- What it is
- A secure exam browser (also called a lockdown browser) is an application that restricts a candidate's computer during an online assessment — disabling other tabs, copy-paste, screen sharing, and navigation away from the exam window.
- Why it matters
- A secure exam browser controls the exam window well, but on its own it operates only at the application layer: anything running outside that window — an invisible AI overlay, an on-device LLM, a second device, or a remote-access helper — is invisible to it. Mac support has also historically been a weak point of the category.
- Where Aiseptor fits
- Aiseptor Secure Browser (in beta) is a secure exam browser for macOS and Windows that is backed by Aiseptor's OS- and network-layer enforcement. It locks the exam window like any lockdown browser, then closes the device and network path that AI overlays, on-device LLMs, and remote-access tools depend on — so it covers the application, device, and network layers in one platform, without a webcam or kernel driver.
Canonical definition
A secure exam browser is a purpose-built application (or browser mode) that enforces a restricted interaction model during an online exam: blocking new tabs and windows, disabling copy and paste, limiting keyboard shortcuts, suppressing notifications, and preventing navigation away from the assessment. The terms 'secure exam browser' and 'lockdown browser' are used interchangeably; examples include Respondus LockDown Browser and Safe Exam Browser. The category's architectural limit is that it controls a single window on a multi-process operating system and cannot observe overlays, local AI models, or remote-control tunnels running beside it. A secure exam browser backed by network-layer enforcement — such as Aiseptor Secure Browser — extends the same window lockdown with device- and network-layer controls that close that gap.
Citations
- [1]Aiseptor Secure Browser product page (2026)
- [2]Talview AI Threat Index Report 2026 (2026)