What Is Application Control?
Reviewed by Sanjay Raja · November 6, 2025
Application control is a fundamental security practice and IT management strategy in cybersecurity designed to protect against malicious code executing on systems.
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The main objectives of application control are to:
Ensure the privacy and security of data used by and transmitted between applications
Ensure the proper coverage, integrity, confidentiality, and availability of applications and associated data
Protect systems from cyber threats and enhance operational performance
Significantly reduce the attack surface, making it more difficult for cybercriminals to exploit application vulnerabilities
How application control works
Application control ensures that only approved code is authorized to execute. This approved code typically includes executables, software libraries, scripts, installers, and drivers. It acts as an endpoint security tool that decides what software can or cannot execute.
Application controls function as steps implemented within applications to keep them private and secure. They mitigate risks by placing various checks that authenticate applications and data before they are allowed into or out of the company’s internal IT environment.
Key approaches to enforcing application control include:
Allowlisting. This strategy permits only preapproved applications to execute, creating a controlled environment and minimizing the risk of malware infiltration. It is considered the strictest form of application control.
- Denylisting. This strategy blocks specific applications deemed harmful or incompatible, while allowing broader usage of other software. Relying solely on denylisting is generally less secure than allowlisting, as it cannot prevent the execution of new or unknown malicious software.
Application control functions
In addition to regulating software execution, application control involves various specific functions or controls, categorized by the flow of data or interaction.
Govern data inputs, preventing users from entering unvalidated information into the system by requiring adherence to a defined format or necessary authorization. They ensure data integrity feeds into the application system from upstream sources.
Verify that incoming data is correctly processed, involving validity checks to ensure data integrity and the following of established rules every time data is transmitted.
Safeguard data during transmission, confirming all necessary checks are completed before transmission and verifying that data reaches the correct user.
Establish which actions a user has access to, defining actions users can perform in the application (e.g., viewing, modifying, or adding data). This includes authentication (verifies identity) and authorization (ensures authenticated entities can access requested resources).
Guarantee data accuracy and completeness by validating input formats and checking for missing or inconsistent information.
Ensure records processing goes from initiation to completion.
Ensure data is mathematically and scientifically correct, based on inputs and outputs.
Application control features
Modern application control solutions include features necessary for policy management, compliance, and integration within the broader IT environment.
Application Inventory Management. Tracks and catalogs all installed software, providing IT teams with visibility and control over the full application environment.
Policy Auditing and Lifecycle Management. Allows organizations to define, deploy, monitor, and continuously refine application control rules.
Comprehensive Monitoring and Logging. Implements monitoring tools to track software usage and flag unauthorized access. Detailed event logs are generated for both authorized and unauthorized executions, essential for incident investigation and compliance reporting.
Role-based Access Control Integration. Assigns application permissions based on a user’s job responsibilities, limiting exposure points and bolstering overall system security.
- Contextual Application Controls. These controls adjust access based on specific parameters such as user location, device type, and time of access, dynamically tailoring security measures without interrupting workflow.
Application control benefits
Application control is a powerful and essential strategy that provides a comprehensive array of advantages across cybersecurity, operational performance, compliance, and risk management.
Benefit #1: Enhanced security and threat prevention
Application control fortifies endpoint security by proactively blocking threats and minimizing potential entry points.
Mitigation of Malicious Code. It provides heightened protection against malware and protects systems from unauthorized access and malicious attacks.
Reduced Attack Surface. Application control significantly reduces the attack surface, making it more difficult for cybercriminals to exploit application vulnerabilities.
Unauthorized Execution Blocking. It blocks the execution of unauthorized executables and applications and helps prevent zero-day and advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks.
Protection Against Exploits. It protects against the exploitation of unpatched operating systems and third-party application vulnerabilities.
Insider Threat Minimization. It limits the applications that employees can access, reducing the risk of accidental or intentional misuse of company resources.
- Data Safeguarding. It helps ensure the privacy and security of data used by and transmitted between applications.
Benefit #2: Improved operational efficiency and system performance
Application control contributes to a more streamlined and reliable IT environment by optimizing resource usage and focusing employee efforts.
System Performance. It enhances operational performance and ensures optimal resource utilization by eliminating distractions or misuse of unapproved software tools. It does this by blocking unwanted applications that consume valuable resources, thereby enhancing system stability.
Productivity. Application control reduces distractions by focusing workforce efforts on approved tools and workflows.
Network Reliability. Organizations can improve overall network reliability by identifying resource-intensive applications and configuring related traffic.
Bandwidth Management. By setting specific rules, organizations can prioritize bandwidth for business-critical apps while limiting nonessential usage, resulting in smoother performance where it counts.
Business Continuity. It contributes to overall business continuity and resilience by allowing IT to easily resolve incidents, automate regulatory compliance controls, and prevent change-related outages.
Benefit #3: Optimized visibility, management, and risk reduction
Application control improves IT management visibility and supports proactive risk strategies.
