Virtualized desktops are one of the most difficult things for IT
administrators, but securing them is all the more a bigger task. Are
better managed virtual desktops more secure? Well yes. But it still has
some problems.
To secure a virtual environment, especially in a VDI or Remote Desktop services, there are certain tactics which have to be used for security such as remote access procedure or having a main portal where one needs to go for data access.
An encrypted connection broker can also be put to aid to secure users from over curious people.
Hackers have other ways of getting into virtualized desktop infrastructures too where they somehow gain access to an administrative account on a virtual machine and then use it to wage an attack on the hypervisor. The virtualization software also may itself have inherent weaknesses making it more prone to vulnerabilities.
One thing which IT administrators should do is to make desktops more manageable and then create a minimum security baseline which should mandate non administrative access for users, making the system less available to vulnerabilities becoming part of a gold image.
The gold image can further be rationalized by installing an anti malware package in a way that a single content scanner and firewall is present at the gateway of the virtualized network.
This only applicable when a desktop is hosted on a server. The above mentioned technique then also saves tax resources.
Therefore how do administrators get past this limitation? Randomized on demand scanning is the solution where it sweeps the whole system clean of malware at one go which takes more time but is very easy on a server environment.
Securing virtual desktop systems can be tedious but with proper planning it can be simplified to a great extent. Desktop Virtualization projects also can be secured in the same way if strategized in a proper manner.
To secure a virtual environment, especially in a VDI or Remote Desktop services, there are certain tactics which have to be used for security such as remote access procedure or having a main portal where one needs to go for data access.
An encrypted connection broker can also be put to aid to secure users from over curious people.
Hackers have other ways of getting into virtualized desktop infrastructures too where they somehow gain access to an administrative account on a virtual machine and then use it to wage an attack on the hypervisor. The virtualization software also may itself have inherent weaknesses making it more prone to vulnerabilities.
One thing which IT administrators should do is to make desktops more manageable and then create a minimum security baseline which should mandate non administrative access for users, making the system less available to vulnerabilities becoming part of a gold image.
The gold image can further be rationalized by installing an anti malware package in a way that a single content scanner and firewall is present at the gateway of the virtualized network.
This only applicable when a desktop is hosted on a server. The above mentioned technique then also saves tax resources.
Therefore how do administrators get past this limitation? Randomized on demand scanning is the solution where it sweeps the whole system clean of malware at one go which takes more time but is very easy on a server environment.
Securing virtual desktop systems can be tedious but with proper planning it can be simplified to a great extent. Desktop Virtualization projects also can be secured in the same way if strategized in a proper manner.
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