Method and system for creating and deploying virtual assets

A computing system implemented method, comprising:

• providing a production computing environment in which a first virtual asset is to be deployed;
• providing a virtual asset testing environment, the virtual asset testing environment being a computing environment distinct from the production computing environment;
• identifying a virtual asset creation template from which virtual assets will be created;
• generating, using the virtual asset creation template, a designated test virtual asset;
• deploying the designated test virtual asset in the virtual asset testing environment;
• analyzing the designated test virtual asset to identify one or more vulnerabilities in the designated test virtual asset;
• for at least one vulnerability identified in the designated test virtual asset, applying a remedy directly to the virtual asset creation template to transform the virtual asset creation template to a verified virtual asset creation template;
• using the verified virtual asset creation template to create a first virtual asset in the production computing environment;
• providing a virtual asset agent executing within the first virtual asset and configured to monitor the first virtual asset for potential security threats and repair the first virtual asset from any damage suffered by the virtual asset from any of the potential security threats;
• monitoring the first virtual asset, with an asset management computing system external to the first virtual asset, to determine whether the first virtual asset includes security updates for the potential security threats;
• upon determining that the first virtual asset does not include one or more security updates for the potential security threats, updating the first virtual asset by transmitting the one or more of the security updates to the first virtual asset over a first communication channel from the asset management computing system, and installing the one or more transmitted security updates within the first virtual asset, the first communication channel being different than a second communication channel that is used by the asset management computing system to transmit and receive information over an external network;
• receiving notification from the virtual asset agent that the virtual asset agent created a second virtual asset in response to the virtual asset agent detecting intrusion by one or more of the potential security threats into the first virtual asset;
• and
• transmitting secrets associated with the first virtual asset to the second virtual asset using the first communication channel to enable to second virtual asset to continue operations of the first virtual asset.

A system for protecting and repairing a current virtual asset from damage by potential security threats, the system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the at least one processors, perform:
• providing a production computing environment in which one or more virtual assets are to be deployed;
• providing a virtual asset testing environment, the virtual asset testing environment being a computing environment distinct from the production computing environment;
• identifying a virtual asset creation template from which virtual assets will be created;
• generating, using the virtual asset creation template, a designated test virtual asset;
• deploying the designated test virtual asset in the virtual asset testing environment;
• analyzing the designated test virtual asset to identify one or more vulnerabilities in the designated test virtual asset;
• for at least one vulnerability identified in the designated test virtual asset, applying a remedy directly to the virtual asset creation template to transform the virtual asset creation template to a verified virtual asset creation template;
• using the verified virtual asset creation template to create a current virtual asset in the production computing environment;
• monitoring the current virtual asset for the potential security threats with a current virtual asset agent running within the current virtual asset to identify the potential security threats that risk compromising virtual asset data to unauthorized computing systems;
• determining a severity of the potential security threats that are identified by the current virtual asset agent for having gained access into the current virtual asset, the determined severity being at least partly based on a content of the virtual asset data;
• responsive to determining that the determined severity is greater than a predetermined threshold, replacing the current virtual asset with a newly created virtual asset, the newly created virtual asset executing a new virtual asset agent, decommissioning the current virtual asset, and receiving, with the newly created virtual asset, secrets that are associated with the current virtual asset, wherein the new virtual asset agent has at least one of a same operational parameter, a same communication feature, a same connectivity feature, a same allocated storage capability, a same allocated processing capability, a same allocated hardware, or a same allocated software as the current virtual asset agent;
• and
• responsive to determining that the determined severity is less than the predetermined threshold, requesting and installing a software update from an asset management computing system.

A system for protecting and repairing a first virtual asset from damage by potential security threats, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory having stored therein instructions which when executed by the at least one processors, perform a process comprising:
• providing a production computing environment in which one or more virtual assets are to be deployed;
• providing a virtual asset testing environment, the virtual asset testing environment being a computing environment distinct from the production computing environment;
• identifying a virtual asset creation template from which virtual assets will be created;
• generating, using the virtual asset creation template, a designated test virtual asset;
• deploying the designated test virtual asset in the virtual asset testing environment;
• analyzing the designated test virtual asset to identify one or more vulnerabilities in the designated test virtual asset;
• for at least one vulnerability identified in the designated test virtual asset, applying a remedy directly to the virtual asset creation template to transform the virtual asset creation template to a verified virtual asset creation template;
• using the verified virtual asset creation template to create a first virtual asset in the production computing environment;
• monitoring the first virtual asset, with an asset management computing system external to the virtual asset, to determine whether the first virtual asset includes security updates for the potential security threats, wherein the first virtual asset includes a virtual asset agent configured to monitor the first virtual asset for the potential security threats and repair the first virtual asset from the damage by the potential security threats;
• upon determining that the first virtual asset does not include one or more security updates for the potential security threats, updating the first virtual asset by transmitting the one or more of the security updates to the first virtual asset over a first communication channel from the asset management computing system, and installing the one or more transmitted security updates within the first virtual asset, the first communication channel being different than a second communication channel that is used by the asset management computing system to transmit and receive information over an external network;
• receiving notification from the virtual asset agent that the virtual asset agent created a second virtual asset in response to the virtual asset agent detecting intrusion by one or more of the potential security threats into the first virtual asset;
• and
• transmitting secrets associated with the first virtual asset to the second virtual asset using the first communication channel to enable to second virtual asset to continue operations of the first virtual asset.