How VMware Workstation Create a cryptographic virtual machine _vmware

The user needs to enter a decryption password to access the encrypted virtual machine. Without decrypting the password, you cannot access the VMDK file for the cryptographic virtual machine. VMware Workstation encryption is located above the startup password of the physical computing hardware. If it is a physical computer, you can easily remove its hard drive and install it in any location to access the data on the hard drive.

The cryptographic features of VMware workstation prevent unauthorized users from accessing sensitive data from virtual machines. This article takes you to understand the configuration and limitations of using workstation encryption to control virtual machine access.

Encryption provides protection for virtual machines, limiting user modifications to virtual machines. In a production environment, you don't want to be able to start a virtual machine without getting the correct password, because an unauthorized user might get sensitive data.

Figure 1. VMware Workstation access control links are used to configure encryption and restriction options for virtual machines

The user needs to enter a decryption password to access the encrypted virtual machine. Without decrypting the password, you cannot access the VMDK file for the cryptographic virtual machine. VMware Workstation encryption is located above the startup password of the physical computing hardware. If it is a physical computer, you can easily remove its hard drive and install it in any location to access the data on the hard drive.

How to create a cryptographic virtual machine

You will be able to encrypt the virtual machine only after the installation is complete. After installation, close the virtual machine, and then select the virtual machine in the main interface of the VMware Workstation, click Edit virtual machine settings, and then open the tab. Then select the Access control option (see Figure 1).

Click Encrypt, and then enter the encrypted password (two times required). The length of encryption is related to the size of the virtual machine and the processing power of the host. Time may be long--some may reach several hours. Once the encryption process is complete, you need to enter the password again before you start the virtual machine.

Sometimes, you may want to remove the cryptographic properties of a virtual machine, such as when migrating a virtual machine from workstation to vsphere. You can encrypt virtual machines that are created in a relatively insecure personal workstation environment. Decrypts the virtual machine in the Protected Vsphere Data Center environment. VMware does not support uploading an encrypted virtual machine to a remote server, so you must remove the virtual machine's encryption properties before migrating the virtual machine to vsphere. To share with other users, you need to remove the cryptographic properties of the virtual machine, because the encryption algorithm includes information for the local computer. Multiple computers cannot share access to a virtual machine that has been encrypted.

Figure 2. How to remove encryption or change an encrypted password in workstation

Removing encryption is as easy as encrypting a virtual machine. In the virtual machine properties, click Edit Virtual machine settings. You can remove the virtual machine's encryption properties by entering the password and selecting the Encryption option. You can also change the encryption password in this interface.

Some administrators may think that encryption can adversely affect the performance of a virtual machine, but that is not the case. When you decrypt a virtual machine, you need to perform additional operations. Once the virtual machine is turned on, you can use the decrypted virtual machine just as you would access other normal virtual machines.

Although VMware Workstation encryption provides a better protection for virtual machines, it poses some risks and limitations. For example, if you forget your password, you won't be able to access the virtual machine. Virtual machines that have been encrypted also cannot be used properly in a shared environment, including migrating virtual machines from workstation to vsphere and multiuser access scenarios in workstation environments.

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