System and method for securing virtualized networks

• US 9,948,607 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2017
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Inventors: Wanser, Kelly, Antonopoulos, Andreas Markso
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Thanhnga B
• Application Number:
  US15/452,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20170180323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1, 726 3, 726 13, 726 14, 726 15, 709223, 709224, 370231, 370254, 713151, 713153
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/143 Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding

Abstract

Systems and methods for securing a dynamic virtualized network are provided. According to one embodiment, a network policy of a dynamic virtualized network is received by an SDN controller of the dynamic virtualized network. The network policy includes network policy elements which each identify (i) an authorized endpoint, (ii) a network access device, and (iii) a port of the network access device with which the authorized endpoint is associated. A security policy for the dynamic virtualized network is generated based on the network policy, by, for each network access device, creating a set of appropriate security measures for the network access device. Each security measure specifies how network traffic in the dynamic virtualized network is to be processed by a port of the network access device. Finally, the security policy is applied to each affected network access device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network automation engine of a software defined network (SDN) controller associated with a dynamic virtualized network that is overlaid on a physical network, a current network policy of the dynamic virtualized network, wherein the current network policy includes a plurality of network policy elements and each of the plurality of network policy elements identifies (i) an authorized endpoint of a plurality of authorized endpoints within the dynamic virtualized network, (ii) a network access device of a plurality of network access devices within the dynamic virtualized network, and (iii) a port of the network access device with which the authorized endpoint is associated;

generating, by the network automation engine, a network security policy for the dynamic virtualized network based on the current network policy, by, for each network access device of the plurality of network access devices;

determining whether to create one or more security measures for the network access device by evaluating those of the plurality of network policy elements involving the network access device, wherein each of the one or more security measures specifies how network traffic in the dynamic virtualized network is to be processed by a port of a plurality of ports of the network access device; and

when said determining is affirmative, creating the one or more security measures; and

applying, by the network automation engine, the network security policy to each network access device of the plurality of network access devices that is affected by the network security policy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic virtualized network comprises a Virtual eXtensible Local Area Network (VxLAN) and the physical network comprises a layer 3 network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a security measure of the one or more security measures comprises a multicast join filter that passes a multicast join request on a port of the network access device with which an authorized endpoint of the plurality of authorized endpoints is associated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a security measure of the one or more security measures comprises a multicast join filter that drops a multicast join request on a port of the network access device with which none of the plurality of authorized endpoints are associated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a security measure of the one or more security measures comprises an access control list on a port of the network access device with which an authorized endpoint of the plurality of authorized endpoints is associated and wherein the access control list allows network that includes an identifier associated with the authorized endpoint traffic to pass through the port.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identification comprises a VxLAN Network Identifier (VNI).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a security measure of the one or more security measures comprises an access control list on a port of the network access device with which an authorized endpoint of the plurality of authorized endpoints is associated and wherein the access control list causes network traffic that does not include an identifier associated with the authorized endpoint to be dropped.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a security measure of the one or more security measures comprises an access control list on a port of the network access device with which none of the plurality of authorized endpoints are associated and wherein the access control list causes network traffic that is encapsulated for the dynamic virtualized network to be dropped.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network access device comprises a switch or a router.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network access device comprises a virtual device.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein a security measure of the one or more security measures comprises a multicast join filter that drops a multicast join request on a port of the network access device with which none of the plurality of authorized endpoints are associated.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein a security measure of the one or more security measures comprises an access control list on a port of the network access device with which none of the plurality of authorized endpoints are associated and wherein the access control list causes network traffic that is encapsulated for the dynamic virtualized network to be dropped.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the network access device comprises a virtual device.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having embodies therein executable instructions representing a network automation engine, which when executed by one or more processors of a software defined networking (SDN) controller associated with a dynamic virtualized network that is overlaid on a physical network perform a method comprising:

receiving a current network policy of the dynamic virtualized network, wherein the current network policy includes a plurality of network policy elements and each of the plurality of network policy elements identifies (i) an authorized endpoint of a plurality of authorized endpoints within the dynamic virtualized network, (ii) a network access device of a plurality of network access devices within the dynamic virtualized network, and (iii) a port of the network access device with which the authorized endpoint is associated;

generating a network security policy for the dynamic virtualized network based on the current network policy, by, for each network access device of the plurality of network access devices;

determining whether to create one or more security measures for the network access device by evaluating those of the plurality of network policy elements involving the network access device, wherein each of the one or more security measures specifies how network traffic in the dynamic virtualized network is to be processed by a port of a plurality of ports of the network access device; and

when said determining is affirmative, creating the one or more security measures; and

applying the network security policy to each network access device of the plurality of network access devices that is affected by the network security policy.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the dynamic virtualized network comprises a Virtual eXtensible Local Area Network (VxLAN) and the physical network comprises a layer 3 network.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a security measure of the one or more security measures comprises a multicast join filter that passes a multicast join request on a port of the network access device with which an authorized endpoint of the plurality of authorized endpoints is associated.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a security measure of the one or more security measures comprises an access control list on a port of the network access device with which an authorized endpoint of the plurality of authorized endpoints is associated and wherein the access control list allows network that includes an identifier associated with the authorized endpoint traffic to pass through the port.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the identification comprises a VxLAN Network Identifier (VNI).

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a security measure of the one or more security measures comprises an access control list on a port of the network access device with which an authorized endpoint of the plurality of authorized endpoints is associated and wherein the access control list causes network traffic that does not include an identifier associated with the authorized endpoint to be dropped.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the network access device comprises a switch or a router.