2026 State of Browser Security Report highlights AI integration and evolving threats

The 2026 State of Browser Security Report indicates that the browser has become a critical, yet underprotected, control point within enterprises, with 2025 marking a significant shift as AI-native browsers transitioned from experimental tools to mainstream business platforms. Over the past year, the browser has evolved beyond a simple gateway to SaaS, integrating AI copilots and generative AI tools into daily workflows, effectively becoming the operating system for modern work. However, enterprise security architectures have largely failed to keep pace with these advancements, leaving a growing blind spot where AI-driven work now occurs, as first reported by Bleeping Computer.

The report reveals that 41% of users interacted with AI web tools in 2025, with employees using an average of 1.91 AI tools per person. This widespread adoption has outpaced governance, leading to fragmented usage and employees often using personal accounts for convenience, bypassing security oversight. Sensitive data, including internal documents and code, is frequently uploaded to AI systems outside of traditional security controls.

Furthermore, browser-based attacks are bypassing conventional defenses, with phishing (29%), malicious browser extensions (19%), and social engineering (17%) being primary attack vectors. The report also highlights that 13% of installed browser extensions pose a high or critical risk, often requesting broad access to sensitive data. Sensitive data exposure is also occurring within trusted applications, with 54% of sensitive inputs sent to corporate accounts and 46% to personal or unverified accounts.

Source: Bleeping Computer