Minimize Security Vulnerabilities and System Maintenance With a Hardened Virtual Appliance

The PII, PHI, and IP businesses process, store, and share is critical for business growth and competitive advantage, but bad actors target this confidential information 24/7. The Kiteworks hardened virtual appliance provides a secure, reliable, and efficient solution for businesses to store and transfer their most sensitive information, with a range of features designed to enhance security, ease of use, and system maintenance.

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Configured to Minimize Attack Surface and System Vulnerabilities

Kiteworks’ hardened virtual appliance is designed, built, and maintained to minimize exploit opportunities. The appliance runs on a stripped-down Linux operating system, hardened to Centre for Internet Security (CIS) guidelines to protect all components, including the OS, application, file system, web servers, and databases. Other security configuration features include disablement of all unnecessary services, configuration defaults set to most secure posture, unused ports and SSH access shut off by default, communication between clustered servers are encrypted, and only the web service tier is exposed in the DMZ.

Maximum Security to Prevent and Eliminate Threats

The Kiteworks hardened virtual appliance protects your data and metadata with layers of protection. It features a built-in network firewall, WAF, intrusion detection, and strong encryption in transit and at rest. The appliance also features authentication hardening, embedded antivirus protection and intrusion detection system (IDS), automatic software stack upgrades, fast deployment of patches and hot fixes, periodic penetration tests and regular security audits, an ongoing bounty program, and secure coding practices in conformance with OWASP. Lastly, each release is scanned for vulnerabilities prior to deployment and contains security and bug fixes.

Single Tenancy for Ensuring Data Privacy

Kiteworks is architected for single tenancy by design, with no sharing of databases, file systems, application runtimes, or operating systems with other customers. This design choice enhances security by eliminating the risk of cross-tenant bugs and attacks. The single-tenant design also ensures that each customer’s data is isolated and protected, providing a higher level of privacy and control over the data. This is particularly beneficial for organizations that handle sensitive data and require stringent data privacy and security measures. Lastly, sole encryption key ownership ensures cloud service providers like Microsoft, law enforcement agencies, or even Kiteworks cannot access your data.

Protect Content in Transit and at Rest for Secure Collaboration

The Kiteworks hardened virtual appliance protects sensitive data around the clock. Users securely share and collaborate on data via email and web folders, and external parties also upload via file requests and web forms, giving employees remote access to enterprise data repositories and protecting all their third-party collaborations. The system runs an internal antivirus/anti-malware system provided by F-Secure that complements a built-in network firewall, WAF, IDS, and strong automated encryption featuring end-to-end encryption. Finally, the appliance is deployed in a cluster configuration where nodes communicate with each other using a secure cryptographic channel, so if one node fails, the others can continue to function, providing uninterrupted service.

Minimize Maintenance Costs, Time, and Effort

Kiteworks’ hardened virtual appliance not only reduces the need for separate security measures, it also simplifies system maintenance, which can save your organization valuable time and money. Perform updates with a single click, making patches easy to apply and always up to date. Just download, cryptographically verify, and apply the update to the cluster automatically; the entire solution, including the OS, databases, web servers, and Kiteworks application code get uploaded in a single step. Run on any cloud or virtualized environment. For deployments that are air-gapped or have no internet access, Kiteworks provides a secure offline update process so the system can still be updated and maintained securely.

Frequently Asked Questions

A hardened virtual appliance is a preconfigured virtual machine (VM) that is designed to be both secure and resilient against attacks. It is usually built by experienced security professionals and contains a wide range of security controls, tools, and settings to ensure that the virtual appliance is protected against known vulnerabilities. A hardened virtual appliance typically includes pre-installed security software such as firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), anti-malware software, and vulnerability scanners. It may also have specific compliance standards built-in, such as those for HIPAA or PCI DSS, to ensure that the virtual appliance meets necessary regulatory requirements.

A hardened virtual appliance minimizes the host organization’s attack surface and system vulnerabilities through various security measures. Unnecessary services are disabled, configuration defaults are set to the most secure posture, unused ports and SSH access are shut off, and only the web service tier is exposed in the DMZ. Additionally, a hardened virtual appliance incorporates embedded antivirus protection and an intrusion detection system (IDS) and follows secure coding practices for preventing and eliminating threats. Periodic penetration tests and regular security audits are conducted, and automatic software stack upgrades are performed.

A hardened virtual appliance enhances an organization’s security posture by implementing several measures. It disables unnecessary services, sets secure configuration defaults, shuts off unused ports and SSH access, and enables secure and encrypted communication between clustered servers. It also employs embedded antivirus protection and an intrusion detection system (IDS), follows secure coding practices (OWASP conformance), and undergoes periodic penetration tests and security audits.

A hardened virtual appliance provides a secure and reliable infrastructure for secure data exchanges, protecting against threats and attacks, and ensuring compliance with regulations and compliance requirements. It acts as a barrier or filter between the internet and the enterprise network, providing a secure layer of protection that is difficult to bypass. The appliance uses advanced security algorithms and encryption techniques to ensure that all communication between the appliance and the network is secure. It is also capable of detecting and blocking all types of malware and other malicious activities. The hardened virtual appliance also provides access controls to ensure that only authorized personnel access secure data. It enforces strict policies and rules to prevent unauthorized access, which is crucial in maintaining the security of confidential information. The appliance also monitors and logs all communication activities, providing detailed reports and alerts in real time.

Ultimately, the frequency of updates will depend on the specific needs and requirements of the organization, as well as the level of risk associated with the hardened virtual appliance. Nevertheless, it is generally recommended that frequent updates be performed to ensure that the hardened virtual appliance remains secure and up to date with the latest security patches and features. It is always advisable to follow the best practices and guidelines provided by the vendor or consult with security experts to determine the appropriate update frequency for a particular virtual appliance. In addition, it is important to stay informed about any emerging threats and new security patches and updates that may need to be applied more frequently. Regular security audits and assessments can also help to identify any weaknesses or vulnerabilities that need to be addressed through software updates or other security measures.