As cyber threats become more detailed and dangerous and more of our assets become digital, the need for innovative and complex cybersecurity grows greater every day—and that’s where virtualization-based security (VBS) comes in.
Read on for a closer look at this commonly overlooked, but incredibly effective, tool for organizing your network and keeping the most important parts of your infrastructure safe.
What Is Virtualization-Based Security?
Virtualization-based security (VBS) is a Microsoft cybersecurity feature that virtually separates a device’s processes and data from the actual operating system (OS) and divides them into different virtual machines (VMs). The goal is to isolate attacks to one area and limit their effects, protecting the OS and the most important data in a system.
One way to think about it is with the classic metaphor ‘One bad apple spoils the whole bunch’. Usually, it’s okay to have all the apples in the same bucket, but if one starts to rot, it can quickly spread to the others. By keeping your apples in separate buckets and adding special protections to your favorite kind, even if one apple does start to rot, it will be contained in a single bucket.
Benefits & Why It Matters
These clear distinctions between different processes and data take your security to a higher plane and offer opportunities for growth and innovation.
Contain Attacks and Breaches
The VMs act as effective barriers to help prevent malicious activity from spreading across an entire system. By isolating different processes and applications, VMs protect the main OS kernel, critical applications, and sensitive data from malware or other threats, ensuring that a breach in one VM doesn’t compromise the entire system.
Improve Disaster Recovery
Using virtual machines can significantly simplify disaster recovery efforts. Since VMs can be quickly replicated or cloned, restoring a damaged system becomes more efficient, minimizing downtime and reducing the impact of a disaster on business operations.
Secure Confidential Operations
Virtualization-based security provides a secure environment for handling sensitive tasks and confidential data. By operating within isolated VMs, these operations are shielded from potential vulnerabilities and those with lower clearance, ensuring privacy and data integrity.
Run High-Risk Tests Safely
When experimenting with new software or applications, VMs serve as the perfect sandbox for running secure tests. Developers can try the new code on a single VM to confirm that it’s working correctly and safely before officially launching it, and the main system will remain untouched by any unexpected glitches or ill effects.
Separate Work and Personal Life
VMs make it possible to create clear boundaries between work and personal computing activities. Employees can use different machines for work and personal projects, preventing threats from traveling from one to the other and creating a valuable separation to help them organize their time and tasks.
Explore a New Level of Security with AIS
Virtualization-based security is full of possibilities—but also complexities. By partnering with the skilled cybersecurity and network experts at AIS, you can be sure you’re accessing the full potential of VBS. We have years of experience with Microsoft apps, as well as the analytical and practical skills needed to evaluate your systems and develop a plan for making VBS work for you.
So don’t hesitate. If you’re ready for tighter security, greater peace of mind, and an IT partner you can count on, it’s time to schedule a call with AIS.