Re: Security and VPN

["Ben Nell" <enemy.cow () gmail com>]

With regards to SSL VPN's, you should check out the solutions that
Citrix has started offering in the past 18 months or so.  They have
acquired appliances from Net6 and NetScaler (now called Access Gateway
and Access Gateway Enterprise respectively).  The cheaper of the two
is a measly $3k plus licensing and provides a lot of bang for the
buck, including endpoint analysis (checking for AV, etc) and
'published' content to documents and whatnot, limiting the clients'
internal access to an https connection.

Im sure theres other similar solutions, but were a Citrix shop, so
this is the only one I can really comment on. :P

On 6/20/07, Robin Wood <dninja () gmail com> wrote:
> Hi
> A quick question about point 2, what do you do to stop the clients
> giving themselves a static IP and bypassing the restrictions?
>
> Robin
>
> On 6/20/07, Russell Butturini <rbutturini () tcstech com> wrote:
> > We work with a lot of customers who need to have the connectivity options
> > for using a VPN client from home, but have a limited budget to work with
> and
> > can't afford network upgrades/reconfigurations/more appliances to
> > accommodate this.  The procedure I usually follow is two steps:
> >
> > 1.  Each machine is brought in and "sanitized" (i.e. reformatted and data
> > reloaded if the employee will allow it, or at the least given thorough
> > spyware, virus, and Trojan scans), and then has all available MS and
> > manufacturer updates loaded on it.
> >
> > 2.  Give clients connecting over the VPN a particular block of DHCP
> > addresses, and then block traffic to internal servers we don't want
> accessed
> > across the VPN from those IPs.
> >
> > Are there better solutions? Yes.  Unfortunately "you gotta do what you
> gotta
> > do" sometimes.  We try to make the employees bring in the remote PCs on a
> > regular basis for checkups, but this is not always realistic (i.e. people
> > are stubborn :-) ).
> >
> >
> > On a related note, does anyone have reccomendations for a good SSL VPN
> > appliance? We have been testing the Sonicwall appliance in house and it
> has
> > been less than impressive so far.
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: listbounce () securityfocus com [mailto:listbounce () securityfocus com]
> On
> > Behalf Of The Sun
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 9:44 PM
> > To: Andrew Vliet; Sohail Sarwar
> > Cc: Philip Cox; pen-test () securityfocus com
> > Subject: Re: Security and VPN
> >
> > Andrew said:
> > I would not be putting VPN clients on employee owned systems.
> >
> > I would agree with you Andrew.
> > I also suggest one more option - SSL VPN.
> > So far in this thread, everyone has been focusing on IPSEC VPNs only.
> > Many organizations are moving towards SSL-VPN to get more granular
> control.
> > For instance, some SSL-VPN solutions can give access to web applications,
> > file sharing and RDP without a client to be installed - you still would
> need
> >
> > some activeX or java applet and a browser.
> > You could then allow third parties to only some of these and at the same
> > time allow full network access (all TCP/UDP protocols supported) to
> trusted
> > users from trusted devices only, if required.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Andrew Vliet" <Andrew.Vliet () lvs1 com>
> > To: "Sohail Sarwar" <ssarwar () ecredit com>
> > Cc: "Philip Cox" <Phil.Cox () systemexperts com>;
> <pen-test () securityfocus com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 4:12 AM
> > Subject: RE: Security and VPN
> >
> > Sohail Sarwar,
> >
> > 2 factor authentication is great, but personally I would go one further
> > than Philip.  I would not be putting VPN clients on employee owned
> > systems.  Yes, I say no clients - period.  Too many variables - too
> > insecure.
> >
> > I understand that it's expensive, but none the less, I would either put
> > in a Citrix farm or purchase dedicated, company owned and maintained
> > machines for your employees to use at home.  Add the VPN client to these
> > machines company owned machines.
> >
> > When considering the speed and volatility of trojans and viruses these
> > days;  Adding VPN to an unknown, uncontrolled, insecure client - even
> > after adding Antivirus checking, etc - is simply asking for trouble.
> >
> > Of course, we haven't even touched on the legal and privacy implications
> > of the company having direct access to an employee's personal network,
> > all computers there-in and visa versa.
> >
> > VPN on employee machines == bad idea - don't do it.  Provide Citrix or
> > dedicated, managed machines.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Andrew Vliet
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: listbounce () securityfocus com [mailto:listbounce () securityfocus com]
> > On Behalf Of Philip Cox
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 9:25 AM
> > To: 'Sohail Sarwar'; pen-test () securityfocus com
> > Subject: RE: Security and VPN
> >
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: listbounce () securityfocus com
> > > [mailto:listbounce () securityfocus com] On Behalf Of Sohail Sarwar
> > > Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 6:08 AM
> > > To: James Patterson; pen-test () securityfocus com
> > > Cc: holstein.robert () bls gov
> > > Subject: Security and VPN
> > >
> > > Hi there,
> > >
> > > I just wanted to put this out there.  How secure is VPN.
> > > Meaning, if my users take home the client and install it on their
> > > desktop at home, and connect to the corporate network and production
> > > network, wheat are we really looking at.  Are they secure or not.
> >
> > Just given this decription, I would say NO, they are not secure.
> >
> >
> > > Has anyone been through this.  Any one give home users a list of
> >
> > > requirements that they must have before vpn can be offered to them ?
> > >
> > > Should there be some type of desktop policy installed on their
> > home
> > > computer, just to protect the company network ?  Any help and guidance
> >
> > > would be great
> >
> > My recommendation would be to...
> >
> > 1. Require 2 factor authenticaiton for VPN access 2. Ensure that the VPN
> > server/environment performs some type of system validaiton prior to
> > letting the system have full access to the internal network. This
> > typically includes verifying a patch level and that anti-virus is
> > installed and up-to-date 3. Use the VPN server to restirct where the VPN
> > client can connect 4. Review the VPN server logs for who is accessign
> > the server and from where
> >
> > Just my $.02
> >
> > Phil
> >
> >
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