1. A method for virtualizing access to named system objects, the method comprising instructing a suitably programmed computer to perform the steps of: (a) receiving a request to access a system object stored in a memory element provided by a computer, the request received from a process executing in a context of an isolation environment, the isolation environment comprising an application isolation layer and a user isolation layer, the request including a virtual name for the system object; (b) selecting, by the computer, a rule action associated with the request, the selection responsive to the request received from the process executing in the context of the isolation environment, and determining that a rule action from a group consisting of ignore, redirect and isolate, is associated with the request; (c) forming a literal name for the system object in response to the selected rule action; and (d) issuing, to an operating system executing on the computer, a request to access the system object, the request including the literal name for the system object.