Application Control For Business

Microsoft Defender Application Guard has now been officially retired. It’s been removed from Windows 11 (version 24H2) and Microsoft Edge, and support for the Office version will slowly end by 2027. Microsoft now recommends switching to Application Control for Business, which is powered by Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) and managed through Microsoft Intune.

With Application Control for Business, you can choose exactly which apps and scripts are allowed to run on your company’s devices and automatically block everything else. This gives you a stronger, more proactive layer of protection against modern cyber threats.

In this post, you’ll learn how Microsoft evolved from Defender Application Guard to Application Control for Business, why it matters for your security posture, and how to deploy it effectively across your organization.

Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG) was built to isolate high-risk content, running untrusted websites and Office documents in a secure container so they couldn’t access system resources. It was a solid layer of defense, but it focused on isolation after a potential threat was already introduced.

With Application Control for Business (ACfB), Microsoft has shifted from containment to prevention. Instead of relying on virtual containers, ACfB enforces strict rules at the Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) layer, determining what can and cannot run on your endpoints before execution ever occurs.

It’s better to stop a threat from running at all than to try to contain it after the fact. Application Control for Business lets you set clear rules about what’s trusted to run on your devices, blocking anything unfamiliar or unsigned before it even starts.

And with Intune, managing those rules is simple. You can roll out, monitor, and update policies across all your devices from one place, without needing to manually configure each one.

In short, Application Guard tried to build walls around risky activity. Application Control for Business removes that risk entirely by preventing unsafe apps from ever running and giving you full, centralized control that supports your Zero Trust strategy.

Stop Shadow IT and Unapproved Executables

Unauthorized applications and scripts are one of the most common ways attackers slip into an environment. With Application Control for Business, you decide exactly which software, scripts, and processes are allowed to run. Everything else, from unsigned binaries to unverified installers, is automatically blocked. That means users can’t introduce new tools or portable apps that bypass your security stack.

Shrink Your Endpoint Attack Surface

Attackers often exploit legitimate utilities to carry out malicious actions, such as PowerShell abuse or DLL injection. By leveraging Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC), ACfB prevents untrusted or modified executables from running at the kernel level. This significantly reduces the number of potential entry points, limiting an attacker’s ability to move laterally within your network.

Centralize Policy Enforcement Through Intune

Managing application policies used to be a manual, error-prone task. With Intune integration, you can create, assign, and update WDAC policies centrally, even across hybrid or remote devices. You can run policies in audit mode before enforcing them, view compliance reports, and apply changes instantly without relying on local configurations. This gives you real-time visibility and consistency across every endpoint.

Meet Industry and Compliance Standards Effortlessly

For industries with strict regulatory frameworks, like healthcare, finance, and government, enforcing application allowlisting is often required. Application Control for Business helps you demonstrate compliance with frameworks such as NIST, CMMC, and ISO 27001 by ensuring that only approved and verified software can execute within your environment.

Secure Hybrid and Remote Work

When users connect from anywhere, control over what runs on their devices becomes critical. With Application Control for Business, you can enforce trusted execution policies through Intune, ensuring only approved apps and scripts are allowed to run even when devices are off-network. This means consistent protection, whether a device is on-site or fully remote.

Protect Data in Finance, Healthcare, and Government

If you manage sensitive or regulated information, unauthorized tools can create serious exposure risks. Application Control for Business uses Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) to block unsanctioned applications that could access or export sensitive data. This directly supports compliance with NIST, CMMC, and other frameworks that require application allowlisting and verifiable trust boundaries.

Strengthen Your Zero Trust Enforcement

Zero Trust starts with verifying every user and connection, but it should also verify every executable. Application Control for Business enforces that principle at the operating system level. By defining trusted apps and scripts, you remove implicit trust from the equation and stop unauthorized processes before they start.

Keep Students from Installing Games and Unapproved Apps

In school environments, students often try to install games or software that aren’t approved, sometimes to bypass controls or distract from learning. With Application Control for Business, you can stop this completely. By allowing only verified and approved applications to run, you prevent the installation and execution of unapproved tools or games, even if a student downloads them. Managed through Intune, these policies apply consistently across all school devices, helping you maintain a secure, distraction-free learning environment.

Getting started with Application Control for Business (ACfB) doesn’t require an overhaul of your existing security stack, but it does require careful planning. Because ACfB enforces what can and cannot run at the operating system level, the right rollout strategy ensures you gain control without breaking legitimate workflows.

Start in Audit Mode

Before blocking anything, deploy your Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) policy in audit mode through Microsoft Intune. This mode records every application, script, or binary that attempts to execute, giving you a clear picture of what’s actually being used across your environment.

Use this data to identify:

• Legitimate business applications that should be trusted.
• Unsigned or outdated software that may need removal or updates.
• Gaps between what’s in use and what’s approved in your current application inventory.

Running in audit mode for one to two weeks typically provides enough telemetry to design an accurate baseline policy.

Define Trust Boundaries

Once you understand what’s running, create a policy that clearly defines trusted code sources. You can trust applications signed by Microsoft, your organization’s internal certificate authority, or known third-party publishers.

