{"id":9421,"date":"2023-03-06T11:10:45","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T11:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/colortokens.vps3.simplesolution.dk\/?p=9421"},"modified":"2023-03-06T11:28:42","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T11:28:42","slug":"the-complete-guide-to-application-whitelisting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/2023\/03\/06\/the-complete-guide-to-application-whitelisting\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complete Guide to Application Whitelisting"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"9421\" class=\"elementor elementor-9421\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6b81e0d3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6b81e0d3\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7cd252a6\" data-id=\"7cd252a6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-58c4f820 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"58c4f820\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.20.0 - 26-03-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>As attacks grow more sophisticated and the number of unknown threats increases, securing business-critical applications has become more challenging. Applications are often targeted by various threat actors who attempt to exploit vulnerabilities for money and data. Application whitelisting technologies are specifically designed to address these challenges. By allowing only the\u00a0<span class=\"font-italic\">\u201cknown good,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0whitelisting solutions help organizations prevent zero-day attacks and unknown malware from gaining access to applications.<\/p><ul><li><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/blog\/application-whitelisting\/#nist\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The NIST View of Application Whitelisting<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/blog\/application-whitelisting\/#difference\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Difference Between Application Blacklisting and Whitelisting<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/blog\/application-whitelisting\/#attributes\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>6 Types of\u00a0 Whitelisting Attributes<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/blog\/application-whitelisting\/#benefits\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Benefits of\u00a0 Whitelisting<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/blog\/application-whitelisting\/#features\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>5 Features to Look for in a Whitelisting Product<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/blog\/application-whitelisting\/#whitelisting\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Whitelisting: The Bottom Line<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><h2 id=\"nist\">The NIST View of Application Whitelisting<\/h2><p>The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides a comprehensive overview of application whitelisting, including guidance to help organizations understand, evaluate, and implement the technology. The\u00a0<a class=\"link text-decoration-none\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nist.gov\/publications\/guide-application-whitelisting\" target=\"__blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cNIST SP 800-167: Guide to Application Whitelisting\u201d<\/a>\u00a0defines whitelisting as follows:<\/p><p><span class=\"font-italic\">An application whitelist is a list of applications and application components (libraries, configuration files, etc.) that are authorized to be present or active on a host according to a well-defined baseline. The technologies used to enforce application whitelists \u2014 to control which applications are permitted to be installed or executed on a host \u2014 are called whitelisting programs, application control programs, or application whitelisting technologies.<\/span><\/p><p>NIST provides a definitive framework highlighting the effectiveness of using application whitelisting as a security solution. When implemented properly, whitelisting is the most effective method of protecting your applications from known and unknown threats.<\/p><div class=\"related-post\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6 col-xl-5\"><span class=\"d-block\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-img mb-3 mb-md-0 img-fluid entered lazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/3061398.jpg\" alt=\"3 Key Takeaways from NIST SP 800-167: Guide to Application Whitelisting\" width=\"576\" height=\"190\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/3061398.jpg\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6 col-xl-7 d-flex justify-content-center flex-column\"><span class=\"related-post-title mt-md-2 mt-lg-0\">3 Key Takeaways from NIST SP 800-167: Guide to Application Whitelisting<\/span><span class=\"ct-theme-secondary-btn\">Read More<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><h2>The Difference Between Application Blacklisting and Whitelisting<\/h2><p>Application whitelisting is a form of application control that takes a trust-centric approach of allowing only the known good. Essentially, authorization is granted only to applications, files, directories, or processes that are classified as required and safe to execute. Everything else is denied by default. It is performed using attributes like file name, file size, and\/or directory path, etc.