Application Inventory Management. It tracks and catalogs all installed software, providing IT teams with visibility and control over the full application environment.
Visibility Into Activity. It makes application activity visible, identifying applications by behavior or signature and allowing security teams to spot unauthorized software, see who is using applications, and catch suspicious behavior early.
Risk Reduction. Application control significantly reduces the risks and costs associated with malware and unauthorized application usage.
- Smarter Access Controls. It helps enforce identity-based policies, aligning with the Zero Trust model by ensuring only authorized users can access sensitive applications or data.
Application control best practices
Adhering to best practices is essential to maximize the effectiveness of application control. Key steps include:
Maintain Regular Software Updates. Organizations must regularly update and patch all authorized applications to eliminate vulnerabilities and ensure robust protection and optimal functionality. Automated patch management tools should be used for consistency.
Implement Comprehensive Monitoring and Centralized Logging. Monitoring tools should be used to track software usage and flag unauthorized access. Allowed and blocked application control events must be centrally logged. Detailed event logs provide essential insights to address potential threats.
Perform Periodic Policy Reviews and Validation. Re-evaluate access and control rules regularly to adapt to changing business needs or evolving threats. Application control rulesets should be validated on an annual or more frequent basis to meet compliance requirements.
Automate Management and Testing. Organizations should adopt automated policy management tools such as Trellix ePolicy Orchestrator to track application changes and maintain responsiveness to updates. Regular tests should be run to verify that controls are in effect, specifically checking for misconfigured file system permissions and techniques used to bypass application controls.
Balance Security and Workflow. Avoid developing overly restrictive policies that block legitimate applications, which can lead to employee frustration and hinder productivity. Implement a risk-based approach to prioritize critical applications and personalize controls based on user roles and behavior.
Provide Employee Training. Educate the workforce about the importance of application security and the risks associated with unauthorized software. A well-informed team acts as an effective first line of defense.
- Integrate With Other Security Solutions. Application control should operate throughout the IT ecosystem. It complements other security measures like antivirus software and is most effective when integrated into a defense-in-depth strategy with solutions like security information and event management (SIEM) and endpoint protection.
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Trellix Application and Change Control
The dual solutions of Trellix Application Control and Trellix Change Control provide comprehensive protection against uninvited changes or unauthorized control of applications, endpoints, servers, and fixed-function devices.
Trellix Application Control
Trellix Application Control enhances cybersecurity by outsmarting cybercriminals and maintaining business security and productivity. It thwarts APTs immediately without the need for time-consuming list management or signature updates. This is achieved through:
A dynamic trust model
Local and global reputation intelligence
Real-time behavioral analytics
The auto-immunization of endpoints
Trellix Change Control
Trellix Change Control software enforces system integrity by blocking unauthorized changes to critical system files, directories, and configurations. It also simultaneously streamlines the adoption of new policies and compliance measures. Key features include:
File integrity monitoring
Change prevention
Continuous monitoring of critical systems
Detection and blocking of unwanted changes in remote and distributed locations
An intuitive search interface for quickly finding change event information
Together, these Trellix solutions ensure system integrity by restricting device access to authorized users, blocking unauthorized executables, and systematically monitoring and preventing changes to the file system, registry, and user accounts.
This comprehensive approach delivers continuous, efficient, enterprisewide control, monitoring, and protection. When integrated with Trellix ePolicy Orchestrator, which consolidates and centralizes management, the combined solutions provide a global view of enterprise security.
Application control FAQ
- Ensure the privacy and security of data used by and transmitted between applications
- Protect systems from cyber threats and enhance operational performance
- Significantly reduce the attack surface, making it more difficult for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities
- Allowlisting. This strategy permits only preapproved applications to execute, creating a controlled environment and minimizing the risk of malware infiltration. It is considered the strictest form of application control.
- Denylisting. This strategy blocks specific applications deemed harmful or incompatible, while allowing broader usage of other software. Relying solely on denylisting is generally less secure than allowlisting.
- Enhanced security and threat prevention by mitigating malicious code, reducing the attack surface, and blocking unauthorized application execution.
- Improved operational efficiency and system performance by optimizing resource usage, enhancing network reliability, and boosting employee productivity.
- Optimized visibility, management, and risk reduction by providing application inventory management and visibility into application activity and ensuring only authorized users can access sensitive applications or data.
Application control resources
Trellix Application Control helps IT outsmart cybercriminals and keeps organizations secure and productive by immediately thwarting APTs.
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Reviewed by Sanjay Raja, the product marketing lead for Endpoint Security solutions at Trellix. He brings over 25 years of experience in building, marketing, and selling cybersecurity, cloud, and networking solutions. He has worked across most cybersecurity disciplines including Network, Cloud, Endpoint, SOC, Vulnerability Management, Identity and Data Security. Sanjay holds a B.S.EE and an MBA from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He is currently working on his Doctorate of Engineering in Cyber Security Analytics at GWU. Sanjay is also a CISSP as well as Pragmatic Marketing certified.