Security vendor Sophos has upgraded its antivirus software to allow system administrators to block the installation of file-sharing, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and instant-messaging programs, the company announced Wednesday.Enterprises have asked for ways to control what applications end users install, citing concerns over liability, bandwidth consumption and flagging productivity, said John Shaw, Sophos group product manager.“They see a lot of users wasting company time and wasting company assets,” he said.The upgrade, called Application Control, is a free part of Sophos’ Anti-Virus (AV) 6.0 software. Administrators have a console to control which applications users can install on their machines. Application Control can block major peer-to-peer applications such as Kazaa and eMule, plus instant-messaging programs from Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL. Google Talk, Skype and Net2Phone can also be blocked.If a user tries to install an unwanted program, Application Control blocks the installation. To identify programs, Sophos uses analysis techniques similar to those used to identify malicious software, said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at the company. If a program is updated, Sophos will also issue updates for its software to continue blocking the program, Cluley said.Other products on the market take a different tact, analyzing packets to determine what applications are using them, a more difficult method than simply blocking the installation, Cluley said.Sophos will expand the list of programs that can be blocked, eventually encompassing grid and distributed computing applications and computer games.By Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service (London Bureau)Keep checking in at our Security Feed for updated news coverage. Related content news analysis Attackers breach US government agencies through ColdFusion flaw Both incidents targeted outdated and unpatched ColdFusion servers and exploited a known vulnerability. By Lucian Constantin Dec 06, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Vulnerabilities news BSIMM 14 finds rapid growth in automated security technology Embrace of a "shift everywhere" philosophy is driving a demand for automated, event-driven software security testing. By John P. Mello Jr. Dec 06, 2023 4 mins Application Security Network Security news Almost 50% of organizations plan to reduce cybersecurity headcounts: Survey While organizations are realizing the need for knowledgeable teams to address unknown threats, they are also looking to reduce their security headcount and infrastructure spending. By Gagandeep Kaur Dec 06, 2023 4 mins IT Jobs Security Practices feature 20 years of Patch Tuesday: it’s time to look outside the Windows when fixing vulnerabilities After two decades of regular and indispensable updates, it’s clear that security teams need take a more holistic approach to applying fixes far beyond the Microsoft ecosystem. By Susan Bradley Dec 06, 2023 6 mins Patch Management Software Threat and Vulnerability Management Windows Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe