All posts tagged enterprise mobility

Always On VPN RRAS Centralized Monitoring and Reporting

A while back, I wrote about the monitoring and reporting options for Windows Server Routing and Remote Access (RRAS) servers supporting Microsoft Always On VPN. In that article, I outlined how administrators can use the Routing and Remote Access Management console (rrasmgmt.msc) or the Remote Access Management console (ramgmtui.exe) to perform configuration tasks and review current user and device activity. However, neither solution is ideal in a distributed environment with multiple RRAS servers. Thankfully, there’s a new option available to address this crucial limitation today.

Centralized Reporting

I’m excited to announce the availability of a cloud-based, centralized reporting solution for Windows Server RRAS and Always On VPN from the folks at PowerON Platforms. Created by the folks that brought us the Dynamic Profile Configurator (DPC) solution for managing Always On VPN client configuration settings, PowerON Platforms’ new reporting solution allows administrators to aggregate configuration, performance, and user activity data from multiple individual RRAS servers across their organization.

Important! I’ll be joining the folks at PowerON Platforms for a webinar on Thursday, January 18 to introduce and demonstrate this new Always On VPN reporting solution. Register now!

Summary View

The Summary view page provides a consolidated high-level look at the environment’s health status and capacity of VPN servers. Administrators can quickly see if any servers are unhealthy and view current usage details to assess the capacity of the deployment.

Server Overview

The Server Overview page provides a more detailed look at individual server health status and configuration. Here, you’ll find information about the number of active and available connections and the TLS certificate status. In addition, you’ll find detailed information about provisioned CPU and RAM, disk space utilization, and system uptime. You will also see information about the size of the reporting database on disk and the number of IKEv2 and SSTP VPN ports provisioned.

VPN Server Configuration

The VPN Server Configuration page looks into the IP address pool configuration and current utilization. In addition, this page provides an in-depth look at the VPN server TLS certificate health status. Currently, configured authentication and accounting servers are also shown.

Server Performance

The Server Performance page shows granular details about resource utilization on RRAS servers. This includes CPU and memory utilization, disk space usage, and database size. Administrators can view aggregated data or select individual servers. The view can be further customized by filtering by date.

Connection History

The Connection History page details concurrent connections observed on all VPN servers. Data can be filtered by date, individual server, and user or device name.

Client Distribution

The Client Distribution page provides an intuitive graphical display of client activity by server and tunnel type. In addition, it includes details about usage by individual clients and the number of connections made by individual endpoints.

Connection Detail

The Connection Detail page allows administrators to view user activity across all servers in the organization. Once again, data can be filtered by date, individual server, and user or device name. This view provides granular details on user activity, enabling the administrator to drill down to view specific resources accessed over the VPN for individual sessions.

Data Flow

The Data Flow page displays information about data transfer through the VPN server.

Summary

The Always On VPN cloud-based centralized reporting solution for Microsoft Always On VPN by PowerON Platforms is sure to be helpful for organizations managing distributed RRAS server deployments. The reporting solution aggregates data from all RRAS servers in the enterprise, providing a holistic view of configuration, health status, and user activity in one management console. This consolidated visibility is crucial for capacity planning and configuration maintenance, making the identification of performance bottlenecks or misconfigured servers easy. Also, the ability to view certificate expiration status for all servers in the organization is sure to prevent outages. Security administrators will find the solution helpful for forensic reporting and to identify sources of data leakage and exfiltration.

You can contact PowerON Platforms and request additional information here.

More Information

Are you interested in learning more about PowerON Platforms Always On VPN reporting? Would you like an interactive solution demonstration or an evaluation license to trial the product in your environment? Fill out the form below, and I’ll contact you with more details.

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by Richard M. Hicks on January 9, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in administration, Always On VPN, AOVPN, AovpnDPC, Azure, DPC, Dynamic Profile Configurator, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, Infrastructure, Microsoft, Mobility, multisite, Operational Support, Remote Access, Remote Administration, reporting, routing and remote access service, RRAS, RSAT, Security, systems management, VPN, webinar, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on January 9, 2024

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2024/01/09/always-on-vpn-rras-centralized-monitoring-and-reporting/

Always On VPN October 2023 Security Updates

Once again, it’s time to patch! After several quiet months, there are a few crucial updates Always On VPN administrators will want to get deployed soon. Thankfully, the impact of the security updates related to Always On VPN is low this time, as there is only one Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability, and it’s for a legacy protocol that should be in limited use today.

IKEv2

CVE-2023-36726 addresses a security vulnerability in Windows Internet Key Exchange (IKE) that can lead to privilege escalation. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can elevate privileges to that of the local SYSTEM.

