Remote-access Guide

beyondcorp remote access aws

by Prof. Damian Zemlak Jr. Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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What is BeyondCorp?

A New Approach to Enterprise Security BeyondCorp is a Zero Trust security framework modeled by Google that shifts access controls from the perimeter to individual devices and users. The end result allows employees to work securely from any location without the need for a traditional VPN.

What is Google’s BeyondCorp enterprise?

Google has introduced BeyondCorp Enterprise, for secure access to browser-based applications, using new security features in the Chrome browser. The company already has a service called BeyondCorp Remote Access, for which this is an upgrade. But there are two crucial differences. First, there are new features in the latest Chrome browser.

Why BeyondCorp remote access?

With BeyondCorp Remote Access, we can help you do this in days rather than the months that it might take to roll out a traditional VPN solution, whether your applications are hosted in the cloud or deployed in your datacenter.

What is BeyondCorp’s authentication strategy?

Instead of having a public-facing service that gives access to internal, hidden sites, BeyondCorp has public-facing services that request authentication information from an internal, hidden authentication server. Because this authentication server is not exposed, it is much harder to attack. Image via Washington Post.

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What is BeyondCorp remote access?

BeyondCorp Remote Access is a software as a service (SaaS) solution that enables responsive and easy-to-use access to internal web apps for employees and the extended workforce from virtually any device, anywhere using a web browser without a traditional VPN.

How does BeyondCorp work?

BeyondCorp Enterprise is a modern zero trust platform which allows your employees and extended workforce to access applications in the cloud or on-premises and work from anywhere without a traditional remote-access VPN.

What is zero trust Google cloud?

Advancing zero-trust access BeyondCorp Enterprise Essentials launches in Q3 of 2022 and offers enterprises context-aware access controls for applications via SAML alongside security features like data loss prevention, malware, phishing protection and URL filtering integrated within the Chrome browser.

How does a Zero Trust Network work?

Zero Trust is a security framework requiring all users, whether in or outside the organization's network, to be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated for security configuration and posture before being granted or keeping access to applications and data.

Who created zero trust?

John KindervagIn 2010, John Kindervag, an analyst at Forrester Research, coined the term "zero trust," which centered around the idea that an organization shouldn't trust anything inside or outside its perimeters.

What is SASE network?

Secure access service edge (SASE) is a framework for network architecture that brings cloud native security technologies—SWG, CASB, ZTNA, and FWaaS in particular—together with wide area network (WAN) capabilities to securely connect users, systems, and endpoints to applications and services anywhere.

Does Google use zero trust?

Does Google use the zero trust model in its own infrastructure? Yes, Google does not use the traditional perimeter-based security model. Instead, it uses a zero-trust network architecture that allows access to systems only after validating the user's identity.

What does zero trust security in cloud mean?

Zero Trust is an IT security model that eliminates the notion of trust to protect networks, applications and data. This is in stark contrast to the traditional perimeter security model, which presumes that bad actors are always on the untrusted side of the network, and trustworthy users are always on the trusted side.

What is VPC service controls?

VPC Service Controls allow customers to address threats such as data theft, accidental data loss, and excessive access to data stored in Google Cloud multi-tenant services. It enables clients to tightly control what entities can access what services in order to reduce both intentional and unintentional losses.

What are the 3 stages of the zero trust security model?

assessment, control, and recovery operations. A Zero Trust solution requires operational capabilities that: Never trust, always verify – Treat every user, device, application/workload, and data flow as untrusted.

What are the three main concepts of Zero Trust?

There are three key components in a zero trust network: user/application authentication, device authentication, and trust.

What are the advantages of Zero Trust?

Benefits of Zero Trust ArchitectureReduced threat surface.Maximized use and authority of authentication.Increased visibility into all user activity.The ability to dynamically provide access based on current use case.Reduce an attacker's ability to move laterally within your organization.More items...•

What is zero trust a model for more effective security?

