VMware vSphere™ and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment

Chapter 8. Virtual Machines and Security

VMware ESX and VMware ESXi run Virtual Machines (VMs). That is the main idea behind virtualization, so it behooves us to discuss security of the virtual machines. Each VM can impact the security of the virtual environment as well as be impacted by the virtualization environment. In this chapter we begin by looking at the various forms of virtual machines and appliances (vApps) that are prevalent within the virtual environment. Specifically, the chapter discusses how VMsafe fits into the picture. But before we look at the VMs, we discuss the security aspects of the VM by looking at the interaction between the hypervisor and the VM as well as how best to secure the operating system running within the VM ...