Are your virtualized environments secure?

""Unlike a physical server running Windows, Linux, or even Mac, there are very few, if any, endpoint protection/EDR solutions for the VM host itself," explains Paddy Harrington, senior analyst at Forrester Research. "For most environments, the best they can do is harden the host deployment through configuration and restricted administrative access, and utilize network-based solutions to monitor for threats targeting the host.""

""Virtualization has always had a use case with testing; desktops, servers, apps, etc., spinning up virtual workloads to test apps, configs, conflicts, and so forth is easiest done in the virtual space because once the tests are done, you delete the VM and you're back to where you started. "The issue is that test environments are rarely built with security in mind, and sometimes, the test servers are left running unprotected.""

Virtualization abstracts workloads from physical hardware, enabling flexibility, cost efficiency, and scalability while introducing distinct security challenges. Host systems that run multiple VMs often lack mature endpoint protection or EDR solutions, requiring hardening through configuration, restricted administrative access, and network-based monitoring. Many organizations avoid installing local security agents on guest VMs to conserve resources or due to perceived low user activity. Test and development VMs are frequently provisioned without security controls and sometimes left running unprotected, creating attractive footholds for attackers. Comprehensive deployment processes, host hardening, agent strategies, and monitoring are essential to mitigate virtualization-specific risks.

Read at IT Pro