Which web browsing risks concern you the most?

Businesses are faced with the reality of threat actors attempting to access their networks and infrastructure and getting access to their applications and data. Today’s workforce is increasingly remote-capable, and chances are your valuable data and assets are being accessed by an array of potentially vulnerable devices. Many organizations aren’t adequately protected against — or even aware of — the many threats web browsing activities could pose to their infrastructure.

A recent Forbes article unearthed alarming statistics regarding the prevalence of cybersecurity risks. Chief among them: In 2021, Google recognized as many as 2,145,013 phishing sites — up 27 percent from the previous year. These malicious websites mimic existing websites, or appear genuine enough to pass as the real thing — and they’re designed to trick you out of money or steal your data.

Is your business taking action against the threat actors lurking behind malicious websites?

If not, now’s the time to consider implementing zero trust network access (ZTNA) for your organization.

Understanding Zero Trust

Imagine the comfort of knowing your infrastructure is empowered by the best available protection protocols, regardless of the app or device that attempts to access it. With a zero trust network, this security is a reality.

ZTNA allows your workforce to be productive from anywhere in the world — and ensures any device they use to log into your network has undergone authentication and authorization protocols. A zero trust network protects your resources from threats or unwanted apps by implementing a series of checks prior to access, and continually monitors the activity of devices on your platforms for the entirety of each session.

Unlike traditional VPN, which evaluates potential risks only at the time of login, the zero trust network model assumes an attack is always around the corner. By securing your network from the public internet, ZTNA ensures your network stays protected against browser-based attacks — even if someone lands on a compromised site. ZTNA also allows your workforce to use bring your own devices (BYOD) without introducing additional risk to your network.

As the following case study suggests, this insulation of your valuable infrastructure should be a priority for any business with assets offsite.

Protection from Keyloggers Scenario

Jim is an executive for Medicine Corp. He is in a hotel in New York, traveling for business. He streams a movie online via an unfamiliar website on his corporate computer. Little does he know, while trying to stream the movie, he was tricked into downloading a keylogger which will record everything he types.

What’s at Risk

The next time Jim logs in, the keylogger will record all his credentials, which are then delivered to the bad actor. With the stolen credentials, bad actors can steal his identity as well as sensitive trade secrets.

How Citrix ZTNA Protects

Using Citrix’s ZTNA solution, Medicine Corp’s IT administrators have enabled keylogger protection for all employees with access to sensitive corporate information. All characters typed are scrambled, and nothing is revealed to the bad actors.

Identifying the Most Common Threats to Your Network

As the Jim scenario suggests, even the usage of managed devices to perform non-work-related functions is a huge security concern for many organizations. Let’s take a look at some of the other risks commonly associated with web browsing, and how implementing zero trust network access can mitigate the associated danger.

  • Unsecure browser plugins: Unpatched security vulnerabilities in extensions like Oracle’s Java could result in malware infections. PDF reader plugins need to update regularly to stay ahead of exposure to threat actors. Breaches in plugins result in exposure across virtually all browser types.
  • Holes in browser security: Malicious websites possess the ability to infect unprotected devices with malware that runs behind the scenes, leaving unaware users to continue accessing your valuable data and resources — and unknowingly introduce that malware to your network.
  • Suggested downloads or extensions: You’ve undoubtedly encountered a website recommending the download of an additional extension or executable patch in order to properly view content materials on your device. While some extensions are necessary — Internet Explorer’s use of Flash player ActiveX, for example — a malicious website may recommend an extension that accesses the entirety of your system.
  • Viewing or downloading unprotected content: The reality of today’s remote work model means your infrastructure is being accessed on unprotected devices that may be used by others not involved in your organization. Streaming or downloading content could result in screen scraping malware that is effectively screenshotting any work, function, or access performed on your network.
  • Threats lurking behind browsers: Managed assets like Jim’s work computer are far from the only vulnerability threatening your infrastructure. The rise of BYOD culture has left many an IT department unable to validate the integrity of personal devices accessing company networks.

How Citrix ZTNA Protects:

A zero trust network solution insulates your network by preventing lateral movement, the process by which attackers extend from a compromised entry point across the rest of your infrastructure. With Citrix ZTNA, access is continuously monitored based on device posture, location, and risk score. By authenticating your network at the application layer, you’re able to ensure that any suspicious activity is blocked before a potential breach can be executed.

Citrix zero trust solutions work to block screen scraping malware by creating rules that can be scaled per user or group. Even in the event that malware has been installed on a device, Citrix Secure Private Access will black out any screenshots taken.

Remote browser isolation (RBI) is a web security measure designed to implement a “gap” between a remote user’s internet browser and your network infrastructure. The act of separating a remote worker’s web browsing activity from endpoint devices is accomplished by redirecting these unauthorized sessions safely to an isolated environment. This effectively reduces the attack surface, limiting any browser based threat actors from successfully accessing your resources. Citrix Secure Browser protects your data from attacks initiated via browser activity. This cloud-based extension allows your remote workers to effortlessly navigate the web, while effectively insulating your network against the hidden vulnerabilities lurking behind traditional browsing operations.

By employing the latest ZTNA technology to secure user access across all corporate applications, you’re ensuring your network is protected from threat actors that could be hiding while your workforce accesses browsers.

What’s more, a zero trust solution goes beyond traditional VPN and SSO, which authenticate at login only, by continuously evaluating risk factors throughout each session. In the event that suspicious activity is detected, a robust assortment of security controls execute to influence how users are authorized to access applications related to your network.

While this effectively halts the progression of malware or the activities of threat actors, your workforce will likely experience — or even notice — changes to their workflow or accessibility. With Citrix ZTNA solutions, your staff is free to continue work while adaptive authentication and access control policies execute seamlessly in the background.

Citrix provides a variety of comprehensive solutions that can be tailored to your specific organizational needs. We’re here to provide ZTNA solutions that protect your workforce by ensuring browser security is optimized and continuously monitored.

To learn more about how Citrix provides complete ZTNA solutions, take a look at our Comprehensive Guide to Zero Trust Network Access Use Cases. It’s packed with scenarios like the one facing Jim, who inadvertently put his whole organizational network at risk by attempting to stream a movie from a vulnerable browser.

From there, we encourage you to safeguard your resources by contacting one of our worldwide experts. With Citrix ZTNA solutions, your employees will be able to safely work from anywhere in the world.