Highlights:

  • The startup’s browser is intended for the enterprise market and is built using the same open-source engine as Google Chrome.
  • Users will be guarded against attempts to tamper with their Island installations by yet another set of brand-new breach prevention tools.

Island Technology Inc. is adding new cybersecurity features to its namesake web browser that are intended to block malware and other online threats.

Island, based in Dallas, is supported by USD 285 million in venture capital. The startup’s browser is intended for the enterprise market and is built using the same open-source engine as Google Chrome. It enables organizations to safeguard staff members against fraudulent websites, stop sharing unapproved data, and encrypt connections to business applications.

Self-Protection for the Enterprise Browser is a new set of cybersecurity features the company is releasing. According to Island, the feature package will protect browser installations from various malware types. The update will also make it more challenging for hackers to spy on user network traffic.

Mike Fey, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, said, “The innovation within Island Self-Protection represents a fundamentally new approach to how organizations with highly valuable data can think of using the browser as a critical asset within their architecture and finally begin to stop attacks at the point of impact.”

To steal passwords and other sensitive information, many malicious programs keep track of user keystrokes. Island claims that to prevent this listening-in, its browser generates fictitious keystrokes. Hackers find it challenging to extract useful information from the mixture of false data and the user’s text.

Island’s updated cybersecurity features also prevent nefarious attempts to capture screenshots. Additionally, the technology prevents the installation of browser extensions that the administrators of a company have not authorized.

Users will be guarded against attempts to tamper with their Island installations by yet another set of brand-new breach prevention tools.

A browser includes several program files that hackers could theoretically alter to support cyberattacks. According to Island, its browser can recognize tempered attempts and automatically shut down to stop breaches. For added security, it encrypts private user information like cookies.

Hackers look for the program’s source code weaknesses when launching sophisticated cyberattack campaigns. A debugger, a software tool developers use to find technical problems in code, is frequently used for such vulnerability searches. The Island is implementing a feature that makes using a debugger to analyze the code of its browser more challenging.

To steal data, hackers can sometimes use an application vulnerability. In some cases, a security setting that has been improperly configured can let in a cyberattack. Island claims that risk is also covered by its most recent cybersecurity update.

The browser verifies that the device is set up in accordance with the organization’s cybersecurity policies. Among other things, Island can check to see if an employee’s computer is running the most recent version of the endpoint management software. Some of the browser’s JavaScript code processing options are changed to lessen the attack surface when users visit an untrusted website.

Theoretically, hackers could also steal corporate data by jeopardizing the network that an employee device is connected. Island is releasing a tool that can identify attempts to intercept network traffic to address that possibility. According to the company, the tool reduces the risk of unreliable Wi-Fi routers.