Virtualized security has another term, it’s called security virtualization. Security virtualization refers to the security solutions that come through a software program and helps you keep your virtual machine secure. Therefore, virtualized security is not like the hardware-based security for networks that involve routers, cables, firewalls, etc. to work. Virtualized security is mostly cloud-based and you can deploy it anywhere in a certain network. In simple words, virtualization allows you to keep your physical network-based devices safe through its virtual processes and policies. Let’s take a look at the detailed definition of virtualized security and its benefits as well as challenges through this post.
What is Virtualized Security? How is it Different from Hardware-Based Security?
Virtualization has been in the Internet world for a while and focuses on keeping your virtual machines safe from outside attacks such as malware attacks and hackers. Virtualized security is dynamic, unlike hardware-based security. Hardware-based security is based on protecting one device at a time and it is only installed on the device you are trying to protect. In virtualization, the operators can manage the workloads independently and it will also help you protect the workloads dynamically. An important measure in virtual security is to quarantine virtual environments in the public cloud. Virtualized security can also keep multi-cloud platforms safe that especially need security. Multi-cloud platforms create a safe ecosystem to store data in a complicated infrastructure and make it accessible to different vendors.
Since hardware-based security is installed on a particular device, you cannot move it around to make it perform on other parts of the network independently. That’s what makes the hardware-based security inflexible and not changeable. Traditional security is typically deployed on a device environment and performs some specific tasks in the device to protect a certain network framework. But the virtualized framework is dynamic and cloud-based and they have some loopholes that could allow attackers to get into the network’s database. But with cloud-based security, you can move it around with the applications and workload to keep your network secure. On the other hand, traditional security focuses on specific ports and protocols to protect. And you cannot move around traditional security like you can with virtualized security.
Now, virtualized security has different types and we are going to talk about that in the next section.
Types of Virtualized Securities
In virtualized security, there are application security, network security, cloud-based security, etc. Some virtualized securities are based on traditional security features such as firewalls that are updated regularly. But some virtualized security is based completely on the latest technologies. Here are the most popular types of virtualized securities:
Isolation: Isolating or quarantining individual workloads or applications on the same network is important for virtualized environments or public environments. The isolation feature of virtualized security can help you isolate virtual networks from the physical networks and that would help you protect the device’s infrastructure from outside or internal attacks.
Segmentation: Segmentation refers to allocating special resources to specific applications or users. It can include controlling the ongoing and outgoing traffic in the network between multiple segments.
Micro-segmentation: Micro-segmentation refers to creating specific policies for network securities to protect one workload at a time to create a secure zone. Now if an attacker goes into the environment, he can stay in there because his movements are restricted by the micro-segmentation security feature. Micro-segments will separate the data center into individual parts so that the company can determine specific security measures for each part to keep attacks away.
All types of virtualized securities have a way to keep your network safe. Let’s see how virtualized security works.
How Security Virtualization Works
Virtualized security can function as the traditional security services such as antiviruses and firewalls but they come in the form of software programs. Moreover, virtualized securities can also apply other technologies to provide safety to the network. The other technologies are specific to meet certain requirements of a virtualized environment. Such as, you can add encryption or an extra layer between the device’s infrastructure and application. Or you can use the micro-segmentation feature to reduce the risk of potential network attacks. You can apply virtualized security as application software to the hosted device directly and it will also allow you to do application monitoring. Or you can deploy virtualization anywhere in the network because you are not tied up to using it at one place at a time.
By now, you know most about the way security virtualization works. But you should also check out its benefits at a glance.
Security Benefits of Virtualization
Virtualized security has never been so important before because along with the technology, the demands for keeping your company’s network safe with complex security have been increasing. And additionally, it is more effective and dynamic than traditional security measures. Let’s take a look at the benefits of security virtualizations:
Flexibility
The whole point of applying security virtualization to your network is to protect different parts of the network dynamically. And virtualized security is flexible that will provide you with security protection across different databases and cloud environments. You can keep your data center secured with virtualized security and you can do it efficiently.
Effective Operation
Virtualized security is easier to deploy and set up in an environment unlike the traditional forms of security. You won’t have to configure multiple devices to use the virtualized security options. All you have to do is set up the security system via their software and allow the program to scale your applications quickly. You can also automate security tasks and boost your work efficiency.
Maintain Regulatory Compliance
Traditional security measures cannot meet all the security demands of the virtualized environment and that’s why virtualized security is needed to maintain regulatory compliance.
Affordability
You won’t have to spend a large amount of money on different hardware components to keep your network safe. The prices of the virtualized security software depend on its features and uses.
However, even after all these benefits, there are a few disadvantages of virtualized security that you need to know as well.
Limitations of Virtualized Security
The biggest problem of virtualized security is its complexity. While you are migrating different parts of the networks and allocating the security measures to protect the parts, you can lose the track of data. The workloads and applications in a virtualized environment come with different security policies and settings that can be difficult to keep a track of. Also, the separation of workload between multiple virtual machines can create security loopholes.
However, this risk is also involved in the virtual environment. So it does not matter if you are applying virtualized security or not. And for that, using virtualized security in your organization can help you avail of its benefits. Try to use the updated security practices such as spinning the virtual environments to automate the services by following the security policies that can help you keep security threats away from your network.
Conclusion
Virtualized security improves the scalability and management of the workloads. It offers standard security services and traffic isolation in the cloud platforms. And along with that, it offers firewall security for an added security measure. You can deploy different security controls and processes to every virtual machine at the same time. And you can protect your virtual network and virtual machine from attacks that might be caused by the vulnerabilities of the physical devices. So, even though there is one downside to using security virtualization — the potential risk of losing track of workloads — you can avail of these many benefits. And if you want to increase the benefits of virtualized security, consider investing in some other security tools that will change how you maintain the security of your network. To learn more about virtualized security, consider checking out our other articles too. Or comment down below with your queries.