Cybersecurity group Sophos has launched a browser-centred security product aimed at companies struggling to control data, applications and artificial intelligence tools in increasingly hybrid work environments, as enterprises reassess the cost and complexity of large-scale network security architectures.
The product, Sophos Workspace Protection, extends the company’s focus beyond traditional endpoint and network security by embedding controls directly into the web browser — now the primary interface for enterprise work — rather than routing traffic through centralised Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) platforms.
Sophos said the move reflects a shift in how organisations consume software, with employees spending most of their working day inside browsers accessing cloud applications, collaboration tools and generative AI services. The company positions the approach as a lower-cost and operationally simpler alternative to full SASE and Security Service Edge (SSE) deployments, which can require multiple vendors, cloud points of presence and specialised expertise.
The product is built around the Sophos Protected Browser, developed in partnership with enterprise browser company Island, and is managed through the Sophos Central platform. It gives organisations visibility into the use of unsanctioned software and AI tools — often described as Shadow IT and Shadow AI — a growing concern for executives seeking to balance productivity gains from generative AI with regulatory and data-protection risks.
“Security teams are increasingly impacted by complexity as hybrid work, SaaS adoption and AI tools expand the workspace,” said Mike Jude, research director at IDC. He added that browser- and endpoint-centric approaches are emerging as a pragmatic way to deliver many of the outcomes traditionally associated with SASE without the same infrastructure burden.
Sophos Workspace Protection includes a secure enterprise browser, zero-trust access to private applications, DNS-based web protection and an email monitoring add-on for Microsoft and Google email services. The components can be deployed individually or as a suite, allowing companies to tailor adoption based on risk appetite and maturity.
Chief executive Joe Levy said many existing SASE and SSE strategies had introduced complexity without fully addressing governance challenges around applications and data. Integrating Island’s browser technology with Sophos’ security stack, he said, allowed protections to follow users and data across locations.
Island chief executive Mike Fey said the browser had become “the control plane for modern work”, making it an increasingly strategic point for enforcing security and data policies as AI adoption accelerates.
Sophos did not disclose pricing or revenue expectations for the product, but the launch underscores broader industry efforts to simplify enterprise security architectures at a time of rising cost pressures and growing scrutiny of AI-related risks.
