VMware develops secure virtual machines for NSA

Quoting from InternetNews:

In a coup for fast-growing VMware , defense contractor General Dynamics has tapped the virtualization leader as a sub-contractor for development of a highly secure workstation based on commercial products.

The High-Assurance Platform (HAP) is being developed by General Dynamics’ subsidiary General Dynamics C4 Systems, which is the main contractor on the National Security Agency deal.

VMware said it will provide an extra layer of security in its virtualization software, which lets these users run the equivalent of physically isolated machines with separate levels of security clearance on the same workstation.

Aileen Black, vice president of federal sales at VMware, said the company has been working with the NSA since 2000. HAP builds on the current solution based on VMware, called NetTop, which allows simultaneous access to classified information on the same platform in what the agency refers to as low-risk environments.

HAP will allow for one system to maintain up to six simultaneous virtual machines. In addition to Windows and Linux, Black said support for Sun’s Solaris operating system is planned…

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