Security Enhancements in VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0

Posted on August 22, 2025

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0 redefines private cloud architecture with security and resilience integrated at every layer. In this article, we delve into the advanced security features, architectural changes, and operational improvements that make VCF 9.0 a leading solution for enterprises adopting hybrid and private clouds.

VCF 9.0 is built around three main security goals:

  • Enable rapid, flexible security: Minimize the time and complexity of securing critical infrastructure.

  • Deliver resilience: Protect against disasters, ransomware, and operational risks.

  • Build inherent trust: Provide visibility and verification, supporting zero-trust architectures.

Key Security Enhancements

1. Streamlined Security Stack

VCF 9.0 eliminates outdated components (CIM, SLP, manual SSH edits, legacy protocol and authentication support) in favor of native APIs and automated configuration management. Removing legacy attack surfaces strengthens the overall security posture.

2. Confidential Computing

Support for AMD SEV-SNP and Intel TDX hardware-based encryption empowers confidential computing, encrypting data-in-use with per-VM keys and validating workload/host attestation. This ensures strict isolation between virtual machines, addressing multi-tenant concerns and compliance requirements for data sovereignty and protection against hardware-level attacks.

3. Identity & Access Management

VCF 9.0 features built-in support for enterprise identity providers (Symantec VIP, Entra ID, Okta, PingFederate) using SAML and OAUTH2/OIDC. The VMware Identity Broker embedded in vCenter simplifies SSO, federated identities, and role-based access control. Programmatic OpenAPI 3.0 interfaces provide granular permissions management.

4. Data-in-Transit Encryption

TLS 1.3 is the platform default for all data exchanges – internally and externally – with selectable cryptographic profiles, including the “NIST_2024_TLS_13_ONLY” option for stricter compliance. Cryptographic validation (FIPS 140-3) is enabled throughout the stack, supporting high-assurance regulatory requirements.

5. Operational Security & Compliance

The new Security Operations Dashboard provides fleet-wide monitoring with live attack-surface maps, compliance scores, and alerting. Automated real-time checking and remediation align with CIS, NIST, and custom policy baselines, making audits and compliance more efficient and less disruptive. VCF Operations centralize password and certificate management, automate certificate rotation, and support upcoming standards for short-lived certificates.

6. Data-at-Rest Encryption

The addition of a “wrapping key” in VCF 9.0 streamlines key management for storage encryption. Only the wrapping key is stored and rotated in the KMS, simplifying auditability and reducing operational friction.

7. Workload & Hypervisor Hardening

New capabilities include:

  • VM Secure Boot with custom certificates

  • User-level Virtual Machine Monitor to minimize VM escape risk

  • Mandatory access controls and service sandboxing for ESX

  • Forensic snapshot tools and hardened virtual USB

  • Updated vTPM support (TPM 2.0, Spec Revision 1.59)

  • NFS krb5p & krb5i support, NVM-oF authentication, and SHA-256 everywhere.

8. Microsegmentation with vDefend

The revamped VMware vDefend provides hypervisor-integrated microsegmentation. It applies lateral security policies at the VPC level, enabling isolated, tenant-specific firewall configurations and granular application zone controls, supporting walled-garden deployments.

Architectural Security Flow Example

Below is a simplified data flow for security operations within VCF 9.0:

  1. User authentication and authorization occurs via federated IdP, handled by the built-in Identity Broker.

  2. Workload deployment—confidential computing encrypts VM memory; secure boot and vTPM ensure integrity.

  3. Data transfer between VMs and services is protected by TLS 1.3 with automatic certificate management.

  4. Monitoring and alerting—fleet-wide dashboards report compliance, configuration drift, and incident alerts.

  5. Microsegmentation policies via vDefend enforce isolation and access controls at the workload and network levels.

  6. Data-at-rest protected by per-object encryption with wrapping keys stored in the KMS.

Security Operations in Practice

Administrators benefit from:

  • Centralized dashboards for real-time and historical security views

  • Automated patching and configuration drift management

  • Fleet-level password/certificate rotation and compliance reporting

  • Unified RBAC and API-driven automation

Organizations can swiftly detect and respond to threats, comply with regulatory mandates, and uphold zero-trust principles across modern workloads.

Summary

VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 represents a paradigm shift in cloud security, blending integrated stack protection, automated operations, and advanced hardware-based security features. Its security ecosystem spans identity management, encryption, resilient architectures, compliance automation, and microsegmentation, making VCF 9.0 the most secure iteration yet for enterprise clouds.