Virtual Machine Security

Virtual Machine Security refers to the practices, tools, and methodologies used to protect virtual machines (VMs) from threats, vulnerabilities, and unauthorized access in virtualized environments. It involves securing the hypervisor, VM images, network configurations, and guest operating systems to ensure isolation, integrity, and compliance. This is critical in cloud computing, data centers, and development environments where multiple VMs share physical resources.

Also known as: VM Security, Virtualization Security, Hypervisor Security, Guest OS Security, VirtSec

Why learn Virtual Machine Security?

Developers should learn Virtual Machine Security when working with cloud platforms (like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud), containerized applications, or multi-tenant systems to prevent data breaches, cross-VM attacks, and compliance violations. It's essential for roles in DevOps, cybersecurity, and system administration to harden VMs against exploits like hypervisor escapes, VM sprawl, and misconfigurations that can compromise entire infrastructures.

Learning Resources

• docs: NIST Guide to Virtual Machine Security
• docs: VMware Security Hardening Guide
• course: Coursera: Virtualization and Cloud Security
• tutorial: OWASP Virtualization Security Cheat Sheet
• video: YouTube: Introduction to VM Security by IBM Technology