Patent Publication Number: US-11652797-B2

Title: Secure application access systems and methods via a lightweight connector and a cloud-based system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     The present patent/application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/986,874, filed May 23, 2018, and entitled “Clientless connection setup for cloud-based virtual private access systems and methods,” which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/158,153 filed May 18, 2016 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,375,024, issued Aug. 6, 2019), and entitled “CLOUD-BASED VIRTUAL PRIVATE ACCESS SYSTEMS AND METHODS,” which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/310,348 filed Jun. 20, 2014 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,350,710, issued May 24, 2016), and entitled “INTELLIGENT, CLOUD-BASED GLOBAL VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK SYSTEMS AND METHODS,” the contents of each is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure generally relates to computer networking systems and methods. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for clientless connection setup for cloud-based virtual private access of networked applications. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Conventionally, Information Technology (IT) departments and the like see data and computing assets in three possible domains, namely (1) internal networks, (2) private clouds, and (3) public clouds or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). As computing moves to the cloud, users may access internal data such as through database applications, etc. through a Virtual Private Network (VPN), access their own documents via a public cloud (e.g., Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Apple iCloud, Amazon web services, Microsoft Azure, Box, etc.), etc. This distribution of data and computing assets makes it very difficult for an enterprise user to connect seamlessly to applications (“apps”) in these domains (without regard to their topology/connectivity/location), and, for the IT administrator, it is difficult to enforce a single, coherent set of policies across these three domains. Note, that the enterprise users can be nomadic in nature or be situated in untrusted branch offices. The current state of the art requires the IT admin to hairpin all end-user traffic back to the corporate data center via a traditional VPN (e.g., Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Internet Protocol Security (IPsec))—and then jump to the other domains via point-to-point dedicated VPNs. This approach increases the incoming and outgoing bandwidth to the corporate data center linearly with every new branch or nomadic user. This increase in traffic is completely un-necessary—since most of the inbound VPN traffic will go out through a dedicated VPN to the private cloud. 
     A second alternative is to install a Firewall and VPN server in every private cloud and setup application routing rules—so that apps can talk between the domains and across multiple private cloud instances. Disadvantageously, this greatly increases administrative complexity and adds multiple points of security weakness. Thus, there is a need in the market for a “Global VPN” that leverages the cloud to maintain a single secure VPN to the cloud—and direct traffic to various enterprises assets per authentication and security policies—and in particular, provide a safe path from the cloud back to enterprise data center. 
     Enterprises and the like deploy private, internal applications which can include, for example, financial or personal information, intellectual property, and other valuable assets. These applications may include a small percentage of overall network traffic, but represents some of the most critical data. Again, conventional access approaches, outside internal networks, utilize VPNs which enable remote users to access the network. These solutions include VPN clients on user devices and a VPN termination on the internal network. Also, as applications move to the cloud, there may be site-to-site VPN tunnels from the data centers to the cloud. To increase reachability and performance, multiple data centers and load balancers are used, resulting in high-performance, but at the expense of cost, maintenance, complexity, and scalability. The conventional paradigm is remote application access is really network access remotely. This has caused major security breaches, specifically a user only needs to access the application, but instead is given full network access. That is, VPNs extend the network perimeter to encompass the remote user, definitely overkill for what is actually needed. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     A virtual private access method implemented in a clientless manner on a user device includes receiving a request to access resources from a Web browser on the user device at an exporter in a cloud system, wherein the resources are located in one of a public cloud and an enterprise network and the user device is remote therefrom on the Internet; performing a series of connections between the exporter and i) the Web browser and ii) centralized components including a crypto service, database, cookie store, and Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) Service Provider (SP) component to authenticate a user of the user device for the resources; and, subsequent to authentication, exchanging data between the Web browser and the resources through the exporter, wherein the exporter has a first secure tunnel to the Web browser and a second secure tunnel to the resources. The virtual private access method can further include, prior to the request, uploading a private and public key to the centralized components via an Application Programming Interface (API); and encrypting and storing the private key in the database. 
