Do you remember the good old days when we were able to tell the bad guys from the good guys on TV westerns by the color of their hats?

Cyber vocabulary includes the term “black hat.” It is derived directly from those old westerns and those dirty, low-down, dastardly villains. Today, the term is used to describe internet hackers who ambush the innocent folks in white hats. Folks like you and me.

The problem is that it’s hard to tell the color of their hat when they are lurking in the shadows of cyberspace.

There’s an App for That

Yep. There seems to be an app for just about anything. Including some apps created by and for bad guys.

Until recently the most commonly used means of identifying malicious apps was “blacklisting,” or what some of the wranglers around the campfire call “The Oops Method.” In its most simplistic form, you create a blacklist of apps you already know are bad guys. The digital list blocks the bad guys from loading on your PC. The problem is that someone has to discover the evil app either by being caught unaware or by keeping up to speed with all the latest information. Except for the apps that are unknown because they are not on the list, the idea works fairly well.

There’s a Better Way than That

The better way is called “whitelisting.” This method involves creating a list of apps that we already know to be good guys. Instead of blocking the bad apps, whitelisting turns the tables and allows only the apps and software that are on your white list to have access to your computer or mobile devices. Only those who have been “deputized” on the whitelist are allowed in.

Now, that’s very technical, but it does describe the difference well enough for you to know that whitelisting is more effective than blacklisting.

We can help you get a white list started and help you keep it up to date. Tech Sentries is the logical source for your protection. We’re wearing our white hats and protecting your PCs, laptops, and other connected devices against the dangers that lurk in the shadows of cyberspace.

Don’t wait. Contact us today at (843) 282-2222. Tech Sentries is always on duty helping you “Guard Your Technology” at all hours of the day or night and keeping updated on how to be better prepared for Internet scams.