Secure Auto – Containment
Updated on October 25, 2022, by Xcitium
What Is CPU Enforced OS Virtualization?
CPU Enforced OS Virtualization is a hardware-assisted security technology that uses processor-level virtualization features such as Intel VT-x and AMD-V to isolate operating system processes and applications inside lightweight virtualized containers. This approach prevents malware, ransomware, and zero-day threats from accessing the host operating system or spreading laterally across the network.
Xcitium has developed next-generation security based on virtualization to secure organizations from cyber attacks. Similar to the way virtualization transformed the IT datacenter, Xcitium is using OS virtualization to transform the endpoint. Xcitium solves an enterprise’s toughest security challenges.
How CPU Enforced OS Virtualization Works
- The CPU creates isolated virtual environments using hardware virtualization extensions.
- Applications run inside secure virtual containers separated from the host OS.
- Malicious code is trapped inside the virtualized environment.
- The host operating system remains protected from compromise.
- Threats are automatically removed when the virtual session ends.
Benefits of CPU Enforced OS Virtualization
- Prevents ransomware from reaching the host OS
- Stops zero-day malware attacks
- Isolates untrusted applications safely
- Reduces dependency on signature-based detection
- Uses hardware-assisted security enforcement
- Improves endpoint protection efficiency
- Enhances enterprise threat containment
CPU Enforced OS Virtualization
Xcitium’s Secure Auto–containment™ technology uses CPU–enforced OS virtualization with a single container (OS virtualization) model‚ that includes an exact copy of the endpoint machine‚ including the kernel. This is one of the main reasons startup performance is so fast‚ in stark contrast to almost all CPU–draining‚ systems–slowing “sandboxing” or “containers”. In the Xcitium model‚ whenever a process or executable (PE) is run in containment (often referred to as “jailing”)‚ the analysis system sits between the PE and the shadow resources it calls – including CPU‚ memory‚ registry‚ file system and more. If the PE turns out to be malicious code and attempts to exploit the machine‚ that action will occur entirely within the container. It will only affect the container’s shadow resources, not those of the native machine. Neither will it be able to access any of the native resources required actually to compromise the endpoint itself.
Containment: Combining Security and Productivity
This secure container protects the system from any attempted changes or theft of information while allowing the user to continue using their application. For example‚ it provides the granularity required to protect against modern attacks like drive–by download attacks. This type of attack can compromise the entire web browser‚ gain access to system resources and steal information from unsuspecting users. The same attack if targeted against a Xcitium Advanced Endpoint Protection user would only see the very limited set of resources necessary to perform the task on the specific Web–browser tab. Valuable data‚ networks and devices are filtered. When the user resets the container‚ all data including any malware is simply discarded.
CPU Enforced OS Virtualization vs Traditional Antivirus
| Feature | CPU Enforced OS Virtualization | Traditional Antivirus |
|---|---|---|
| Threat Isolation | Hardware-level isolation | File-based detection |
| Zero-Day Protection | Yes | Limited |
| Ransomware Containment | Strong | Moderate |
| Uses CPU Virtualization | Yes | No |
| Requires Signature Updates | Minimal | Frequent |
| Malware Execution Prevention | Isolated container | Detection after execution |
CPU Enforced OS Virtualization Conclusion
Xcitium’s Default Deny Platform is both designed to efficiently detect and prevent attacks in our tightly integrated model of Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP), Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)‚ Secure Auto Containment and global threat intelligence‚ but has also been carefully architected to continue working if any individual component fails or is defeated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CPU enforced virtualization?
CPU enforced virtualization is a security approach that uses processor-level virtualization technology to isolate applications and operating system processes from the main system, reducing the risk of malware infection.
How does OS virtualization improve cybersecurity?
OS virtualization improves cybersecurity by running applications inside isolated virtual containers that prevent malware from accessing the host operating system, memory, and critical files.
What is the difference between hardware virtualization and software virtualization?
Hardware virtualization uses CPU features like Intel VT-x and AMD-V to create isolated virtual environments directly through the processor, while software virtualization relies primarily on software emulation.
Why is CPU virtualization important for endpoint security?
CPU virtualization enables secure isolation, ransomware containment, safer browsing, and zero-day threat prevention by separating risky processes from the host operating system.
Does CPU enforced OS virtualization affect performance?
Modern hardware-assisted virtualization technologies are designed to minimize performance overhead while improving security and application isolation.
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