     The request can be sent to an address of the resources and changed via a Domain Name System (DNS) server to an address of the exporter. The address of the exporter can resolve to a nearest cloud node. The user device can send the request via Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port 80 and after the receiving, the exporter redirects the user device to TCP port 443 based on determining an address of the resources relates to virtual private access. The exporter can utilize Server Name Indication (SNI) to determine a certificate to present, wherein the certificate is encrypted and obtained from the database and the crypto service decrypts the certificate and authenticates the exporter. The virtual private access method can further include performing the series of connections to determine a cookie for the Web browser to use for clientless authentication. The cookie can be determined by the SAML SP component based an assertion generated by an Identity Provider. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, a cloud system adapted to implement virtual private access with a user device in a clientless manner includes one or more cloud nodes communicatively coupled to one another; wherein each of the one or more cloud nodes includes one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to receive a request to access resources from a Web browser on the user device, wherein the resources are located in one of a public cloud and an enterprise network and the user device is remote therefrom on the Internet; perform a series of connections between i) the Web browser and ii) centralized components including a crypto service, database, cookie store, and Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) Service Provider (SP) component to authenticate a user of the user device for the resources; and, subsequent to authentication, exchange data between the Web browser and the resources through the cloud node, wherein the cloud node has a first secure tunnel to the Web browser and a second secure tunnel to the resources. 
     In a further exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform the steps of receiving a request to access resources from a Web browser on a user device at an exporter in a cloud system, wherein the resources are located in one of a public cloud and an enterprise network and the user device is remote therefrom on the Internet; performing a series of connections between the exporter and i) the Web browser and ii) centralized components including a crypto service, database, cookie store, and Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) Service Provider (SP) component to authenticate a user of the user device for the resources; and, subsequent to authentication, exchanging data between the Web browser and the resources through the exporter, wherein the exporter has a first secure tunnel to the Web browser and a second secure tunnel to the resources. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure is illustrated and described herein with reference to the various drawings, in which like reference numbers are used to denote like system components/method steps, as appropriate, and in which: 
         FIG.  1    is network diagram of a cloud system for use with the systems and methods described herein; 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram of a server which may be used in the cloud system of  FIG.  1    or standalone; 
         FIG.  3    is a block diagram of a mobile device which may be used in the cloud system of  FIG.  1    or with any other cloud-based system; 
         FIG.  4    is a network diagram of a VPN architecture for an intelligent, cloud-based global VPN; 
         FIG.  5    is a flowchart of a VPN method for an intelligent, cloud-based global VPN; 
         FIG.  6    is a network diagram of a network with a security cloud communicatively coupled to the Internet and SaaS applications; 
         FIG.  7    is a network diagram of the network of  FIG.  6    with the security cloud and with private applications and data centers connected thereto to provide virtual private access through the security cloud; 
         FIG.  8    is a network diagram of a virtual private access network using the security cloud; 
         FIG.  9    is a network diagram of a virtual private access network and a flowchart of a virtual private access process implemented thereon; 
         FIGS.  10 - 11    are network diagrams of a VPN configuration ( FIG.  10   ) compared to virtual private access ( FIG.  11   ) illustrating the differences therein; 
         FIGS.  12 - 13    are network diagrams of conventional private application access in the public cloud ( FIG.  12   ) compared to private application in the public cloud with virtual private access ( FIG.  13   ); 
         FIGS.  14 - 15    are network diagrams of conventional contractor/partner access ( FIG.  14   ) of applications in the enterprise network compared to contractor/partner access ( FIG.  15   ) of the applications with virtual private access; 
         FIGS.  16 - 17    are network diagrams of a conventional network setup to share data between two companies ( FIG.  16   ) such as for Merger and Acquisition (M&amp;A) purposes or the like compared to a network setup using virtual private access ( FIG.  17   ); 
         FIGS.  18 - 19    are screen shots of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) for administrator access to the virtual private access where  FIG.  18    us a GUI of network auto discovery and  FIG.  19    is a GUI for reporting; 
         FIG.  20    is a block diagram of logical components of a clientless connection approach for the virtual private access; 
         FIG.  21    is a block diagram of the logical components of the clientless connection approach of  FIG.  20    illustrating the steps for configuration; and 
         FIG.  22    is a block diagram of the logical components of the clientless connection approach of  FIG.  20    illustrating the steps for a connection setup subsequent to the configuration of  FIG.  21   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In various exemplary embodiments, systems and methods for cloud-based virtual private access of networked applications are described. At a high level, the systems and methods dynamically creates a connection through a secure tunnel between three entities: an end-point, a cloud, and an on-premises redirection proxy. The connection between the cloud and on-premises proxy is dynamic, on-demand and orchestrated by the cloud. A key feature of the systems and methods is its security at the edge—there is no need to punch any holes in the existing on-premises firewall. The redirection proxy inside the enterprise (on premises) “dials out” and connects to the cloud as if too were an end-point. This on-demand dial-out capability and tunneling authenticated traffic back to the enterprise is a key differentiator of the systems and methods. 
