Feature
Five-year-old startup Island has built a $4.8 billion business by solving a problem that has plagued IT departments for years: giving workers a browser experience that's both secure and actually enjoyable to use.
The consumerization of IT took a few years to catch up in the web browser space. At home, workers have Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox or even good old Internet Explorer. These provide speed, easy searching, simple copy-paste and effortless file transfers.
Yet at work they've been stuck with slow virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) that make basic tasks feel like pulling teeth. These company-mandated workspaces prioritized security controls and governance over the user experience.
Enterprise browsers (aka secure enterprise browsers (SEB)) aim to change the user experience versus data security equation.
SaaS and Remote Work Created New Problems
CISOs have been stuck delivering slow, awkward browser experiences to their users (how recently have you heard someone say something like "I'm sorry the system is so slow") while watching corporate data become increasingly vulnerable. Can't blame them — they've had to choose between security and usability.
The problem became worse as organizations moved to the cloud and the pandemic forced them to support remote workers on unfamiliar devices. Corporate data is now increasingly exposed through SaaS applications and distributed work environments.
But it's not just that workers are stuck with subpar systems. SaaS applications have become the worker's doorway to the web. And with working from home now the norm for many workers, corporate networks have extended to multiple locations outside of corporate IT’s control. Even businesses with strict security policies have to allow incoming connections from unsecured networks.
There are 57 billion freelancers globally, with 38% of US workers now in non-temporary gig or contract roles. More than 25% of devices connecting to corporate networks aren't managed by corporations. This includes workers' personal mobile devices and laptops. And get this, workers complete about half of their work through consumer web browsers that lack enterprise security controls.
This creates a huge security gap.
Because the browser is now a gateway to work and sensitive information, it's become a prime target for cyber threats. Regular browsers like Chrome and Safari work great for personal use, but don't provide the centralized management capabilities IT teams need to set and enforce policies across company devices. Without these controls, companies can't manage what sites employees visit, what data gets downloaded, or how secure credentials are handled.
Island's Enterprise Browser Solution: Built for the Enterprise From Day One
Gartner predicts that 25% of organizations will use secure enterprise browsers by 2028. Not only to improve security, but also to improve the user experience. "Security leaders can use a SEB to reduce risk and improve the digital experience," said Max Taggett, senior principal analyst at Gartner in a press release.
When Island co-founders Michael Fey and Dan Amiga started the company in 2020, their goal was to create an enterprise browser "where everything organizations need to work safely and productively is built in. And everything else is out of the way," Fey, Island's CEO, told Reworked. Island aims to deliver the user experience that CISOs, IT and employees want, rather than forcing them to choose between productivity and protection.
"Island was built for the enterprise," Fey told Reworked. "Instead of bolting on cybersecurity, controls and governance after the fact, Island has baked them into the browser." In other words, the enterprise browser becomes the main hub for controlling all web-based work and productivity from day one.
According to Fey, this approach delights both users and IT teams because it finally gives them what they've both been wanting: security without sacrificing usability.
Island is also DLP compliant, meaning it detects potential data breaches and prevents them from happening, thereby winning trust from the organization. For end users, there's also a built-in Island Clipboard, a screen capture snipping tool that keeps data in the browser safe, allowing for easy synchronization across various devices used by the end user and more. Fey also mentioned that the are looking at auto-populating where and when appropriate.
Established tech companies and other startups have also tried to reduce friction without sacrificing security, privacy and audit capabilities, but in some cases they have chosen to bolt on products to make it happen.
How Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine Uses Island
It's safe to say that Island's approach seems to be working. For a company that's around five years old, Island claims more than 450 customers and is valued at about $4.8 billion. Investors clearly think this is a big deal.
So does Island customer Brian Atkinson, chief information officer at Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM). Atkinson said that, for them, Island was "an absolute must.” Considering that ICOM is completely SaaS based, has a diversity of users (students, physicians faculty, supporting staff and more) and various standards to comply with (HIPAA, GLBA and so on), it's a lot.
Early on, Island's staff was on site at ICOM twice a week to help. "They taught us about best practices, AI, how to set up and use our chatbot. Even now they're here to support us about once a week," he added. Support, by the way, is free.
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Why This Matters for Enterprise Users
Enterprise browsers tackle security from multiple angles: web security, endpoint malware protection and defense against malicious extensions. They can also relieve IT from work that can be automated and help make the end user experience a delight. But here's what really matters: all of this is done without feeling intrusive and making work feel like a chore.
Editor's Note: Read more on the security challenges of the modern workplace:
- Addressing Cyber Risks of AI Collaboration Tools — From roofing firms to coffee shops, businesses are rethinking cybersecurity in the age of AI.
- How Security Service Edge Applications Enable Hybrid and Remote Work — Hybrid and remote work models demand higher levels of security. Security Service Edge applications are emerging as one solution. Here's why.
- How Collaboration Tools Fuel Rogue Content and Expose Security Gaps — The very tools driving speed and collaboration in today's workplace are also quietly spawning a new cybersecurity threat: rogue content. Here's what that is.
