The browser built to simplify higher education IT

Ensure compliance and modernize security with an exceptional user experience for all, from students to staff.

The way forward for colleges and universities

Higher education IT leaders need to manage diverse user groups, stringent regulatory compliance, and the challenges of distributed campuses and remote access. These demands often lead to a patchwork of security and IT tools that are difficult to manage and leave vulnerabilities exposed.

Island, the Enterprise Browser, changes that with robust security, flexibility, and user-friendly upgrades embedded directly into the browser. Whether maintaining GLBA or FERPA compliance, or enabling secure application access for faculty, researchers, and students across campuses and devices, Island simplifies IT management and strengthens security for a safe, modern academic experience.

What happens when higher ed organizations run on an Enterprise Browser?

Provide unified access for everyone in your institution

Support faculty, administrators, researchers, and students alike using role-based policies controlled directly within Island. You can easily tailor access and data controls based on user identity and device posture. Protect sensitive data, demonstrate compliance, govern AI usage and ensure academic integrity, all within the familiar browser experience.

Meet complex regulatory and compliance demands effortlessly

Protecting sensitive data like student records, financial information, and health records isn't just important—it's mandatory. Island simplifies compliance with strong data protection and security policies: dynamic copy/paste, print, and download restrictions, location-based policies to ensure data sovereignty, and granular activity logs.

Enable secure access across distributed campuses and remote environments

With Island, colleges and universities can provide access to users working or learning on campus or off site, without sacrificing performance or security. Replace VPNs and legacy access models with zero trust-based security, make BYOD programs a reality with isolated, policy-driven access to academic resources, and reduce reliance on costly hardware and networking tools.

FAQ

Does Island help universities maintain FERPA and GLBA compliance?

Yes. Universities face multiple data privacy requirements including FERPA regulations for student records, HIPAA for medical programs, PCI DSS for financial transactions, and various state privacy laws, all requiring both security architecture and systems to capture audit records that demonstrate compliance. Island embeds these controls naturally into the browsing experience, eliminating the need for complex integrations while protecting sensitive student, financial, and health information across all applications.

Can Island support our diverse campus community across students, faculty, staff, and researchers?

Yes. Island, the Enterprise supports faculty, administrators, researchers, and students using role-based policies controlled directly within the browser, making it easy to tailor access and data controls based on user identity and device posture. The Island browser supports the full range of user needs and easily onboards new users, combining user authentication, device inspection, and network configurations all within the familiar browser experience. Whether providing secure research data access for faculty, protecting student records, or enabling remote learning, Island adapts to each user's specific requirements without adding complexity.

Can we implement zero trust architecture with Island, the Enterprise Browser?

Yes. Island brings zero trust principles directly into the browser itself, providing a faster path to modern security that's instantly familiar and fully portable across device types. Island enables institutions to replace VPNs and legacy access models with zero trust-based security, make BYOD programs a reality with isolated, policy-driven access to academic resources, and support distributed campuses and remote access.

Read how the University of the Pacific initially planned 2-3 years to update its infrastructure and adopt zero trust architecture, but Island reduced that timeline by 1-2 years – and delivered everything at a significantly lower cost than the University had expected to pay for other solutions.

Can Island replace our expensive VDI infrastructure?

Yes. An estimated 34% of US higher education institutions currently use VDI to connect students with applications linked to the college network. Island, the Enterprise Browser, enables colleges and universities to reduce reliance on costly hardware and networking tools while still providing secure access to users both on and off campus. Island delivers many of the same advantages as VDI (complete control, enhanced security, and consistent access) without the heavy infrastructure requirements, high costs, and poor user experience that make VDI challenging for modern academic environments.

Is using Island an intuitive experience for our students, staff, and faculty?

Yes! When users launch Island, they immediately see university branding, applications, and resources. Island integrates with your university’s identity provider to reduce manual logins and make everyday tasks faster and more efficient. The Island browser is built on Chromium, so it delivers the natural browsing experience users already know and love while adding enterprise-grade security and productivity features that enhance rather than hinder their work. Students and faculty gain a smoother, more efficient experience, while your institution’s IT teams gain unprecedented control and visibility.