     The paradigm of the virtual private access systems and methods is to give users network access to get to an application, not to the entire network. If a user is not authorized to get the application, the user should not be able to even see that it exists, much less access it. The virtual private access systems and methods provide a new approach to deliver secure access by decoupling applications from the network, instead providing access with a lightweight software connector, in front of the applications, an application on the user device, a central authority to push policy, and a cloud to stitch the applications and the software connectors together, on a per-user, per-application basis. 
     With the virtual private access, users can only see the specific applications allowed by policy. Everything else is “invisible” or “dark” to them. Because the virtual private access separates the application from the network, the physical location of the application becomes irrelevant—if applications are located in more than one place, the user is automatically directed to the instance that will give them the best performance. The virtual private access also dramatically reduces configuration complexity such as policies/firewalls in the data centers. Enterprises can, for example, move applications to Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure, and take advantage of the elasticity of the cloud, making private, internal applications behave just like the marketing leading enterprise applications. Advantageously, there is no hardware to buy or deploy, because the virtual private access is a service offering to end users and enterprises. 
     Exemplary Cloud System Architecture 
     Referring to  FIG.  1   , in an exemplary embodiment, a cloud system  100  is illustrated for use with the systems and methods described herein. The cloud system  100  includes one or more cloud nodes (CN)  102  communicatively coupled to the Internet  104 . The cloud nodes  102  may be implemented as a server  200  (as illustrated in  FIG.  2   ), or the like. That is, the cloud system  100  may be a distributed security system. In the cloud system  100 , traffic from various locations (and various devices located therein) such as a regional office  110 , headquarters  120 , various employee&#39;s homes  130 , mobile laptop  140 , and mobile device  150  can be monitored or redirected to the cloud through the cloud nodes  102 . That is, each of the locations  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140 ,  150  is communicatively coupled to the Internet  104  and can be monitored by the cloud nodes  102 . The cloud system  100  may be configured to perform various functions such as spam filtering, uniform resource locator (URL) filtering, antivirus protection, bandwidth control, data loss prevention, zero-day vulnerability protection, web 2.0 features, and the like. In an exemplary embodiment, the cloud system  100  may be viewed as Security-as-a-Service through the cloud. Existing cloud-based distributed security systems perform inline processing where all traffic is redirected through the cloud for proactive monitoring. In the various exemplary embodiments described herein, DNS is utilized for a less intrusive mechanism for a cloud-based distributed security system. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the cloud system  100  can be configured to provide mobile device security and policy systems and methods. The mobile device  150  may be the mobile device  300 , and may include common devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, netbooks, ultra-books, personal digital assistants, MP3 players, cell phones, e-book readers, and the like. The cloud system  100  is configured to provide security and policy enforcement for devices including the mobile devices  150  in the cloud. Advantageously, the cloud system  100  avoids platform specific security apps on the mobile devices  150 , forwards web traffic through the cloud system  100 , enables network administrators to define policies in the cloud, and enforces/cleans traffic in the cloud prior to delivery to the mobile devices  150 . Further, through the cloud system  100 , network administrators may define user centric policies tied to users, not devices, with the policies being applied regardless of the device used by the user. The cloud system  100  provides 24×7 security with no need for updates as the cloud system  100  is always up-to-date with current threats and without requiring device signature updates. Also, the cloud system  100  enables multiple enforcement points, centralized provisioning and logging, automatic traffic routing to a nearest cloud node  102 , geographical distribution of the cloud nodes  102 , policy shadowing of users which is dynamically available at the cloud nodes, etc. 
     Generally, the cloud system  100  may generally refer to an exemplary cloud-based security system. Cloud computing systems and methods abstract away physical servers, storage, networking, etc. and instead offer these as on-demand and elastic resources. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides a concise and specific definition which states cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. Cloud computing differs from the classic client-server model by providing applications from a server that are executed and managed by a client&#39;s web browser, with no installed client version of an application required. Centralization gives cloud service providers complete control over the versions of the browser-based applications provided to clients, which removes the need for version upgrades or license management on individual client computing devices. The phrase “Software-as-a-Service” (SaaS) is sometimes used to describe application programs offered through cloud computing. A common shorthand for a provided cloud computing service (or even an aggregation of all existing cloud services) is “the cloud.” The cloud system  100  is illustrated herein as one exemplary embodiment of a cloud-based system, and those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize the systems and methods contemplate operation on any cloud based system. 
