• Browsers have evolved into high-risk gateways for corporate data, making them prime targets for robust Data Loss Prevention (DLP) strategies.
• Legacy browser extensions fell short on reliability and coverage, prompting a shift to native DLP APIs that offer seamless, real-time protection.
• With Symantec DLP 25.1 now supporting Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge for Business, and Mozilla Firefox for Enterprise via native APIs, security teams gain unified, low-overhead control over sensitive data across 75% of the global browser market.

Behold the trusty web browser: workhorse of the enterprise. It’s where employees share documents, conduct research and collaborate in SaaS apps. And more and more, it’s where they interact with generative AI. The browser’s central role makes it one of the most important—and riskiest—gateways to corporate data.

This comes as no surprise to security teams in charge of Data Loss Prevention (DLP) efforts. Endpoint DLP solutions monitor what employees upload, paste, or print from the browser, applying policies that can block sensitive transfers, notify users of violations, or silently capture incidents for audit. Yet for all its importance, monitoring browser activity hasn’t always been reliable. In this blog, we’ll discuss how browsers have long been a data security risk, and how that’s changing as of today.

Why extensions weren’t enough

The traditional way to integrate with browsers was through extensions. This approach worked, but it came with serious drawbacks:

• Performance and reliability issues. Extensions offered limited visibility, resulting in incomplete monitoring, while DLL injection sometimes caused crashes.
• Coverage gaps. Printing sensitive information or monitoring file uploads to web pages that dynamically load HTML elements were blind spots that extensions couldn’t address.
• Overhead for IT. Admins had to manage extension deployment, updates, and compatibility across a variety of web apps and browsers.

The result was an experience that sometimes put security teams a step behind: racing to patch breakages after browser updates, while risking temporary non-compliance or data exposure.

A new model: native browser APIs

The shortcomings of extensions led browser vendors to build purpose-built DLP APIs. These integrations create a direct line between the browser and the endpoint DLP agent, without relying on code injection or fragile extensions.

Symantec was the first DLP partner to work with Google Chrome Enterprise on this model in 2022, with Google bestowing its coveted Chrome Enterprise Recommended status on Symantec Endpoint DLP a year later. That collaboration introduced the Content Analysis Connector (CAC) in Chrome, enabling the DLP endpoint agent to inspect uploads, downloads, and other activity locally on the user’s machine. The benefits were immediate: uninterrupted coverage, same-day support for new browser versions, and expanded visibility into previously unsupported use cases.

Now, the same approach is expanding to two other major enterprise browsers.

Expanding to Edge and Firefox

With the release of Symantec DLP 25.1, native API integrations are now available for both Microsoft Edge for Business and Mozilla Firefox for Enterprise. This brings the same level of stability, visibility, and policy enforcement that enterprises have relied on with Chrome—now extended to more of the browsers their users depend on every day.

Earlier this year, Microsoft introduced security connectors in Edge for Business, naming Symantec among the first partners in preview for Data Loss Prevention. Edge for Business positions itself as a secure enterprise browser, optimized for AI, that extends existing Microsoft 365 security investments at no additional cost. Symantec’s integration plugs directly into that story, giving enterprises advanced control over sensitive data movement in a browser that’s rapidly gaining ground in regulated industries like financial services.

With Firefox 138, Mozilla has made a decisive move for the enterprise by adopting the Content Analysis SDK, the same protocol pioneered in Chrome. This upgrade gives Firefox a stable, transparent, and enterprise-ready foundation for DLP. Paired with Symantec DLP 25.1, organizations that choose Firefox for its flexibility and trusted enterprise pedigree gain consistent, reliable protection across the browser ecosystem.

What it means for security teams

Native API integrations across Chrome, Edge for Business, and Firefox deliver three things enterprises have been asking for:

1. Stronger and more expansive coverage. Sensitive file uploads, paste activity, and even printing actions can now be consistently monitored—across more browsers and web apps. (As of July 2025, the three supported browsers together claimed 75.49% of the global browser market.)
2. Lower overhead. Configuration is minimal. Security teams don’t have to wrangle extension updates or risk losing visibility with each browser release.
3. Better user experience. Users get clear, timely notifications if they’re about to violate a policy—whether that means blocking the action, giving them the option to cancel, or simply logging the incident. This intuitive experience protects data without eroding productivity.

Now more security teams can have confidence that their DLP policies will hold, regardless of how quickly browser vendors roll out new features or security updates.

Looking ahead

The phrase “enterprise browser” may have started as shorthand for Chrome Enterprise, but it’s now part of the broader lexicon and is relevant to businesses of every size. Microsoft Edge for Business uses the term as more secure browsing solutions arrive to defend against threats that target web users. Mozilla took the same step with Firefox 138 to give enterprises a stable, proven model for DLP integration. With Symantec DLP 25.1, security teams now have a unified way to extend endpoint DLP protections and policies across all major enterprise browsers.

The browser has fully grown into its role as a frontline security layer—one where native DLP integration is fast becoming the standard, not the exception. For security teams, that means less overhead, stronger coverage, and greater confidence that their most sensitive data stays where it belongs.

Learn more about how we’re making it possible to work in a connected world without compromising data security.