VMworld: New cloud security emphasis from VMware

Paul Maritz

VMware has announced a trio of products aimed at redefining virtual security architecture from a perimeter to a defence-in-depth approach.

VMware vShield Edge, vShield App and vShield Endpoint cover anti-virus, load balancing and firewall security for cloud systems.

By integrating these deep into the virtualised environment, security could become a selling point for cloud, according to the company.

"We need to pull all security mechanisms so they are working together," said Steve Herrod, chief technical officer of VMware. "Security has to follow the virtual machine in there. We have to visualise security."

Herrod explained that security needs to move from physical perimeter device to running in a virtual environment. Each system can update itself automatically when it needs to, avoiding the "update leg that sucks server time", he explained.

VMware chief executive Paul Maritz acknowledged that security is one of the biggest sticking points with chief technology officers, but claimed that the new offerings can turn a sales liability into a benefit.

"Everything will be more fluid," he said. "We believe we can take one of the big concerns about the cloud today and make it a benefit."