Independent Lab Tests Show Security In Virtualized Data Center, Cloud Computing Is Possible, Measurable

Independent test lab, Broadband Testing, and test and measurement leader, Spirent Communications, achieved a significant breakthrough in securing virtual environments and allaying user fears about cloud based applications.

A new report Secure Virtual Data Center Testing provides a detailed account of how HP TippingPoint’s Secure Virtualization Framework (SVF) solution is able to create a secure virtual data center environment, resisting all recognized attacks. Even more significant is the way security can be rigorously tested under “real world” operating and attack conditions using Spirent’s pioneering cloud computing testing solutions with performance, availability, security and scalability (PASS) methodology.

“Can we trust the cloud? The answer now is ‘yes,’” said Steve Broadhead, founder and director, Broadband Testing. “Virtual security works in theory but, until there was a way to test it thoroughly under realistic conditions, solution vendors have had a hard time convincing their customers. Without Spirent we could not have done this -- the testing proved not only highly rigorous, but also quite simple to set up and run.

“Testing a complex hard-wired system can be tough, but at least the structure remains static. The cloud is a good description from a network testers’ perspective of the relative shapelessness of the virtual environment. Until the test process itself could be virtualized, the cloud remained pretty opaque.”

Broadband Testing found the solution to this problem in Spirent Avalanche Virtual -- the industry’s first test solution designed specifically for virtual and cloud computing environments.

It was used in conjunction with Spirent Avalanche to test internal and external-to-internal traffic under normal operating and extreme conditions plus a wide range of attack scenarios. All the threats in the HP TippingPoint signature base were successfully blocked, the only ones that passed were those not yet added to the then-current database.

As David Hill, Spirent’s vice president for EMEA points out, “The key takeaway was that testing with Spirent stressed the capability of the security solution right to its limits. People assume that security is the final objective, when what is really needed is a precise way to quantify and tailor the level of security in a complex system. ‘Tried and tested’ means more than any amount of theoretical argument in this case.”

The virtual environment under test was truly representative of the next generation IT environment in that it included physical and virtual elements -- with the HP TippingPoint IPS and SVF, as well as the test bed itself, consisting of physical and virtual versions of Spirent Avalanche. Hybrid physical/virtual environments are fast becoming the norm, hence the reason to find new test methodologies to prove that these solutions actually deliver performance, security and scalability -- all essential requirements of a data centre solution, as tested here.

“The economic benefits of cloud computing are overwhelming, but so are the security concerns of network operators and their customers,” Hill said. “This independent report breaks that deadlock, as reliable testing now makes it easy for system vendors to mitigate the risks of migrating to the cloud, while optimizing resource utilization under an exhaustive range of real-world operating and threat scenarios.”

For more information on this test and more about security testing of cloud computing and virtualized data centers, visit http://www.spirent.com/Broadband/Cloud_Computing.aspx.

Featured

  • 12 Commercial Crime Sites to Do Your Research

    12 Commercial Crime Sites to Do Your Research

    Understanding crime statistics in your industry and area is crucial for making important decisions about your security budget. With so much information out there, how can you know which statistics to trust? Read Now

  • Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    In alignment with the state of Mississippi’s mission of “Empowering Mississippi citizens to stay connected and engaged with their government,” Salient's CompleteView VMS is being installed throughout more than 150 state boards, commissions and agencies in order to ensure safety for thousands of constituents who access state services daily. Read Now

  • Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    This year’s Live From GSX program was a rousing success! Again, we’d like to thank our partners, and IPVideo, for working with us and letting us broadcast their solutions to the industry. You can follow our Live From GSX 2023 page to keep up with post-show developments and announcements. And if you’re interested in working with us in 2024, please don’t hesitate to ask about our Live From programs for ISC West in March or next year’s GSX. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX
  • People Say the Funniest Things

    People Say the Funniest Things

    By all accounts, GSX version 2023 was completely successful. Apparently, there were plenty of mix-ups with the airlines and getting aircraft from the East Coast into Big D. I am all ears when I am in a gathering of people. You never know when a nugget of information might flip out. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.” 3

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame. 3

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions. 3