To use URL Analysis, you will need to have a Tier-1 gateway and a Layer 7 DNS firewall rule on the NSX Edge cluster. Additionally, you will need to configure an OFW rule allowing traffic OUT to the Internet. Lastly, a medium-sized edge node (or higher), or a physical form factor edge is also required as the URL Analysis service will run on the edge node. For more information, please see this VMware Documentation article[1], which explains how to configure URL Analysis on NSX.

[1] https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-NSX-T-Data-Center/3.1/nsxt_31_url_analysis/GUID-46BC65F3-7A45-4A9F-B444-E4A1A7E0AC4A.html

The NSX Edge nodes require access to the Internet to download category and reputation definitions, and a layer 7 gateway firewall rule must be configured on the tier-1 gateway uplink to capture DNS traffic. This will allow the URL Analysis service to analyze incoming DNS traffic and block malicious requests. For more information, please see this VMware Documentation article[1], which explains how to configure URL Analysis on NSX.

[1] https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-NSX-T-Data-Center/3.1/nsxt_31_url_analysis/GUID-46BC65F3-7A45-4A9F-B444-E4A1A7E0AC4A.html

Endpoint Protection (EPP) integrations with NSX-T Data Center typically involve installing a security agent on the virtual machines (VMs) in the environment. This agent communicates with the NSX-T Data Center platform to provide security features such as antivirus and intrusion detection.

In order for the agent to work properly, it is important that the correct drivers are installed on the VMs. Typically, this is done by installing VMware tools on the VMs, which provides the necessary drivers. However, in a brownfield environment, the VMs may already have VMware tools installedand the drivers may not be the correct version for the agent to work properly. In this case, it isrecommended to perform a custom install of VMware tools and select the drivers specifically for theagent.

Reference:

VMware NSX-T Data Center Endpoint Protection documentation

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-NSX-T-Data-Center/3.1/com.vmware.nsxt.epp.doc/GUIDC6F7F8C3-2F7B-4D5C-974F-F9C9E5BD5C5F.html

VMware Tools documentation

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMwarevSphere/7.0/com.vmware.vsphere.vm_admin.doc/GUID-D2F7D8C9-9D05-4F0F-A717-C4B4D4F4E4E4.html

NSX Gateway Firewall is a distributed firewall that provides security for east-west traffic within a virtual environment.

1. Firewall rules in Pre Rule category are applied to all gateways. This category contains systemdefined rules that are always applied first to all gateways and cannot be modified. These rules include the default deny all rule and others that control basic connectivity.

2. Security Groups can be used in Applied-To column. Security groups allow you to group together VMs that have similar security requirements and then apply firewall policies to those groups. This way you can apply the same security rules to multiple VMs at once, instead of configuring the rules on each individual VM.

Reference:

VMware NSX-T Data Center documentation https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-NSX-T-Data-Center/index.html

VMware NSX-T Data Center Gateway Firewall documentation

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-NSX-T-Data-Center/3.1/com.vmware.nsxt.firewall.doc/GUID-4C5D5A5F-8FDF-4F2A-9C5A-2C1903A3E5A5.html

The NSX-T IDS/IPS updates are provided through VMware's cloud-based internet service at two different intervals: daily periodic updates, and off-schedule for 0-day updates. Daily periodic updates are provided on a daily basis to ensure the latest threat signature files. Off-schedule updates are provided as needed when a 0-day threat is identified, allowing customers to have the most up-todate protection from the latest threats.

Reference: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-NSX-TData- Center/3.1/nsxt_31_ids_ips/GUID-D0F3F66C-FF83-4B3C-B0A3- C12F19D7A8AD.html https://blogs.vmware.com/networkvirtualization/2020/02/nsx-t-ids-and-ipsthreat- protection.html

The tier-0 gateway is the entry point of the NSX-T Data Center network, and it is where the North- South service insertion takes place. The uplink of the tier-0 gateway is the point of connection between the NSX-T Data Center network and the external network.

The guest VM vNIC is the interface card inside the guest virtual machine, which is used to connect the guest VM to the NSX-T Data Center network. North-South services can be inserted at this point as well.

Reference: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-NSX-T-Data-Center/3.1/nsxt_31_admin_guide/GUID-A3A6C7E1-8F5E-4A17-9B79-A3D836E3A6D3.html https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-NSX-T-Data-Center/3.1/nsxt

Zero-Trust with segmentation is a security strategy that uses micro-segmentation to protect a network from malicious actors. By breaking down the network into smaller segments, the NSX Distributed Firewall can create a zero-trust architecture which limits access to only users and devices that have been authorized. This reduces the risk of a malicious actor gaining access to sensitive data and systems.

Lateral Movement of Attacks prevention is another use-case for the NSX Distributed Firewall. Lateral movement of attacks are when an attacker is already inside the network and attempts to move laterally between systems. The NSX Distributed Firewall can help protect the network from these attacks by controlling the flow of traffic between systems and preventing unauthorized access.

Reference: https://www.vmware.com/products/nsx/distributedfirewall.html https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/zero-trust-network

To configure NSX-T Security Groups inside a distributed firewall rule, the administrator would select the "Security" menu item in the NSX-T Manager user interface.

Within the Security menu, the administrator would navigate to the "Groups" option, where they can create, edit, and manage security groups. These groups can then be used in the "Applied To" column when creating or editing firewall rules.

In the Security menu, administrator can also configure other security features such as firewall, microsegmentation, intrusion detection and prevention, and endpoint protection.

Reference:

VMware NSX-T Data Center documentation https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-NSX-T-Data-Center/index.html

VMware NSX-T Data Center Security Groups documentation

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-NSX-T-Data-Center/3.1/com.vmware.nsxt.groups.doc/GUID-8C8DDC52-0B91-4E9F-8D8EE1649D3C3BBD.html