What Is Sandboxing?

Remember when you were a kid, and this thing called "sandbox" was always getting in the way of your fun? You know, that thing that made you play outside instead of just throwing sand at your little brother? Well, it's back, but it's not just for kids this time. When a program is set aside from other programs in a different environment so that if errors or security problems arise, those problems will not spread to other areas on the computer, sandboxing occurs. Programs are enabled in their sequestered place, where they can be worked on without threatening other programs. Many companies use this new sandboxing technique to help keep people safe while using their products. It has become such an essential part of today's technology that many people don't even realize how much it has changed our lives! Sandboxing is the computer equivalent of taking all the sand back inside. It's a way of isolating your application so it can't mess up with anything else on your computer. Sandboxing is used to prevent malicious software from accessing your computer's sensitive data, as well as to protect your computer from possible viruses or malware that might be present in the application. Sandboxing also helps with troubleshooting. As the application is placed in a bubble, you can easily take a screenshot or send it to the engineers for further inspection. You can run the application through a virtual machine to ensure it is wholly sandboxed. Virtual machines can run any operating system, architecture, and software within the sandbox. In other words: sandboxing lets you play with dangerous code without getting into trouble. It's like a security guard that keeps everyone else safe from harm while also allowing you to have fun doing whatever you want!