A sandpit (or sandbox is a isolated and controlled environment used for run, test or analyse suspect programmes and files without risk to the host system.
The aim is to avoid any contamination or compromise of the main system by limiting the actions of the programme under test to a confined environment.
With the rise of AI, sandboxes are evolving to test AI models before they go into production and protect them against attacks.
πΉ Sandbox principles
- Insulation : the programme or file is executed in a restricted area which prevents any interaction with the rest of the system.
- Observation and analysis Program behaviours (file creation, network access, register modification) can be modified by the program itself. supervised in complete safety.
- Threat detection if a program tries to run malicious codeThis will only compromise the sandbox environment, not the host computer.
π Examples of use
✅ Malware analysis the advanced antivirus and cybersecurity researchers are using sandboxes to analyse virus, ransomware and others malware in complete safety.
✅ Running unreliable applications test files or software downloaded from dubious sources before running them on the main system.
✅ Web browser security some browsers incorporate a sandbox to isolate malicious web pages and prevent exploits from affecting the rest of the system.
✅ Software testing Sandboxes: developers use sandboxes to test their programmes without risking corrupt their main operating system.
π§ Sandbox tools
- Windows Sandbox Integrated feature in Windows 10/11 Pro for running applications in an isolated environment.
- Sandboxie Tool for running Windows programs in a sandbox.
- Firejail (Linux) : Secures the execution of applications under Linux.
- Cuckoo Sandbox Open-source sandbox malware analysis platform.
- VirtualBox / VMware Virtual machines for creating isolated environments, similar to sandboxes.
π§ Professional tools
πΉ Advanced solutions
🏢 Cisco Threat Grid : analyses suspicious files and URLs with AI and threat Intelligence.
🏢 Palo Alto WildFire advanced threat protection zero-day with sandbox cloud.
🏢 Check Point SandBlast Proactive detection of ransomware and exploits in a secure sandbox.
🏢 FireEye Malware Analysis an advanced solution for identifying attacks and advanced persistent threats (APT).
🏢 Symantec Content Analysis & Sandboxing In-depth file analysis to detect malware.
🏢 Microsoft Defender for Endpoint includes a cloud sandbox to block unknown threats.
πΉ Open source and free solutions
✅ Cuckoo Sandbox open-source malware analysis solution.
✅ Firejail (Linux): Isolate Linux applications to reduce risks.
✅ Windows Sandbox Native test environment under Windows 10/11 Pro.
✅ Any.Run Interactive cloud sandboxing platform for analysing suspicious files.
π¨ Limits and bypassing a sandbox
β Advanced malware sometimes detects that it is running in a sandbox and modifies its behaviour (escape techniques).
β A poorly configured sandbox may not be totally insulatedexposing the host system to risk.
β It is not infallible against highly sophisticated attacks (e.g. exploits targeting flaws in the hypervisor).
π₯ Why an AI sandbox?
✔️ Testing AI models before they go into production (avoid biaserrors or malicious behaviour).
✔️ Analysing AI behaviour in a secure environment (detection of abnormal or unexpected actions).
✔️ Prevent the manipulation of AI by adversarial attacks (e.g: injection malicious data).
π Examples of AI sandboxes
- AI-Sandbox (Google Cloud) simulates environments for testing and training AI.
- IBM Watson AI Sandbox Testing the robustness of artificial intelligence models.
- MITRE ATLAS Sandbox AI: assesses the security of AI systems against cyber attacks.
π Statistics and trends
📌 86 % of companies use sandboxing solutions to analyse files and identify threats before they spread. (Source: Cybersecurity Ventures)
📌 More than 60 % of modern ransomware attacks are designed to detect and bypass sandbox environments. (Source: Check Point Research)
📌 Companies using advanced sandboxing reduce malware infection rates by 50-70 %. (Source: Palo Alto Networks)
📌 Sandbox solutions can detect 99 % of zero-day malwareThis is in contrast to conventional antivirus software, which captures around 50 %. (Source: MITRE ATT&CK)
📌 The market for sandboxing solutions will reach $15.2 billion in 2026with annual growth of 10,6 %. (Source: MarketsandMarkets)
