First-Ever SANS Virtualization Security Course


	Advertise with Sarbanes Oxley Compliance Journal

News

< Back

Sarbanes Oxley : Technology : Policy Management

First-Ever SANS Virtualization Security Course

Best Practices for Server Lockdown, Network Configuration & Compliance Management for VMware Infrastructure

Dave Shackleford
Chief Security Officer
Configuresoft

Configuresoft, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise server configuration management solutions, has announced that two of the company’s resident IT security experts have collaborated to develop the new Virtualization Security and Operations course for the well-respected SANS (SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security) Institute. Dave Shackleford, chief security officer at Configuresoft, and Chris Farrow, vice president, teamed up with Rob Vandenbrink, senior consulting engineer at Metafore, to develop the course and address the growing wave of concern over security in the virtualized environment.

“Because so many companies are realizing the power, efficiency and cost-saving benefits of virtualization, we’ve seen widespread deployment over the past few years,” Shackleford said. “This rush to virtualization has left many IT security managers worried over how to best secure this new platform, not to mention how to convince upper management to be mindful of security in their hunt for cost savings.”

Virtualization Security and Operations, SANS Institute’s first-ever course in the virtualization security arena, delivers an overview of virtualization security risks and fundamentals, networking techniques, and best practice strategies for backup, recovery and redundancy, as well configuration and compliance management. The course includes an extensive lab environment, allowing attendees to create a virtual environment, learn how to detect various types of attacks, see how security procedures apply in the virtual environment and learn how to develop their own security and operations practices.

With more than 10 years of IT security experience, including a stint as the head of information security at AirTran Airways, Shackleford worked with Farrow to co-chair the development of the first Center for Internet Standards (CIS) Benchmarks on virtualization security. These CIS Benchmarks became the basis for Configuresoft’s Center for Policy and Compliance virtualization security guidelines.

Shackleford emphasized that, despite current security concerns, the weakness in virtualization is not with the software itself, but with the rush to implement the technology and the failure to plan properly for ongoing operations.

“Virtualization can become a critical piece of infrastructure so quickly, and, as with anything new, without thorough planning and careful implementation, it can also be dangerous, If you follow best-practices guidance on locking down platforms and creating and enforcing good operations practices, you’ve done all that you can to mitigate the risk,” Farrow said. “This course is designed specifically to arm security, systems, and network admins and engineers with that knowledge to apply in their own environments.”

While the current course is focused solely on the VMware platform, due to its popularity in the marketplace, course designers intend to expand the program to cover other platforms. A Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) will also be added in the future.

Configuresoft, the world’s leading enterprise configuration management provider, delivers automated and optimized Lean IT, secure and compliant Clean IT, and energy efficient Green IT to IT Operations. Hundreds of organizations, including 13 of the world’s 25 largest companies, rely on Configuresoft to effectively and efficiently manage the complexity of today’s physical and virtualized IT environments. Configuresoft’s team of security and policy experts ensure continuous compliance with regulatory requirements such as Sarbanes-Oxley and industry standards such as PCI DSS and Microsoft and VMware Hardening Guides.

About Us

Editorial