The Benefits Of Application Whitelisting
Introduction
Have you ever been in an event where you can’t enter because your name is not on the list of participants? You forgot to register in your excitement to attend this event. This scenario is very similar in concept to application whitelisting.
Let’s use the above scenario as a comparison. You can’t enter the event because your name is not on the participant’s list. You forgot to register. In computing, this list is what they call a whitelist. It contains the things which are accessible and usable for every user on the network.
Application whitelisting refers to a listing of allowed programs on the network. Programs not listed don’t have access rights. Deny all, permit some is the logic behind this. The opposite of this is application blacklisting. You can’t run, open, and use the programs on the blacklist. The logic here is to permit all and deny some.
You will know more about application whitelisting in the next section. You will also understand the importance of application whitelisting. You will know the amazing features of SecureBox along the way as well. You will learn the benefits of application whitelisting later in this article.
What Is Application Whitelisting?
An application refers to a useful program that fulfills tasks and meets human needs. A good example of an application is Facebook. It is a social media app that meets our socialization needs. It helps us connect with other people through posts, videos, and chat messages.
A whitelist contains all the allowed software, websites, and IP addresses on a network. Whitelisting is the process of allowing these things on a network.
Application whitelisting is the process of allowing certain applications on a network. An application whitelist contains a list of permitted programs on the network. You can’t open, run, and use apps that aren’t on this whitelist.
This application whitelist is always checked whenever a user tries to run a program. If the app is not listed, then the requesting user can’t open, run, and use it. They get an “access denied” or similar error message. If the app is on the whitelist, then they can run, open, and use that program.
We’ll discuss the importance of using application whitelisting in the next section.
Why Is Application Whitelisting Important?
Application whitelisting is important and also necessary. Imagine the consequences if there is no whitelist or blacklist on a network. Anyone can run, open, and use any application. This includes the cybercriminals who’ll likely infect your system with their malware.
That is one of the many reasons why application whitelisting is important. Think of this as a filter to limit the access of users on a network. Let’s explain this further using a business or work environment as an example.
An application whitelist contains the programs which employees have access to. Some people call these as client-approved applications. The management uses an application whitelisting approach because of many reasons. One is to avoid a security breach from happening.
Imagine the consequences of an employee downloading a program from the internet. This act may be intentional or not. In either case, the program downloaded could be malware. Implementing an application whitelisting approach would prevent this scenario from happening.
Those are some of the reasons why application whitelisting is important and necessary. You will learn the benefits of application whitelisting in the next section.
What Benefits Do You Get From Application Whitelisting?
You are now knowledgeable about the definition and importance of application whitelisting. It is now time to understand the benefits you get from using it. You will also understand along the way how SecureBox will help you.
Here are the benefits of using an application whitelisting:
You can spot right away any unknown program running in your network or system. Looking at the whitelist you can say when a program is a threat or not. If it is not listed then, it is not allowed. SecureBox will help you simplify the application whitelisting process. SecureBox also has an arsenal of reporting systems:
Malware threat detection reports
Network IP change reports
Application upgrade reports
Remote control detection reports
Application usage reports
License usage reports
Injection detection reports
Application uninstall/install reports
Email notifications based on reports
Another benefit of using application whitelisting is that it blocks most malware attacks. Would your network administrator list Petya ransomware on the whitelist? Of course not! So by default, this kind of malware attack is already countered before it makes any damage.
SecureBox is also a good antimalware program. It prevents, detects, and removes malicious software in your system. SecureBox defeats the following threats:
Viruses
Trojans
Worms
Rootkits
Spyware
Adware
Ransomware
Another benefit of using application whitelisting is that improves productivity at work. Your employees will have access only to client-approved applications. This means their focus would only be towards work. They are not distracted by other applications.
Conclusion
You now know what the definition of application whitelisting is. You also learned the importance of using application whitelisting in a network. You’ve become aware of the benefits that you get from using application whitelisting. You understood the value of using SecureBox as well. Sign up now and get a free demo!
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