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What is Sandboxing in Cyber Security?

Cybersecurity sandboxing is often used as a threat detection method to execute suspicious objects detected on the network or on a host machine, possibly from unverified or untrusted third parties, suppliers, users or websites, without risking harm to the host machine or Operating System. By observing execution behaviors of suspicious objects, the Sandbox detects malware that is difficult to find using only static analysis and can evade detection by traditional security controls. Sandboxing solutions can be implemented on-premise or in the cloud.

What is Sandboxing?

Sandboxing is a cybersecurity practice that involves isolating potentially malicious software or code in a highly controlled environment, known as a sandbox environment, to test and analyze its behavior without affecting the rest of the system or organization’s security posture.

This isolated environment, also referred to as a virtual environment, allows cybersecurity professionals to safely execute and examine suspicious files or code, identifying any malicious behavior and preventing it from causing harm to the system or network.

Why is Sandboxing in an isolated environment important for system resources?

With attacks coming from all angles, multiple detection methods are required for a sound defense. Sandboxing provides a key detection layer for malware that is difficult to identify through static analysis. By detonating suspicious objects in an isolated virtual environment, the user can determine if it is malicious and gain critical information on the code, including IOCs that can be applied to other detection and prevention methods throughout the environment – all without risk. 

  • Enhanced Security: Sandboxing provides an additional layer of security by isolating potentially malicious code, preventing it from evading detection by traditional security controls. 
  • Cybersecurity Posture: Sandboxing helps organizations improve their organization’s security posture by providing a safe and controlled environment to test and analyze potentially malicious code.

How Does Sandboxing Work?

The isolated sandbox environment is designed to mimic the characteristics of a production environment, allowing cybersecurity professionals to analyze the behavior of suspicious files or applications without putting the rest of the endpoint and network at risk.

How Sandboxing works

The sandboxing process typically involves the following steps:

Sandboxing can be performed in various environments, including virtual environments, cloud-based environments, and physical environments. The choice of environment depends on the specific needs of the organization and the type of files or applications being tested. By leveraging sandboxing, organizations can effectively identify and mitigate threats posed by potentially malicious software, enhancing their overall security posture.

Benefits and Use Cases

Sandboxing provides numerous benefits and use cases, including: 

  1. Enhanced Security: Sandboxing provides an additional layer of security by isolating potentially malicious code, preventing it from evading detection by traditional security controls. 
  1. Zero-Day Threat Protection: Sandboxing is effective against zero-day threats, which are unknown threats that have not been seen before or match any known malware on file.
  2. Malware Analysis: Sandboxing allows cybersecurity professionals to analyze suspicious code, identifying its behavior, intent, and potential impact on the system or network.
  3. Web Browser Security: Sandboxing can be used to test and analyze web browsers, identifying any vulnerabilities or malicious code that may be present.
  4. Operating System Security: Sandboxing can be used to test and analyze operating systems, identifying any vulnerabilities or malicious code that may be present.
  5. Untrusted Code Execution: Sandboxing allows for the safe execution of untrusted code, preventing it from causing harm to the system or network.
  6. Suspicious File Analysis: Sandboxing allows cybersecurity professionals to analyze suspicious files, identifying any malicious code or behavior.
  7. Cybersecurity Posture: Sandboxing helps organizations improve their cybersecurity posture by providing a safe and controlled environment to test and analyze potentially malicious code.

By utilizing sandboxing, organizations can improve their cybersecurity posture, protect against zero-day threats, and prevent malicious code from causing harm to their systems and networks.

Enhance Your Cyber Defense Strategy with Fidelis Sandbox.

Discover:

What are the Key Aspects of a Sandboxing Solution?

A sandboxing solution should be embedded within your threat detection capabilities and provide another layer of detection to:

Going Beyond Sandboxing- Network Detection and Response

Sandboxing is only an ability of a larger security posture which will give you a more comprehensive protection for your network and systems. This is where Fidelis Network® Detection and Response comes with a package, which along with sandboxing has in-built deception technology, cyber terrain mapping and behavior analysis. 

With Fidelis NDR you can get complete contextual visibility into your network traffic across all ports and protocols.

Frequently Ask Questions

What is a sandbox in cybersecurity?

Describe it. Sandbox environments are isolated virtual machine environments that can potentially unintentionally execute potentially unintentionally malicious software code without disrupting network resources or local application development.

What is an example of sandboxing?

Some antiviruses run sandboxes that track suspicious attachments for malware detection systems. Developers can create sandboxes for testing the performance of their web application on different computer hardware and networks.

About Author

Maria Glendinning

Maria has worked at Fidelis Security for over 6 years, where she has evolved from an ISR to a strategic role as the Business Development and Channel Marketing Manager for the EMEA region. Her journey reflects a passion for cutting-edge technologies, particularly in the cyberspace, driving her relentless pursuit of new skills and knowledge to excel in her role. With a multicultural background, and fluency in three languages, Maria possesses a profound appreciation for diverse cultures and traditions, enriching her professional interactions with a global perspective. Beyond her professional pursuits, In her free time, Maria enjoys hiking, travelling, theatre and cinema, and socializing with friends and family.

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