VMware VMsafe™ is a new security technology for virtualized environments that can help to protect your virtual infrastructure in ways previously not possible with physical machines. VMsafe provides a unique capability for virtualized environments through an application program interface (API)-sharing program that enables select partners to develop security products for VMware environments. The result is an open approach to security that provides customers with the most secure platform on which they can virtualize their business-critical applications.
VMsafe: A Security Technology for Virtualized Environments
VMsafe in action
See how VMsafe enables security solutions that plug the gaps of traditional security products. Secure your virtual datacenter while maintaining visibility into your virtual machine resources.
VMsafe is a groundbreaking innovation that leverages the unique capabilities of VMware vSphere to enable a rich ecosystem of third-party security solutions for virtualized environments. This virtual security technology provides fine-grained visibility over virtual machine resources, making it possible to monitor every aspect of the execution of the system and stop previously undetectable viruses, rootkits and malware before they can infect a system.
VMsafe enables partners to build security solutions in the form of a virtual machine that can access, correlate and modify data to help control and protect:
- Memory and CPU. VMsafe provides introspection of virtual machine memory pages and CPU states.
- Networking. VMsafe enables filtering of network packets inside hypervisors,,as well as within the security virtual machine itself.
- Process execution. VMsafe provided in-guest, in-process APIs that enable complete monitoring and control of process execution.
- Storage. Guest virtual machine disk files can be mounted, manipulated and modified as they persist on storage devices.
VMsafe technology will be delivered in future versions of VMware vSphere, complemented by third-party security products that are built specifically for the VMware environment using a set of security APIs.
Key Benefits of VMware VMsafe
"As threats to the virtual machine landscape continue to evolve, IBM will leverage the VMsafe technology to provide holistic system and data protection solutions for the virtual environment. IBM is dedicated to extending superior ahead of the threat multi-layered protection to the virtual landscape, and to working with VMware to develop new and innovative ways to protect the VMware infrastructure."
— Scott Johnson, business line manager, host solutions for IBM Internet Security Systems
The VMware VMsafe technology program includes sharing an open, interoperable and cross-platform set of technologies with partners so they can provide innovative security solutions for virtual machines. Security solutions built with VMware VMsafe will provide customers better granularity, visibility, correlation and scalability in virtual machine deployments.
- Stronger security. VMsafe enables third-party security vendors to create virtualization solutions that help to better protect organizations from new and existing security threats.
- Tighter policy control. Security solutions that are integrated with VMsafe can help to achieve greater visibility, manageability and enforcement of standard security policies.
- Better isolation. The VMsafe approach protects third-party security solutions by isolating them from the rest of the virtual infrastructure, rendering them inaccessible to malware.
- Closer correlation. Solutions that integrate with VMsafe gain deeper visibility into virtual machines and correlate this data for greater accuracy when performing network scans and other tasks.
- Better scalability. VMsafe hooks directly into VMware vSphere and its centralized management capabilities, making it possible to protect large virtual infrastructures.
