I’ve been issued a work laptop with Windows 11, running the Sophos Endpoint Agent, which monitors all web traffic and processes running on the PC and blocks malicious stuff.
If I install a Linux VM on it and access the web from inside it, will the Endpoint Agent see what I’m doing and be able to block access the same way as it does on the host?

I guess what I’m asking is, how does accessing a website from inside a VM work, actually? Does all the traffic get routed through the host OS unencrypted?

The purpose isn’t to try to circumvent any security measures or go over the heads of the IT department, but rather to find out if I can make a case for using my favorite OS on this thing without compromising security.

  • stoy
    11·
    1 month ago

    IT Guy here - we have been ordered by management to operate a computer system to setup and maintain a usable and secure computer environment for the work the management needs to be done.

    To do this, your IT team and selected Windows 11 as the plattform, this is due go several factors.

    1. Compabillity - Windows is the de-facto standard, if you want to do buisniss with other companies, Windows is a safe bet.
    2. Familiarity - Windows is the de-facto standard, people know how to use it with little training.
    3. Managabillity - Windows has excellent tools for central management, so IT policies can easily be implmented centrally.

    With your Linux VM you will introduce new security holes, remove central management and throw familiarity out the window.

    In any sane company, and unauthorized VM would at minimum be grounds for immediate termination.

    If you want to do a proof of concept for your idea, you need management buy in, speak with the CTO and ask about migrating your proccesses to Linux ant do it above board.