RSA Says Virtualization Involves Security Risks, Rewards

Security and virtualization can be a challenge, but a report says managing the challenge well reaps additional rewards.

By  Alex Goldman | Sep 1, 2009
Print ArticleEmail Article
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn

RSA today warned that organizations face complex security and compliance risks when they adopt virtualization, but added that those companies that succeed in managing the challenge will achieve a "security bonus."

The news adds to the warnings concerning security in modern businesses. Earlier this year, RSA, the security division of EMC, issued a report on hyper-extended enterprises, warning that the traditional walls of the business were being breached by complex supply chains, new mobile devices, and other factors.

Today's warnings are also about change.

"Because virtualization represents a paradigm shift in computing, organizations needs to invest time and effort in learning how to get it right. This means ensuring that the implementation aligns with internal compliance programs and enables organizations to meet government, industry and contractual obligations," said RSA's report, "Security Compliance in a Virtual World: Best Practices to Build a Solid Foundation."

The report provided specific recommendations for enterprise IT managers eager to improve security and visibility in their virtualization deployments. For example, the report recommended that IT managers insure their virtualization applications and platforms are hardened against attacks by, among other things, removing unneeded components from virtual machines. "Hardening checklists for virtualization platforms are available from several sources," the report said.

The report said that organizations must be able to track changes and have a change management framework. Technology, such as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, play a key role in tracking people and helping people decipher logs.

But technology is not enough, Bret Hartman, CTO of RSA, said in an e-mail to InternetNews.com. Read the rest at InternetNews.com.

Goldman was a technical writer at ABE Corporation in Tokyo, Japan, preparing manuals for cellular phones and other equipment during the transition from analog to digital technologies. He returned to the U.S. and edited for Simon & Schuster before working at ISP-Planet and ISPCON from 2000 to 2009.

Comment and Contribute
(Maximum characters: 1200). You have
characters left.
Get the Latest Scoop with Enterprise Networking Planet Newsletter
Helpful Links

  • Yankee Group Mobile WAN Optimization Report

    Mobile work continues to evolve. Your organization must keep up with the demands of its mobile workforce. This report introduces the concept of mobile WAN optimization and provides three case studies including RCM, PRTM and Einstein that highlight how this emerging technology can help IT departments achieve what previously appeared to be conflicting goals. Read >

  • Network Security Resources

    More threats than ever before pose a danger to today's enterprise network. Get the latest tips and intel on the newest risks in our guide to network security resources. Read >

  • Extreme Savings: Cutting Costs with WAN Optimization

    Did you know it's possible to cut IT costs without impacting day-to-day IT operations? In fact, when you download this whitepaper from Riverbed on cost-savings through WAN optimization, you'll discover how businesses of all different sizes have realized a return on investment in just a few months through significant hard cost savings in areas such as bandwidth reduction and IT consolidation. It's called Extreme Savings and its only from Riverbed. Read >