Sourcefire strengthens virtualization security with RNA

As attacks upon software systems become more sophisticated, it is crucial to adapt security measures to emerging threats. Virtualization is presently one of the most exciting technologies in the enterprise, but also among the most vulnerable.

At VMworld, Sourcefire, the security company that brought Snort to the market, has introduced a new product offering through its Sourcefire 3D. Most important, the release improves Real-time Network Awareness (RNA), a feature able to monitor both hardware and virtual environments.

First, RNA enables administrators to tailor the software to their compliance and policy requirements; the VM Detection feature combats the problem of VM sprawl by detecting all virtual machines and making them visible.

RNA is now supported by VMware’s support services, Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) program and VMsafe. VMsafe includes an application program interface (API), which enables other security applications to monitor for and catch intrusions that RNA cannot see.

RNA saves enterprise resources by identifying threats as they occur by continuously collecting information about virtual machine activity at the surface level of a virtual environment. Other security tools collect such data only during the day, allowing intruders greater opportunity to inflict harm on the system.