Have you ever wondered how companies ensure the security, compliance, and productivity of their employees’ web browsing? The answer lies in browser management — a process that allows IT administrators to centrally manage web browsers across an organization.

In this article, I’ll be focusing on browser management on Macs and explore how it works, why it’s important, the benefits it offers, and how to customize and enforce enterprise browser management policies using automation tools.

What is browser management?

So, how does browser management on Macs work? Essentially, IT administrators can customize browser settings, install or block specific extensions, and enforce security policies to protect company data and resources. By doing so, they ensure that employees are using secure and up-to-date browsers that can protect against cyber threats. They can also enforce regulatory compliance by preventing employees from accessing prohibited sites or sharing sensitive data via unsecured channels.

In addition to improving security and compliance, browser management can also increase productivity by streamlining the browsing experience and reducing the time spent on non-work-related activities. IT administrators can deploy browser policies to specific user groups or devices, allowing them to control browser behavior and ensure a consistent experience across the organization. They can also remotely troubleshoot issues, install updates, and provide user assistance, reducing support costs and increasing efficiency.

Benefits of browser management

Just like any new security policy you put into effect, you’ll have to weigh out the pros against the cons to see if it actually helps your company or impedes its business. But to hopefully help you get ahead start on the pros list, here are a few higher-level benefits of enforcing browser management:

  • Security: Browsers can be vulnerable to security threats, such as malware and phishing attacks. Proper browser management can help mitigate these risks by ensuring that the latest security updates are installed and that employees are using secure browsing practices.
  • Compliance: Many industries have specific regulations and standards that must be followed, such as HIPAA for healthcare or PCI DSS for payment card data. Browser management can help ensure that these requirements are met.
  • Productivity: Browser management can help employees be more productive by ensuring that they have access to the right tools and resources, such as bookmarks and extensions, and that their browsers are running smoothly.
  • Standardization: In an enterprise environment, it’s important to maintain consistency across all devices and users. Browser management can help ensure that all Macs are running the same browser version, extensions, and configurations.

Using Chrome browser cloud management

When it comes to browser management on Macs, there are several popular browsers that can be customized and managed using policies. For example, Google Chrome offers a comprehensive list of policies that can be used to customize the browser, including settings for security, privacy, extensions, and more. Administrators can use these policies to configure the browser according to their specific needs and requirements.

To customize Chrome browsers with policies on Macs, administrators can download the Google Chrome policy templates from the Google website and extract them to a folder on the local machine. They can then edit the policy templates using a text editor to add or modify policies, save the edited policy templates to a location accessible to the Chrome browser, and apply the policies to the Chrome browser using a configuration profile.

Of course, Chrome isn’t the only option available for managing browsers on Macs. Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox can also be customized and managed using policies to ensure a consistent and secure browsing experience for employees.

Third-party tools for browser management

Enforcing browser management policies using automation tools is another effective approach that can save time and reduce errors. Automation tools can help deploy and manage browser policies across a large number of devices and users, ensuring that policies are consistently enforced.

One example of an automation tool for enforcing browser management policies on Macs is Jamf Pro. Jamf Pro is a device management solution designed specifically for Apple devices, including Macs. It offers a range of features for managing and securing Macs, including browser management.

With Jamf Pro, administrators can create custom browser configurations for managed devices, including browser settings, bookmarks, and extensions. These configurations can be applied to individual devices or groups of devices, allowing administrators to tailor the browsing experience to the needs of specific users or departments. In addition, Jamf Pro can enforce policies that prevent users from installing or using unauthorized browsers or extensions, ensuring that only approved browsers and extensions are utilized across the organization. Administrators can also use Jamf Pro to remotely deploy updates and security patches to managed browsers, ensuring that they are always up-to-date and secure.

Browser management on Macs is an essential aspect of enterprise IT management that can help improve security, compliance, and productivity. By customizing and enforcing policies across the organization, administrators can ensure a consistent and secure browsing experience for employees while reducing support costs and increasing.