Cloud Connector SSL Termination for Secure Data Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cloud services, such as Citrix Cloud, pose a security threat by decrypting data traffic within the cloud service provider's infrastructure, allowing access to sensitive data exchanged between client devices and cloud-based applications or services, which can lead to unauthorized access and external threats.
Innovation Solution
The system and method involve terminating secured connections between client devices and cloud services at entities managed by the cloud application or service provider, rather than the cloud service provider, ensuring that only encrypted data traffic is accessible to the cloud service, with private keys maintained by the cloud connectors to prevent decryption and access to sensitive data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cloud service providers decrypt data traffic within their infrastructure to manage cloud-based applications, then data management and service delivery are improved, but security is worsened due to unauthorized access and external threats
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the SSL certificate management by separating the private key storage from the cloud service provider's infrastructure. Cloud connectors deployed at customer premises maintain private keys locally, while the cloud service provider retains only the public certificates. This segmentation allows the provider to manage and revoke certificates centrally without having access to decrypted data traffic, thus improving data management while enhancing security.
Solution Approach 2:
Cloud connectors act as intermediaries between client devices and the cloud service provider's application delivery controller. These connectors terminate SSL connections locally using privately-held keys, preventing the cloud service provider from accessing decrypted data. The intermediary maintains both security (by preventing unauthorized access) and operability (by enabling certificate management and revocation).
2Adaptability or versatility
If cloud service providers maintain control over SSL certificates for managing cloud applications, then service control is improved, but security is worsened by allowing access to sensitive data traffic
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides certificate management responsibilities: the cloud service provider maintains control over certificate issuance, renewal, and revocation policies, while cloud connectors at customer sites hold the actual private keys. This segmentation enables service control through centralized certificate management while ensuring data protection through distributed private key storage that prevents provider access to decrypted traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-deploying cloud connectors to customer premises before data traffic flows begin. These connectors are pre-configured with private keys and SSL certificates, establishing secure local termination points before any sensitive data transmission occurs. This preliminary setup ensures that security controls are in place before data management operations begin.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for secured access to cloud-based applications or services include a service node that may receive a request from client including a URL associated with an application manager. The service node may send a URL prefix identifying a termination to the termination node. The service node may receive a client hello message from the client that includes a first field incorporating the URL prefix, and may send the client hello message to the termination node to initiate a handshake with the client using a wildcard certificate of server, for establishing a SSL channel between the client and the termination node for a session of the application. The service node can direct a communication of the session from the client to the predetermined termination node, for decryption, using the established SSL channel, according to the URL prefix incorporated in a server name indication (SNI) field of the communication.