<aside> <img src="/icons/laptop_gray.svg" alt="/icons/laptop_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Virtualization is technology that you can use to create virtual representations of servers, storage, networks, and other physical machines.

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<aside> <img src="/icons/window_gray.svg" alt="/icons/window_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Containerization is a software deployment process that bundles an application's code with all the files and libraries it needs to run on any infrastructure.

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Hypervisors

A program used to run and manage one or more virtual machines on a computer is known as a Hypervisor

Two Types of Hypervisors

• Type 1 (Bare Metal) — Runs directly on hardware (e.g., Hyper-V, XenServer, ESXi)
• Type 2 (Hosted) — Operates within a standard OS (e.g., Virtualbox, Vmware)

Virtualization Vulnerabilities

• Virtual Machine (VM) Escape — Attackers break out of isolated VMs to access the hypervisor
• Privilege Escalation — Unauthorized elevation to higher-level users
• Live VM Migration — Attacker captures unencrypted data between servers
• Resource Reuse — Improper clearing of resources may expose sensitive data

Containerization Technologies

• Docker, Kubernetes, Red Hat OpenShift are popular containerization platforms
• Revolutionized application deployment in cloud environments

Securing Virtual Machines

1. Regularly update OS, applications, and apply security patches
2. Install antivirus solutions and software firewalls
3. Use strong passwords and implement security policies
4. Secure the hypervisor with manufacturer-released patches