EMZETT.Sandbox
In short: A sandbox is an isolated environment in which programs run without being able to harm the rest of the system. The name comes from the sandbox where one plays safely.
In more detail: The program is given only limited rights. For example it may not read other files, change system settings or reach the network freely. What happens in the sandbox stays there.
In Depth
- Browser: web pages and their code run in a sandbox. A malicious page therefore cannot reach your files.
- Security: suspicious files can be run and observed in a sandbox to detect malware without endangering the real computer. Good antivirus programs use this too.
- Operating systems: apps on phones run in sandboxes and see only their own data.
- Development: a sandbox is also a test environment where one can experiment safely, such as the test mode of a payment provider with play money, or a virtual machine (virtualisation).
- Limits: escapes from a sandbox (sandbox escape) are rare but possible. It is one more layer of protection, not a free pass.