A Guide to Virtualization Security: Understand the Early Stages of This New Battleground with an Analysis of Threats, Vulnerabilities & Security Benef

"With the rush to adopt virtual technologies, the security of virtualization has become a primary concern - yet few understand the security implications of this disruptive innovation. In this report, EMA provides guidance for IT practitioners seeking to secure their virtual environments. With a simple, five-phase approach to virtualization security as the centerpiece of this study, EMA takes an initial look at virtualization threats and vulnerabilities, and considers the security benefits of virtualization. Market insight from EMA's 2008 virtualization survey of over 600 enterprises takes a sampling of the steps organizations are - and are not - taking today to secure virtual environments. Until virtualized security measures mature, this report focuses on what enterprises can do today to secure virtualization and seize the unique opportunity to integrate security early in the adoption of this game-changing technology - before it's too late.
The rapid adoption of virtualization technology has created multiple benefits for IT organizations. Advantages such as the reduction of cost through more efficient resource utilization are obvious; however, these benefits can quickly be negated if virtualization opens a door to a major security incident."