A method is provided in one example embodiment that includes receiving a signal to enable a whitelist mode on a host in a network, terminating a process executing on the host if the process is not verified, and blocking execution of software objects on the host if the software objects are not represented on the whitelist. In more particular embodiments, the method also includes identifying the process on a process list that enumerates one or more processes executing on the host. Yet further embodiments include quarantining the host if a second process on the process list is a critical process and if the second process is not verified. More specific embodiments include identifying and restarting another process on the process list if process memory was modified.