering only the original benign data.

Besides its effectiveness, organizations use RBI tools for its simplicity. Unlike antivirus solutions that require constant updates and maintenance, RBI works effortlessly in the background. There is no need for complex set up or updates to install— simply browse the web as you would normally knowing that you're protected every step of the way.

Wondering if all this security comes at the cost of productivity? RBI is built for speed, ensuring your web browsing experience remains smooth and seamless. With RBI, users can securely access more websites without resorting to blocking. It also helps IT organizations avoid desk tickets—all while boosting user productivity.
 

Who is RBI meant for?

RBI solutions are ideal for various user groups. High-risk users such as executives who are frequently targeted by phishing attacks to employees keeping up with competitive and industry trends that may inadvertently find their way to malicious sites. We’ve also seen organizations who have public-facing systems that provide access to the Internet, like retailers or any business that provides Internet kiosks, benefit from using RBI.

Key Benefits of Remote Browser Isolation:

• Increased security:
  • Safeguard against web-borne threats, including zero-day
  • Enhance DLP policies and prevent data theft via steganography
  • Prevent phishing attacks
  • Sanitize downloads
• Increased Productivity:
  • Enable IT teams to focus on high-value tasks
  • Safely access the entire web
  • Fast, native browsing experience
• Ease-of-use:
  • No need for agents
  • No patch management required
  • Continuous protection across laptops, tablets, and phones

If you want to explore RBI further, check out this short video and see for yourself how Forcepoint RBI enables secure access to websites, or deep dive into the RBI product page.