Zero Trust is a security concept centered on the belief that organizations should not automatically trust anything inside or outside its perimeters and instead must verify anything and everything trying to connect to its systems before granting access.

What is BeyondProd?

The BeyondProd approach describes a cloud-native security architecture that assumes no trust between services, provides isolation between workloads, verifies that only centrally built applications are deployed, automates vulnerability management, and enforces strong access controls to critical data.

Does Google use firewalls?

Firewall. Google Nest Wifi and Google Wifi's firewall creates a barrier between your Wi-Fi network and the Internet, protecting your data from unsolicited connections or connection attempts.

The BeyondCorp Story

When a highly sophisticated APT attack named Operation Aurora occurred in 2009, Google began an internal initiative to reimagine their security architecture with regards to how employees and devices access internal applications.

The Guiding Principles of BeyondCorp

Google threw out tradition and reimagined what a security framework should look like to be truly effective in today's world of distributed teams, systems, and applications.

The Reference Architecture

Google's architecture is made up of a number of coordinated components, which can be used as reference for any organization looking to move towards their own like-minded system.

What is BeyondCorp Alliance?

The BeyondCorp Alliance is an open and extensible ecosystem, so customers can leverage information, signals, and integrations from our technology partners.

What is a protected profile?

Protected profiles enable zero trust access for the extended workforce. Users such as contractors, vendors, and frontline workers can securely access corporate resources from an unmanaged device and receive BeyondCorp Enterprise threat and data protection capabilities.

What is a zero trust access?

Govern zero trust access and enable employees to access SaaS applications simply, safely, and securely, from virtually any device, over any network, without fear of threats such as malware, phishing, or data leakage.

What is layered security?

A layered approach to security across users, access, data, and applications that helps protect every click from malware, data loss, and fraud.

Why is integrated threat and data protection important?

Integrated threat and data protection can not only ensure organizations are protected from malware, phishing, and ransomware, but also allow administrators to have more visibility into unsafe user activities.

Does Chrome have zero trust?

Chrome Browser extends zero trust security to the web and provides you with additional enterprise-grade defenses against threats.

Does BeyondCorp have a VPN?

But BeyondCorp offers much more than a simpler, more modern VPN replacement. It helps ensure that only the right users access the right information in the right context. For example, you can enforce a policy that says: “My contract HR recruiters working from home on their own laptops can access our web-based document management system (and nothing else), but only if they are using the latest version of the OS, and are using phishing-resistant authentication like security keys.” Or: “My timecard application should be safely available to all hourly employees on any device, anywhere.”

Can remote workers access call center applications?

Workers can’t get to customer service systems, call center applications, software bug trackers, project management dashboards, employee portals, and many other web apps that they can normally get to through a browser when they’re on the corporate network in an office.

Can workers access customer service?

Workers can’t get to customer service systems, call center applications, software bug trackers, project management dashboards, employee portals, and many other web apps that they can normally get to through a browser when they’re on the corporate network in an office.

Where do we start?

AWS has a few services that make implementing BeyondCorp quite manageable. If you’re getting nervous and thinking that adding application code to every single frontend and backend in your company sounds like a lot of work, have no fear—Amazon Cognito is here!

Why is Cognito important for BeyondCorp?

Cognito is a great fit for introducing BeyondCorp because it lives at the infrastructure level, and can be easily added to individual services. This makes adding BeyondCorp incrementally easy, and also means that you don’t need to make any application code changes. If you have polyglot apps written in a variety of languages and frameworks, you’re in luck: Cognito works the same way for all of them.

What is a VPN attack vector?

VPNs are an extra attack vector. When a pentester or hacker attempts to attack your network, one very common approach is to search for vulnerabilities in any public-facing server of yours they can find. Oftentimes, systems like VPN access points are a primary target.

How many lines of Terraform are there?

That’s all you need! With around 200 lines of terraform, we’ve created a frontend application, backend application, SSL certificate for both apps, and authentication mechanisms that protect both apps. Protecting frontend and backend code has never been easier, and doing so at an infrastructure level enables you to let your apps focus on just what they ought to.

