Securing Hybrid Cloud with VMware & Azure Stack HCI

As organizations transition to hybrid cloud architectures, securing the infrastructure becomes paramount. In this post, I'll share insights from my experience designing and managing hybrid environments with VMware vSphere and Azure Stack HCI.

Architecture Overview

A well-designed hybrid infrastructure combines the best of both worlds: on-premise control and cloud scalability. At BSistemi, I architected a dual-layer approach:

• VMware vSphere for on-premise workloads requiring low-latency and regulatory compliance
• Azure Stack HCI for hybrid cloud integration and disaster recovery
• Dell PowerEdge Servers for optimal hardware performance

Security Best Practices

1. Network Segmentation

Isolate critical workloads using VLANs and microsegmentation. VMware NSX provides powerful capabilities for this, allowing you to define security policies at the virtual machine level rather than relying solely on network perimeter defenses.

2. Identity & Access Management

Implement least privilege access with role-based access control (RBAC). Integrate with Active Directory for centralized authentication and enforce MFA for all administrative access.

3. Continuous Monitoring with ELK Stack

Deploy the ELK Stack for real-time security monitoring. By aggregating logs from VMware, Azure, and infrastructure components, you can detect anomalies and potential security incidents early. I configured custom dashboards for:

• Failed authentication attempts
• Virtual machine creation/deletion events
• Network traffic anomalies

Compliance Considerations

For organizations subject to ISO 27001, maintaining compliance requires:

• Regular vulnerability assessments and patch management
• Encrypted backups with tested disaster recovery procedures
• Audit trails for all configuration changes

Automation with IaC

Infrastructure as Code is critical for maintaining consistency and reducing human error. I use Ansible for configuration management and Terraform for provisioning. This ensures that all infrastructure changes are version-controlled and auditable.

Conclusion

Securing hybrid cloud infrastructure is an ongoing process that requires a layered approach: robust architecture, continuous monitoring, compliance adherence, and automation. By combining VMware vSphere and Azure Stack HCI with modern DevOps practices, you can build resilient systems that meet both security and business requirements.