Blocklist

A blocklist – also known as blacklist – is a list of specific entities like IP addresses, domain names, email addresses or URLs, that do not have access to a particular system or network or that are even blocked. The goal is to prevent any communication or interaction with potentially malicious entities and therefore increase security.

Blocklists can help protect against various cyberthreats, like malware, viruses, spam, phishing, or botnets. They can be maintained by individuals, organizations, or specific security companies. Usually, blocklists are integrated into security software like firewalls, email, or web filters to automatically block access to the listed entities. Even though blocklists are a useful tool in terms of cybersecurity, it must be noted that they rely on known threats, and they therefore may not be effective against new or unknown threats that aren’t included in the list, yet.