Are Your Virtual Servers Secured?

Virtualized servers offer several previously alien benefits to the modern business, including the ability to consolidate your servers into one powerful cloud-based server. While virtual servers can clear up a lot of room in both your budget and your office, security company Symantec has released a study which claims that virtual servers are just as much at risk as physical servers.

Symantec released a report entitled "Threats to Virtual Environments," where they detail the threats to virtual servers. It states, "Virtual machine hosting servers are not any [more] secure than any other type of server. They are just as vulnerable to malware and targeted attacks." If that wasn't alarming, some of these cloud-based threats are exclusive to virtual servers, including a hypervisor attack (the hypervisor is what creates and runs the virtual server). This threat isn't the most realistic one, but the fact remains that there are vulnerabilities on virtual servers that can be exploited.

Other malware and targeted attacks have a much greater probability of occurring against virtual servers, and are just as effective as they are versus physical servers. This can happen when the data backups are taken. Malware attacks the virtual server snapshots, which can infect the surrounding virtual network. In fact, these types of attacks can happen all at once, putting unprotected virtual servers at great risk. One example of these attacks is Crisis, a type of malware that attacks servers, and can potentially swipe data from a system. While originally thought to be used for cyber espionage or law enforcement, it is now used by hackers for nefarious purposes.

Therefore, it is imperative that you treat your virtual servers to the best security options available. Symantec suggests the following tips to help you keep your servers safe:

• Concentrate on application security. Only allow trusted applications to access your important network information. Computerware can help your business put together a strong list of applications that are whitelisted and blacklisted. This helps keep important data access restricted to only trusted applications.
• Use advanced security measures, like a UTM solution. The most powerful antivirus isn't going to be enough to protect your business from these types of threats. Therefore, you need a more powerful solution, like Computerware's Unified Threat Management device. The UTM uses a comprehensive combination of firewalls, antivirus, web filtering, and much more to keep your network safe and sound.
• Use administrator privileges to take control. Unauthorized users could potentially access your network and perform concerning activities. In order to minimize this threat, integrate measures such as two-factor authentication and login records to see who exactly is accessing your network and why. Computerware can equip your business with powerful two-factor authentication solutions, as well as monitor your network for any suspicious activity.
• Have a disaster recovery plan ready, just in case. Every business should have a backup and disaster recovery (BDR) plan in place, just in case the worst happens. When disaster strikes, like a hacking attack or even natural disasters, you want to be prepared to return to normalcy as quickly as possible. Computerware offers a powerful comprehensive BDR solution that keeps your data backed up and secure off-site, so you can recover with as few complications as possible.

It's important that the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of virtual servers don't distract your business from proper security practices. Computerware can help you keep your business as secure as possible so you can concentrate on other important aspects of your company. For more information about Computerware's managed IT services, give us a call at (703) 821-8200.