ACfB policies can be built using:

• Allow lists: Defining approved files, folders, or signatures.
• Deny lists: Blocking specific high-risk executables or paths.
• Certificate-based rules: Trusting applications signed with verified publisher certificates.
• Managed installer integration: Automatically trusting software deployed via approved management tools like Intune or Configuration Manager.

This approach lets you maintain strict control while avoiding unnecessary disruptions.

Deploy Policies Through Intune

Once your policy is ready, Intune makes it straightforward to deploy and manage. You can:

• Assign policies to specific device groups or user collections.
• Push updates remotely without touching endpoints.
• Use scope tags to delegate administration securely across teams.
• Leverage Intune reports to track compliance, success rates, and enforcement issues.

This centralized approach ensures every device, whether corporate, hybrid, or remote, follows the same trusted execution standards.

Move from Audit to Enforce

After testing your policies in audit mode and refining them, it’s time to move to enforcement mode. Begin with a pilot group of non-critical devices to validate stability and identify any applications that still need to be added to the allowlist.

Once validated, gradually expand enforcement in stages. This phased rollout minimizes business disruption while tightening control across your environment.

Monitor and Optimize Continuously

When enforcement is live, use telemetry from Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Intune to monitor events in real time. Regular reviews help you:

• Detect attempts to run unauthorized or malicious software.
• Identify legitimate new applications that require policy updates.
• Validate that policies remain aligned with your operational needs.

Over time, this creates a dynamic, trusted execution environment, one that evolves with your business while keeping unapproved applications out.

Rolling out Application Control for Business (ACfB) effectively requires understanding your environment, mapping legitimate business applications, and aligning those policies with your security and compliance goals.

Our team specializes in helping you get the most from Microsoft’s security stack, including Application Control for Business, Intune, and Defender for Endpoint. We work directly with you to plan, deploy, and fine-tune application control policies that protect your environment without impacting productivity.

Here’s how we help:

• Assessment and Planning: We start by reviewing your current application landscape and identifying where application control can deliver the biggest security gains.
• Policy Design and Deployment: We help you create policies that balance control and usability — leveraging WDAC and Intune to enforce them across your devices.
• Testing and Optimization: Before you go live, we assist with staged rollouts using audit mode and pilot groups to ensure stability.
• Ongoing Management and Support: After deployment, we stay involved, helping you monitor compliance, adjust policies, and integrate ACfB with other Microsoft security tools for continuous protection.

Because Application Control for Business touches every endpoint, it’s important to get it right the first time. With Levacloud’s experience and Microsoft partnership, you can deploy confidently, achieving strong prevention, easy management, and measurable security improvements.

Ask our Microsoft Security team today

Attackers don’t need to drop new malware to compromise your environment, they just need one unapproved executable to run unchecked. Application Control for Business (ACfB) eliminates that risk by enforcing trust at the operating system level, stopping unknown or unsigned code before it can execute.

If you’ve been relying on traditional antivirus or EDR tools alone, ACfB closes the gap they can’t: it prevents attacks before detection even comes into play. Combined with Intune and Defender for Endpoint, it gives you complete visibility and control over what’s allowed to run across every device in your environment.

Now is the time to tighten that control. Whether you’re securing remote devices, meeting regulatory requirements, or moving toward a full Zero Trust model, Levacloud can help you deploy and optimize Application Control for Business to fit your existing Microsoft ecosystem.

You’ve already invested in the Microsoft tools to protect your organization, now make sure they’re working to their full potential.

What happened to Microsoft Defender Application Guard?

Microsoft Defender Application Guard has evolved into Application Control for Business (ACfB). While Application Guard focused on isolating untrusted browser sessions and Office files, ACfB provides a broader, prevention-based model. It uses Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) and Intune to define which applications and scripts can run in your environment, enforcing trust rather than containment.

Is Application Control for Business included in my Microsoft license?

Yes, if you have Windows 11 Enterprise E3 or E5, or Microsoft 365 Business Premium, you already have access to Application Control for Business. It can be configured and managed directly through Intune. For other licensing scenarios, Levacloud’s Microsoft licensing experts can help you review which plans include ACfB or the best way to add it to your environment.

Can I test policies before enforcing them?

Absolutely. You can deploy ACfB in audit mode, allowing you to monitor which applications and scripts are running without blocking them. This lets you validate and adjust your policy before switching to enforcement, reducing the risk of disrupting users or blocking legitimate software.

Does Application Control for Business replace antivirus or Defender for Endpoint?

No, it complements them. While Defender for Endpoint detects and responds to threats, Application Control for Business prevents unapproved or malicious code from running in the first place. Together, they form a layered defense aligned with Zero Trust principles.

Can Application Control for Business help with compliance?

Yes. Many compliance standards, including NIST, CMMC, and ISO 27001, require controls that restrict unauthorized software execution. ACfB enforces those controls natively, providing auditable evidence of application allowlisting and code integrity enforcement.

How can Levacloud help me deploy Application Control for Business?

Levacloud provides hands-on support with planning, configuration, and deployment through Intune. We help you create trusted execution policies, optimize rollout strategies, and ensure your environment stays secure without interrupting business operations.