How Is Binary Whitelisting A Better Option Than Antivirus Software

For many years, businesses and consumers take used anti-virus software to protect their computers from malware. As we meet in the news every calendar week, security breaches are now increasing in severity and regularity and with IT existence integral to how businesses work, security is a height priority for all business stakeholders. While some businesses continue to utilize anti-virus software, whitelisting software is becoming more popular and provides a more than effective method of security.

What is whitelisting and blacklisting software?

Whitelisting and blacklisting prevent malware only they practice this in opposite means.

Blacklisting software
(or anti-virus software) works by comparison files against a list of known threats. If a file is on the listing, then it won’t be immune to execute.

Whitelisting software in comparing, works by having a list of allowed files and applications. If a file tries to execute that is non on this listing, then it will not be allowed.

The benefits of whitelisting

The difficulty with anti-virus software (or blacklisting) is that is can simply protect against known threats. In 2014 lone, there were 317 million new pieces of malware according to a study past Symantec, which shows how fast threats are being created. Anti-virus software has to keep up and add these new threats to their lists and then if your business concern is attacked past a new threat that hasn’t been seen before and then it is powerless to stop it.
Additionally, this places a heavy load on your network (downloading new virus definition updates to every PC), and a heavy load on your PC’s (as they scan every file executed against a long listing of virus definitions to see if information technology matches).

The primal to whitelisting is that you simply have to manage a very short list and anything that is not on this volition not execute. This has a number of benefits from a security and direction perspective:

Merely
trusted files
and applications will execute, which means that whatsoever new threat will be automatically blocked – even if they’ve never been detected before.

Past being able to define what programs can run beyond the business concern, it makes it much simpler to uphold and maintain your
businesses IT policy
and have better command over your Information technology. Users cannot download unauthorised programs, personal programs or even unlicensed software without gaining IT assistants permission.

Whitelisting besides
reduces human error
and
accidental security issues,
such as any malicious files that are mistakenly downloaded or clicked will not run. Equally well as giving IT administrators peace of listen it also helps requite users peace of mind. Almost statistics cite homo error equally a big cistron of security breaches – due to accident or lack of IT and security cognition –and whitelisting reduces the worry and risk for general users.

The considerations of whitelisting

With any slice of software there are items to consider. A few considerations for whitelisting software include:

Management and maintenance
– Whitelisting requires some maintenance as the ‘whitelist’ must stay upwardly to date. If your business starts using a new application, this must exist added to the list and so it can be allowed.

Blocking desired software
– If the whitelist has not been maintained and then new applications or those that have non been identified equally safe, volition not be allowed to run. While this could cause some annoyance for users that have to request access, it could be considered an advantage by ensuring users only run business organisation-approved apps and do not try to download unauthorised software. As internal issues and user errors make up a big proportion of security bug, having this control over what staff can and cannot access or download will requite that additional level of security and help enforce an constructive It policy.

Testing
– With any solution, the all-time fit will vary from business concern to business due to different requirements and internal procedures. I final consideration around this is that whitelisting may non be an appropriate approach for those that carry out a lot of testing and demand to access and examination lots of new applications.

The bigger security picture

Whitelisting is an effective chemical element of security – but just having whitelisting software (or anti-virus) does not mean your business is ‘secure’. Whitelisting is only ane aspect of security and should be used as part of a larger defence in depth approach in combination with a mixture of other elements, such every bit firewalls, intrusion protection or behavioural analytics.

There is no ‘i solution fits all’ for business organization It and this includes security. If you lot want to discuss your businesses security, please contact u.s. and we would be happy to work with you lot to find the best solutions bachelor. We besides regularly write most Information technology solutions and trends – you tin can stay updated by following us on Twitter.