Altor v4.0

VMware

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World’s first purpose-built virtual firewall for virtual networks and clouds

Submitted by: Altor Networks, Inc.

Tools

Appliance Type

Partner

Description

Altor is a leading innovator and provider of virtual firewall security for virtual data centers and clouds. With version 4.0 of its system, Altor rounds out a virtualization security package that includes a high-performance hypervisor-based stateful firewall, on-board intrusion detection, complete virtual network visibility and monitoring, as well as reporting. Altor v4.0 brings forward powerful new features that automate security and compliance enforcement within virtual networks and clouds. By leveraging Virtual Machine Introspection (VMI) data and intelligence, and coupling it with Altor system knowledge of the security and virtual network environment, Altor v4.0 creates an extensive database of control points by which security policies and compliance rules can be defined. Altor makes this rich data available in intuitive UIs that let administrators build the entire range of policies from corporate rules on global protocol handling (e.g., block Kazaa) to discrete regulatory compliance policies for how virtual machines (VMs) should be configured (e.g., must-have antivirus installed). Compliance assessment and security
enforcement happen automatically and in lockstep with changes in the virtual environment. New VMs,
for instance, will be scanned and quarantined if out of compliance with policies. The same applies to
VMs whose “state” changes so that the security posture is weakened. Altor’s VMware VMsafe-certified
security operates from deep within the virtualization fabric as part of the hypervisor. Consequently, the
software delivers unprecedented levels of security, far beyond what is possible with traditional physical
network security products.

Features & Benefits

Key Benefits

* Visibility: full view to all applications flowing between VMs and how they are used. Complete VM and VM group inventory, including virtual network settings. Deep knowledge of VM state, including installed applications and services through VM Introspection.
* Compliance: enforcement of corporate and regulatory policies for must-have installed applications and services. Assurance of segregation of duties by use of VM Introspection to limit VMs to desired groups and VLAN assignments.
* Control: access control over all traffic via policies that define which ports, protocols, destination VMs, etc., should be blocked. Deep inspection of allowed traffic for malware suppression and intrusion detection.

Enforcing Security Policies in the Virtual Environment

Server and desktop virtualization is revolutionizing the data center, delivering major capacity utilization and productivity improvements. It is also dramatically changing the enterprise network by adding a rapidly growing “virtual network” of virtual machines (VMs) connected to each other and the physical world through virtual switches. Yet even basic security practices--including monitoring network activity, inspecting and filtering traffic, and maintaining strictly separate security domains--are often absent in the virtual environment. Inter-VM communication in particular is a blind spot. This traffic never touches the physical network, making it invisible to physical network monitoring tools and unprotected by physical network security.