User guide
Cloud Certainty Secure Browser gives you a web browser that runs in your organisation's cloud instead of on your computer. You see and control it in a browser tab. The websites you open never run on your device, and the remote browser is thrown away when you finish.
Signing in
- Open the portal address your administrator gave you, or the Cloud Certainty Secure Browser tile in your company's access portal.
- Sign in with your usual work account. Your organisation's sign-in page and multi-factor authentication apply.
You need a current version of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox or Safari on a desktop or laptop.
Starting a session
Choose Start secure browser in the portal. A fresh remote browser starts for you; this usually takes under a minute. When it is ready, the page shows the remote browser.
The portal also lists your recent sessions. If a session is still running, choose Resume to return to it, or End to close it.
Using the remote browser
- Mouse and keyboard work as usual: click into the remote browser and type. Keyboard shortcuts such as Ctrl+L, Ctrl+F and Tab go to the remote browser.
- To move the keyboard back to the toolbar, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+X.
- The toolbar at the top has:
- Full screen and Exit full screen;
- End session;
- Paste to remote, Copy remote text and Upload file, when your organisation allows them;
- a connection indicator.
- Selecting the product name in the toolbar takes you back to the portal. Your session keeps running until it times out or you end it.
- If your organisation blocks a website, the remote browser shows This page is blocked.
Copying and pasting
What you can do depends on your organisation's policy.
- Pasting into the remote browser: press Ctrl+V (⌘+V on a Mac) in the remote browser, or choose Paste to remote. Your browser may ask for permission to read the clipboard.
- Copying out of the remote browser: copy text in the remote browser as usual. A Copy remote text button appears in the toolbar; click it to put the text on your computer's clipboard. Nothing reaches your clipboard until you click.
If these options don't appear, copying in that direction isn't allowed for you.
Files and printing
- Uploading: choose Upload file, or drag files onto the remote browser. They appear in the remote browser's Uploads folder, so you can pick them in a website's file dialog.
- Downloading: download files in the remote browser as usual. When downloads are allowed, the file is saved to your computer through your own browser.
- Printing: print from the remote browser and save as PDF. When printing is allowed, the PDF is saved to your computer, and you can print it from there.
Some file types are always blocked, and your organisation may set a size limit.
When a session ends
A session ends when:
- you choose End session and confirm;
- you have been inactive for a while (you get a 60-second warning with a Stay connected button);
- you closed the tab and didn't come back in time;
- it reaches the maximum length your organisation allows;
- an administrator ends it.
When the session ends, the remote browser is destroyed with everything in it: open pages, cookies, history, and files you didn't download. The next session starts clean, so you need to sign in to websites again.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| "You have reached the maximum number of sessions" | Resume or end your running session in the portal, or try again later. |
| The session stays on Starting or fails to start | Try again. If it keeps failing, contact your administrator. |
| The session is ready but the screen stays black, or it keeps reconnecting | Your network may block the connection. Try another network, or ask IT to allow outbound TCP and UDP on port 443. |
| A website is blocked | Your organisation's policy doesn't allow that site. Ask your administrator. |
| "Access from your current network is not allowed by your organisation" | You can use the portal only from approved networks, such as the office or VPN. |
| "Did not verify your email address" | Your account isn't set up correctly. Contact your administrator. |
| The session ended unexpectedly | The portal shows the reason next to the session. Start a new session. |
| A website asks you to sign in every time | Expected: each session starts with a fresh browser. |
Something unclear or missing? Email [email protected].