1. A method comprising: receiving, by a security software service platform executing on a first portion of a plurality of computing resources provided by a distributed computing system, a network security software component that has been decoupled from a hardware component of a network security device, wherein the network security device provides, at least in part, a security service to protect an asset associated with a customer platform; extending, by the security software service platform, a virtual machine creation template to incorporate access to the network security software component; receiving, by the security software service platform, a virtual machine configuration from the customer platform; and deploying, by the security software service platform, a virtual machine on a second portion of the plurality of computing resources provided by the distributed computing system, wherein the virtual machine is configured in accordance with the virtual machine configuration.