AppLocker Policies Deployment Guide

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

This topic for the IT professional introduces the concepts and describes the steps required to deploy AppLocker™ policies introduced in Windows Server® 2008 R2 and Windows® 7.

Purpose of this guide

This guide provides steps based on your design and planning investigation for deploying application control policies by using AppLocker. It is intended for security architects, security administrators, and system administrators. Through a sequential and iterative deployment process, you can create application control policies, test and adjust the policies, and implement a method for maintaining those policies as the needs in your organization change.

This guide covers the use of Software Restriction Policies (SRP) in conjunction with AppLocker policies to control application usage. For a comparison of SRP and AppLocker, see Using Software Restriction Policies and AppLocker Policies in this guide. To understand if AppLocker is the correct application control solution for you, see Understanding AppLocker Policy Design Decisions.

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Prerequisites to deploying AppLocker policies

The following are prerequisites or recommendations to deploying policies:

• Understand the capabilities of AppLocker:

  • AppLocker Technical Overview for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7

    AppLocker Technical Overview for Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8

  • AppLocker Step-by-Step Guide

• Document your application control policy deployment plan by addressing these tasks:

  • Understanding the AppLocker Policy Deployment Process

  • Understanding AppLocker Policy Design Decisions

  • Determining Your Application Control Objectives

  • Creating the List of Applications Deployed to Each Business Group

  • Selecting the Types of Rules to Create

  • Determining Group Policy Structure and Rule Enforcement

  • Planning for AppLocker Policy Management

  • Creating Your AppLocker Planning Document

Contents of this guide

This guide provides steps based on your design and planning investigation for deploying application control policies created and maintained by AppLocker for computers running Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8 and Windows 7. It contains the following topics:

• Understanding the AppLocker Policy Deployment Process

• Requirements for Deploying AppLocker Policies

• Using Software Restriction Policies and AppLocker Policies

• Creating Your AppLocker Policies

• Deploying the AppLocker Policy into Production

• Maintaining AppLocker Policies

Additional resources

• Using Software Restriction Policies to Protect Against Unauthorized Software (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=155634)

  This TechNet article is about SRP in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 and is also applicable to Windows Vista® and Windows Server 2008. It provides an in-depth look at how software restriction policies can be used to fight viruses, regulate which ActiveX controls can be downloaded, run only digitally signed scripts, and enforce that only approved software is installed on system computers.

• Software Restriction Policies

  Windows Server 2003 product help Software Restriction Policies. This collection of topics describes the concepts to understand and the steps to implement and maintain SRP.

  Windows Server 2012 guidance to Administer Software Restriction Policies. This collection contains procedures how to administer application control policies using Software Restriction Policies (SRP) beginning with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista.

• AppLocker in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7.

  AppLocker Overview in Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8.

  These topics list AppLocker documentation resources for the IT professional.