Cloud computing is rapidly becoming the preferred mode of IT delivery for organizations worldwide. The ease and convenience, coupled with the cost savings that cloud computing offers, make it a sound business decision. Within cloud computing, virtualization is the fundamental technology that enables cloud services. As virtual machines (VM) are the backbone of cloud computing, it becomes quintessential for businesses to keep them safe from cyber threats. In this article, we will explore how an organization can ensure the security of virtual machines in cloud computing.

Keep VMs Up-to-Date

Virtual machines are vulnerable to cyber threats just like physical machines. Attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in software installed on VMs to compromise or take control of the machine. Thus, it’s essential to keep virtual machines up-to-date with the latest security patches to minimize these attacks. Organizations should ensure that automatic updates are enabled and perform regular manual checks to detect vulnerabilities in their VMs.

Keep the Host OS Secure

In a cloud environment, a hypervisor is used to manage virtual machines’ resources. It is the essential layer that makes virtualization possible. As the hypervisor manages and directs traffic between VMs, it is critical to keep it secure. One of the best practices in hypervisor security is to keep the host OS secure. The security of the host OS flows over to the hypervisor to make sure that it isn’t tampered with. Antivirus software should be installed on the hypervisor, and all security updates should be applied regularly.

Strong Authentication and Access Control

A weak password is the easiest hack that attackers can use to access virtual machines. A strong password policy with multi-factor authentication should be enforced for the users, as that is the first line of defense to prevent unauthorized access. Organizations should set up access controls to determine who can access the virtual machines and when they can access them, making sure there are no vulnerabilities in the system.

Encryption

Data encryption provides protection for data, both in motion and at rest. It’s always recommended for an organization to implement encryption for virtual machines. Data stored on virtual machines should all be encrypted at rest to assure that no third-party can access data. Data in transit should also always be encrypted to make sure that the underlying data is safe.

Network Segmentation

In a cloud configuration, virtual machines running on a single physical server share the same physical resources. It is crucial to segment virtual machines to isolate instances and mitigate the impact of a security breach. When virtual machines are separated into logically defined areas by network segments, it becomes cumbersome for an attacker to move between virtual machines. Administrators can apply security policies that allow certain types of traffic between segments, helping to increase security.

Regular Backups

Regular backups of virtual machines are essential to respond quickly to a security breach. In the event of a successful attack, IT personnel can roll back the virtual machine to a previous state using the backup data. This promotes business continuity as the attacker wouldn’t deny access to the data or the service offered by the VMs for long.

In conclusion, ensuring the security of virtual machines is essential as it is the backbone of cloud computing. Organizations must implement an end-to-end multi-layered security strategy for the infrastructure, networks, and virtual machines. With the above-mentioned best practices, an organization can keep its virtual machines safe from cyber threats in cloud computing.