Trend Micro Broadens Virtualization Security Strategy

CUPERTINO, Calif.: Trend Micro announced today it is broadening its virtualization security portfolio to enable enterprises to fully leverage the benefits of their desktop infrastructures. Trend Micro’s strategy for desktop virtualization is comprehensive in terms of protection technologies, flexible in terms of deployment scenarios and proven, having been on the market securing virtual desktop environments and enabling maximum ROI since 2009. The company’s latest virtual desktop-aware product, Trend Micro™ OfficeScan 10.5, was also announced today and rounds out Trend Micro’s virtualization portfolio.

Extends Product Portfolio for Desktop Virtualization Security
Trend Micro draws upon its endpoint and server virtualization security expertise to develop next-generation technologies and strategies that protect virtual environments.

“Our latest virtualization and virtual desktop innovations are examples of our strategy to create security for virtualized and cloud-based environments. Our goal is to enable customers to fully benefit from virtualization initiatives, without security imposing performance or scalability constraints,” said Steve Quane, Chief Product Officer, Trend Micro. “We believe virtual desktop deployments will become increasingly popular over time. As early innovators in virtualization security, and with deep relationships with all key providers in the virtualization ecosystem, we can bring-to-market the most comprehensive and flexible virtual desktop solutions available – both now and in the future.”

How is Trend Micro already securing and enabling the virtual desktop landscape?

Because different desktop virtualization scenarios require tailored solution approaches, Trend Micro is creating products and solutions that meet varied security needs. Enterprises can choose virtual appliance-based security solutions that are more easily provisioned, managed, and can also be lighter on the host. Now, they also have the option of in-guest, agent-based desktop virtualization security solutions, which provide flexible security levels for comprehensive protection that’s backed by the Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ infrastructure for faster, lighter, cloud-based protection.

Ahead of the game, Trend Micro delivers security solutions tailored to the specific needs of both virtualized and physical environments:

  • Trend Micro™ Core Protection for Virtual Machines is the industry’s first anti-malware product built on hypervisor-based APIs such as VMsafe and specifically designed to secure active and dormant virtual machines. Available since July 2009, it delivers purpose-built anti-malware for VMware environments.
  • Trend Micro™ Deep Security, available since November 2009, is the industry’s first security solution designed to provide intrusion defense for both virtual and physical systems leveraging both VMsafe-based virtual appliances and in-guest agents.
  • Trend Micro OfficeScan 10.5, announced today and scheduled to be available at the end of July, provides the industry’s first hypervisor “agnostic” endpoint protection for virtualized desktops operating in all leading virtual desktop environments. [See the multimedia announcement here.]

“Our relationship with Trend Micro has led to innovative solutions that enhance security in VMware vSphere™ environments,” said Vittorio Viarengo, vice president, desktop products, VMware. “Now, as desktop virtualization continues to gain traction in the marketplace, Trend’s new solutions and strategy can help solve security challenges specific to desktop virtualization. Trend’s approach can improve security for virtual desktops in VMware View™ environments with almost no impact on the virtual machine consolidation rate, protecting customers’ existing investments.”

“Trend Micro is very well positioned to move its leading PC security defenses into a virtualization environment because of its integration with all key virtualization vendors and its recognition that virtual desktop environments are different than physical desktop environments, but need common security management and policies,” said Jon Oltsik, principal analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group.

Oltsik continues, “Trend Micro offers these defenses so that enterprises can manage physical assets and virtual assets in a way that will cut costs, improve operations, continue to block the most current threats, and really deliver the user experience and the security. It is what enterprises want.”

What’s next for desktop virtualization security?

A pioneer in virtualization security, Trend Micro will be leveraging its accumulated expertise in desktop virtualization security to create stronger, more immediate data protection product lines for enterprises. The company is working towards creating security solutions that minimize IT resource utilization, but maximize ROI in virtual desktop deployments through flexible and adaptable virtualization solutions that protect virtual desktops.

Recognizing that enterprises require effective security solutions that seamlessly span physical, virtual and private/public cloud environments while simplifying operational and management complexities, Trend Micro will continue to work closely with virtualization platform vendors to offer new protection mechanisms.

About Trend Micro
Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in Internet content security, focuses on securing the exchange of digital information for businesses and consumers. A pioneer and industry vanguard, Trend Micro is advancing integrated threat management technology to protect operational continuity, personal information, and property from malware, spam, data leaks and the newest Web threats.