As government agencies struggle with aging software and unresolved vulnerabilities, application allowlisting offers a smarter way to prevent cyberattacks before they start.
When it comes to cybersecurity, most experts agree on one thing: no software is perfect. But the scale of software vulnerabilities across U.S. government agencies is raising red flags — and posing significant risks for national infrastructure and public safety.
A recent report from Veracode uncovers a sobering truth: 80% of government agencies are still operating with software vulnerabilities that have gone unaddressed for over a year. More alarming, more than half have persistent, high-risk flaws lurking in outdated applications and unsupported legacy systems.
These vulnerabilities — often referred to as “security debt” — continue to pile up due to limited budgets, constrained engineering capacity, and the use of decades-old technology that was never designed to meet today’s cyber threat landscape. According to the report, it takes government agencies an average of 315 days to resolve just half of the known vulnerabilities in their systems. That’s two months longer than the industry average.
This delay gives threat actors a wide window of opportunity. And for hackers backed by nation-states, that window is all they need.
The Critical Role of Application Allowlisting
While patching and vulnerability management are crucial, they can’t happen overnight — especially when systems are held together by legacy code and third-party software with limited oversight. That’s where application allowlisting comes into play as a powerful, preventative layer of defense.
PC Matic’s allowlisting technology flips the traditional cybersecurity model. Instead of trying to identify and block every piece of malicious software (a nearly impossible task given today’s advanced threats), allowlisting works by only permitting trusted, verified applications to run. Everything else — including malware, ransomware, or unapproved software — is automatically blocked.
This proactive model is especially effective in environments burdened by:
- Outdated software and unsupported applications
- Slow patch cycles and limited IT staff
- Heavy reliance on open-source and third-party tools
In short, it offers security even when patches are delayed or unavailable — a common reality across government systems.
Legacy Systems, Modern Threats
One of the key findings in the Veracode report is that many agencies still rely on legacy frameworks that don’t integrate well with modern security tools. These older systems are more likely to be misconfigured, remain unpatched, or fall outside of IT’s visibility altogether.
As Tom Kennedy from Axonius puts it: “Legacy government IT often lacks comprehensive visibility and integration capabilities, hindering timely identification and remediation of vulnerabilities.”
With PC Matic’s allowlisting in place, even older systems gain a powerful safeguard — no unauthorized program can run, regardless of how it tries to infiltrate. Whether it’s an exploit in unpatched software or malicious code hidden inside an open-source component, allowlisting keeps systems protected by default.
Third-Party Software: Small Footprint, Big Risk
Third-party and open-source tools represent a relatively small portion of total software used by agencies — about 10% according to Veracode — but they account for a staggering 70% of critical vulnerabilities. That’s because these tools are often outside the direct control of government IT teams and lack ongoing maintenance or secure coding practices.
This is exactly how state-sponsored hackers breached the U.S. Treasury Department in 2024, by exploiting a compromised credential linked to a vendor’s cloud support platform.
PC Matic helps neutralize these threats by ensuring only pre-approved, signed software is permitted to execute — regardless of the source. Even if a third-party app becomes compromised, it can’t harm the system unless it’s explicitly allowlisted.
Time to Rethink the Security Strategy
The cyber landscape is evolving faster than most agencies and organizations can keep up. With zero-day vulnerabilities and advanced persistent threats on the rise, security teams must think beyond detection and response.
Allowlisting doesn’t replace patching, but it buys you time. It prevents new vulnerabilities from becoming active threats — even when your software is behind on updates.
PC Matic’s approach is simple, scalable, and proven. Whether you’re protecting a federal agency, a local municipality, or a private-sector enterprise, application allowlisting:
- Reduces reliance on reactive detection
- Mitigates risks from unpatched software
- Protects legacy systems and unsupported apps
- Strengthens your defense against ransomware and malware
Final Thoughts
Veracode’s report paints a clear picture of the growing risks in public sector cybersecurity. But the answer doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. In many cases, it’s about making smarter decisions with the resources you already have.
PC Matic Application Allowlisting is one of those decisions. It delivers an immediate layer of protection, reduces exposure to zero-day attacks, and supports agencies with limited capacity to fix vulnerabilities on time.
Let’s stop giving attackers the upper hand. Allow only what you trust — and block everything else.
Want to learn more about how allowlisting can protect your network?
Explore PC Matic’s Zero Trust approach to cybersecurity.
