Island Technology Inc. is updating its namesake web browser with new cybersecurity capabilities designed to block malware and other online threats.

Dallas-based Island is backed by $285 million in venture funding. The startup’s browser, which is based on the same open-source engine as Google Chrome, is specifically designed for the enterprise market. It allows companies to protect employees from malicious websites and prevent unauthorized data sharing, as well as encrypt connections to business applications. 

The company is now rolling out a new set of cybersecurity capabilities called Self-Protection for the Enterprise Browser. According to Island, the feature bundle will shield installations of its browser from a range of malware varieties. Additionally, the update will make it more difficult for hackers to intercept users’ network traffic.

“The innovation within Island Self-Protection represents a fundamentally new approach to how organizations with highly valuable data can think of using the browser as a critical asset within their architecture, and finally begin to stop attacks at the point of impact,” said co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Mike Fey.

Many malicious programs log users’ keystrokes in an attempt to steal passwords and other sensitive data. According to Island, its browser generates false keystrokes to prevent such eavesdropping. The false data is mixed with the text typed by the user in a way that makes it difficult for hackers to extract useful information.

Island says that its new cybersecurity features also block malicious screen capture attempts. Moreover, the technology blocks the installation of browser extensions not approved by a company’s administrators.

Another set of new breach prevention tools will shield users from attempts to tamper with their Island installations. 

A browser comprises multiple program files that can theoretically be modified by hackers to facilitate cyberattacks. According to Island, its browser can now detect tempering attempts and shut down automatically to prevent breaches. For added measure, it encrypts sensitive user data such as cookies.

In particularly sophisticated cyberattack campaigns, hackers analyze the code of the program they’re seeking to breach for vulnerabilities. Such vulnerability searches are often carried out with a debugger, a type of software tool used by developers to find technical issues in code. Island is rolling out a mechanism that makes its browser’s code more difficult to analyze using a debugger.

Hackers don’t necessarily require an application vulnerability to steal data. In some cases, an incorrectly configured security setting can also open the door to cyberattacks. Island says its newly introduced cybersecurity update addresses that risk as well.

The browser checks that the device on which it’s installed is configured in accordance with a company’s cybersecurity rules. Island can, among other things, determine whether the endpoint management program running on an employee computer is up to date. If users visit an untrusted website, some of the browser’s JavaScript code processing settings are changed to reduce the attack surface.

Hackers can theoretically also steal business data by compromising the network to which an employee device is connected. To address that possibility, Island is rolling out a tool capable of detecting attempts to intercept network traffic. The company says the tool mitigates the risk posed by insecure Wi-Fi routers.

Image: Island