Securing web browsing on a managed user device
Systems and methods are described for increasing web browser security on a user device managed by a device management system. In an example, the user device can use an unmanaged web browser to access secure enterprise content using a browser extension provided by the enterprise. When a user attempts to access secure content from an unmanaged browser, the device management system can communicate with the extension and a management application on the user device to authenticate the user and verify that the user device complies with certain policies. In one example, the device management system can include an extension recommendation engine that analyzes user browsing data and recommends browser extensions for the user. Based on policies, the device management system can recommend the extension to the user or force installation of the extension on the user device.
1 . A method for identifying a browser extension recommended for a user device, comprising:
enrolling a user device to be managed by a management server by causing a management application to be installed on the user device, wherein the management server is configured to manage one or more applications, including a managed web browser, by sending instructions to the management application for enforcing compliance with security settings of the one or more applications, including the managed web browser;
determining that the user device contains an unmanaged web browser that is not managed by the management server;
causing a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) extension to be installed on the unmanaged web browser on the user device, wherein the UEM extension is configured to collect browsing data of the unmanaged web browser;
receiving the browsing data of the unmanaged web browser at the management server from the UEM extension on the user device, the browsing data corresponding to browsing habits of a user, wherein the browsing data includes website browsing history of the user of the user device;
comparing the browsing data including the website browsing history of the user to parameters of a policy that governs which of a plurality of browser extensions are required for accessing secure content with the unmanaged web browser;
based on the comparison, identifying a browser extension from the plurality that corresponds to the user's browsing habits; and
sending, to the user device, instructions to install the identified browser extension on the unmanaged web browser.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the browsing data further includes at least one of an average number of browser tabs the user has open in a web browser on the user device over a period of time, at least one category of a web site that the user accessed from the web browser, a risk profile associated with the user, information related to network connections made by the user device, location information of the user device, and one or more groups that the user belongs to.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to install the identified browser extension include a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”) that the user device can use to retrieve an installation file of the identified browser extension.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying one or more browser extensions installed on the unmanaged web browser of the user device;
identifying a plurality of users within an organization whose web browsers have the one or more extensions installed;
determining that a threshold percentage of the web browsers of the plurality of users have the one or more identified extensions installed; and
sending, to the user device, a recommendation to install the one or more identified extensions.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the policy designates the identified browser extension as mandatory or optional, and the method further comprises:
in an instance where the identified browser extension is designated as mandatory, sending instructions to the user device to block network access if the identified browser extension is not installed.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
in an instance where the identified browser extension is designated as optional, sending a message to the user device recommending that the user install the identified browser extension.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, from the management server to the UEM extension an install file for installing the identified browser extension on the unmanaged web browser.
8 . A non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a hardware-based processor, causes the processor to perform stages for identifying a browser extension recommended for a user device, the stages comprising:
enrolling a user device to be managed by a management server by causing a management application to be installed on the user device, wherein the management server is configured to manage one or more applications, including a managed web browser, by sending instructions to the management application for enforcing compliance with security settings of the one or more applications, including the managed web browser;
determining that the user device contains an unmanaged web browser that is not managed by the management server;
causing a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) extension to be installed on the unmanaged web browser on the user device, wherein the UEM extension is configured to collect browsing data of the unmanaged web browser;
receiving the browsing data of the unmanaged web browser at the management server from the UEM extension on the user device, the browsing data corresponding to browsing habits of a user, wherein the browsing data includes website browsing history of the user of the user device;
comparing the browsing data including the website browsing history of the user to parameters of a policy that governs which of a plurality of browser extensions are required for accessing secure content with the unmanaged web browser;
based on the comparison, identifying a browser extension from the plurality that corresponds to the user's browsing habits; and
sending, to the user device, instructions to install the identified browser extension on the unmanaged web browser.
9 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the browsing data further includes at least one of an average number of browser tabs the user has open in a web browser on the user device over a period of time, at least one category of a web site that the user accessed from the web browser, a risk profile associated with the user, information related to network connections made by the user device, location information of the user device, and one or more groups that the user belongs to.
10 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions to install the identified browser extension include a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”) that the user device can use to retrieve an installation file of the identified browser extension.
11 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , the stages further comprising:
identifying one or more browser extensions installed on the unmanaged web browser of the user device;
identifying a plurality of users within an organization whose web browsers have the one or more identified extensions installed;
determining that a threshold percentage of the web browsers of the plurality of users have the one or more identified extensions installed; and
sending, to the user device, a recommendation to install the one or more identified extensions.
12 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the policy designates the identified browser extension as mandatory or optional, and the method further comprises:
in an instance where the identified browser extension is designated as mandatory, sending instructions to the user device to block network access if the identified browser extension is not installed.
13 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 12 , the stages further comprising:
in an instance where the identified browser extension is designated as optional, sending a message to the user device recommending that the user install the identified browser extension.
14 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the identified browser extension is provided by a third-party.
15 . A system for identifying a browser extension recommended for a user device, comprising:
a memory storage including a non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions; and
a hardware-based processor that executes the instructions to carry out stages comprising:
enrolling a user device to be managed by a management server by causing a management application to be installed on the user device, wherein the management server is configured to manage one or more applications, including a managed web browser, by sending instructions to the management application for enforcing compliance with security settings of the one or more applications, including the managed web browser;
determining that the user device contains an unmanaged web browser that is not managed by the management server;
causing a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) extension to be installed on the unmanaged web browser on the user device, wherein the UEM extension is configured to collect browsing data of the unmanaged web browser;
receiving the browsing data of the unmanaged web browser at the management server from the UEM extension on the user device, the browsing data corresponding to browsing habits of a user, wherein the browsing data includes website browsing history of the user of the user device;
comparing the browsing data including the website browsing history of the user to parameters of a policy that governs which of a plurality of browser extensions are required for accessing secure content with the unmanaged web browser;
based on the comparison, identifying a browser extension from the plurality that corresponds to the user's browsing habits; and
sending, to the user device, instructions to install the identified browser extension on the unmanaged web browser.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the browsing data further includes at least one of an average number of browser tabs the user has open in a web browser on the user device over a period of time, at least one category of a web site that the user accessed from the web browser, a risk profile associated with the user, information related to network connections made by the user device, location information of the user device, and one or more groups that the user belongs to.
17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions to install the identified browser extension include a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”) that the user device can use to retrieve an installation file of the identified browser extension.
18 . The system of claim 15 , the stages further comprising:
identifying one or more browser extensions installed on the unmanaged web browser of the user device;
identifying a plurality of users within an organization whose web browsers have the one or more identified extensions installed;
determining that a threshold percentage of the web browsers of the plurality of users have the one or more identified extensions installed; and
sending, to the user device, a recommendation to install the one or more identified extensions.
19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the policy designates the identified browser extension as mandatory or optional, and the stages further comprise:
in an instance where the identified browser extension is designated as mandatory, sending instructions to the user device to block network access if the identified browser extension is not installed.
20 . The system of claim 19 , the stages further comprising:
in an instance where the identified browser extension is designated as optional, sending a message to the user device recommending that the user install the identified browser extension.