virtualization security

Trend Micro Expands Virtualization Security Portfolio

July 16, 2009 by Robin Wauters 1 Comment

Trend Micro is expanding its overall virtualization security portfolio with the introduction of a content security solution to protect VMware ESX/ESXi environments.

Trend Micro Core Protection for Virtual Machines is designed to secure VMware virtual machines, both active and dormant, comprehensively and efficiently. The product leverages the VMsafe APIs from VMware to offer layered protection through the use of dedicated scanning VMs coordinated with real-time agents within the VM.

A tough economy is driving companies globally to adopt more cost-effective measures and pursue efficiency, one of the main reasons why analysts expect the virtualization industry to hit over $7 billion over the next four years.

But while server virtualization increases efficiency in the data center, it also challenges the security of the IT environment: Existing content security solutions imported from the physical world typically leave security gaps when deployed in virtual environments. For example, dormant or offline virtual machines can get infected even while dormant, yet are unable to protect themselves with a virus scan agent and signature updates.

Similarly, resource-intensive security operations such as scheduled full system scans can significantly degrade the performance of the host and render the security ineffective, especially when initiated concurrently on multiple virtual machines.

Trend Micro Core Protection for Virtual Machines is part of Trend Micro Enterprise Security – a tightly integrated offering of content security products, services and solutions which is powered by the Trend Micro(TM) Smart Protection Network. Trend Micro Enterprise Security delivers immediate protection from emerging threats while greatly reducing the cost and complexity of security management.

Trend Micro Core Protection for Virtual Machines 1.0 will be available in August 2009 both as a standalone as well as part of the OSCE X Advanced Suite. The solution is also available as part of a new Virtualization Security suite that includes Trend Micro Deep Security, brought to the company from its acquisition of Third Brigade in April 2009. Core Protection for Virtual Machines can be deployed standalone or as a plug-in to OfficeScan Client/Server and managed through the OfficeScan console.

Dell To Resell Reflex Systems’ Virtual Management Center

March 3, 2009 by Robin Wauters 1 Comment

Reflex Systems, provider of virtualization management and security solutions, yesterday announced a global reseller agreement that authorizes Dell’s worldwide direct and channel sales forces to sell Reflex VMC (Virtual Management Center).

Reflex VMC is designed to provide customers with the essential management capabilities needed to effectively manage the complex, dynamic virtual environment, capitalize on the existing virtualization investment, reduce cost through efficient management, minimize downtime and maintain a reliable virtualized infrastructure running critical business-line applications. The solution boasts innovative performance management features including discovery and mapping, configuration change monitoring, application and services discovery and monitoring, virtual network security, and reporting.

Reflex VMC is available for purchase now through authorized channel partners including Dell.

Reflex Security Rebrands To Reflex Systems

November 4, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

Reflex Security today announced it has changed its company name to Reflex Systems. The new moniker was given “to more appropriately convey the award-winning comprehensive virtual infrastructure management offering that the company is now known for in addition to the virtual security appliance solution that Reflex pioneered”.

Reflex Virtualization Management Center (VMC) dramatically increases the visibility, management and security of an organization’s virtual infrastructure. Purpose-built on a strong security foundation, VMC provides the essential tools needed to bridge the gap between management and security in virtualized data centers. Reflex VMC provides infrastructure discovery and visualization, revision control, application/services discovery, network security, performance, lifecycle management and policy enforcement.

Altor Networks Introduces Virtual Firewall, Integrates With ArcSight, Juniper, Mazu and VMware

October 14, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

Altor Networks today announced the availability of the Altor VF (Virtual Firewall), and announced its certified integration with products from ArcSight, Juniper Networks, Mazu Networks and VMware.

