Which situation best indicates application-level allow listing?

Application-level allow listing is a security approach where only approved applications or files are permitted to run on a system, while all others are automatically denied access. This method is designed to mitigate risks associated with executing potentially harmful software by strictly controlling which applications can be executed.

The situation that best reflects this practice is the one where only specific files are allowed and everything else is denied. This ensures that only trusted applications can operate, significantly reducing the attack surface by limiting opportunities for malicious software to run. By denying everything that is not explicitly allowed, organizations can protect system integrity and maintain a higher level of overall security.

Other scenarios present different approaches to application management. Allowing everything except for specific executable files does not effectively minimize risk, as it leaves many uncontrolled applications potentially vulnerable. Writing application-based attacks on a whiteboard, while useful for education and awareness, does not provide a functional security control mechanism. Allowing specific executable files while denying others is a step towards security, but it does not offer the comprehensive safeguard of an outright deny-all policy with only a controlled list of approvals. Thus, the scenario that best embodies the concept of application-level allow listing is where only designated files are permitted, and all others are restricted.