AI assistants are changing the digital marketing landscape. As non-human agents, embedded in web browsers and endowed with user-level permissions, they work invisibly. These “agentic browsers” do things for users, improving their productivity while opening up a much bigger security hole. The reality is that organizations are rushing to implement AI-powered tools. They must be willing to reset their security paradigms to address the complex issues these emerging technologies create.
Unlike service accounts, AI assistants have abilities, knowledge, and intent that empower them to perform valuable user-centered actions on behalf of users. This requires the security team to extend the same governance frameworks usually reserved for service accounts and API tokens. Traditional web security protections such as the Same-Origin Policy and sandboxing cannot effectively protect users when an AI agent has control of the browser. This lets the AI get around these protections with ease. To do so creates a classic breach point that would be immediately open to exploitation by malicious actors.
Understanding AI Browsers and Their Functionality
AI-powered browsers have taken the world by storm because of their productivity-boosting capabilities. Through automation of processes and enhanced intelligent responses, they make user experiences with web applications and content more interactive and efficient. Unfortunately, this convenience comes with its downsides. Unlike most enterprise software, these AI copilots work with user-level privileges, giving them the same direct access to sensitive information as any human user.
The implications of this are profound. When an AI browser evaluates input tokens, it evaluates all instructions the same. CEV These arbitrary requirements erode the difference between legitimate commands and dangerous hidden instructions and is a recipe for security disaster. An end user may not realize that they are inadvertently instructing an AI assistant to perform a specific action. This would jeopardize their data privacy.
Plus, the automation powers of AI browsers don’t just widen the lens of oversight – they erase those lines entirely. These agents are highly engaged with a wide range of websites and web-based applications. In doing so, they fundamentally undermine decades of secure web engineering developed to protect users from cross-site threats. Such disruption requires that enterprises reevaluate their approach to web security. AI is quickly proving to be an indispensable component of AI’s day-to-day operations.
The Security Breach Incident: A Case Study
The most well-known example highlighting the danger posed by AI browsers came in August 2025. Brave’s security team revealed an indirect prompt injection exploit involving Perplexity’s Comet. The exploit was the result of a secret command line written inside a Reddit spoiler tag. This incident is just one example of how AI assistants are able to be exploited without the user’s knowledge.
Such was the case when a victim just asked Comet to recap a long Reddit thread. The AI in turn unintentionally took direction from reddit.com. In the process, it scraped sensitive personal information from thousands of unique websites—including perplexity.ai and gmail.com. The whole process happened in a matter of seconds. This gives real-world credence to just how fast an AI assistant can move without your knowledge (or approval).
The ramifications of this incident go far beyond the privacy of one individual. This is a timely reminder to organizations adopting AI technologies. They need to understand that old security paradigms might not be sufficient. Just as these new AI-enabled browsers are developing, so must the tactics used to protect sensitive data and protect user trust.
The Need for Enhanced Security Measures
As these new AI assistants are rapidly incorporated into daily web surfing, so too should organizations adapt their security structures. Powerful, effective, dynamic SaaS security platforms can already integrate seamlessly and native with all sorts of SaaS applications. They automate vital containment actions, such as token revocation, integration disablement, and account quarantine.
Security teams would do well to consider AI assistants as privileged agents in need of strict oversight. It’s especially important to ensure that these tools do not operate outside of set parameters. This ensures they’re protected against unauthorized access, helping to prevent data leaks before they happen. Love it or hate it, organizations can take steps to mitigate the risks of AI-powered browsers. They need to adopt governance frameworks like those that govern other highly privileged accounts.
Furthermore, informing users about unique vulnerabilities that AI assistants may present is essential. It is important for users to understand the ways that their use of these tools can unknowingly leak sensitive information. Organizations need to create an environment that empowers employees to be more cybersecurity aware and proactive about their online behavior.