Abstract :
The argument for virtualisation as a security tool makes perfect sense: however it is delivered, malware generally attacks the underlying operating system. It installs software to carry out a malware writer´s goals, which are largely criminal, consisting of spam distribution, password stealing, and account harvesting. But in a virtualised environment, the operating system becomes nothing more than a file - a movable, replaceable entity. Operating systems in virtualised environments are delivered as virtual machines (VMs). If something goes wrong with the VM - if it gets compromised by malware, for example - then the idea is that it won´t affect any other operating systems that you run atop that virtualised environment. If you´re really worried about its security, you can remove it altogether and replace it with a fresh one, it´s as simple as moving a file.
