In the rapidly changing environment of the modern web development cycle, security is becoming one of the most serious issues for developers and testers. The complexity of creating and deploying modern web applications leads to an increase in the number of vulnerabilities.
Therefore, cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly important part of the software development lifecycle, enabling enhanced protection and increased user data privacy. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to develop and test websites without worrying about security vulnerabilities? One technique that allows us to achieve this is called sandboxing. Sandboxing is a method of securely isolating an application, web browser, and code block. It prevents malicious or malfunctioning applications from attacking and spying on web resources and the local system.
In this article, we will explain what browser sandboxing is, discuss the advantages and importance of different types of sandboxing, and help you implement it.
In the real world, a sandbox is a playground for children, enclosed by walls. In it, children can play with sand without scattering it on the grass. Similarly, a browser with a sandbox creates an isolated environment in which users can download and install applications from third-party sources and work with them safely, even if they behave suspiciously. This allows a browser with a sandbox to protect your computer from additional security threats.
To prevent security breaches in a system or web application, developers must figure out how to deal with them. This is where browser sandboxing comes in. A browser sandbox provides a secure virtual environment for testing malicious code or running third-party software without compromising data or local system files.
For example, if you download a malicious attachment in the sandbox, it will not damage your system files and resources. The sandbox has a single-source principle, which allows JavaScript to add or modify elements on a web page while restricting access to external JSON files.
Today, popular web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Edge have a built-in sandbox by default. The main task of a browser with a sandbox is to protect the user’s machine from browser-related risks. Therefore, if a user downloads malicious software from a website, it will be downloaded to the browser’s sandbox. After the sandbox is closed, everything inside it, including malicious code, is deleted.
Sandboxing in a browser uses two isolation techniques to protect users’ web browsing, system hardware, local PCs, and networks:
- Local browser isolation
Local browser isolation is a standard browser isolation technique that runs virtual browsers in a sandbox or virtual machine on the user’s local infrastructure. It helps isolate data from external security threats and unsafe browsing. For example, if a malicious element infiltrates the browser, its impact will be limited to the sandbox browser and virtual machine.
- Remote browser isolation
Remote browser isolation uses a virtualization technique in which the browser runs on a cloud server (in a public or private cloud). With remote isolation, the user’s local system is free from browsing, and browser sandboxing, filtering, and risk assessment take place on a remote server.
Remote browser isolation uses two methods to isolate the user’s local infrastructure and web content:
- DOM mirroring: With this technique, the browser is not completely isolated from the user’s local system. However, the DOM mirroring technique filters malicious content and renders the rest of the content for the user.
- Visual streaming: This technique provides complete remote isolation of the browser. Visual streaming works similarly to VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) systems, in which the browser runs on a cloud server and the visual output is displayed on the user’s local machine.
Why is browser sandboxing important?
Modern web technologies are evolving rapidly, allowing users to develop and launch websites and web applications with ease. At the same time, the demand for web applications is growing at an unprecedented rate. According to an Imperva survey, web applications were the source of 50% of data breaches. Therefore, it is critical to have a secure, controlled environment, such as a browser with a sandbox, to perform operations without compromising local infrastructure and system resources.
Why is browser sandboxing important?
Modern web technologies are developing rapidly, allowing users to develop and launch websites and web applications without any problems. At the same time, the demand for web applications is growing at an unprecedented rate. According to an Imperva survey, web applications were the source of 50% of data breaches. Therefore, it is critical to have a secure, controlled environment, such as a browser with a sandbox, to perform operations without compromising local infrastructure and system resources.
Let’s say a user launches a web browser in a sandbox. If malicious code or a file exploits vulnerabilities in the web browser, its impact will be limited to the sandbox. In addition, the detonation procedure can help identify new vulnerabilities and ways to fix them in web browsers. However, if the browser’s sandbox is disabled, malicious programs can exploit web browser vulnerabilities and damage the user’s local system and resources.
Advantages of sandboxing
There are many advantages to implementing sandboxes in the web development process. Here are some of them:
- Sandboxing protects the device and operating system from potential threats.
- When working with an unauthorized party or supplier, it is better to use a sandbox environment. Before deployment, you can use a sandbox to test suspicious code or software.
- Sandboxing can help prevent zero-day attacks. Since developers cannot instantly develop a patch for exploits, zero-day attacks are dangerous by definition. Therefore, sandboxing eliminates damage by hiding malicious software from the system.
- The sandbox environment provides quarantine from viruses and threats. This helps cybersecurity professionals research and analyze risk trends. The environment allows you to prevent future intrusions and identify network vulnerabilities.
- Sandboxing applications are a hybrid solution, meaning they can be deployed locally or remotely (on a cloud server). Hybrid systems are more reliable, secure, and cost-effective than traditional solutions.
- Sandboxing and RDP (remote desktop protocol) systems help companies ensure secure connections to external networks.
- Sandboxing can be used in conjunction with antivirus software or other security tools and policies to strengthen the entire security ecosystem.
