Page 126 - Cyber Defense eMagazine RSAC Special Edition 2025

Recent high-profile attacks illustrate this evolution. OAuth consent phishing campaigns harvest access
tokens through legitimate authentication flows. Browser-based cryptojacking and ransomware execute
entirely in memory without triggering endpoint detection. Advanced brand impersonation pages use
client-side assembly to evade server-side scanning. Malicious browser extensions with polymorphic code
steal credentials and easily bypass all traditional security solutions. These threats share a common
denominator: they execute within the browser environment where traditional security has limited or no
visibility.

The most concerning aspect of this trend is that conventional security technologies - secure web
gateways, cloud proxies, and even EDR solutions - fundamentally lack visibility into the browser's runtime
environment. They can't see DOM manipulations, track JavaScript execution, or monitor real-time
rendering that reveals malicious intent. This creates a critical blind spot exactly where organizations are
most vulnerable.

An effective 2025 security strategy must place browser security at its core. Browser Detection and
Response (BDR) capabilities that monitor browser-level activities in real-time have become essential, not
optional. These solutions provide visibility into the actual rendered content users see, detecting threats
that assemble only at the last mile.

While a comprehensive security stack still requires identity protection, cloud security, and endpoint
detection, these components must now integrate with and complement browser-centric security rather
than operating in isolation. The browser has become the primary battlefield for modern attacks - making
browser security the essential foundation upon which all other defenses must build.

Organizations that recognize this shift and prioritize browser security accordingly will be positioned to
withstand the continued evolution of threats. Those that maintain outdated security paradigms centered
on network perimeters or endpoint files will increasingly find themselves defending yesterday's attack
vectors while remaining blind to today's most prevalent threats.

About the Author

Dakshitaa Babu is a Security Researcher and product evangelist at
SquareX, where she leads the security research team. She has
contributed to bleeding-edge browser security research presented at
top conferences including DEF CON main stage. Her work on email
security bypasses, breaking Secure Web Gateways, MV3 extension
vulnerabilities, browser syncjacking and polymorphic extensions have
been covered by leading media outlets, including Forbes Exclusive,
TechRadar, Mashable, The Register, Bleeping Computer, and
CyberNews. Dakshitaa can be reached online at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakshitaababu/ and at our company
website https://sqrx.com/

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