<\/p><p>Application blacklisting is a simple and straightforward security strategy where everything that is known to be malicious \u2014 the known bad \u2014 is prevented from running on endpoints and servers that are part of the network. Blacklisting takes a threat-centric approach to block all possible malicious software from taking hold of a network. It utilizes a list of signatures and hashes that have been deemed malicious or suspicious, so they are therefore prevented from being downloaded or executed on the network\u2019s systems.<\/p><div class=\"related-post\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6 col-xl-5\"><span class=\"d-block\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-img mb-3 mb-md-0 img-fluid entered lazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/WLvsBL.png\" alt=\"Application Whitelisting vs. Application Blacklisting: Pros and Cons\" width=\"576\" height=\"190\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/WLvsBL.png\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6 col-xl-7 d-flex justify-content-center flex-column\"><span class=\"related-post-title mt-md-2 mt-lg-0\">Application Whitelisting vs. Application Blacklisting: Pros and Cons<\/span><span class=\"ct-theme-secondary-btn\">Read More<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><h2 id=\"attributes\">6 Types of Whitelisting Attributes<\/h2><p>Application whitelisting takes advantage of a variety of application file and folder attributes to ensure that only vetted and whitelisted files and processes are allowed to run. Here are six types of whitelisting attributes that can be used to secure applications. Each of the attributes has pros and cons, which is why it is recommended that whitelisting uses two or more attributes.<\/p><h3 class=\"mb-1\"><span class=\"font-weight-bold\">1. File Path Whitelisting<\/span><\/h3><p>File path whitelisting is a common type of whitelisting that allows all applications in a specified path to run. File path whitelisting has two variations: 1) directory-based whitelisting, where every file in the directory and subdirectories are allowed; and 2) complete file path whitelisting, where only the specified file name matching the file path is allowed.<\/p><h3 class=\"mb-1\"><span class=\"font-weight-bold\">2. File Whitelisting<\/span><\/h3><p>The name of the file can also be used as an attribute. Filename whitelisting is often used in tandem with other attributes to ensure strong security. That\u2019s because when used as a lone attribute, filename whitelisting can fall victim to malicious programs that can relatively easily replicate filenames.<\/p><h3 class=\"mb-1\"><span class=\"font-weight-bold\">3. File Size Whitelisting<\/span><\/h3><p>The assumption here is that the malicious version of an application will have a file size that is different from the original. Like filename whitelisting, file size whitelisting is not a strong attribute in itself, but it can be used in combination with other attributes to protect the host.<\/p><h3 class=\"mb-1\"><span class=\"font-weight-bold\">4. Cryptographic Hash Whitelisting<\/span><\/h3><p>A cryptographic hash provides a unique value to an application file. Whitelisting using this attribute will ensure that only hashed files that have been whitelisted are allowed to execute, regardless of the file name, file location, or signature.<\/p><h3 class=\"mb-1\"><span class=\"font-weight-bold\">5. Digital Signature<\/span><\/h3><p>The digital signature of an application file can be a unique whitelisting attribute. It can be used to verify the authenticity of the file and, therefore, to conclude that the file has not been compromised.<\/p><h3 class=\"mb-1\"><span class=\"font-weight-bold\">6. Process Whitelisting<\/span><\/h3><p>Whitelisting can also be done at the process level by selecting only those processes that are relevant to run specific applications. Using process as an attribute locks down systems by allowing legitimate processes to run while preventing the execution of all other processes.<\/p><div class=\"related-post\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6 col-xl-5\"><span class=\"d-block\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-img mb-3 mb-md-0 img-fluid entered lazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/300.jpg\" alt=\"6 Types of Application Whitelisting\" width=\"576\" height=\"190\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/300.jpg\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6 col-xl-7 d-flex justify-content-center flex-column\"><span class=\"related-post-title mt-md-2 mt-lg-0\">6 Types of Application Whitelisting<\/span><span class=\"ct-theme-secondary-btn\">Read More<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><h2 id=\"benefits\">Benefits of Application Whitelisting<\/h2><p>Application whitelisting plays a key role in enabling organizations to protect and defend against a range of known and unknown threats. By taking a trust-centric approach, also known as a zero trust approach, it puts the control back in your hands by letting you decide which software runs on your endpoints and servers. By whitelisting processes, files, and\/or applications that are necessary for the business, you can proactively create a list of authorized files and software while preventing any other program or file from executing, thereby protecting your network from known and unknown threats<\/p><div