VMware vDefend Security Services Platform – Part 2: Deploy & Configure SSP Installer

Welcome to the 2nd part of the VMware vDefend SSP series. In the first post of this series, I discussed what SSP is and how it helps secure a VCF private cloud by implementing true microsegmentation. In this post, I will demonstrate the deployment of the SSP installer appliance.

The vDefend SSP Installer is shipped in OVA form factor and is used to deploy the VMware vDefend Security Services Platform (SSP). After booting the SSP Installer VM and initial configuration, you can access its web interface to set up the actual SSP instance by uploading an SSP bundle and connecting to your vCenter and NSX managers.

Network/Subnet Requirements

  • SSP Installer: One IP address from the infrastructure management network.
  • SSP Node Pool: 16 IPs from the network where SSP nodes will be deployed.
  • SSP Service Pool: 11 IPs from the network where SSP nodes will be deployed.

DNS Requirements

Ensure that the following DNS records are in place before the deployment. Read More

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VMware vDefend Security Services Platform – Part 1: Introduction

Traditional data centre security has long relied on a perimeter-based approach—imagine a castle with high walls and a single guarded entrance. This model worked well when applications lived in predictable locations and traffic patterns were relatively simple. However, today’s dynamic, cloud-native environments have fundamentally changed the game.

Modern applications span multiple clouds, containers spin up and down in seconds, and workloads migrate freely across infrastructure. The traditional perimeter has dissolved. Attackers who breach the perimeter can move laterally through the network with alarming ease, exploiting the lack of internal segmentation. This is where the VMware vDefend Security Services Platform (SSP) revolutionizes the approach to network security. vDefend SSP simplifies how organizations achieve zero-trust and private cloud security goals by cutting through complexity and providing a comprehensive lateral security implementation. 

vDefend Security Services Platform

VMware vDefend SSP is a software-defined, hypervisor-integrated security solution architected to protect VCF private cloud workloads—including both critical and non-critical workloads.Read More

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