Is it time to re-think the business browser?
For Australian businesses, cybersecurity is no longer a peripheral concern - it's front-and-centre. With phishing scams, ransomware and data breaches growing more frequent and sophisticated, the cost of falling victim to cybercrime continues to mount. In the first half of 2024 alone, data breaches in Australia hit a three-and-a-half-year high - a figure that was immediately surpassed by a further 15% jump in the second half of the year. According to the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), the average cost of a cyber attack is rising too.
Despite ongoing investments in firewalls, endpoint protection and cloud security, data breaches continue to rise. One everyday tool remains overlooked: the browser. Now the main gateway to cloud apps and sensitive data, browsers weren't designed with enterprise security in mind. Their broad access, lack of visibility, and limited control make them an easy and attractive target for attackers. This raises the question: Are browsers the overlooked weak link in enterprise cybersecurity and could securing them be the missing piece in closing today's growing security and privacy gaps?
The overlooked risk in every workplace
Modern browsers serve as enterprise workspaces, with employees performing critical operations across SaaS apps, handling corporate data, and managing transactions entirely through browser windows. But most businesses still rely on consumer-focused browsers, which are designed for casual use, not enterprise-level protection.
While browsers enable productivity, they also open the door to a range of web-based threats - such as phishing attacks, malicious extensions, and drive-by downloads. Often, employees are unknowingly using browsers that lack the protections required to defend against modern cyber risks. Every time an employee logs into sensitive systems, uploads documents or interacts with data through an unsecured browser, they're expanding their organisation's attack surface - often without knowing it.
Why browsers are now a prime cyber target
Cybercriminals don't need to breach firewalls to cause damage - they just need to compromise a browser. Once inside, they can gain access to everything from cloud platforms and financial tools to intellectual property and private customer data. With remote work still prominent, browser activity now spans devices, locations and networks - making it harder for IT teams to maintain visibility and control.
In the 2023–2024 financial year, phishing accounted for 23% of all cybercrime reports in Australia - making it the most common form of attack. While email is usually the entry point, the browser is where the real damage happens - when a user unknowingly clicks a malicious link, enters their credentials into a fake login page or downloads malware disguised as a legitimate attachment.
Despite this, many organisations lack standardised browser policies. They allow third-party extensions without review, have no centralised visibility into browser activity and rely on employees to spot increasingly deceptive scams.
A smarter way to work safely
To address this growing risk, a new solution is gaining traction: the enterprise browser. Built specifically for business use, these browsers embed security directly into the browsing experience - without slowing users down or requiring complex integrations.
They include built-in protections like data loss prevention, centralised policy enforcement, zero-trust access controls and AI-powered threat detection. Rather than relying on separate software layers, enterprise browsers secure sensitive activity at the source - where work actually happens. Solutions like Zoho's Ulaa Enterprise offer a familiar interface with a far more secure backend. IT teams can restrict downloads, block screen captures, manage login permissions and monitor for potentially malicious activity in real time - without disrupting user experience.
As threats grow more sophisticated, AI is now essential to browser security. Enterprise browsers use it to analyse behaviour in real time, block phishing pages, categorise sites and stop users from interacting with malicious content. This protection lightens the load on IT teams, enables faster responses and adapts to evolving threats. For instance, if a user clicks on a fake login page, the AI can block input immediately - stopping the breach before it begins.
Enterprise browsers offer a practical, cost-effective way to strengthen security without requiring major infrastructure changes. As hybrid work continues and employees - with varying degrees of risk understanding - increasingly use unmanaged devices, securing the browser is one of the most efficient ways to reduce risks.
These solutions protect businesses by catching threats right in the browser, reducing the chance of mistakes or gaps in other security tools. They also support compliance by logging activity, protecting sensitive data, and helping businesses stay audit-ready as privacy regulations evolve. With built-in protections, businesses can keep security simple and easy to manage - saving time and money while staying in control. Simultaneously, enterprise browsers respect user privacy, helping to build trust in flexible work settings.
For too long, browsers have been treated as consumer tools, even in professional settings. As more business happens online and cyber threats grow smarter, this outdated approach no longer holds up. Companies today need to rethink security, putting the browser front and centre in their defence strategy. Thanks to AI-powered enterprise browsers, businesses can now safeguard their most-used tool without slowing down teams or adding strain to IT. The solution isn't to stop browsing - it's to browse smarter.
