Data security is a growing concern for business owners, with several prominent breaches affecting the market in recent years. Alongside other data security measures your business is likely already taking such as password-enabled tiered user access and two-step authentication there’s another step you can take to enhance the security and privacy of your sensitive financial information: network and system virtualization. Creating virtual networks and firewalls can exponentially increase the security of your data and protect your business and clients from breaches and leaks of sensitive payment and business information.
How Virtualization Can Protect Your Data
Virtualization has its place in both, terminal machines and networking. Using a virtual machine on your desktop and laptop computers can protect the core system from malicious code and vulnerabilities, as the virtual operating system doesn’t have access to your containing system. This level of security is achieved by using software like VMware and VirtualBox to create virtual instances of entire computing systems on a psychical desktop. Virtual systems can contain their own operating system, which may differ from the operating system on the host machine. When employees and end-users in your business access the internet from such virtual machines, they don’t risk exposing your physical drives and files to third-parties.
This type of virtual compartmentalization can also be extended throughout your network by the use of network virtualization software. Virtualized network devices include tunnels to route connections through, routers, servers, and even firewalls. When using a virtual firewall system, you don’t need physical machines to protect each endpoint in your network from attacks. Virtual firewalls can be installed to segment and protect data on your network, even if one machine is breached.
The Best Virtual Safeguards for Businesses
The use of VMware and other virtual machine software with independent and ‘closed-off’ operating systems can protect your computers and network devices from outside attacks and in-network compromises. In the same regard, virtual firewalls can protect all of your network devices, even in light of a network intrusion or compromised individual device.
Another form of virtual network protection is a Virtual Private Network (VPN.) With a VPN service you can connect to the internet securely through a private, encrypted channel or tunnel. VPNs allow businesses and users to connect to the internet without fear of data interception, as they typically use AES-256 bit encryption to safeguard all data being sent and received. This is the same precaution taken by most government organizations and larger enterprises. Using a VPN will also disguise the Internet Protocol (IP) address of all the machines on your network. This has many advantages in business including reduced liabilities and lessened risk of your machines being targeted by hackers and malicious coders.
Cost-Efficiency of Virtual Networks
Virtualization software is highly valuable, yet surprisingly inexpensive. Most business owners don’t expect that they can get cheap or even free or highly-economical digital firewalls and encryption software from trusted companies like Oracle and DigitalOcean. VPN services often cost less than $5 per month for every 1 to 5 users, making it an easy addition to any size business or personal budget.
While comparing the value you get from these low-cost digital alternatives, you’ll likely find that physical firewalls and network security devices can cost 10-fold that of what you’d pay for the virtualized products. When factoring in reduced liability and untold billable hours saved from intrusion repair and recovery, virtual machine and network software is an unavoidable and smart financial decision for most informed business owners.
Many business owners find that VPN services and virtualization software are indispensable protections for their secure financial information. Customers and clients appreciate the added security measures, and having an encrypted system is becoming increasingly mandatory on today’s web. Though virtualization may seem an unlikely source for such improvement in business networking and communication, it’s been field-tested and proven to provide a necessary level of protection for many of the world’s largest and most relied-upon businesses.
