Windows® 7 Resource Kit

AppLocker

Some IT departments choose to control which applications users can run. Sometimes, administrators simply block specific applications that are known to be problematic. However, client security benefits more when administrators block all applications that IT has not approved.

The benefits of restricting users from running applications that are not approved can be immense. First, the risk of malware is significantly reduced, because Windows would prevent users from running the malware application because it had not been approved by IT. Second, compatibility problems are reduced, because users can only run approved versions of applications. Finally, user productivity is increased by eliminating the possibility that users could run games or ...