Episode Transcript:
Host: Welcome back PANCasters, today Nripendra is back to talk about Prisma Access Browser and RBI. Hi Nripendra, so what are common benefits and challenges you have seen when it comes to Prisma Access Browser and RBI?
Nripendra:
Thanks for having me back John.
Let me talk about the challenges first. From my direct interactions with customers and partners in Japan and APAC regions, I have found that customers often find it difficult to understand the use cases. Most of them do not know what the Prisma Access Browser is or what the Remote Browser Isolation is, and why and when to use them.
Host: OK, so can you elaborate a bit on that?
Nripendra:
Certainly. Enterprises have to enable their remote workers to access applications and data to do their everyday job.
But at the same time, enterprises also have to implement security measures for access from the remotely located devices. They could be potential risky users accessing the corporate applications and data. They could be high-value users accessing malicious websites and becoming the victims of phishing, leading to many previously unseen or zero-day exploits.
In a different context, there have been regulatory recommendations from several government agencies, for highly regulated industries, which say, as a preventive measure for data leakage, organizations should use “web traffic isolation” technology.
So customers have concluded that they need to use physically air-gapped sandboxes running in an isolated location. Some even use RDP labelling it as RBI. But they are unaware that Prisma Access Browser can solve most of these use cases.
Host: Do users understand when and why to use these technologies? When should I choose Prisma Access Browser over Prisma Access RBI or vice versa?
Nripendra:
A number of customers had similar questions, so let me elaborate.
Prisma Access Browser is a secure, locally installed, managed web browser, designed specifically for business use. It integrates advanced security features, data protection, and admin controls. It ensures secure access to corporate applications and data, while enhancing productivity and compliance requirements across both managed and unmanaged devices. For most customers who want to prevent data leakage from internal corporate users, Prisma Access Browser is the right tool.
On the other hand, Prisma Access RBI isolates web browsing activity in a remote, cloud-based sandbox environment. This prevents malicious content hosted in the Internet from reaching the corporate user's device. It executes web page codes remotely and streams only safe, sanitised and lightweight contents to the user. Thereby, it protects against web-based threats aimed even at zero day vulnerabilities to enhance security posture.
For the purpose of simplicity, think of Prisma Access Browser as a technology to protect enterprises from insider threats vs RBI as a technology to protect enterprises from external threats.
Host: Got it. Any good examples?
Nripendra:
Let’s say a credit card company has a fleet of remote call center agents. These agents need to handle calls and customer requests. In such cases, Prisma Access Browser can provide sufficient security controls with seamless user experience.
Prisma Access Browser can NOT ONLY enable viewing info necessary for caller identification, but can also mask credit card numbers, credit-scores, and other highly sensitive information. Also, it can allow access to only corporate CRM accounts but prevent the access to non-corporate CRM accounts.
However, let’s say now the same agent needs to access links to potentially malicious websites or attack payloads attached as files by a rogue customer which was posted in the CRM. In this case, the agent would want to use Prisma Access RBI to access these risky websites or files.
This will mitigate risks, and also the agents can do their job better user experience.
This is how these two technologies will work hand in hand to improve the security posture of this credit card company.
Host: Prisma Access Browser sounds more like an endpoint security solution than a part of Network Security. Wouldn’t it be better to utilize an enterprise browser separately from the core Prisma Access?
Nripendra:
Short answer : our recommendation is to use it with Prisma Access. Let me tell you why.
First, Prisma Access Browser is a solution for edge or last mile security and control. That is the reason why it fits perfectly into Prisma SASE.
It is rather a browser-as-a-point-of-security-enforcement. As you know, most of the work today happens today within or from the browser. The focus on network traffic, NOT devices. It does not secure and control the whole endpoint device. So, it is NOT a traditional endpoint security solution.
Second, With Prisma Access Browser, we want to provide a cohesive, end-to-end network security experience. Prisma Access Browser utilizes Prisma Access technology behind the scenes.
Even if we do provide a standalone version of Prisma Access Browser, the components are the same as those of Prisma Access. So fundamentally, Prisma Access Browser is inseparable from Prisma Access.
Host : Ok, thanks Nripendra but what are the unique advantages of using Prisma Access Browser?
Nripendra:
There are many unique capabilities, it will take a whole new session to talk about these
So let me highlight three key broad points here -
No #1, in addition to the quick deployment, Prisma Access Browser enables seamless and secure access to SaaS and private applications from any device in minutes, improving user experience and productivity.
No #2 it enables enhanced workforce flexibility:
What that means is, it empowers employees with device freedom and hence after-hours access to business applications without compromising security posture. This fosters a more agile and responsive workforce culture.
No #3 it provides advanced security features: like comprehensive security inspection; end-point data-leakage protections; in-browser secure access to apps like ssh, RDP - which helps in VDI reduction.
It even has the ability to decrypt QUIC protocol for security inspection.
QUIC, as you may know, is an encryption technology which uses sophisticated key exchanges, and is not natively supported by most of the network security solutions.
Now, again, Prisma Access Browser uses the same security services as Prisma Access does; uses same unified management console which is Strata Cloud Manager (SCM) and has the same ADEM, or Autonomous Digital Experience Management capabilities keeping things as cohesive and as simple as possible.
Host: Great, What should I do to start using Prisma Access Browser or Prisma Access RBI?
Nripendra:
Let me explain from the licensing perspective first.
Both Prisma Access Browser and RBI are add-on licenses for Prisma Access. However, if you have a Prisma Access Enterprise license, then Prisma Access Browser is already bundled in it.
Now from the user perspective:
For an end user, using Prisma Access Browser is straightforward. They will need to download the browser into their devices. They WILL require appropriate credentials to access corporate web applications. However, they WILL NOT require admin privilege to install the browser.
Now for an admin user, we do have a simplified onboarding workflow in Strata Cloud Manager This enables quick admin onboarding. But some of our advanced customers may require professional services.
Host: It sounds like there is more that we and our PANCasters would like to learn about Prisma Access Browser and RBI, but we are running out of time for today. Anything you would like to add before we end today’s PANCast?
Nripendra:
Yes. First let me recap a bit. Prisma Access Browser, it secures access to your corporate applications and data from both managed and unmanaged devices, prevents data leaks and insider threats. RBI, on the other hand, protects you against external web-based threats by isolating browsing activities in a remote sandbox and helps you to be compliant.
Prisma Access Browser enhances workforce flexibility, includes many advanced security features and offers quick deployment. And for our audience who would like to know more I think we will need a focused session, to discuss about #1 benefits in details, #2 technical challenges and #3 steps on how to start using or deploying Prisma Access Browser.
Thank you for the opportunity today.
Host: Thanks again Nripendra. PANCasters, the transcript and links to more info will be on live.paloaltonetworks.com.
