As the avenue that most attacks will take in their assault on your systems, the network is the most critical focal point for your security endeavors. This chapter covered the different methods that are at your disposal to lock down the network for Hyper-V and its guests. We started with the benefits of using dedicated hardware to secure network communications. Then, we looked at the Hyper-V virtual switch's isolation features and ACLs. Next, we discussed the Windows Firewall and configuring security to allow management tools to connect remotely. After that, we covered the role of IPsec in a Hyper-V environment. We wrapped up with a discussion of the methods at your disposal to protect the network from rogue applications inside guests.

Remember that this book focuses on Hyper-V. The overall topic of network security is much larger than this or any other single technology. Make sure that you research and follow the best practices. Some things are mandatory, such as keeping an eye on...