Category Archives: Virtualization Security

Dave Shackleford, Sword & Shield’s Director of Risk & Compliance, has a new article at The Security Catalyst discussing  virtualization implementation and its effects on compliance.

Virtualization technology is becoming ubiquitous. More and more organizations are replacing physical infrastructure with virtualized systems, including desktops and servers, and application and storage virtualization are popular as well. Virtualization changes a number of paradigms across the information technology landscape – some obviously for the good, some possibly for the worse. In the realm of GRC, virtualization has some distinct points to consider, many of which may require changes in operations and policy, as well as overall information security management.

Virtualization can help organizations reduce operating costs, and many feel that it’s a key component to “Green IT” strategies aimed at reducing energy consumption. However, despite popular belief, it actually makes the IT environment more rather than less complex, and a number of new processes and approaches are needed to ensure that security and risk management keep pace with its adoption.