What is a "sandbox" in cybersecurity?

A "sandbox" in cybersecurity refers to a testing environment that isolates untested code or applications to safely analyze their behavior without risking harm to the rest of the system or network. This controlled environment ensures that potentially malicious software can be executed and studied while being segregated from other critical systems and data. By using a sandbox, cybersecurity professionals can observe how untrusted code interacts with system resources—detecting any malicious activity such as data exfiltration or unauthorized access attempts—without introducing those threats into the live environment. This practice is crucial for identifying and mitigating risks before deploying new software or updates in production systems. Hence, the definition aligns perfectly with the function and purpose of a sandbox.