Why do we use BeyondCorp?

At Transcend, we use BeyondCorp security to ensure our IP and our users’ data stays safe.

What is Amazon Cognito?

Amazon Cognito is a managed service for authentication management. It connects with many identity providers, like Google, Facebook, and Apple, while also supporting generic providers through SAML and OpenID Connect.

Can you change GSuite login?

If you aren’t familiar with these authentication protocols, just know that it means that in the Codelabs demo from earlier, you can change the GSuite login to be login through Okta, Amazon accounts, your company’s custom auth, etc.

What is Zero Trust Security?

Solutions like Google’s BeyondCorp Remote Access eliminate these issues, reduce IT project risks and deliver a secure enterprise computing environment that doesn’t focus on secure perimeters. For reference, in a traditional perimeter-based security model, outsiders have a tough time gaining access to a network. Everyone on the inside, however, is trusted by default.

What Else Can I Do to Foster a Secure Remote Work Environment?

Zero Trust security isn’t the only way to protect your network in this growing work-from-anywhere world. Cloud-native operating systems and devices, such as Google’s Chrome OS, which runs on Chromebooks, are built with this kind of security in mind. It can make BeyondCorp Remote Access even more secure.

What is the security model of Chrome?

Chrome’s security model provides multiple layers of protection. If one layer is bypassed or breached, the system is still protected by the other layers. All apps and web pages each work in a restricted environment known as a sandbox.

What is Zero Trust?

Zero Trust solutions, such as BeyondCorp Remote Access, allows multiple dispersed users to remotely access corporate apps in a secure environment to maintain business as usual. It also gives organizations the ability to react to uncertain situations with no effort needed post-deployment.

What is BeyondCorp Zero Trust?

In late 2009, the company suffered a prolonged, advanced persistent attack (APT) named Operation Aurora. APTs seek to gain and maintain ongoing access to a network in order to mine sensitive data.

What are the challenges of remote access VPN?

These include bandwidth and security concerns.

Do security updates happen in the background?

What’s more, all security updates are automatic and happen in the background, so users don’t have to worry about installing them or having work interrupted. You can be assured your remote workers’ devices are running the latest, most secure version of Chrome OS at all times.

What is BeyondCorp?

BeyondCorp is a cybersecurity architecture developed at Google which shifts access control from traditional network perimeters to individual devices.

How does BeyondCorp work?

The two most important tenets of BeyondCorp are: Controlling access to the network and applications: In BeyondCorp, all decisions about whether to give a person or device access to a network are made through an access control engine.

What is zero trust?

Many people are familiar with Zero Trust, an IT security model that removes the concept of trust from a network so an organization can better protect its assets. With Zero Trust and Zero Trust for the Cloud, everyone – whether they are inside or outside a given organization – is required to go through several steps of security (as defined by Forrester Research, a leading advisory firm):

What is visibility in network?

Visibility: Once a user has access to an organization’s network or applications, the organization must continually view and inspect all traffic to identify any unauthorized activity or malicious content. Otherwise, an attacker can easily move around within the network and take whatever data they want without anyone knowing.

What is the goal of a VPN?

The goal is to enable users to securely work anytime, anywhere and on any device without having to use a virtual private network, or VPN, to access an organization’s resources.

Is access control enough to secure a system?

However, access control alone is not enough to ensure effective security.

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Enough Buzz Words. What Would This Look Like as A user?

How Is This Better Than A VPN?

Where Do We Start?

Creating A Cognito User Group

Securing A Backend

Securing A Frontend

Conclusion

References

  • Here are some of the many awesome resources I used when researching BeyondCorp and AWS: 1. Lambda@Edge module for a variety of auth sources: https://github.com/Widen/cloudfront-auth 2. BeyondCorp site hosted by Okta: https://beyondcorp.com/ 3. AWS blog on validating JWTs with Lambda@Edge: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/networking-and-content-delivery...
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