virtualbox.org

Hello.
I've created a Virtual Machine with VirtualBox that works perfectly.
The question I ask you is whether for security I must have an antivirus program in Virtual Machine as it has implemented a NAT network adapter.
I tried installing an antivirus free (AVG) but it did not load and corrupted the Virtual Machine by inhibiting its operation.
So I had to recreate a new one and eliminate the corrupt.
I would like to say that the basic system is equipped with updated ESET SMART SECURITY antivirus.
The basic operating system is WINDOWS 7 HOME with 2 Hard Disks, the second shared with the Virtual Machine by GUEST ADDITIONS.
The Virtual Machine has as a WINDOWS XP PRO SP3 operating system and shares the secondary hard disk drive with the DVD player and printer (USB).
I have implemented a virtual hard disk in the Virtual Machine in addition to the primary one, a NAT network adapter, a COM1 serial port, and a USB 1.1 controller.
The VirtualBox program is upgraded to the latest edition and uses the ESTENTION PACK also updated.
If the answer is affirmative, in the sense that it would be better to have a second antivirus in the Virtual Machine, which you would advise me to use since I do not want to try it again and risk having to recreate it.
By the way, could you tell me how to create an image of a Virtual Machine already created for later restoring it?
My mail address is : [ deleted ]
I thank very much for the kind attention and I give my best regards.

This is an online discussion forum. Participants here have no need to know your email address, and publishing it needlessly on the web is not a brilliant idea.

Your main question actually has two parts: (1) Does host AV protect the guest. (2) Is guest AV necessary at all.

(1) No, not if you download suspect files directly into the VM and run them.
(2) Depends what you do inside the VM. If you don't store your credit details in the VM then there is nothing much malware can do. Plus malware in the guest can't reach the host unless you e.g. copy executables into a shared folder and then run it on the host.

Personally I prefer to deal with (1) by not downloading suspect files to begin with, which makes (2) moot.

Thanks.