A lot of people seem to be under the impression that virtual servers and desktops are secure environments because virtualization inserts a layer of software between the underlying operating system and the applications running on top of them.

Conventional wisdom holds that virtual machines are more secure than traditional operating systems. To a degree that's true. But if not properly deployed virtualization can create security holes in the same way a burglar can break into the next residence of a duplex.

Beginning in January 2012 the folks who manage the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) are going to formally recognize the existence of virtual servers as a legitimate option for the processing of payment card data.

Managing firewalls is tough enough these days, but managing firewalls you can’t see can be next to impossible.

An SEC advisory regarding a company’s obligation to shareholders in estimating its financial risk following a cybersecurity event may cause some friction among C-level executives.