What is Application Control?

Combatting Cyber Threats with Application Control: A Multi-Layered Defense Against Malware

Application control is a cybersecurity technique designed to prevent unauthorized applications from running on a system or network. This technique is often used in conjunction with antivirus software to provide a multi-layered defense against malware and other types of cyber threats.

In application control, access to applications is restricted based on a predefined list of permitted applications. Only applications that are on this list are allowed to run. All other applications are either blocked entirely or require explicit approval from privileged users.

Application control works by providing a security policy or rule set that defines the types of applications that are permitted to run. This policy can be applied at various levels, such as at the operating system level or at the endpoint level. The policy defines trusted or whitelisted applications that are authorized to run, while simultaneously preventing the launch of prohibited or blacklisted software.

In practical use, application control works by examining code signatures that are associated with application launchers. The unique signature, or fingerprint, of the code of an application is cross-checked with a list of trusted signatures that have already been approved by the administrator or organization. If the code matches, the application is permitted to run. If not, the software is blocked or requires manual-assisted approval. This technique is effective against malware that embeds itself within applications.

Application control is a crucial a layer in cybersecurity because most cybersecurity risks and threats are not neutralized by a single technique and require a multi-layer defense. This is done so that any potential vulnerabilities that are missed or circumvented by one protection method are then offset by the others.

Cybercriminals are always looking for vulnerabilities that allow them entry points into organizations and infrastructures. Allowing cybercriminals access leads to data breaches and data theft.

Organizations that use antivirus software on employee computers and electronic devices help detected and removed their malicious incursions. Antivirus software scans and inspects incoming files and data and marks anything that looks anomalous as questionable or suspect. Threats can still slip by antivirus, however. A case in point involved a CryptoWall infection where less than 5 percent of antivirus was successfully blocking its vulnerability opening office documents that required users to back them out and thereby, revealing administrative access usernames and passwords.

It is for this and other reasons that Organizations use barriers with multiple methods of thwarting cybercriminals invasion codes and work to stay abreast of updated strategies to the fore against Cyberattack strategies.

The demarcation between Application Control and Antivirus

In both cases, they aim to protect against unauthorized application and software access control. They both detect threats in different ways. There are several generic differences between application control and antivirus and how these solutions-work:

ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE: Protects against malware threats such as Trojan Viruses, ransomware, rootkits, worms, and spyware. When malware is detected, it is removed automatically, freeing your devices and computers of the huddled components.

APPLICATION CONTROL solutions Inspects what applications are run and audit capabilities such as registry access and command-line entry in addition to binary signing. Application control technologies do not prioritize or look for malicious code/viruses/malware in applications but maintain a form where regulatory/negotiated protocols are strictly enforced in preventing non-permitted applications from going active.

When considering the effects of one or the other’s deployment, the cost consequences kick in as antivirus software usually beefs up the positive case cost bars compared to the application control. The layered-vulnerability defense elements of specific attacks against an organization's software and hardware infrastructure for sites/portals/access should be kept in consideration.

In a multifaceted security strategy using layers of protection has consistently done better than employing individual methods on its own as Cyber attackers always look for vulnerabilities that allow them entry points. Since most cybersecurity attacks penetrate erstwhile secure infrastructures’ perimeter barriers the combined, multifaceted prevention-response encourages layers to improve the safeguard scheme for individual organizations striving for secure usage and to optimize mitigation benefits. Here, utilizing application control as an organic subset of the defense-in-depth method provides optimal security, reduction in attack-wages, ensuring security support without fail across the enterprise.

Certain application whitelisting tools will allow sophisticated ranking configuration. For such controls, a ranking or priority system would rank unique task-related programs and day-to-day tasks with related efforts the workplace team faces and rate them according to their licensing compliance conditions and outcomes.

In a Nutshell

While Antivirus is seen succeeding in defense against malware attacks adequately. Having it on its own and neglecting layering and optimized applications control may still create a perceived infrastructure chink within intended organizational control. As such, to harbor/gray-list non-permitted application usage resulting in administrator action taken where necessary in maintaining codes patterns that protect IT equipment assets and resources investment.


Combining application control with multi-layer security practices reduces the probability of cyber-attacks, thereby creating a borderless, safer work-environment both for companies providing managed security at enterprise levels of sophistication, making security systematic and comprehensive throughout the infrastructure strategy.

Application Control FAQs