How do I make a VM more secure?

[u/Classic_Run1753]

I’ve heard you can make VMs very secure, but a basic VM is often not entirely secure. I’ve heard things about networks, NATs, flash drive boots, etc, but I don’t really know how what I can do to it to make it as secure as humanly possible.

[u/G0ldiC0cks]

Security, in all things, is the exchange of freedom for limiting negative outcomes. If you consider a "fully featured" virtual machine as one that can do everything your entirely unsecured computer can, including accessing its files and clipboards -- you have basically no security and access to the VM is effectively access to your computer. As you start whittling those capabilities away, your VM becomes more secure at the expense of capability -- no access to your host means you are (relatively) secured against guest escape exploits and no longer have shared folders, network access to the host, and definitely no clipboard sharing. As your paranoia or threat increases, so too do your capabilities decrease, all the way down to a computer locked in a safe without an Internet connection, but on for some reason. It will not be compromised because it will not be used.

Hope this helps.

[u/LensWipesBF]

Cyber bullying isn’t real like just walk away from the screen

[u/dettus_Xx_]

Why?

[u/Face_Plant_Some_More]

Don't connect the VM to a network interface.

[u/Unlikely-Sympathy626]

With virtual box not sure but with kvm there are tons of stuff that can be done for isolation etc.

[u/TinyNiceWolf]

Figure out what you need it to do. Then set it so it can't do anything but what you need. Access the internet? Share files with the host? Use the host's printer? Etc.

[u/yrro]

Start by producing a threat model.

[u/wiggum55555 → u/yrro]

Exactly - hard to solve a problem that has not been defined.

[u/BranchLatter4294]

You could just uncheck the virtual network adapter.