Micro-virtualization is a technology developed by desktop security firm Bromium to help ensure secure computing environments. Micro-virtualization utilizes a Xen-based security-focused hypervisor called a microvisor that creates hardware-isolated micro virtual machines (micro-VMs) for each computing task that utilizes data originating from an unknown source.
Tasks in this sense are the computation that takes place within an application as well as within the system kernel, and examples of user tasks the micro-virtualization can secure cover everything from accessing a web page to opening a document or spreadsheet to analyzing complex data.
Micro-virtualization isolates these computing tasks from other computing tasks, applications and network systems. Because each micro-VM is isolated from other micro-VMs as well as the operating system itself, a micro-VM that becomes infected by malware will be destroyed when the micro-VM shuts down, preventing the malware from being able to corrupt other tasks, apps or the system itself.
Micro-Virtualization in Windows 10
Bromium debuted its micro-virtualization technology in 2012 as part of the company’s vSentry product. In July 2015 Bromium announced a partnership with Microsoft to ensure Bromium s micro-virtualization and microvisor technology would be integrated in Windows 10 to help make the operating system “the most secure endpoint solution on the market.”
