Prevent Malware and Unauthorized Software Applications with Application Control

Application Control Business Issues and Challenges

The battle to protect your network from malware is a costly, ongoing struggle taking up valuable IT resources and time. When a new malware threat appears, you have to stop what you’re doing and update your antivirus signatures immediately to protect your data, taking valuable time away from daily activities.

The threats aren’t going to stop and antivirus software alone cannot control the problem as malware threats are being developed faster than the necessary fixes. Malware has grown exponentially with approximately 33 million unique samples of malicious software in existence that could harm your network or business information¹ and targeted attacks, which are designed to specifically bypass antivirus solutions, continue to increase.

Organizations need a product that prevents the execution of malicious code, instead of one that requires time-consuming and reactive antivirus signature updates.

Overview

Protect your organization against malware attacks before they occur by proactively controlling the applications executing on your desktops, laptops, servers, kiosks and POS systems with Lumension Application Control, a primary component of Lumension Endpoint Protection solution.

Centrally manage, monitor, and control applications with a whitelist approach that allows only authorized applications to run ensuring no malware, spyware, keyloggers, Trojans, worms, viruses, zero-day threats and unwanted or unlicensed software will execute on your network and disrupt your business.

Lumension Application Control provides complete malware protection and increases IT and end-user productivity by preventing unwanted applications from causing configuration issues and consuming network bandwidth.

You’ll be audit-ready with a detailed audit trail of all application and device execution attempts along with proof that software licenses are in compliance. With no viral attacks to thwart, malware to hunt down, or incompatible applications to invoke the blue screen of death, you can spend more time on other projects instead of constantly fixing computers.

How It Works

1. Discover - Identify all executable files and devices, collect profiles and organize into pre-defined file groups. 2.Implement - Assign permissions for applications to run based on executable, user, or user group attributes. Use an application whitelist approach to ensure that only authorized and legal applications can run on a computer. When a user wants to run an application, the OS request at the kernel level is intercepted by the Lumension driver. If the user has rights, then access will be granted. If the application is not known or the user does not have rights, then access will be denied. 3.Monitor - Monitor the effectiveness of endpoint security policies in real time and identify potential threats by logging all application execution attempts and recording all policy changes and administrator activities. 4. Report - Demonstrate policy compliance and ensure software license compliance to meet Sarbanes Oxley, NERC, HIPAA, PCI, and GLBA requirements by drilling down on suspicious behavior for security or legal follow-up.

Features & Benefits

Key Product Features	Benefit
Application Whitelisting	Blocks Malware Attacks Eliminates unknown or unwanted applications in your network, reducing the risk of malware and spyware and ultimately improving network stability
Automated Application Discovery	Saves Time and Improves Security Provides flexible and fast options to create or update whitelists.
Standard File Definitions	Saves IT Operations Time and Effort Speeds and simplifies whitelist definition with classified, pre-loaded whitelist of all supported OS files.
Automatic Authorization of Software Updates	Simplifies Software Updates and Decreases Risk Eliminates risk of accidentally restricting user access to frequently updated Microsoft applications.
Script / Macro Protection	Enhances Security Policy Enforcement Extends application policy enforcement to include specific scripts/macros, enabling business without compromising protection.
Path Protection	Delivers Flexible Support for Files Provides flexibility to support executable files for which hash definitions are not useful or applicable (i.e. auto-changing .exe files).
Flexible File Authorization	Improves Network Stability Provides flexible and fast option to identify new and updated applications for review and ultimately to generate whitelists.
Local Authorization	Maintains Administrative Control and Increases User Satisfaction Delivers flexibility to the user, without giving up administrative control by allowing trusted users to authorize applications locally, while maintaining a log for your review.
Spread Check	Ensures Network Security Contains risk of malicious code spreading through network due to local authorization by disabling suspicious executables that are locally authorized on too many computers.
Highly Scalable Architecture	Adapts to Your Growing Business Provides flexible and scalable deployment options in large and complex networks with a three tier architecture.
Powerful Log Analysis and Reporting	Ensures Audit Readiness Demonstrates policy compliance and drills down on suspicious behavior for legal or management follow up.
Offline Computer Protection	Delivers On-going Protection Ensures that remote/ disconnected users are constantly protected by keeping a local copy of updated hashes and permissions on each machine.
Active Directory and eDirectory Support	Reduces IT Operations Time and Effort Reduces setup and maintenance of users and user groups by leveraging definitions in existing Active Directory and eDirectory.
Multi-Language Support	Delivers Support for International Use Improves user experience in international organizations. Supports 12 languages on Application Control client machines.