Systems and methods for controlling email access

• US 10,491,595 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AirWatch LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pitchaimani, Saravanan, Kodaganallur, Vijay Pitchumani, Newell, Craig, Kalsi, Vishal
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Darren B
• Application Number:
  US15/664,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20190036933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity

Abstract

Examples described herein include systems and methods for controlling access to a server, such as an email server or a gateway, in situations where the identity of the requesting device is unknown or where the user device accesses the server using an unknown or unmanaged application. In one example, the system can utilize a user authentication credential included in the request to identify other devices belonging to the user that happen to be enrolled with the system. An out-of-band message can be sent to those enrolled devices, requesting confirmation from the user and, in conjunction with an authentication token, allowing the system to trust the previously unknown device. In the example of an unmanaged application attempting to access an email server, the system can confirm compliance of the requesting device and issue an authentication token that, along with an appropriate command sent to the email server, provides access.

Claims

1. A method for providing application-specific access to an email server, comprising:

receiving, at a gateway server having privileged access to the email server and that routes emails to and from the email server, a request for access to the email server from an email application installed on a user device, the request including a user authentication credential associated with a user, a device identifier associated with the user device, and an application identifier associated with an application being used to request access;

sending an out-of-band message from an out-of-band communication module, communicatively coupled to the gateway server, to a second user device of the user, the message requesting confirmation from the user regarding the request for access from the user device;

receiving, at the out-of-band communication module, the confirmation from the second user device of the user in response to the out-of-band message;

causing, by the out-of-band communication module, an authentication token to be sent to the user device, wherein the authentication token is specific to the user device, the user, and the application being used to request access;

causing, by the out-of-band communication module, a database to be updated with information regarding the authentication token and the associated user device, user, and application; and

providing access to the email server, by the gateway server, based on receiving the user authentication credential, the device identifier, and the authentication token from the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the out-of-band message to the user is performed in response to determining, by the gateway server, that the device identifier associated with the user device is not present on a list of device identifiers approved for access to the server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request for verification from the gateway server to an identity management server based on information associated with the request for access.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the out-of-band message to the user is performed after determining, based on a look-up performed by the gateway server, that the user has enrolled the second user device with a management server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to the email server includes receiving, at the gateway server, an allow command instructing the gateway server to allow access based on the device identifier, the application identifier, the user authentication credential, or some combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device identifier is at least a portion of a user agent string.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the out-of-band communication module executes on the gateway server.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor associated with a computing device, cause the processor to perform stages for providing application-specific access to an email server, the stages comprising:

receiving, at a gateway server having privileged access to the email server and that routes emails to and from the email server, a request for access to the email server from an email application installed on a user device, the request including a user authentication credential associated with a user, a device identifier associated with the user device, and an application identifier associated with an application being used to request access;

sending an out-of-band message from an out-of-band communication module, communicatively coupled to the gateway server, to a second user device of the user, the message requesting confirmation from the user regarding the request for access from the user device;

receiving, at the out-of-band communication module, the confirmation from the second user device of the user in response to the out-of-band message;

causing, by the out-of-band communication module, an authentication token to be sent to the user device, wherein the authentication token is specific to the user device, the user, and the application being used to request access;

causing, by the out-of-band communication module, a database to be updated with information regarding the authentication token and the associated user device, user, and application; and

providing access to the email server, by the gateway server, based on receiving the user authentication credential, the device identifier, and the authentication token.

9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein sending the out-of-band message to the user is performed in response to determining, by the gateway server, that the device identifier associated with the user device is not present on a list of device identifiers approved for access to the server.

10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, the stages further comprising sending a request for verification from the gateway server to an identity management server based on information associated with the request for access.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein sending the out-of-band message to the user is performed after determining, based on a look-up performed by the gateway server, that the user has enrolled the second user device with a management server.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein providing access to the email server includes receiving, at the gateway server, an allow command instructing the gateway server to allow access based on the device identifier, the application identifier, the user authentication credential, or some combination thereof.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the device identifier is at least a portion of a user agent string.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the out-of-band communication module executes on the gateway server.

15. A system for providing application-specific access to a mail server, comprising:

a gateway server that has privileged access to the mail server and routes emails to and from the mail server,

wherein the gateway server;

receives a request for access to the mail server from a user device, the request including a user authentication credential associated with a user, a device identifier associated with the user device, and an application identifier associated with an application being used to request access;

sends, via an out-of-band communication module communicatively coupled to the gateway server, an out-of-band message to a second user device of the user, the message requesting confirmation from the user regarding the request for access from the user device;

receives, at the out-of-band communication module, the confirmation from the second user device of the user in response to the out-of-band message;

sends, from the out-of-band communication module, an authentication token to the user device, wherein the authentication token is specific to the user device, the user, and the application being used to request access;

updates a database with information regarding the authentication token and the associated user device, user, and application; and

provides access to the mail server based on receiving the user authentication credential, the device identifier, and the authentication token.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein sending the out-of-band message to the user is performed in response to determining, by the gateway server, that the device identifier associated with the user device is not present on a list of device identifiers approved for access to the server.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the gateway server sends a request for verification to an identity management server based on information associated with the request for access.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein sending the out-of-band message to the user is performed after determining, based on a look-up performed by the gateway server, that the user has enrolled the second user device with a management server.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein providing access to the mail server includes receiving an allow command at the gateway server, instructing the gateway server to allow access based on the device identifier, the application identifier, the user authentication credential, or some combination thereof.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the device identifier is at least a portion of a user agent string.