Windows 7 Host security between host & guest

[RoelGellings]

Hello,

First of all I'm not sure if this is the correct board, but I couldn't find a better one.
I use a windows 7 VM on a windows 7 host, I use VM to connect to different clients, I use a VM for this to protect my clients from infections that my host PC may can have, which means if I have any virus infections on my host PC, I can't infect my clients.
But now I'm not sure if it is that secure, can infections on my host infect my VM easily? If so, are there any ways to protect the VM from host infections?

Greetz, Roel Gellings.

[noteirak]

it all depends how you've set up your network connection between the host & the guest.

If it is bridged or host-only, the infection risk is the same as having another machine on your LAN. So you would need to setup the Windows firewall properly, etc.
If it is NAT, you don't have to do anything special, the VM is invisible to the software running on your host.

[RoelGellings]

Okay, I use NAT atm, so then it would be fine I guess, thanks for the fast respond!

[noteirak]

Just to be clear on one thing : risk 0 never exists. If you don't want to infect your clients due to your negligence (I am not saying you are, just seeing it from a legal point of view), you need to be sure you've done everything in your power so virus can't infect your VM, that is including installing an antivirus on both your host and guest.

If you don't have antivirus running on both, and for some reason, you still get a virus and infect your client, this could be considered as negligence and/or breaking the rules you agreed with your clients about security or safety.

[RoelGellings]

There are anti-virus software on both of them, but you also know that those software never stops all virusses, the thing is, I'm currently testing this and if it works fine it will get used by more employers, and the office laptops are also gettings used for private stuff sometimes, so it can contain virusses, thats why I want to be sure it wont be easy for infections to get into the vm system.