#BEYONDCORP SOFTWARE#
Zero trust treats each element on a network as potentially dangerous until it proves otherwise: Each time a user wants to access a new network segment, open a different file, or launch a new application they're vetted by zero trust software to determine if they're still who they say they are, and whether their traffic is suspicious in any way.īeyondCorp Enterprise, Potti said, delivers three key benefits to customers and partners: As more elements of business computing move to the cloud or are distributed to remote workers, castle and moat security has been proven inadequate time and again as attackers manage to break into networks and wreak havoc. I can imagine that once you've lived in the BeyondCorp environment, a return to a corporation that still operates with restrictive firewalls and VPNs might seem like a return to medieval times.Zero trust security is a completely different security paradigm from common "castle and moat" security designs that treat enterprise networks as places to be hardened against outside attack. (Read Google's " BeyondCorp: A New Approach to Enterprise Security," by Rory Ward and Betsy Beyer, or watch an older video presentation on the topic.) The approach might require significant changes to your company's systems-and, more critically, a fundamental shift in how you think about security. The perimeter-less BeyondCorp approach works well for today's mobile workforce. This eliminates a lot of support headaches for enterprises. Type a web address, and the reverse proxy secures the connection and performs authentication. Unlike a VPN, a reverse proxy setup doesn't require users to configure anything. (You know information about only two of the systems: your system and the reverse proxy you accessed.) Finally, the proxy routes requests to the appropriate application. The proxy then checks that the user and device are allow access to the application. When you connect to a domain, such as, the reverse proxy first encrypts traffic. You know information about all three systems: your system, the proxy you used, and the target server you accessed.Ī reverse proxy does the opposite: it hides the target server. Network requests from your device will appear as if they're initiated from the proxy server to which you're connected. You may be familiar with a forward proxy: configure your system to connect to another system elsewhere. Google's BeyondCorp model adds one more element: access to applications with a reverse proxy. From an unpatched system, you might able to view the cafe menu but not access sensitive financial data, for example. Connect with an unpatched, unmanaged device, and you might not be allowed access.Īn administrator may configure trust levels for different sets of data. The BeyondCorp approach verifies not only your login, but also your device security state and health. No surprises so far.īut device data increases in importance. Strong passwords help, as does two-factor authentication. To connect, both you and your device need to be authenticated. Google, tear down this firewall.") Instead, BeyondCorp presumes that app access occurs from a browser.
#BEYONDCORP FREE#
(If you're of a certain age, feel free to envision an alternate universe where Ronald Reagan says, "Mr. BeyondCorp devises a defense that doesn't depend on a firewall. The BeyondCorp modelīeyondCorp envisions a world where attacks occur anywhere-from inside or outside the firewall. Google's " BeyondCorp: A New Approach to Enterprise Security" seeks to solve each of these problems. And third, attackers go after devices (like laptops!) that connect to networks, since devices tend to be less secure than servers. Second, VPNs require setup that isn't always easy for everyone. First, people are mobile these days lots of devices connect from outside the firewall. Get past the firewall and very few defenses protect your network in a conventional setting.Ī few Googlers rightly recognized there may be a few issues with this conventional configuration. The VPN encrypts network traffic between your device and your company's systems. Want to connect to your server? Set up a virtual private network (yes, the much loved VPN) to allow your system to act as if it's on the corporate network-even when you connect from home or a coffee shop. When you venture outside the firewall, you're no longer safe.