Secure your virtual desktop to prevent data loss and downtime.
Security, compatibility and ease of management all drive organizations to use virtual desktops. Regardless of the virtualization technology used to build it, a virtual desktop creates an enclosed system within which changes made by the user or by applications cannot harm the host computer. However, a virtual desktop user should secure the virtual desktop carefully to keep it useful for as long as possible.
Instructions
1. Protect against direct attacks by configuring within the virtual desktop both a host-based firewall and an antivirus. For a Windows virtual desktop, launch the Windows Firewall applet from the control panel and confirm that the firewall is turned on. Download and install an antivirus product. If the virtual desktop is not connected to the Internet, copy both the antivirus installer and its virus definition files to the virtual desktop manually through either shared folders (in VMware) or a USB device (for VMware or Sun VirtualBox.)
2. Encrypt the virtual hard disk. Within the virtual desktop, download and install Truecrypt (see Resources). Launch the "Encrypt System Partition / Drive" wizard from the "System" drop-down menu to encrypt the virtual desktop hard disk. During the process of encrypting the system disk, Truecrypt will create a rescue disk image in the form of an .ISO file. Copy this rescue disk to the host computer and mount it to the virtual DVD drive in order to permit Truecrypt to verify it.
3. Disable remote access if it is not needed. If you use your virtual desktop by directly launching a console session through VMware or VirtualBox, disable Remote Desktop Connections in Windows by launching the System control panel applet and selecting "Remote Settings." Click on the radio button labeled "Don't allow connections to this computer" and click on "OK."
4. Require a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to virtual desktops that are centrally managed, such as those deployed using VMware View. Contact your network administrator for help setting this up.
5. Snapshot the virtual desktop. If your virtualization technology permits it, as VMware does, perform a snapshot of the virtual desktop machine at a point when it is known to be secure and in good condition. Use this snapshot to restore functionality to the virtual desktop in the event that it is compromised.
Tags: virtual desktop, control panel, hard disk, host computer, rescue disk, virtual desktops, virtualization technology