IBM Debuts Virtual Server Security App

IBM on Friday jumped on the virtualization security bandwagon with the release of Virtual Server Security for VMware vSphere, an application designed to secure workloads running on virtual servers.

Enterprise as well as small and midsized businesses continue to embrace virtualization technology from the likes of VMware, Microsoft and a raft of open source vendors to cut datacenter costs, reduce energy and improve efficiency in their IT networks.

But storing and managing all these virtual servers along with hundreds if not thousands of physical presents a number of security and configuration headaches for IT administrators.

IBM officials said Virtual Server Security helps address these new concerns by providing protection for every layer of an enterprise’s virtual infrastructure including the hypervisor, operating system, network, applications, server-based virtual desktops, virtual machine and traffic between virtual machines.

The application suite includes a Virtual Network Access Control feature that limits network access form a virtual server until a security posture is confirmed and rootkit detection and prevention to increase virtual server uptime.

“Clients are asking for solutions to secure their data centers as they move from a traditional environment to virtual deployments,” Brian Truskowski, general manager of IBM’s virtualization security group, said in a statement. “IBM has built this solution based on the feedback of hundreds of customers looking to answer this urgent need.”

The tight integration with VMware’s vSphere suite will give Virtual Server Security customers better visibility, security granularity and scalability for their VMware-based virtual datacenters.

“For data center managers needing security solutions for their virtualized environments, the combination of IBM Virtual Server Security for VMware, together with VMware vSphereT, can provide better visibility and control of data down to the finest granular level, preempting threats before they materialize,” said Shekar Ayyar, VMware’s vice president of infrastructure alliances.

The new application suite includes virtual infrastructure monitoring and reporting to identify vulnerabilities as well as virtual network segment protection to control access to the virtualized workloads.

IBM said Virtual Server Security will be available in December.

Get the Free Newsletter!

Subscribe to our newsletter.

Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

News Around the Web