Back to glossary

Sandboxing

A security mechanism for separating running programs, usually in an effort to mitigate system failures or software vulnerabilities from spreading.

Categorysecurity

Overview

Sandboxing provides a tightly controlled environment where suspicious or untrusted code can be executed without risk to the host system. If the code is malicious, its impact is confined to the sandbox.

Use Cases

  • Web Browsers: Running website code in a sandbox to prevent it from accessing the user's files.
  • Email Security: Opening attachments in a sandbox to check for malware.
  • Software Development: Testing new code in an isolated environment.

Technologies

  • Virtual Machines (VMs)
  • Containers (e.g., Docker)
  • OS-level sandboxing features.

Related Terms

Zero-Day Exploit