Is my virtualbox OS (XP) secure?

[sohnem]

I've run across postings that ask if the host sytem will remain secure of virus threats from the guest VirtualBox system, but I am asking the reverse here.

I am thinking of using my VirtualBox system as a secure system, which can be used from any host system which has VirtualBox installed.
I do have antivirus installed on the host system, as well as Microsoft Security Essential pack on the Virtualbox guest system.
Is the VirtualBox guest system secure if it only visits limited set of "safe" websites?
But the host system does visit many types of websites and forums on need to basis (without discrimination necessarily). Also the host system have installed some opensource and third party software from cnet as well.

My question is is the "guest" system (i.e. the Virtualbox system which runs XP), safe enough for conducting senstive transactions, while running on the above said host system?

And how can I increase the safety factor, for the "guest" system above.

[stefan.becker]

Use Brain 1.0 for surfing.

Its the same as running 2 different PCs in the network. Your question has nothing special to do with VBOX, its the same as every time.

[sohnem]

Yes, but I read somewhere the virtualbox instance goes through the host internet connection....? If so is it vulnerable to a host system that is infected because both have to be on to use the virtualbox.

[stefan.becker]

This was discussed several times. Use the search funtion.

[scottgus1]

Could be a hard subject to know which search words to use.

I did some experiments lately (viewtopic.php?f=1&t=51720&p=236874 and viewtopic.php?f=1&t=51495) which show that using "NAT" for your guest's network connection type allows internet access to the guest but prevents your host network from being able to access your guest. But your guest can access your host network's resources.
The Clipboard-sharing and Virtualbox Shared Folders features are ways to transfer data between host and guest. They could be used or not used as you see fit to lock off your guest more or less as needed. Smart computer usage - not running unknown exe's, attachments in e-mails, etc., are good on any computer. Guests are really easy to back up, as they're just files on your hard drive when they're completely shut down, and restoring from a backup is the easiest thing whe a virus gets on the guest.

[Boxy]

Since I had a dedicated network card, I connected it to a cheap NAT-router (some euros in eBay), removed Windows host "TCP/IP" from the card and dedicated it to a virtual machine. The router uplink is connected to my "normal" LAN, the dedicated network card is connected to the routers downward ports.

The advantage: the virtual machine runs another subnet as my "normal" LAN, so, the firewall in the host can block easily traffic from the virtual machine.

[BillG]

Do you go to the same lengths to isolate one physical machine from another? If not, why not.