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micro-virtualization

Definition

micro-virtualization

Micro-virtualization is technology that abstracts applications and sub-processes from hardware and runs them in isolated environments.

Micro-virtualization relies on proprietary software called a Microvisor (micro-hypervisor), which desktop security startup Bromium developed. The technology launched in 2012 as part of Bromium’s vSentry product. Whenever a computer user launches a task, such as visiting a Web page or opening a document, the Microvisor creates a virtual machine sandbox that isolates the process and limits its interaction with the operating system and hardware. If the process contains malicious code, the micro-virtualization software can shut it down, using Intel VT hardware-assisted virtualization technology, without affecting the rest of the machine.

The main use case of micro-virtualization is to protect computing devices against the execution of malicious code, but it can also be used to protect applications and data running on untrusted machines.

Related glossary terms: Microsoft Network Access Protection (NAP), context-aware network access control, Mobile Active Defense (MAD), remote wipe, endpoint security management, PIN lock, mobile information management (MIM), RPC over HTTP

Contributor(s): Colin Steele

This was last updated in January 2013

Posted by: Margaret Rouse

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