Managed servicesDefault-deny
Decide what may run on every endpoint — and block the rest by default
Control which programs may run on laptops and servers — so unknown software and shadow IT are blocked before they become an incident
Endpoint Lockdown is permit-only application control your staff can live with. We catalog what already runs, approve what staff need, and block the rest by default — so a missing laptop or a rogue install is more likely to stay a contained incident, not an open runway.
Why antivirus alone is not application control
Antivirus and EDR look for known or suspicious behavior after software is already on the machine. Application allowlisting answers a different question: "Is this program approved to run here at all?" Lockdown handles execution. EDR watches what gets through. Zero Trust access controls who reaches files and apps over the network — verify every login and session, not just what installs locally. Most regulated firms need all three; they solve different failure modes.
We catalog the real stack first, approve what staff need, and deny the rest by default — without months of manual list-building that never finishes.
Allowlisting that is practical to run
What allowlisting means in plain language, how we build the approved set with rollout realism, what it improves (and what it does not replace), and the visibility partners and auditors actually ask for.
Allowlisting: only approved programs may run
Most endpoints still allow any download to execute until something flags it. Allowlisting reverses that: we define what may run on machines that touch client work. Unknown installers, silent background tools, and many ransomware payloads are blocked at execution — because running at all is the control, not chasing yesterday's signature list.
Talk about allowlistingCatalog, approve, then keep the list honest
Typical path: discover what runs today → approve the business stack → block new installs → tune exceptions. First weeks are often audit-only so filing season is not disrupted. When someone needs something new, they request it — IT reviews and decides — so the allowlist stays current without turning every Monday into a ticket storm.
Start with readinessFewer paths for ransomware and shadow IT to start
Blocking unapproved execution removes a common ransomware entry path and makes unauthorized tools harder to land quietly. It does not replace backups or EDR — it reduces how often unknown code runs at all. Deny-by-default also supports the control families auditors and frameworks ask about — without asking staff to memorize a lab image that breaks tax software or a document system.
Data protection & ransomwareAnswer audit and partner questions with evidence
You can answer 'what software do we actually run?' and 'who approved this exception?' — not only after an audit asks. Policy can be time-bound when a one-off tool is needed Friday at five. The outcome is operational control: fewer silent installs, fewer mystery apps, and decisions based on what is actually in use.
Zero Trust access1 / 4
What Endpoint Lockdown covers
Six controls that work together — not six separate products
Allowlisting, ringfencing, elevation, storage, visibility, and a request path for new software — engineered so staff can still file, print, and open client work.
Application allowlisting
Stops this failure mode: unknown software runs because no one approved it
Only approved applications, scripts, and libraries run. Everything else is denied by default — including many payloads that never matched yesterday's signature.
Ringfencing
Stops this failure mode: one compromised app reaches everything it can see
Approved software still gets a fence. We limit how far a compromised or risky process can move — shrinking the blast radius if something trusted is abused.
Elevation control
Stops this failure mode: silent installs via standing local admin
Standing local admin is how quiet installs and quiet damage happen. We keep elevation exception-based, time-aware, and visible so staff can work without everyone owning the machine.
Storage control
Stops this failure mode: client files leave on an unreviewed USB stick
Client files should not walk out on an unmarked drive. We set storage rules staff can follow — block, allow, or review — so a missing stick is not an automatic matter-file event.
Software visibility
Stops this failure mode: shadow IT discovered only during an audit
See applications, dependencies, and updates across endpoints. Cleanup and audit stop being a once-a-year scavenger hunt.
Request and change path
Stops this failure mode: allowlist frozen — or exceptions never expire
Users ask for access when they need it. You approve what belongs, decline what does not, and keep the allowlist aligned with real work instead of a frozen lab image.
Default-deny
Execution control
If it is not on the approved list, it does not run — including many ransomware payloads that never matched a signature.
Exception path
How new software gets in
Staff request → IT reviews → approve with an expiry when the need is temporary. No silent permanent installs.
Blast radius
How far one bad program can reach
Ringfencing, elevation limits, and storage rules shrink how far a compromise travels — even when something approved is abused.
Audit-first
Enforcement mode
Audit-only first, then block — so you see what would have been stopped before staff feel the change.
What good looks like
A short buyer checklist before you trust the program — not a vendor feature list, a readiness scan.
Approved list exists?
You can name the applications, scripts, and tools allowed on endpoints that hold client work — not 'we think IT installed it.'
Default-deny on?
Unapproved software is blocked (or clearly flagged in audit mode with a dated plan to enforce).
Exception path works?
Staff know how to request new software; temporary approvals expire; nothing is 'just left open.'
Admin rights rare?
Local admin is exception-based and logged — not default for every partner laptop.
Works with EDR and backups?
Lockdown limits what runs; detection and recovery still have a job when something approved is abused.
How rollout usually unfolds
Timing varies by firm size and how much shadow IT exists — this is a teaching example, not a fixed SLA. Most environments move from discovery to enforcement over several weeks, not a single cutover weekend.
Discover
Inventory apps, rights, and storage use
Deploy control on the machines that matter. Run audit-only mode first: see what would be blocked before anyone feels a change. Map admin rights, USB patterns, and the line-of-business stack staff actually depend on.
Start with readinessApprove
Build the allowlist from real workflows
Approve tax software, document systems, browsers, and LOB tools from how the practice works — not a generic lab image. Partners and ops weigh in on what must stay open during filing season.
Talk through your stackEnforce
Block unapproved execution in phases
Move from reporting to blocking as the approved set stabilizes. Tune ringfencing, elevation, and storage rules so usability holds. Temporary exceptions get expiry dates — not permanent shadow IT.
Pair with EDR / MDROperate
Request path, reviews, and partner-ready visibility
Staff use a clear request path for new software. IT reviews exceptions quarterly. You can show partners and auditors what runs, who approved it, and when enforcement tightened — with evidence, not memory.
Book a callUnknown software is the open door
Default-deny closes it without freezing operations
Most firms already own antivirus. They still cannot say what is allowed to run, who has admin, or how far a single bad binary can travel. Endpoint Lockdown makes those answers boring and enforceable.
Anything can run until it is too late
Permit-only control staff can use
Outcomes depend on how endpoints are used today and how tightly you want the allowlist to run. Most environments start in audit/report mode, then tighten enforcement once the approved set is stable — usually weeks, not a single cutover weekend. We design for the environment you have — not a lab image that breaks Monday.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers on how lockdown fits with antivirus and EDR, keeping staff productive, adding software after go-live, and how long rollout usually takes.
No. Lockdown decides what may run. EDR / MDR watches behavior after something is already in play. You usually want both: block the unknown at execution, and watch for abuse of what is allowed.
We inventory how the practice actually works first — tax software, document systems, browsers, line-of-business tools — then approve that set. We do not ship a lab image that breaks a filing week.
Users request access when they need it. You approve what belongs, with time limits when the need is temporary. The allowlist stays current without silent permanent exceptions.
We inventory first, approve what the practice already needs, then move from reporting to blocking in phases. Timing depends on how many one-off tools and admin rights exist today — plan for a measured rollout, not a same-day hard stop.