What Is Application Whitelisting?

If you’ve worked in cybersecurity, then you might be familiar with whitelisting. See our article ‘What Does Whitelisting Mean?’ to know more about whitelisting [What does whitelisting mean article here]. It is pretty popular in the realm of enterprise security.  Today we’ll discuss application whitelisting and its related content.

Application whitelisting is a method of restricting the programs that can run on a computer. It’s often used to prevent malware from running and infecting the machine. 

Application whitelisting is typically implemented as part of an organization’s defence-in-depth strategy, which means it’s layered with other security controls such as antivirus software, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems. 

How Does Application Whitelisting Work?

This technique works by specifying the “whitelist” of programs that are allowed while blocking all others.

Application whitelisting is a process of software restriction that can be used to limit which applications are allowed to run on a system. An application whitelist may only allow specific software programs or define an execution rule for applications not on the list. 

The goal of whitelisting is to reduce bugs and issues caused by running untested code while still allowing legitimate software to run without interference.

Benefits Of Application Whitelisting

The benefits of application whitelisting are numerous. 

1. Application whitelisting is simple enough for users to put into practice without the assistance of IT staff members. Moreover, it protects against infections because it disables programs after they reach your computer. This can save you time and protect your data, private or otherwise.
2. Application whitelisting protects against zero-day threats because the entire file must be trusted before allowing it to run. While this isn’t foolproof, it helps make your computer more secure.

Application whitelisting also helps control your network by prohibiting unknown files from running on your computer. This can keep you protected after opening an email attachment, downloading a program, or clicking on a malicious website link.

3. Application whitelisting requires no user interaction to work its magic. This means that it will not interfere with your daily internet activity. However, it can be configured to block specific applications or files that are known to cause problems. 

For instance, you may wish to prevent users from using the Registry Editor on your computer because doing so can cause severe damage if accidentally performed incorrectly.

4. Another benefit of application whitelisting is that it doesn’t slow down your computer in any way. This is because it only examines programs that are known to be safe and allow them to run immediately. If you’re worried about performance, application whitelisting won’t affect your computer’s speed or efficiency.

Drawbacks Of Application Whitelisting

1. Application whitelisting can’t be effective unless you know the names of every application you wish to use. This means that if a user doesn’t know the name of a program, they won’t use it. Fortunately, a lot of programmers provide a list of their programs for download on their websites. If this isn’t available, you’ll need to contact them directly and ask about their preferred methods for protection.
2. Another drawback is that it may be difficult to uninstall applications from your computer if they’re blocked by whitelisting software. You’ll need to enlist the help of an IT professional or temporarily lift the restrictions for this purpose to accomplish this task, which could cause other vulnerabilities in your program. 

If you’ve downloaded a new program and are testing its effectiveness, application whitelisting may block it from running on your computer. This means that if the program is determined to be safe enough to put into use, you’ll need to uninstall the existing one and reinstall it with greater security measures enabled.

Why Should I Use Application Whitelisting Software To Secure My Company’s Network And Devices?

The application whitelisting software should be used to secure a company’s network and devices to protect the organization from unwanted applications. The application whitelisting software can help make a company’s devices more secure. If unknown programs are not allowed, then your data will stay protected from the hacker. 

The company that allows its employees to download any program from the internet could have their information exposed. Another benefit is that it will reduce the number of viruses on the computer by blocking unknown files from running on these devices. This means that it will also reduce your time fixing your computer because you won’t have as many infections to remove.

Common Misconceptions About Application Whitelisting

1. The most common misconception is that application whitelisting will not allow any files to be accessed. This is false because it may block specific applications or files from accessing your computer if they are known to be problematic.
2. Another common misconception about the software is that it will slow down your computer’s performance, which is incorrect.
3. Lastly, a common misconception about these programs is that users will need to uninstall old programs from their machine before installing new ones, but this isn’t true as long as the senior program doesn’t interfere with the new one.

Other Security Measures That Can Be Taken With Application White-listing Software

Application whitelisting can be used in conjunction with other security measures to create an effective system. These additional security measures include installing antivirus software, using firewalls, and adding passwords to protect your data.

Conclusion

Application Whitelisting is a security measure that allows you to control which applications are allowed on your computer. It works by examining programs that are known to be safe and allowing them to run immediately. If they’re not, it will block these files from running. The drawbacks associated with Application Whitelisting can usually be resolved with the help of an IT professional or temporarily lifting restrictions for uninstallation purposes only.