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Whitelist

March 5, 2018

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Whitelist

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A Whitelist, also known as an allowlist, is a list of items (like email addresses, IP addresses, or applications) that are specifically permitted or approved to access a system, network, or resource. It’s a security measure that restricts access to only those items explicitly included on the list, effectively blocking everything else. 

USED IN A SENTENCE:
Hey Carl, before we get a third-party risk report on those guys, lets not whitelist anything beyond email, ok buddy?
Concept:

Whitelisting is the opposite of blacklisting, where items are blocked unless explicitly permitted. With a whitelist, only the items on the list are allowed to pass through, and everything else is denied. 

Applications: Whitelists are used in various contexts, including:

Cybersecurity: Protecting networks and systems by allowing only trusted applications, IP addresses, or email addresses to access resources. 

Email servers: Ensuring only legitimate emails from trusted senders reach users’ inboxes. 
Network security: Controlling which devices can connect to a network, often using MAC addresses, according to Wikipedia. 
Advertising: Allowing ads to be displayed only on specific, approved websites. 

NFTs: Granting specific wallet addresses the permission to mint non-fungible tokens. 

Benefits:

  • Enhanced security: Prevents unauthorized access and malware infections by limiting access to only known, safe entities. 
  • Reduced attack surface: Minimizes the potential for malicious attacks by restricting access to a smaller, controlled set of items.
  • Improved control: Provides greater control over who or what can access specific resources. 

Examples:

  • Email whitelisting: An email server might whitelist the email addresses of known business partners to ensure their emails are delivered and not mistakenly marked as spam, according to Friendly Captcha.
  • Application whitelisting: A company might use application whitelisting to ensure only approved software can be installed on employee computers, preventing malware from running.
  • IP whitelisting: A website might whitelist the IP addresses of its internal team to allow them access to a restricted admin dashboard, according to Xcitium. 

Definition

A list of discrete entities, such as hosts or applications that are known to be benign and are approved for use within an organization and/or information system.
SOURCE: SP 800-128

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