The rise in frequency and efficiency of cyberattacks has many organizations searching for new security solutions. The traditional models of authenticating users, trusting approved devices, and deploying tools to detect malicious activity are no longer sufficient.
AI tools have proved useful for defenders looking for weaknesses and streamlining operations, but they’ve been just as useful to attackers. Phishing emails and fake websites are more convincing, leading to spikes in credential theft, and agentic AI has made it easier for less-skilled threat actors to launch sophisticated attacks.
This is why many organizations are embracing a Zero Trust architecture. The rise in AI-boosted attacked has even led to the governments across the U.S., UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand to recommend a Zero Trust approach.
Zero Trust focuses on continuous verification instead of implicit trust, and one of the most critical Zero Trust tools is application control.
What is application control?
Application control is a set of security tools that regulate which software, scripts, and code can run. Instead of waiting to detect malicious code, application control only permits known, trusted applications to run, blocking everything else by default.
This preventative approach can govern:
- Approved applications
- Software updates and installers
- Scripts and macros
- Child processes
- Administrative tools
- Dynamic-link libraries (DLLs)
With application control policies, a trusted baseline is established, and the focus is on consistent enforcement across the environment, instead of chasing new threats.
How Zero Trust application control works
Zero Trust application control focuses on three controls:
- What can run
- What it can do
- How it can be elevated
Allowlisting: Start with controlling what can run
The first step in application control is allowlisting, or whitelisting, to determine what software can execute.
This is particularly crucial with the rise in credential theft attacks. An attacker may use stolen credentials to log into the system, but once they try to launch a malicious script or download ransomware, allowlisting provides a critical verification layer. Every executable must be reviewed and authorized before it can run.
In a Zero Trust model, trust is never granted automatically, even after a valid login.
Containment: Reduce the attack surface
After deciding which applications can run, it’s important to determine what each of these applications is allowed to do.
The Zero Trust model assumes compromise and enforces preventative policies accordingly. In the case of application containment, this means restricting an application’s behavior after execution.
Limiting what files and registry locations each application can read or modify, limiting application-to-application interactions, and limiting internet and network connectivity.
This limits an attacker's ability to move laterally through an environment or exfiltrate data.
Least privilege access: Policy-based elevation
Least privilege ensures users receive only the access necessary to perform their jobs.
Historically, all users would be granted administrator privileges, but a Zero Trust mindset knows that attackers can use those same privileges to access data they shouldn’t, run software a standard user wouldn’t have the permissions for, and access support tools.
Zero Trust operates on the principle of least privilege and Just-in-Time access to grant elevated privilege only when needed and only for a specific time.
This significantly reduces opportunities for misuse or abuse of stolen credentials.
Common threats application control helps prevent
Ransomware
Ransomware can be delivered through phishing, downloads, compromised credentials, and exploited vulnerabilities, but it depends on being able to execute.
Allowlisting stops ransomware before it’s able to execute, which means it’s not able to encrypt files or data.
Malware and trojans
Traditional malware depends on users unknowingly opening injected files or installing malicious software.
Application control blocks these unauthorized downloads whether they come through an email attachment, USB device, third-party software, or web download.
In this instance, application control accounts for users making mistakes or being phished to prevent compromise.
Fileless attacks and scripts
Modern attacks typically attempt to abuse trusted tools and applications. PowerShell is frequently a target because of its widespread use.
The application containment element of application control prevents this abuse by controlling what each app is allowed to do and preventing attackers from misusing them.
Stolen credentials
Cybercriminals can use phishing to steal credentials or purchase previously stolen credentials to log into a network as a legitimate user.
This is where application control becomes crucial.
Even if the user appears to be legitimate, with the proper least privilege, application containment, and allowlisting controls in place, they are unable to install malware, move laterally through the environment, or access highly sensitive files.
Application control vs. detection-based security
Application control is not a replacement for EDR or XDR solutions. Instead, it is meant to add a preventative layer to your security stack.
Detection tools identify suspicious behavior after the activity has already begun. These tools typically depend on known malware signatures, post-execution monitoring, or behavioral analysis.
New attack techniques are appearing daily, many of them designed to evade traditional detection controls, while AI-generated malware and zero-days further complicate detection efforts.
Application control focuses on prevention first. Instead of thinking, “How quickly can we identify and respond to the threat?” application control says, “We won’t allow the threat to run at all.”
Detection and incident response are crucial to any organization’s security stack, but adding preventative controls reduces the likelihood that security teams will need to respond to a successful threat and decreases alert fatigue.
Best practices for implementing application control
Successful implementation of application control balances security needs with operational efficiency, and like implementing Zero Trust, requires buy-in from all departments.
The first step is to gain visibility of all the software currently running in your environment and establish a baseline of necessary, trusted applications.
Next, pair your allowlisting policies with least privilege access and application containment policies. Users should only be given access to the tools and files they need to perform their jobs. This drastically reduces the risk of stolen credentials.
Even with the right prevention controls in place, Zero Trust security means assuming a breach. This makes continuous behavioral monitoring and policy refinement a crucial element of application control.
Zero Trust begins at execution
Whether an attack involves ransomware, malicious scripts, or insider misuse, attackers must eventually run code to achieve their objectives.
Application control stops any unauthorized software before it can operate and further prevents unauthorized actions by certain users and tools to reduce risk, minimize attack surfaces, and prevent a single account compromise from becoming a full environment breach.
As more organizations adopt Zero Trust, application control is becoming one of the most powerful ways to put the principle of “never trust, always verify” into action.
Want to see how application control can help enforce Zero Trust across your environment? Download our brochure Your guide to industry-leading application control.
