Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and Enterprise Browsers are two prominent technologies designed to enhance security, productivity, and flexibility for modern enterprises. Each offers unique benefits and addresses specific use cases. In this blog post, we present each one, detailing how it is used, advantages and pitfalls to avoid. We also provide a solution for overcoming the challenges of each one.
What is a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)?
VDI is a legacy technology that hosts desktop environments on central servers or data centers and allows employees and users to access them remotely. With VDI, users can access their own desktop and experience a consistent desktop environment, regardless of their physical location or the device they are logging on from.
There are two main types of VDI. Each type serves different use cases and operational requirements:
- Persistent VDI: Offers a personalized and unique virtual desktop to each user. These desktops retain each user’s settings and data across sessions, like saving files or installing software. This mirrors using a traditional physical desktop.
A Persistent VDI is ideal for users who need a consistent experience or when they require complex configurations or license keys tied to a specific system. However, this approach is also resource intensive, since each desktop must be stored separately. It is also harder to manage for IT.
- Non-persistent VDI: Provides a standardized desktop image that resets after each session. Each time a user logs in, they receive a fresh, preconfigured virtual desktop from a pool of available desktops. This model does not save any personal changes or data unless specifically directed to network or cloud storage.
This approach is suitable for high-turnover environments. It allows for more efficiency and scalability, reduces the risk of malware persistence and is easier to manage for IT. However, it might impact user productivity and satisfaction.
Benefits of VDI
Why do organizations choose VDI? VDIs provide:
- Centralized Management: IT administrators can easily manage, update, troubleshoot, and secure virtual desktops from a central location, instead of handling each endpoint individually or requiring physical access. This streamlined management reduces downtime for updates and ensures that all users have the most current and secure software. This has a positive impact on IT overhead and productivity
- Flexibility and Mobility: Since the desktop environments are hosted centrally and delivered over the network, users can access their personal desktops from anywhere, at any time, and from any device capable of connecting to the network. This mobility is particularly advantageous for businesses with remote employees, multiple office locations, those that employ contractors who need temporary access, and those who wish to implement BYOD policies.
- Scalability: VDI allows dynamic allocation of resources, making it easy to scale up or down based on demand. This flexibility means that organizations can easily accommodate growth or increased workload demands without significant infrastructure changes. Conversely, they can scale down during quieter periods, optimizing resource utilization and reducing costs.
- Cost Savings: By centralizing desktop management, businesses can reduce the need for high-end hardware on the user’s end. Lower-performing, less expensive devices can be used to access high-quality computing resources hosted on server farms.
The Risks of VDI
Despite the advantages, VDIs are a far cry from being the ideal remote work solution. This is because of the following risks:
- Unauthorized Access: As VDI environments allow remote access to desktop interfaces, they inherently increase the potential entry points for unauthorized users. This can happen through compromised credentials, inadequate authentication processes, or exploitation of network vulnerabilities. The impact of such access can be detrimental, leading to data breaches or unauthorized actions within the network.
LayerX, the enterprise browser extension, prevents unauthorized access by acting as an authentication factor, enforcing secure access. LayerX can integrate with your identity provider, manage access based on access policies, and enforce additional least-privilege access policies. - Malware and Ransomware: VDI systems are also vulnerable to malware and ransomware attacks. Since all virtual desktops are connected to a central server, if one desktop gets infected, there is a risk of the malware spreading rapidly across the entire network. This can lead to widespread disruption and potential data loss.
LayerX prevents web pages’ ability to download malware to devices. Therefore, if a user browses through the VDI to a malicious website, LayerX will block the malware, protecting the virtual device and, subsequently, preventing it from spreading throughout the network. - Insider Threats: Even legitimate access users within a VDI environment can still present significant security risks. Insider threats can occur when employees misuse their privileges, whether maliciously or through negligence. Such actions can include unauthorized data access, data theft, or the introduction of vulnerabilities into the system.
