Just as you notice who comes and goes in your physical business, you should pay close attention to the movement in the virtual side of your company. Implementing whitelisting and blacklisting helps monitor and safeguard your cyber presence.
These techniques control which sources or applications can access an asset or system. A source or application refers to things like users, email accounts, or devices, and an asset or system can be anything from networks and databases to firewalls. We’ll tackle the question of whitelisting vs. blacklisting and help you choose the best protection for your organization.
Whitelisting
What It Is and How It Works
Whitelisting permits only pre-approved applications to run on a system. Companies create a list of trusted software and deny access to anything not explicitly on the list. This proactive defense mechanism serves to avoid unauthorized or harmful applications. Think of a hostess at an upscale restaurant that will only let in patrons who have a reservation.
Setting up a whitelist requires you to specify the attributes of sources that are permitted to access the asset. Attributes include things like file size, file name, file path, and digital signature.
For example, you may decide to accept only files of a certain size with a certain naming convention—but this leaves room for hackers to create bugs or malware that fit that description. A digital signature is more secure, but can change with software updates, making it leave the whitelist. A combination of attributes for different whitelists is recommended.
When to Use
Whitelisting is most effective when you can clearly define which sources should have access to an asset.
Common uses of whitelisting include:
- Allowing only employees or company devices to access internal databases and networks
- Allowing only certain email addresses to send and receive messages within a platform
- Approving specific IP addresses for firewalls
Pros and Cons
Whitelisting offers enhanced security by default denying all non-approved applications, thereby significantly reducing the attack surface for potential cyber threats. This approach ensures a high level of control over the software environment, allowing organizations to prevent unauthorized access and maintain system consistency.
However, it is also extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming, as all appropriate sources must be added to all the associated whitelists. Every time a new employee joins the company or a new user needs to connect to a site, they will initially be blocked until the whitelist is updated. This slows down productivity if careful onboarding and notification processes aren’t developed.
Blacklisting
What It Is and How It Works
Blacklisting takes an innocent-until-proven-guilty approach: All applications can run on a system except those specifically flagged as harmful or unauthorized. Organizations compile a list of known malicious or unwanted software and prevent these applications from executing.
You can compare blacklisting to security personnel at a mall. The guard will let everyone in except certain individuals who clearly pose a threat.
When to Use
When comparing whitelisting vs. blacklisting, the latter is best when it is difficult or unnecessary to identify all approved applications, such as for external resources or public websites.
Examples of blacklist situations include:
- Blocking scammers from sending emails
- Denying access to inappropriate sites on computers
- Restricting a user from commenting when they’ve ignored community guidelines
Pros and Cons
Blacklisting offers notable flexibility, as it requires less initial setup and is much easier to manage compared to whitelisting. Because any sources that aren’t flagged have access, it’s more convenient for environments with a diverse range of software needs or where changes in employees, devices, and software are common.
However, blacklisting is less secure against unknown threats, as it can only block applications explicitly identified as harmful: You can’t protect yourself from something you don’t know exists. Blacklists must be updated often to prevent new or unrecognized malicious software from infiltrating the system.
Whitelisting vs. Blacklisting: What’s the Difference
The opposing strategies of whitelisting vs. blacklisting create a variety of factors to consider when deciding which approach to use.
System Performance and User Experience
- Whitelisting builds a more secure environment but can slow productivity due to consistent updates.
- Blacklisting offers a more seamless user experience with fewer applications blocked but may leave the system more vulnerable to new or unknown threats.
Maintenance Considerations
- Whitelisting is more labor-intensive, requiring meticulous updates and management.
- Blacklisting is easier to manage initially but needs frequent additions to keep up with emerging threats.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Whitelisting and Blacklisting
The choice of whitelisting vs. blacklisting depends on the specific security needs and operational flexibility of your business. Larger and more complex IT environments often find managing extensive whitelists challenging. Blacklisting, on the other hand, requires frequent updates to block emerging threats.
Additionally, assess industry regulations, your specific security requirements, and the types of threats you encounter. Industries with higher security risks may find whitelisting’s stringent controls beneficial, whereas others might prefer blacklisting for its adaptability.
Stay Secure with Run Networks
At Run Networks, taking good care of our clients with quality services and efficient solutions is our highest priority. Our cybersecurity services include firewalls, whitelisting, data backup, and more. If you’re unsure about using whitelisting vs. blacklisting or just think your cybersecurity needs an upgrade or revamp, you can trust Run Networks. Contact us today and let’s make a plan to keep your business secure.
