The Importance of Virtualised Infrastructure Security 

The Importance of Virtualised Infrastructure Security

When virtual infrastructure fails, it is a risk for any business. It can also impact how quickly you can retrieve your data and resume operations in event of an attack.

Many businesses use virtualised infrastructure for data storage as this approach is superior to physical solutions. A virtualised infrastructure offers enhanced flexibility, straightforward provisioning, and affordable pricing.

Using virtualised infrastructure requires a comprehensive approach to security as physical data protection tools are not effective for virtual settings. Virtual threats are different from physical threats and thus you will need to think beyond the traditional protection methods. As you embark on virtualised infrastructure, you will need to upgrade and improve your security tools.

Below is a discussion on improper virtualised infrastructure security and ways you can improve it.

Secure Your Virtualised Infrastructure

Virtualisation security is important for every business’s security strategy. Below are 3 of the most common virtualisation security issues:

#1 External Attacks

If a hacker enters your host-level or server management software, they will have access to all crucial parts of your system. They will have the ability to create new login IDs, assign admin rights, and use them to steal or destroy your company’s data.

#2 File Sharing and Copy Pasting

Host and virtual machine (VM) file sharing and copy-pasting function is usually disabled by default. Sometimes, this setting is changed by tweaking the ESXi host system for maintenance purposes, however, it is not recommended to do so.

A person with malicious intention who gains access to your management console can easily and quickly copy data outside your virtual environment. They can also install malware into your virtual machine which can affect your entire system.

#3 Viruses

Virtual machines (VM) are very prone to attacks, and this is the reason it is important to keep regular backups of your data and store them off-site.

Ransomware is one of the most popular attacks and can be financially draining to any business. A regular backup plan will prevent you from being at the mercy of hackers when they ask you for big sums of money to decipher your data.

Restoring a Virtual Machine is not a straightforward process even with regular backups. It is important to educate your team on alleviating the risk of being a victim of ransomware, malware, or viruses.

Optimising Your Virtualised Infrastructure Security

Below are four tips to improve your virtual infrastructure security.

Tip #1 Managing Virtual Sprawl

Virtual sprawl describes the expanding VM infrastructure as your business grows. The expanding virtual infrastructure will also outgrow your ability to secure and manage them. To manage virtual sprawls, here are some tips:

• Always keep an inventory of all your machines
• Set up lookouts to monitor all locations
• Monitor IP addresses that have access to your VMs
• Identify table locks
• Be vigilant about granting access to your databases
• Keep both on-site and off-site backups
• Assess your virtual environment regularly. Eliminate the ones that you do not require.
• Keep a central log of your systems and log all hardware actions
• Create a patch maintenance schedule to ensure that all your machines are up to date

Tip #2 The Set-Up Process

It is worth paying close attention to the set-up process as a misstep in configuration can result in major security risks. Some of the key things to look out for include unnecessary ports, useless & unused services, and vulnerabilities. One wrong setup can result in all your virtual machines inheriting the same problems.

Many businesses have poor virtual network configurations. Check all virtual applications that call the host and vice versa. Ensure that all your applications have proper segmentation, both databases and web services.

Check all virtualisation platforms to ensure that communications are closely monitored. As most virtualisation platforms only have 3 types of security switches, the protection for virtual systems is limited when connected to other networks.

Tip #3 Secure All Parts of the Infrastructure

Secure all parts of your infrastructure, including physical components such as switches, hosts, physical storage, routers, and guest systems. Here are some tips to protect the entire infrastructure:

• Install the latest firmware and keep your virtualised infrastructure updated with the latest security patches.
• All routers, switches, and load balancers should also use the latest firmware
• Enable automatic updates outside of your work hours and include automatic reboots so that your operating system is updated
• Regularly update your anti-malware and antivirus software.

Tip #4 Have a Robust Backup Plan

Ensure that you have a proper disaster recovery and backup plan to ensure that your business can continue operating after an attack. In a cyberattack, your physical and virtual components can suffer from damage.

Ideally have a disaster recovery site located far from the data centre. This is to keep your data safe in the event of a compromise. Back up all your VMs and physical servers as part of the disaster recovery plan.

Additionally, make 3 copies of your data and store them in two different virtual places. In this way, you will have multiple backups to fall back on in the event of any hacking attempt.

Prioritise the Security of Virtual Infrastructure

If you have not placed much attention on your virtualised infrastructure security, it should be your main priority now. Increasing threats and attacks means that all your physical and virtual systems need to be properly protected. The reality is that many businesses struggle with ensuring that they have a comprehensive security plan.

Contact us for a 15-minute chat where we can discuss how you can bring the security of your virtualised infrastructure to the next level.