  The common perception in both academic literature and the industry today is
that virtual machines offer better security, while containers offer better
performance. However, a detailed review of the history of these technologies
and the current threats they face reveals a different story. This survey covers
key developments in the evolution of virtual machines and containers from the
1950s to today, with an emphasis on countering modern misperceptions with
accurate historical details and providing a solid foundation for ongoing
research into the future of secure isolation for multitenant infrastructures,
such as cloud and container deployments.
