VM Home Lab - Security Question

I am building a home lab to run HyperV for the MCSA and down the road VMWare. I have ESET Smart Security installed on my host server, but should I have AV installed on every VM as well? I plan on running Server 2012 mostly, with a few windows 7 VMs as well.

If you do use AV on your VMs, what are you using?

Thanks Folks.

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Verities

Can you explain why you want AV on your personal lab VMs? Just curious....

Burnsie

They will be on the same network as several computers that are used for browsing the web. In the off chance something malicious makes it into the network, I figured it would be prudent to have some form of security running.

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Verities

So why not just put them on their own isolated network or are you determined to be able to browse the web from your VMs? If you're dead set on getting AV on your VMs, assuming their Windows based, just install Microsoft Security Essentials for free.

Burnsie

I would prefer to keep them on the same network. Thanks for your input.

Anyone else run their VM's with AV in a lab setting?

msteinhilber

Burnsie wrote: »

I would prefer to keep them on the same network. Thanks for your input.

Anyone else run their VM's with AV in a lab setting?

I've always run my labs in an isolated environment, for the reason that I haven't had a desire to invest the time hardening lab VM's in order to keep my production environment secure (I run my lab at the office to spare my energy bill). I'd do the same thing at home too. The way I see it, my lab is there to train skills I'm not already proficient in - and I already know how to install AV software. So my theory is why invest time, which is already far too limited, working on things that aren't really a necessity for the purposes of training.

Burnsie

Good points made there. I don't think that installing a few AV apps would be too time consuming for my schedule. I think I will give it a shot with MSE and see how things go. If resources become an issue, I may rethink it.

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wes allen

Skip AV. Install, configure, and learn about EMET, Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, and AppLocker - not only is that all you need for a lab, it will give you in demand skills as well.

wes allen

wes allen wrote: »

Skip AV. Install, configure, and learn about EMET, Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, and AppLocker - not only is that all you need for a lab, it will give you in demand skills as well.

Bonus points for doing the above via GPO and powershell.

Burnsie

wes allen wrote: »

Skip AV. Install, configure, and learn about EMET, Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, and AppLocker - not only is that all you need for a lab, it will give you in demand skills as well.

wes allen wrote: »

Bonus points for doing the above via GPO and powershell.

They have been added to the To Do list. Thanks for the recommendations.

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