The top 10 apps being blacklisted in the enterprise

By Gina Smith

Takeaway: Whether they’re regarded as productivity killers or security risks, many apps have made it onto company blacklists.

Thanks to the invasion of personal apps, services, and hardware in enterprise, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that smart IT pros out to protect data are conducting a wholesale blacklisting of the apps they find most threatening to data security.

Zenprise, a mobile device management company that specializes in BYOD, recently released itsZenprise MDM Cloud Report. The report includes the top 10 apps that enterprises are blacklisting (or attempting to blacklist) in the United States and globally. The list is theirs. The snide commentary, mine. So here they are. The 10 most blacklisted apps this month, in descending order.

1: Angry Birds

Would someone please muster up the courage to tell the CEO to stop with the slingshot already?

2: Facebook

Imagine an update like, “I am sitting here listening to our blowhard manager give a talk that could fell a tree.”

3: Google Play

Buying apps on company time? And potentially with company money? Hard stop.

4: Dropbox

Worst case: Employee walks off with your company data and Dropbox is installed on four of her computers. Nuff said.

5: Skype

Now this is what you want. Folks texting and calling relatives all over the world. It puts a whole new spin on the idea of personal calls at work, doesn’t it?

6: YouTube

Imagine a Google+ Live Hangout saved and shared on YouTube. It’s a recording of your confidential board meeting. Yikes!

7: The App Store

Just … too easy to get a game even more addictive than Angry Birds. If such a thing exists, it is in the App Store.

8: Evernote

Social, shareable note-taking screams take our secure company information and share it with the world the next time you get angry at your boss. Or quit.

9: Cydia

An Apple iOS app that lets your users browse and download applications for a jailbroken Apple iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Lovely.

10: Twitter

Sure, users, tweet all day. Gain more followers. Lose work time.

Your list

What apps have you blacklisted? How about whitelisted apps? Share your thoughts with fellow TechRepublic members.