Island launches ‘enterprise browser’ to improve security at work

Dallas-based startup Island today emerged from stealth mode and unveiled a web browser designed to provide for the security needs of the enterprise while still retaining a familiar browsing experience.

The company aptly calls its software the “Enterprise Browser” and it embeds all of the security models and requirements within the browser itself. Enterprise security teams don’t need to employ special plugins or extra software on top of consumer-focused browser software in order to bring them into compliance with internal security in order to prevent data leaking out of networks.

“For decades, organizations have globally utilized consumer browsers in the corporate computing environment,” said Mike Fey, co-founder and chief executive of Island. “These organizations require strong control and governance, which consumer browsers were never built to deliver.”

The browser has risen to become the central piece of software for connecting to the internet at large and it’s where most networked apps live. Employees go to it to get their email, social media, calendar, updates and almost everything else to start their day. Even in corporate environments where these applications might have desktop apps, they also provide web interfaces that would be used in Chrome, Firefox, Edge or another consumer web browser.

The Enterprise Browser is based on Chromium, the open-source software project on which Google’s Chrome is built, so it looks and feels a lot like an everyday consumer browser and won’t interrupt the experience for employees as they go about their everyday tasks. However, behind the scenes, it provides deep security controls and governance over data visibility, user activity and usage.

A dashboard permits full control of last-mile options such as information protection for copy, paste, download, upload, screenshots and other activities that could expose critical data. Administrators can also control who can access the browser with privileged accounts such as who can access particular applications and networks.

The Enterprise Browser also supports built-in safe browsing, web filtering, web isolation, exploit prevention, smart network routing and zero-trust access.

Such a solution has use cases for the enterprise for securing data from internal web applications and critical software-as-a-service apps and providing safe access to contractors and workers who use their own personal computers. This is especially true during the pandemic, when many workers now work remotely or hybrid.

“The browser is the office where today’s hybrid workforce lives,” said Dan Amiga, Island’s chief technology officer. “We have engineered the Enterprise Browser to be the platform for the future of their work. It begins by redefining how an organization secures its work but will positively impact endless needs across information technology.”

To date, the company has raised $100 million in early-stage venture capital from investors that include Insight Partners, Sequoia Capital, Cyberstarts and Stripes. The company has also grown its team to over 100 employees.

Island released and deployed its product beginning in September 2021 to a number of different companies, a spokesperson said, including several in the Fortune 500.

Image: Island