Hands-On Security in DevOps

Virtualization

It's very common to install application services on top of a virtualized OS. Virtualization technology helps to make the most physical machine resources such as the CPU, memory, and disks. However, virtualization is a shared OS technology. It also introduces security risks such as VM escape, information leakage, and denial-of-service for applications running on top of virtualization.

Security practices in guest OS virtualization are normally involved with both OS and virtualization hardening. Here are some key security configurations related to virtualization. Refer to CIS Benchmarks for details:

• Limit informative messages from the VM to the VMX file
• Limit sharing console connections
• Disconnect unauthorized devices (USB, DVD, ...