If you’re responsible for the security of your data center, you’re likely well aware of the risks that come from outside the firewall. But what about the threats already inside your environment? 

East-west traffic, or internal traffic between virtual machines and applications, is one of the most under protected areas of the modern data center. Once a threat actor gets in, there is often nothing stopping them from moving laterally across systems. This is exactly where VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) changes the conversation. By taking the next step with the VMware vDefend add-on, VCF gives you a set of tools designed not just for operations, but for strengthening your security posture from the inside out. 

This article walks through how VCF helps address lateral movement, how visibility informs policy, and how WEI helps clients turn VCF’s built-in security features into real outcomes. 

Traditional Network Security Misses the Mark 

Most IT security teams have invested heavily in protecting the perimeter. Firewalls, endpoint controls, and secure remote access are common and expected. But once an attacker bypasses those defenses (through credential theft, a misconfigured workload, or a missed patch) they often encounter little resistance moving inside the environment. 

Many organizations understand the value of segmentation, but rarely follow through. It’s not because they don’t want to. It’s because they can’t clearly see how workloads interact, or they don’t have the tools to enforce policy without slowing everything down. 

Microsegmentation solves this by placing controls closer to the workload itself. The challenge has always been how to implement it at scale, without creating a management headache. This is where VCF comes in. 

The Power of Distributed Security 

If the VMware vDefend add-on is enabled, a distributed firewall is built directly into the hypervisor layer. That means security policies can be enforced as close to the application as possible, without relying on traditional network devices. 

Security teams can define policies based on applications, workloads, or user identity, instead of just IP addresses and VLANs. This approach improves consistency and removes a major source of error: manually managing network rules that rarely get updated once they’re deployed. 

Visibility Comes First 

Microsegmentation only works when you understand what your applications are doing. You need to see traffic flows between services before you start blocking or isolating anything. That’s where VMware Operations for Networks — formerly vRealize Network Insight — becomes critical. 

This tool maps out the flow of data between virtual machines, applications, and services. It allows IT teams to build a real picture of how applications communicate, which ports are used, and where policy enforcement should happen. 

How WEI Helps You Put VCF Security to Work 

WEI brings a strong networking foundation to every VCF engagement. Unlike many partners who only focus on virtualization, WEI’s team includes engineers with deep experience in network design, routing, and security architecture.  

Here’s how WEI helps customers activate the security capabilities of VCF: 

• Day 0/1 Network Planning: Working with your networking team to set up border gateway protocol, VLANs, and tiered routing for NSX. 

• Application Discovery: Using Operations for Networks to identify flows and dependencies before segmentation begins. 

• Security Policy Templates: Providing baseline microsegmentation policies tailored to common workloads and compliance frameworks. 

• Workshops and Enablement: Running joint sessions with your app and security teams to validate policies before rollout. 

A Smarter Way to Address Lateral Movement 

By bundling VMware vDefend and Operations for Networks into a single platform, VCF makes it easier for IT leaders to take action on long-standing security concerns. 

This isn’t about buying yet another firewall. Rather, it’s about building security into the fabric of your environment, and making it easier to understand how your systems talk to each other. It’s about giving your security and infrastructure teams a shared language and a shared toolset. 

When done right, VCF security facilitates order to your environment and making future change easier to manage. 

Let’s Get Started 

If you’ve already invested in VCF, you’ve likely got more capability sitting idle than you realize. Don’t let the bundled tools go unused. 

WEI can help you get started with: 

• A network flow assessment using Operations for Networks 

• A security activation workshop focused on vDefend 

• Service credits tied to your VCF investment that can fund part of the engagement 

Reach out to the WEI team to learn more. Securing east-west traffic doesn’t have to be a long journey. We’ll help you take the first steps and show you what’s possible. 

Next Steps: VMware by Broadcom’s bundled entitlements, such as VCF and VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF), offer advanced capabilities that extend well beyond virtualization. But activating the full value of these bundles requires more than implementation. It requires a clear roadmap.

Download our tech brief, Activating the Full Potential of VMware by Broadcom Bundles, to better understand how to move from entitlement to enablement in 4–8 weeks. WEI can set you on the fast track.