The Altor VF is a software security appliance that runs in a virtualized environment and enforces security policy on a per virtual machine (VM) basis. Unlike existing firewalls designed for physical networks, the Altor VF virtual firewall can secure Live Migration – a technology designed to trigger automatic movement of VMs across physical servers, but capable of inadvertently moving an application to a less trusted network. The Altor VF was purpose-built for the virtual environment – enabling tighter security policy and greater ease-of-use than existing virtual firewalls adapted from their physical firewall counterparts.

The Altor VF extends the functionality of traditional firewalls. Traditional firewalls not only provide security to physical networks, they also provide visibility to the traffic running through them and export some of that data to 3rd party products to aggregate and correlate data across the network. However, traditional firewalls cannot see into the virtual environment. The Altor VF extends visibility into the virtual environment – providing NetFlow statistics, Sys Log, and other network statistics on a per application basis and exporting that data to 3rd party products such as those from ArcSight and Mazu Networks (Please see separate releases for details).

Similarly, in existing physical networks, some companies also employ an Intrusion Detection & Prevention System (IDS/IPS) to further secure their physical networks. Through its partnership with Juniper Networks, the Altor VF enables Juniper IDP appliances to extend their protection into the virtual environment (Please see separate releases for details).

The Altor VF brings to market a number of industry firsts to dramatically improve virtual network security management:

— VirtualCenter Integration — The Altor VF includes out-of-the-box integration with VMware’s VirtualCenter, enabling the automated deployment of virtual firewalls on ESX hosts. The product further applies a default policy to all new virtual machines — helping control virtual machine sprawl.

— Security Policy per Virtual Machine — VMs on a virtual server can serve different purposes — ranging from development and test to various types of production applications. The Altor VF locks down each VM to its specified use, insuring no communication among VMs with mixed application trust levels.

— Support for Live Migration — When VMotion moves a VM to a different physical host, the Altor VF ensures that its security policy and active sessions move along with it. Therefore, companies can obtain the full benefits of Live Migration while maintaining security within their virtual network.

The Altor VF is available immediately with prices ranging between $1,500 and $2,000 per server depending on volume.

Altor Networks

Alternative Technology Launches Suite of Virtualization Protections Solutions with Double-Take Software

October 10, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

Alternative Technology, an Arrow Electronics company is launching a suite of virtualization protections solutions with Double-Take Software, an infrastructure software company.

Alternative Technology will leverage its virtualization presence in the North American channel and its education and technical resources to offer a host of Double-Take Software solutions, including Double-Take Virtual Recovery Assistant, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure and Double-Take Livewire.

VMware Buys Blue Lane (Updated)

October 9, 2008 by Robin Wauters 3 Comments

VMware went shopping and came back home with Cupertino-based Blue Lane Technologies. Despite the lack of press releases, this transaction was confirmed by Mary Ann Gallo, VMware’s head of Global Public Relations. Unfortunately she could not disclose the financial details.

Update: according to Brenon Daly from The 451 Group, the price was around $15 million, and Blue Lane was in search for a buyer since last Summer because of lack of sufficient capital. He also mentions Blue Lane raised “some $18.4m in two rounds of funding”, but our information keeps it at $13.4m.

The acquired company provides solutions that secure virtual and physical data centers. Its solution secures servers and VMs by controlled code execution in the network and taking appropriate countermeasures against traffic aimed at known software vulnerabilities (without signatures).

Blue Lane was quite silent after releasing VirtualShield 4.2 last April. We interviewed Greg Ness, former VP of Marketing with Blue Lane (and avid blogger) and Thierry Evangelista, Technical Director Europe for the company at VMworld Europe earlier this year.

This acquisition confirms VMware’s commitment to virtualization security or VirtSec in short.

Blue Lane was founded in 2002 and has raised $13.4 million to date in two financing rounds from Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures and Matrix Partners. According to Greg Ness, who left the company last July to join Infoblox, Blue Lane has around 40 employees.

Below, you can find 3 embedded videos encompassing a long interview we did with Ness last June when he was still with the company.

Interview BlueLane Greg Ness 1/3 from Toon Vanagt on Vimeo.