Greenbone, a leading provider of vulnerability analysis for IT networks, today announced that its proven portfolio of vulnerability management (VM) products is now available via virtual appliances. Greenbone’s customers can now choose to deploy physical or virtual appliances, increasing flexibility and efficiency, while ensuring that data protection is always guaranteed.
VM solutions identify and patch security-relevant vulnerabilities in IT systems, helping businesses reduce their exposure to risks and improving the overall resilience of their infrastructures. Greenbone’s entire portfolio of VM solutions – ideal for entry-level, SME and mid-sized companies – is now available via virtual appliance.
Entry-level solutions include the Greenbone Security Manager (GSM) MAVEN and the GSM ONE, both with capacity for up to 300 IP addresses. For SMEs, the GSM CENO virtual appliance supports up to 500 IP addresses. For mid-sized companies, options include the GSM DECA virtual appliance, which manages up to two sensors and up to 1,500 IPs, the GSM TERA (up to six sensors and 3,000 IPs), the GSM PETA (up to 12 sensors and 9,000 IPs), and the GSM EXA (up to 24 sensors and 18,000 IPs).
The GSM MAVEN is provided with Base Support on a one-year subscription. All other appliances are available to customers on a one-year, three-year or five-year subscription basis. This includes Platinum Support as well as all updates and upgrades.
Customers can opt to deploy physical or virtual appliances, depending on which solution is best for their existing infrastructures and fields of operation. To help customers make the right decision, Greenbone has created a paper that compares the key features of both options. Because both solutions operate within the customer’s infrastructure, not on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) basis, data protection and data sovereignty remain assured.
Dirk Schrader, CISSP, CISM, ISO/IEC 27001 Practitioner at Greenbone, comments: “There are a number of differences between physical appliances and virtual appliances that need to be considered to ensure secure operations. ENISA, European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, has presented a comprehensive analysis of these differences. It is crucial that all assets are integrated into a holistic security concept. Physical appliances can also be insecure if they are openly connected to the internet and use default passwords.”
Virtualisation has been an integral part of IT infrastructures for many years. It enables a more flexible and efficient use of resources but it also harbours risks. For a long time, the security aspects of virtualised environments have been neglected, leading to serious cyber attacks. In the past two years, there has been a growing awareness that virtualisation is not 100 per cent secure and that complementary controls must be used. This understanding was the prerequisite for Greenbone to also offer its proven VM products as virtual appliances.
