Charles Lyons-Burt
The Defense Information Systems Agency has published a Security Technical Implementation Guide for a network virtualization and security product from VMware to the Department of Defense’s cyber exchange database.
Through consultation of the installation rules, security guidelines and controls listed in the STIG, VMware NSX will be usable across the DOD and in other government departments, the company said Wednesday.
Jennifer Chronis, vice president of VMware’s public sector division, shared that DISA’s addition of the STIG is the result of a growing need to align new technological evolutions with zero trust security enforcements.
Chronis, who is a two-time Wash100 Award recipient, assured that VMware NSX, via the STIG, “will empower agencies to leverage VMware’s advanced network virtualization and security platform to better protect and manage their multi-cloud environments.”
The executive additionally said the offering will serve the dual purpose of speeding up app delivery while intensifying security measures.
In order to approve its deployability, the STIG thoroughly cross-checks VMware NSX with DOD cybersecurity laws, standards and frameworks, as well as security limitations and validation processes. Users can examine the DISA STIG for the program in order to install an NSX environment; it explicates aspects such as the NSX manager, gateway router, distributed firewall and gateway firewall.
VMware anticipates DISA’s STIG will also allow enterprises outside of the DOD to implement the platform and evaluate their security strengths.
The agency previously issued STIGs for the company’s vSphere and vSAN virtualization products.
As part of a $93 million U.S. Army contract to Dell Technologies in January, the service branch acquired VMware virtualization licenses for a virtual computing effort.
