OTTAWA and RESTON, Va., Dec. 3 -- Third Brigade, experts in server and application protection for dynamic datacenters, today announced the availability of Third Brigade VM Protection, a free-of-charge software package that complements the security-hardened VMware platform and helps organizations achieve protection and compliance for VMware virtual machines (VMs) that are deployed in private or public cloud computing environments.

This free software provides additional protection for the server on which VMs are running and the applications running in VMs when multiple VMs from different organizations are deployed together on the same server, enhancing VM segregation in service provider environments. Third Brigade VM Protection can be deployed quickly and managed centrally, and is integrated with the VMware platform. Multiple layers of protection are combined in a single software agent to increase security and gain visibility into malicious activity targeting VMs.

In the June 2008 Gartner report titled "Cloud-Based Computing Will Enable New Security Services and Endanger Old Ones," distinguished analysts John Pescatore and Kelley Kavanagh state: "It would be nice if this new approach for delivering IT-based services were inherently secure; however, the realities of attacks and human error mean that separate security controls will be required to protect enterprises from security incidents that arise as part of the migration to cloud-based IT." They later assert: "Although perimeter security controls will be required to protect the remaining datacenter functions and the large portion of enterprise populations that are not mobile, new approaches will be needed to secure cloud-based IT services."

"The VMware vCloud Initiative brings together enterprises, more than 100 service providers worldwide and industry innovators like Third Brigade to deliver enterprise-class cloud computing," said Wendy Perilli, director of product marketing at VMware. "Whether businesses want to expand their IT infrastructures into internal private clouds or leverage off-premise compute clouds, combining the VMware platform with partner security solutions like those offered by Third Brigade gives them the flexibility and comfort to deliver business-critical applications when and where they want, while enhancing IT agility and security."

"Moving 'out to the cloud' allows an organization to increase its computing capacity quickly and cost-effectively, but it also bypasses the protection provided by the enterprise security perimeter," said Bill McGee, vice president of products and services at Third Brigade. "Third Brigade VM Protection allows virtual machines to protect themselves and have cloud-ready security that enables compliance with standards like PCI, and maintains segregation and security best practices on mobilized virtual machines."

Ideal for use by enterprises and service providers that offer Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Third Brigade VM Protection provides the following benefits to help organizations fully utilize their virtualization environments:

• Firewall, intrusion detection (IDS), integrity monitoring and log inspection.
• Typical out-of-the box configurations (security profiles) for Microsoft Windows and Linux servers.
• Integration with VMware vCenter Server to achieve effective enterprise deployment.

Third Brigade VM Protection is available for free for up to 100 virtual machines and can be downloaded at www.cloudreadysecurity.com/. Additional information can be found at www.vmware.com/security/resources/thirdbrigade.html.

About Third Brigade

Third Brigade (www.thirdbrigade.com/) specializes in server and application protection for dynamic datacenters. Its advanced software and vulnerability response service allows virtual machines and physical servers to become self-defending; safe from the latest online threats. This comprehensive, proven protection helps customers prevent data breaches and business disruptions. It enables compliance, supports operational cost reductions and addresses the dynamic nature of datacenters, including virtualization and consolidation, new service delivery models, or cloud computing. Third Brigade also owns and maintains OSSEC, the Open Source Host Intrusion Detection Project actively used in 50 countries around the world.