September 25, 2024 at 08:40AM
Virtualization technology has revolutionized server-based computing over the past 20 years, optimizing resources and enhancing availability. However, the rise in high-profile attacks on hypervisors poses a significant threat to virtualized tier-one applications. Organizations are urged to consider migrating tier-one applications to physical hardware, the cloud, or SaaS solutions to minimize vulnerability and ensure business continuity.
The meeting notes describe the increasing risk associated with hosting tier-one applications on virtual machines due to the rise in hypervisor attacks. The notes suggest that the traditional approach of relying on hypervisors for high availability and redundancy might no longer be sufficient to mitigate these risks. The commentary suggests four potential solutions for addressing this issue:
1. Continue to include tier-one applications as virtual machines but ensure regular maintenance and accept downtime for hypervisor patching.
2. Deploy tier-one applications as physical hardware, allowing for regular patching to mitigate the risks.
3. Move tier-one applications to the cloud and let the cloud provider handle maintenance and security.
4. Migrate tier-one applications to a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution to eliminate the need for virtual machine maintenance altogether.
The notes stress the importance of categorizing applications by mission criticality and making careful decisions about their deployment, with a preference for SaaS solutions due to their reduced maintenance requirements. Additionally, the need for thorough planning, testing, and documentation for any technology migration is emphasized.
Overall, the notes recommend careful consideration and action to minimize the points of failure for tier-one applications in the face of increasing hypervisor-based vulnerabilities and attacks.