LayerX provides granular visibility into user actions, allowing organizations to protect against risky user behavior. For example, LayerX can detect the use of Shadow SaaS, pasting of sensitive data into GenAI applications, the use of malicious extensions, password reuse and account sharing, and more.
What is an Enterprise Browser?
An enterprise browser is a customized web browser designed specifically for use within corporate environments. This is unlike commercial browsers, which are typically built for general consumer use. Enterprise browsers introduce advanced security features, policy enforcement, and centralized control to protect against web-based threats and ensure compliance with corporate policies. However, they often hinder productivity since they damage the user experience.
Benefits of an Enterprise Browser
What are the benefits of choosing an Enterprise browser?
- Enhanced Security: Entrrprise browsers provide built-in security features to shield corporate networks and data from various cyber threats. These include URL filtering, malware protection, authentication, and encryption. These capabilities prevent unauthorized access and protect against malware, phishing, and data leakage, to safeguard sensitive information.
- Visibility and Control: IT departments can configure settings from a central console, including enforcing security protocols, managing bookmarks, and controlling browser extensions across all user endpoints. This provides IT with visibility into user activities and control over browser-based interactions, reducing the administrative burden associated with managing multiple individual browsers and settings.
- Compliance: Enterprise browsers facilitate compliance with regulatory requirements and corporate governance standards by enforcing security policies and monitoring compliance. This capability is particularly important for industries subject to stringent regulatory controls, such as finance and healthcare.
- Integration with Security Stack: Enterprise browsers can work with business tools and applications, as well as the rest of the organization’s security stack. This provides comprehensive security and improves efficiency, boosting the overall security posture.
Challenges of an Enterprise Browser
However, enterprise browsers also lack inportant capabilities, resulting in:
- User Experience Friction: When organizations switch to an enterprise-specific browser, users are often required to move away from their familiar, personal browser to a new platform. This shift can lead to resistance among employees who are accustomed to the interfaces and functionalities of more common browsers like Chrome or Firefox. Such resistance not only affects the adoption rate but can also cause operational friction and reduced productivity as employees adjust to the new browser environment.
- Limited Capabilities: While mainstream commercial browsers frequently update with the newest features and security enhancements, enterprise browsers can lag in incorporating these advancements. This delay is often due to the extended testing and customization required to ensure that new features align with enterprise-specific security standards and functionalities. As a result, users of enterprise browsers might not experience the cutting-edge capabilities and perfo
rmance improvements regularly seen in popular commercial browsers, potentially impacting their efficiency and security posture.Since LayerX integrates with any browser, organizations enjoy dual protection: the one offered by the browsers themselves, and enterprise-grade protection with LayerX. In addition, LayerX can enforce browser updates and patching, ensuring the most advanced and secure versions are in use. - Vendor Lock-In: Transitioning to an enterprise browser creates vendor lock-in, since organizations are then restricted to using a single browser. This dependence can limit the organization’s flexibility and ability to adapt to new technologies or switch vendors without encountering substantial obstacles. Furthermore, reliance on one vendor can make an organization vulnerable to pricing changes, discontinuation of services, or changes in vendor policies, impacting long-term strategic IT planning.
LayerX works with any browser and can easily be deployed, providing organizations with the flexibility to use the browser and security solutions of their choice.
Why Choosing LayerX Security Might be the Right Answer for Your Organization
The LayerX security solution surpasses both VDIs and enterprise browsers by offering a more seamless, cost-effective, and user-friendly approach to web security. Unlike VDI, which can introduce latency issues and requires substantial infrastructure investment and ongoing management costs, LayerX integrates as a lightweight browser extension, allowing users to continue using their preferred commercial browsers without disruption . This minimizes the learning curve and enhances user experience.
In comparison to enterprise browsers, LayerX leverages the advanced security features and continuous updates of commercial browsers, providing superior threat detection and protection . It also avoids the vendor lock-in and operational overhead associated with enterprise browsers, offering greater flexibility and scalability for organizations.
By combining robust security, ease of use, and cost efficiency, LayerX stands out as the superior choice for securing enterprise web sessions.
