Authentication and encryption protect virtualised systems

Posted by Steven Gaskill

IT services users should use authentication and data security technologies to protect virtualised systems.

A recent report by Symantec showed that 75 per cent of companies have suffered a cyber attack in the past year, with many IT managers claiming virtualisation is one area which is creating security concerns.

Ironkey chief executive David Jevans said that authentication is one of the leading ways to protect virtualised networks against hackers, as it restricts who can use the system.

Pointing out that "many of these break-ins seem to be occurring [by] stealing passwords from one site and using them somewhere else", the expert claimed that authentication allows firms to overcome the inherent weakness found in some cloud services.

Furthermore, the expert advised IT services customers to use data encryption on their virtualised computers, as this will reduce the chances of cybercriminals being able to profit from any information they steal.

Mr Jevans also claimed that additional security can be achieved on virtualised networks by creating isolated environments in which sensitive tasks such as banking can be performed.