Nov 1, 2009
Today's organizations face a new dilemma in network security and services management. To compete in the current marketplace, organizations are demanding more Web applications, full-scale e-commerce capabilities and more Web services that enable global, 24x7 business operations. As a result, server farms and data centers are growing at an uncontrollable rate, requiring more and more machines, space, cabling, network equipment and administrators in order to manage it all. Enter server virtualization.
Server virtualization makes it possible to deploy multiple virtual servers each running separate operating systems and applications on one physical server. The benefits are impressive - more efficient usage of existing hardware, reduced power and cooling costs and reduction in data center footprints. Virtualization also substantially increases the agility and business continuity/disaster recovery capabilities of an organization's network infrastructure. At the same time however, virtualization provides a one-stop shop for hackers trying to access valuable data.
According to Nemertes Research, 93 percent of participants in a recent Virtualization Benchmark study have already deployed some level of virtualization in their data center. Let's summarize the results here:
- 93 percent some level
- 10 percent specialized solutions
- 78 percent customer facing
- 27 percent
However, virtual environments are just as vulnerable - if not more vulnerable - to attacks. This article will highlight the vulnerabilities and provide insights into the different options for ensuring the security of these environments,
The Virtual Environment
To fully understand the security risks inherent in server virtualization, it is critical to understand how the architecture of the network contributes to its vulnerability.
