“Software-defined security” is the newest buzzphrase for the Mirantis OpenStack ecosystem, following the announcement this week of a partnership between Mirantis and security vendor Catbird centered on new, certified security and data privacy solutions for cloud users.

Through the deal, Catbird’s suite of security tools have been certified for use on Mirantis OpenStack. Designed for software-defined infrastructure, Catbird’s platform provides monitoring and data analytics solutions that help enhance security and protect data on private clouds and in virtual data centers.

Both companies described the certification deal as a way to attract more users to one another’s products. “As Mirantis continues to gain traction with its OpenStack distribution, clients continue to look for next-generation software-defined security solutions to secure their OpenStack deployments,” said Chris Tamblyn, Catbird SVP of Business Development and Products. “We are excited to be part of the Mirantis partner ecosystem and help customers visualize the virtual assets in their Mirantis OpenStack infrastructure, and enforce security and compliance policies at runtime.”

“We are very happy that Catbird’s innovative security software now is available to our growing Mirantis client base,” said Mirantis VP of Product Management, Ronen Kofman. “Catbird delivers a flexible platform to ensure that all OpenStack assets receive policy-defined protection from inception to retirement. Catbird in effect allows movement of the perimeter inward, protecting each micro-segment defined in OpenStack, while also providing east/west traffic visibility and reporting you cannot get with traditional, perimeter-based security controls.”

Catbird has also become a member of the Mirantis Partner Program. The companies announced the partnership and certification March 4.