Akamai Joins Growing Chorus of Vendors Betting Big on Secure Enterprise Browsers

Secure enterprise browsers are increasingly becoming a focal point for cybersecurity vendors, with Akamai Technologies recently announcing its acquisition of LayerX for $205 million.

Founded in 2021 and based in Tel Aviv, LayerX has developed a lightweight browser extension that enhances popular web browsers, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox, by enforcing security policies within the browser itself. This approach eliminates the need for users to switch to a separate enterprise browser. In addition to offering LayerX as a standalone product, Akamai intends to integrate it into its Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) portfolio. This portfolio includes solutions such as Guardicore Segmentation, Secure Internet Access Enterprise, Enterprise Application Access, and a multifactor authentication (MFA) access service.

The integration with ZTNA is critical because Akamai's platform governs application access but does not monitor user activity within the browser post-authentication, explains Mani Sundaram, the executive VP and general manager of Akamai's Security Technology Group.

LayerX is engineered to monitor each action, prompt, and interaction in the browser across software-as-a-service (SaaS) and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, enforcing security policies prior to the encryption and transmission of traffic. This effectively extends Akamai's ZTNA access controls into the browser session once access has been granted.

"LayerX possesses a robust product that we plan to present to our customers in its current form," Sundaram informs Dark Reading. "However, we envision a long-term strategy to integrate the combined ZTNA and LayerX model throughout a broader spectrum of Akamai offerings, including API security, AI/LLM protection, content delivery network (CDN), and Akamai Cloud."

Secure Enterprise Browsers as Hot Acquisition Targets

The Akamai acquisition, scheduled to finalize next quarter, exemplifies the growing trend of companies entering the secure enterprise browser market. Earlier in the year, Zscaler acquired the early-stage startup SquareX, while CrowdStrike added Seraphic Security to its portfolio.

Palo Alto Networks was one of the initial major cybersecurity firms to venture into the secure enterprise browser sector with its acquisition of Talon in 2023, subsequently enhancing its Prisma browser with advanced agentic AI functionalities last March.

"There has been a notable amount of M&A activity in these sectors, particularly among major vendors like Akamai, which provide secure access server edge (SASE) solutions for safeguarding SaaS application usage. These companies have recognized the necessity for enhanced controls at the endpoint and within the cloud," remarks Rik Turner, chief analyst in Omdia's security research group.

In addition to mergers and acquisitions, there have been substantial organic advancements. This week, Versa Networks unveiled a Secure Enterprise Browser that integrates its SASE policies directly into the browser workspace. This new solution is propelled by a Model Context Protocol-based zero-trust layer within its Versa Verbo AI-driven co-pilot, validating every action generated by agents against identity, roles, and policies prior to execution.

As businesses increasingly rely on SaaS applications, browsers have emerged as the primary computing interface, leading to a rise in demand for secure enterprise browsers. Gartner reports that 10% of surveyed organizations are currently utilizing secure enterprise browsers, a figure projected to increase to 25% by 2028.

Adding Control Points to the Browser Is Key

While LayerX operates as a browser extension that implements security policies within major web browsers, offerings like Palo Alto Networks' Prisma Browser and Netskope One Enterprise Browser are distinct and standalone Chromium-based browsers.

"LayerX was among the earliest, fully-featured browser security extensions," notes Paddy Harrington, a senior analyst at Forrester Research. "The company has made significant advancements in controlling data and access to AI through the browser. As an add-on, they effectively monitor and manage various aspects."

Sundaram mentions that he has been observing the secure browser landscape for some time, emphasizing, "The pivotal moment for us came when AI adoption surged across our customer base, revealing the necessity for distinct capabilities and tools that a secure browser could provide."

Sundaram asserts that the LayerX secure browser will empower Akamai with a significant control point for monitoring how employees engage with AI applications.

"Traditional control points in the SASE/SSE environment are often positioned at the proxy level, which can lead to performance challenges due to distance from where employees are operating," he explains. "Establishing the right control point directly in the browser, prior to encrypting any data, was essential for us."