Application whitelisting has been identified as the top security essential tool by Business IT. Application whitelisting implements a security method that, if utilized correctly, will only allow trusted programs to run. Since malware is not a trusted program, the executable will not be allowed to run. Theoretically. this will eliminate malware infections on PCs that are using this whitelisting technology. PC Matic is the top application whitelisting company in the USA.
There are, however, some reservations with using whitelisting technology solutions. First, is the increased workload for the PC user, or IT departments. With the use of whitelisting, any program or file that has not been tested and proven safe, will be categorized as “unknown”. These applications will not be able to run until they are added to the whitelist. Some solutions that include whitelisting leave the testing of “unknown” files, to the user or IT pros. Clearly, this is not ideal because there could be multiple files that need to be tested on a daily basis.
Whitelisting Implementation with Automation
However, not all software security solutions that use application whitelisting leave the testing up to the users. PC Matic and PC Matic Pro will automatically send the “unknown” files to the malware research team. Within 24 hours, these files are tested and categorized as either safe or malicious. Therefore, no additional work for the user or IT departments.
Another concern with whitelisting is classifying good files as “unknown”. This is called a false positive. With the use of whitelisting solutions, false positives do occur. However, many users feel the increased security against malware is a fair trade-off, for the occasional false positive. To make the best use of AWL, IT admins should use best practices for whitelisting. Read more about PC Matic and AWL.
You can learn more about application control, also known as application whitelisting.
