Virtual computing solutions specialist Citrix Systems delivered the
first product of a joint collaboration with security firm McAfee
announced earlier this year to make virtual desktop security simpler
and more scalable for large enterprise deployments. McAfee Management
for Optimized Virtualized Environments AntiVirus (MOVE AV) has been
specifically designed for Citrix XenDesktop (which transforms Windows
desktops into an on-demand service), making it possible for customers
to secure corporate data and applications delivered to virtual desktops
running on servers in the datacenter.
McAfee and Citrix also previewed the next phase of their partnership,
which would allow for the extension of McAfee MOVE to support millions
of laptop users by integrating security directly into the Citrix
XenClient hypervisor. XenClient, a core feature of XenDesktop, is a
secure-by-design client virtualization platform, enabling virtual
desktops “to go” by delivering native performance to virtual desktops
running directly on PCs and laptops.
“Desktop virtualization is rapidly being adopted as the best way to
solve critical business objectives of enabling virtual workstyles for
users and increasing agility for IT. Simple and scalable security
specifically designed for virtual environments is a critical
requirement for mainstream adoption of desktop virtualization,” said
Raj Dhingra, group vice president and general manager of the XenDesktop
product group at Citrix. “With the availability of MOVE for hosted
virtual desktops, and the upcoming extension of its capabilities to
client-side virtual desktops, our customers are realizing the benefits
of the best-in-class security capabilities from McAfee designed for the
industry-leading desktop virtualization solution, XenDesktop.”
The companies said in a joint statement that the addition of McAfee
MOVE to all XenDesktop virtual desktops – whether running on the server
or in a local client-side VM – would help simplify desktop security and
increase user density by 60 percent through a “virtualization aware”
centralized service where resources are optimized and intelligence is
shared. For example, if McAfee MOVE encounters malware, it can process
appropriate behavior based on a set of security policies on behalf of
the guest attempting to access the file. Additionally, it will also
update all of the other guests supported by MOVE.
“While traditional security tools and solutions can get in the way of
maximizing the full power of virtualization, McAfee is providing
optimized security solutions specifically designed for virtualized
environments,” said Candace Worley general manager of McAfee’s endpoint
protection business unit. “McAfee and Citrix are giving customers
security that is flexible, secure and designed to protect virtual
desktops and server without impacting performance.”
