On-Demand Security Policy Activation

• US 20140310765A1
• Filed: 04/12/2013
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnissa, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sky Socket Llc (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stuntebeck, Erich, Brannon, Jonathan Blake
• Granted Patent: US 9,787,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

On-demand activation of a security policy may be provided. Upon receiving a selection of a link, a profile identified by a security policy associated with the link may be activated and the link may be opened according to the security policy. In some embodiments, opening the link according to the security policy may comprise redirecting the opening of the link from a first application to a second application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a selection of a link;

determining whether the link is associated with a security policy; and

in response to determining that the link is associated with the security policy;

activating a profile identified by the security policy, and

opening the link according to the security policy, wherein opening the link according to the security policy comprises redirecting the opening of the link to the secure file from a first application to a second application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy comprises a virtual private network (VPN) policy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the link is associated with the security policy comprises determining whether the link is associated with an e-mail.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the link is associated with the security policy comprises determining whether an address of the link is associated with an intranet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the link is associated with the security policy comprises determining whether the link is associated with at least one secure source site.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the link is associated with the security policy, determining whether a virtual private network (VPN) is connected; and

in response to determining that the VPN is connected, allowing the link to be opened in at least one of a plurality of applications.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising

in response to determining that the VPN is not connected, activating a VPN profile.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein activating the VPN profile comprises connecting to a secure server.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising using the secure server as a proxy server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the link comprises a link to a web page.

11. A system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processor coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processor is configured to;

display a link,

receive a request to open the link,

determine whether the link comprises a link to a secure file,

in response to determining that the link comprises the link to the secure file, determine whether a security policy applies to opening the link to the secure file, and

in response to determining that the security policy applies to opening the link to the secure file, open the link to the secure file in accordance with the security policy, wherein being operative to open the link to the secure file in accordance with the security policy comprises being operative to redirect the opening of the link to the secure file from a first application to a second application.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein being operative to open the link to the secure file in accordance with the security policy comprises being operative to activate a virtual private network (VPN) prior to opening the link to the secure file.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first application comprises a default web browser.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the second application is operative to execute in a secure portion of the memory storage.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operative to:

close the second application; and

erase at least the secure portion of the memory storage used to open the link in the second application.

16. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions that when executed performs a method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving a selection of a link to a resource;

determining whether the resource comprises a secure resource; and

in response to determining that the resource comprises a secure resource;

activating a security policy, and

opening the link in accordance with the security policy, wherein opening the link in accordance with the security policy comprises redirecting the opening of the link from a first application to a second application.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the security policy comprises a virtual private network configuration policy.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the virtual private network configuration policy comprises a proxy-auto-configuration (PAC) file.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first application comprises a default web browser application.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second application comprises a secure browser application.