L2TP

This month’s update discloses several Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) vulnerabilities. The following CVEs all address a vulnerability where an attacker can send a specially crafted protocol message to a Windows Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) server, which could lead to remote code execution on the server.

Mitigation

The impact of the L2TP security vulnerabilities should be minimal in most organizations. L2TP is a legacy VPN protocol not commonly used for Always On VPN. However, misconfiguration can leave vulnerable RRAS servers exposed. Administrators must ensure that inbound UDP port 1723 is not open from the Internet. In addition, L2TP should be disabled on the RRAS server if not in use. See the article on the May 2023 security updates for details.

Additional Information

October 2023 Security Updates

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by Richard M. Hicks on October 10, 2023  •  Permalink
Posted in Always On VPN, AOVPN, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, Hotfix, IKEv2, Infrastructure, Microsoft, Mobility, Operational Support, Remote Access, routing and remote access service, RRAS, Security, Security Update, user tunnel, VPN, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on October 10, 2023

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2023/10/10/always-on-vpn-october-2023-security-updates/

What’s New in Absolute Secure Access v13

Recently I wrote about NetMotion Mobility’s acquisition by Absolute Software. Absolute Secure Access (formerly NetMotion Mobility) is an enterprise VPN and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution that includes fine-grained policy enforcement to restrict network access based on a wide range of parameters, including IP address, protocol, port, application, time of day, location, and type of network (e.g., wired, Wi-Fi, wireless, etc.), available bandwidth, battery level, and more. It also includes integrated Network Access Control (NAC), which administrators can use to inform access policy decisions based on device security and configuration posture. Now, Absolute has created its first major release since the acquisition – Absolute Secure Access v13.

Secure Web Gateway

Absolute Secure Access is already the most comprehensive and compelling enterprise VPN and ZTNA solution available today. With the release of Absolute Secure Access v13, the solution now includes cloud-based Secure Web Gateway integration, providing administrators with increased visibility and control of web traffic outside the tunnel. Not all web traffic must flow through the secure web gateway. Administrators can use policy to selectively route web traffic through the secure web gateway to meet their requirements.

Enhanced Security

The secure web gateway feature of Absolute Secure Access v13 includes the following enhanced security features.

Web Filtering

The secure web gateway allows administrators to restrict access based on web category (e.g., gambling, malware sites, personal storage, etc.). Administrators can allow or deny access based on risk level or use the destination’s categorization to take policy action to restrict access further or require additional authentication.

TLS Inspection

The secure web gateway can terminate HTTPS (SSL/TLS) sessions to perform traffic inspection and granular content categorization based on the full URL. The TLS inspection certificate is added dynamically to the local computer certificate store.

Virus Scan

The secure web gateway performs malware and virus scans on web content and files, preventing users from downloading malicious software.

Remote Browser Isolation

Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) executes web browsing sessions on a remote, isolated system to prevent potential malware threats. It enhances security by ensuring malicious content is contained and executed away from the user’s device.

Content Disarm and Reconstruction

Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) is a security feature that eliminates dynamic content from downloaded files and guards against zero-day vulnerabilities undetected by antivirus scans.

Data Loss Prevention

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is designed to prevent sensitive or confidential data from being leaked, accessed, or shared inappropriately, ensuring data security and compliance with regulations.

Policy Enhancements

Absolute Secure Access policies now include actions that can be taken based on information from the secure web gateway. For example, if a user visits a risky category like Malware Sites, additional security features such as antivirus scan, CDR and DLP enforcement, and RBI can be enforced. In addition, administrators can now force reauthentication when users roam between networks.

Summary

Absolute Secure Access v13 significantly upgrades previous versions of Absolute Secure Access and NetMotion Mobility. The security enhancements associated with the new secure web gateway service will tremendously increase an organization’s security posture and eliminate the need for additional web security solutions. Absolute Secure Access has powerful security enforcement technologies with policy and NAC to ensure the highest level of security for today’s mobile workforce.

Learn More

Are you interested in learning more about Absolute Secure Access? Would you like a demonstration of this enterprise VPN and Zero-Trust Network Access solution? Fill out the form below, and we’ll provide more information.

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by Richard M. Hicks on August 7, 2023  •  Permalink
Posted in Absolute, Absolute Secure Access, Absolute Software, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, Mobility, NetMotion, NetMotion Mobility, NetMotion Software, Secure Web Gateway, Security, SSL and TLS, TLS, Transport Layer Security, VPN, Zero Trust, Zero Trust Network Access
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on August 7, 2023

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2023/08/07/whats-new-in-absolute-secure-access-v13/

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