The browser has become the universal endpoint for devices and the user interface for applications. It is now a primary place where hybrid work gets done in an enterprise. Corporate web apps hosted inside the firewall or a cloud service along with SaaS apps like Salesforce, Workday, or Concur have become the norm.

The method to deploy these apps relies on the browser. However, many organizations still depend on a consumer browser to access corporate apps and data. An enterprise browser can enable IT to control access, enhance productivity, reduce risk, and improve the overall security posture for an organization.

IT Challenges

  • Access to Internal Web Apps: Today, this often requires a VPN, which can introduce security risk and management overhead.
  • Single Sign-On (SSO): Users need an SSO solution to reduce logins, and IT needs multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforcement.
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Consumer browsers do not control copy/paste, downloads, printing, and screen capture, which can be a risk for critical apps, especially on BYOD.
  • Keylogger Protection: Devices may have keystroke loggers installed, enabling bad actors to steal employee credentials or sensitive corporate data.
  • Malware and Ransomware Protection: Users who click links in a consumer browser could unknowingly install malware that can lead to ransomware attacks.
  • Phishing Protection: Users can click links that lead them to phishing sites that capture user credentials.
  • Analytics: Consumer browsers do not provide analytics to understand security risk, performance, or app utilization.
  • Browsing: Consumer browsers do not control or block all risky URLs or enforce corporate policies.

Organizations can address some of the gaps with a mix of third-party solutions that include additional agents, cloud brokers, and managing PCs (which do not work for BYOD use cases). Alternatively, an enterprise browser can offer a great solution for security, performance, and user productivity, enabling IT to manage these issues in the browser that’s accessing and rendering the apps.

User Considerations

Users want a familiar experience with a fast response and a minimum of clicks to get to their apps. They want tabs, bookmarks, find functions, and other features that they use with a consumer browser like Chrome. Making work apps easy to find and launch is essential. Many also want the option to use their own device (BYOD) to provide a hybrid scenario of working and personal browsing from the same PC. These users, however, might be concerned with privacy and will want to use a separate browser for personal and work. IT needs options to match company policy with user expectations.

The Citrix Enterprise Browser

Citrix Enterprise Browser is a Chromium-based enterprise browser that is embedded with Citrix Workspace app and is part of the Citrix Secure Private Access solution, which provides zero trust, VPN-less access to web and SaaS apps. It closes the IT gaps listed above and enforces policies at the optimal spot in the flow — the browser. Adaptive authentication, also included with Citrix Secure Private Access, can interrogate the client posture, enabling appropriate contextual controls for BYOD devices as well as managed PCs.

Based on policy, web and SaaS apps launch in the local containerized Citrix Enterprise Browser to optimize cost and performance or, as required, launch and run in Citrix Secure Browser service, the Citrix Cloud-hosted remote browser isolation (RBI) solution. Together, this enables Citrix to provide a comprehensive solution for the enterprise to get work done securely.

For Current Citrix Customers

Many current Citrix customers “publish” web apps by hosting a browser as a virtual application. This provides access to internal web apps, adds a layer of security, plus provides compatibility for web apps with specific legacy browser requirements. For many modern web and SaaS apps, the Citrix Enterprise Browser with Citrix Secure Private Access provides a deployment option that runs locally with great user experience and significantly reduced infrastructure yet includes the required security features.

Some customers also use a feature called “Published Content,” which allows admins to organize and display web app/sites inside Citrix StoreFront or Citrix Workspace app, but they launch in the local default browser. With Citrix Secure Private Access and Citrix Enterprise Browser, web and SaaS apps can be configured to display and launch alongside virtual windows apps in the same Citrix Workspace app making it simple for IT to deploy and easy for users to find all their apps to get work done.

Learn more about Citrix Enterprise Browser and Citrix Secure Private Access.