Securing your data from a malware attack, should be your primary priority when it comes to data security. However, it appears a vast majority of organizations, both large and small, aren’t taking the preventative steps necessary to properly secure their data. With more businesses, educational institutions, government agencies and non-profits falling victim to malware attacks than ever, what will it take for IT admins to start doing something different. Like something that actually works.
Application Whitelisting
Application whitelisting is a security detection method that functions on the opposite premise of traditional security software solutions. Traditional security solutions use a blacklist approach. This is archaic and no longer remotely successful in preventing malware attacks. Here is why, the blacklist blocks only known bad files from running. Well, not all malware has been discovered and deemed bad. First, someone has to become infected. With the blacklist, there will always be a victim.
The whitelist only allows known, safe programs to run. No matter how many times malware morphs into a new executable, it will not run on a PC that is using application whitelisting as their primary method of malware detection. Here is why, malware will never be known as a safe program or file.
Information Security Buzz states,
“Whitelisting should be utilised to limit what executables are allowed to run within a system. This simple step is a powerful security tool as all malware in the form of an executable will be immediately prevented from running.”
PC Matic Pro and PC Matic MSP offers real-time protection with application whitelisting as its primary method of malware detection. This technology has been proven far more effective in preventing malware infections than traditional anti-virus solutions. In the most recent Virus Bulletin Reactive and Proactive (RAP) test, PC Matic scored a 99.97% in proactive malware detection. Compare this to the average of all RAP test participants, 64.35% proactive detection.