class=\"related-post\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6 col-xl-5\"><span class=\"d-block\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-img mb-3 mb-md-0 img-fluid entered lazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/904.jpg\" alt=\"4 Top Benefits of Application Whitelisting\" width=\"576\" height=\"190\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/904.jpg\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6 col-xl-7 d-flex justify-content-center flex-column\"><span class=\"related-post-title mt-md-2 mt-lg-0\">4 Top Benefits of Application Whitelisting<\/span><span class=\"ct-theme-secondary-btn\">Read More<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><h2 id=\"features\">5 Features to Look for in an Application Whitelisting Product<\/h2><p>Not all whitelisting products are equally effective but choosing the right solution helps you secure your applications from malware, zero-day attacks, ransomware, lateral threats, and advanced file-less attacks. Make sure that the whitelisting solution you choose has the following five features:<\/p><h3 class=\"mb-1\"><span class=\"font-weight-bold\">1. Multi-Attribute Whitelisting<\/span><\/h3><p>Some common whitelisting attributes include file path, file name, and file size. However, these attributes on their own are not strong enough to prevent attackers from exploiting vulnerabilities. Look for stronger attributes like cryptographic hash and digital signatures, and then explore how they can be used within your network to secure endpoints and servers<\/p><h3 class=\"mb-1\"><span class=\"font-weight-bold\">2. Process-Level Control<\/span><\/h3><p>Solutions that allow you to whitelist individual processes afford a greater degree of control over your endpoints. By allowing only processes that are actually used by applications running on your endpoints, you can ensure that any malware is prevented from spawning new or unknown processes that could potentially compromise your endpoints.<\/p><h3 class=\"mb-1\"><span class=\"font-weight-bold\">3. Rule Settings<\/span><\/h3><p>As attackers become more innovative, they are finding new ways to exploit system vulnerabilities. To prevent zero-day attacks and file-less malware attacks, look for solutions that allow you to set specific rules that ensure that any deviant behavior, even by a whitelisted application, is immediately blocked and flagged.<\/p><h3 class=\"mb-1\"><span class=\"font-weight-bold\">4. Compatibility<\/span><\/h3><p>Legacy and unpatched systems are the ones that are most vulnerable and in need of a security upgrade. When zeroing in on a whitelisting solution, check if the solution can be deployed in and is compatible with the various OS software that is used within your network environment. A whitelisting solution that is compatible with such systems can protect them from attacks without the need for OEM patches.<\/p><h3 class=\"mb-1\"><span class=\"font-weight-bold\">5. Efficiency and Scalability<\/span><\/h3><p>When you\u2019re looking for an application whitelisting solution, make sure it\u2019s lightweight and does not degrade the performance of your endpoints and servers. In a world that is increasingly migrating to the cloud, a cloud-based whitelisting solution will not only ensure faster deployment but will also allow you to quickly scale across your network and receive real-time data on threats and vulnerabilities.<\/p><div class=\"related-post\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6 col-xl-5\"><span class=\"d-block\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-img mb-3 mb-md-0 img-fluid entered lazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Application-Whitelisting1.jpg\" alt=\"How to Choose an Application Whitelisting\u00a0Solution\u00a0\" width=\"576\" height=\"190\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Application-Whitelisting1.jpg\" data-ll-status=\"loaded\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"col-sm-12 col-md-6 col-lg-6 col-xl-7 d-flex justify-content-center flex-column\"><span class=\"related-post-title mt-md-2 mt-lg-0\">How to Choose an Application Whitelisting\u00a0Solution\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ct-theme-secondary-btn\">Read More<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><h2 id=\"whitelisting\">Whitelisting: The Bottom Line<\/h2><p>Whitelisting is a great security strategy to ensure that you have complete control of your endpoints and servers. However, it may also make your systems restrictive and put extra load on security admins who need to maintain and update extensive whitelists. However,\u00a0<a class=\"link text-decoration-none\" href=\"https:\/\/colortokens.com\/products\/xprotect-endpoint-protection\/\">powerful whitelisting solutions<\/a>\u00a0and whitelist templates can reduce the operational burden of initial deployment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As attacks grow more sophisticated and the number of unknown threats increases, securing business-critical applications has become more challenging. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9422,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cloud-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9421"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9438,"href":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9421\/revisions\/9438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/colortokens.simpledigital.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}