Application whitelisting in a cloud-based computing device

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• receiving, at a cloud-based computing device, a request to obtain an application for execution on the cloud based computing device;
• sending, from the computing device to a server, the request;
• receiving, by the computing device from the server, the application;
• determining, by a processor of the computing device, an identifying attribute of the application;
• searching, by the computing device, a database of approved applications for the identifying attribute;
• in the event the identifying attribute is included in the database, executing the application by a processor of the computing device;
• in the event the identifying attribute is not included in the database, the method further comprises:
• sending, by the computing device to one or more cloud-based sources, a request to obtain a plurality of metrics associated with the application;
• receiving, by the computing from the one or more cloud-based sources, the a plurality of metrics;
• and
• determining, by the computing device, whether to execute the application based on the a plurality of metrics.

A machine readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

• receive a request to obtain an application for execution on the computing device;
• send, to one or more cloud-based sources, a request for a plurality of metrics associated with the application, the request including an identifying attribute of the application;
• receive, from the one or more cloud-based sources, the plurality of metrics;
• and
• determine whether to execute the application based on the plurality of metrics.

A machine readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

• receive a request to obtain an application for execution on the computing device;
• send the request to a server;
• receive the application from the server;
• determine an identifying attribute of the application;
• search a database of approved applications for the identifying attribute;
• in the event the identifying attribute is included in the database, execute the application;
• and
• in the event the identifying attribute is not included in the database, the method further comprises:
• send, by the computing device to one or more cloud-based sources, a request to obtain a plurality of metrics associated with the application;
• receive, by the computing from the one or more cloud-based sources, the a plurality of metrics;
• and
• determine, by the computing device, whether to execute the application based on the a plurality of metrics.

A system comprising one or more processors configured to (a) receive a request to obtain an application for execution on the cloud based computing device, (b) send, from the computing device to a server, the request, (c) receive, by the computing device from the server, the application, (d) determine, by a processor of the computing device, an identifying attribute of the application;

• (e) search a database of approved applications for the identifying attribute, (d) in the event the identifying attribute is included in the database, execute the application by a processor of the computing device,
• wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, in the event the identifying attribute is not included in the database, (a) send to one or more cloud-based sources, a request to obtain a plurality of metrics associated with the application, (b) receive, by the computing from the one or more cloud-based sources, the a plurality of metrics;
• and
• wherein one or more processors are further configured to, in the event the identifying attribute is not included in the database, determine whether to execute the application based on the a plurality of metrics.