     Exemplary Server Architecture 
     Referring to  FIG.  2   , in an exemplary embodiment, a block diagram illustrates a server  200  which may be used in the system  100 , in other systems, or standalone. The server  200  may be a digital computer that, in terms of hardware architecture, generally includes a processor  202 , input/output (I/O) interfaces  204 , a network interface  206 , a data store  208 , and memory  210 . It should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that  FIG.  2    depicts the server  200  in an oversimplified manner, and a practical embodiment may include additional components and suitably configured processing logic to support known or conventional operating features that are not described in detail herein. The components ( 202 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208 , and  210 ) are communicatively coupled via a local interface  212 . The local interface  212  may be, for example but not limited to, one or more buses or other wired or wireless connections, as is known in the art. The local interface  212  may have additional elements, which are omitted for simplicity, such as controllers, buffers (caches), drivers, repeaters, and receivers, among many others, to enable communications. Further, the local interface  212  may include address, control, and/or data connections to enable appropriate communications among the aforementioned components. 
     The processor  202  is a hardware device for executing software instructions. The processor  202  may be any custom made or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the server  200 , a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set), or generally any device for executing software instructions. When the server  200  is in operation, the processor  202  is configured to execute software stored within the memory  210 , to communicate data to and from the memory  210 , and to generally control operations of the server  200  pursuant to the software instructions. The I/O interfaces  204  may be used to receive user input from and/or for providing system output to one or more devices or components. User input may be provided via, for example, a keyboard, touch pad, and/or a mouse. System output may be provided via a display device and a printer (not shown). I/O interfaces  204  may include, for example, a serial port, a parallel port, a small computer system interface (SCSI), a serial ATA (SATA), a fibre channel, Infiniband, iSCSI, a PCI Express interface (PCI-x), an infrared (IR) interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, and/or a universal serial bus (USB) interface. 
     The network interface  206  may be used to enable the server  200  to communicate on a network, such as the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), and the like, etc. The network interface  206  may include, for example, an Ethernet card or adapter (e.g., 10 BaseT, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, 10 GbE) or a wireless local area network (WLAN) card or adapter (e.g., 802.11a/b/g/n). The network interface  206  may include address, control, and/or data connections to enable appropriate communications on the network. A data store  208  may be used to store data. The data store  208  may include any of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, and the like)), nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CDROM, and the like), and combinations thereof. Moreover, the data store  208  may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media. In one example, the data store  208  may be located internal to the server  200  such as, for example, an internal hard drive connected to the local interface  212  in the server  200 . Additionally, in another embodiment, the data store  208  may be located external to the server  200  such as, for example, an external hard drive connected to the I/O interfaces  204  (e.g., SCSI or USB connection). In a further embodiment, the data store  208  may be connected to the server  200  through a network, such as, for example, a network attached file server. 
     The memory  210  may include any of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.)), nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CDROM, etc.), and combinations thereof. Moreover, the memory  210  may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media. Note that the memory  210  may have a distributed architecture, where various components are situated remotely from one another, but can be accessed by the processor  202 . The software in memory  210  may include one or more software programs, each of which includes an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. The software in the memory  210  includes a suitable operating system (O/S)  214  and one or more programs  216 . The operating system  214  essentially controls the execution of other computer programs, such as the one or more programs  216 , and provides scheduling, input-output control, file and data management, memory management, and communication control and related services. The one or more programs  216  may be configured to implement the various processes, algorithms, methods, techniques, etc. described herein. 
     Exemplary Mobile Device Architecture 
     Referring to  FIG.  3   , in an exemplary embodiment, a block diagram illustrates a mobile device  300 , which may be used in the system  100  or the like. The mobile device  300  can be a digital device that, in terms of hardware architecture, generally includes a processor  302 , input/output (I/O) interfaces  304 , a radio  306 , a data store  308 , and memory  310 . It should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that  FIG.  3    depicts the mobile device  300  in an oversimplified manner, and a practical embodiment may include additional components and suitably configured processing logic to support known or conventional operating features that are not described in detail herein. The components ( 302 ,  304 ,  306 ,  308 , and  302 ) are communicatively coupled via a local interface  312 . The local interface  312  can be, for example but not limited to, one or more buses or other wired or wireless connections, as is known in the art. The local interface  312  can have additional elements, which are omitted for simplicity, such as controllers, buffers (caches), drivers, repeaters, and receivers, among many others, to enable communications. Further, the local interface  312  may include address, control, and/or data connections to enable appropriate communications among the aforementioned components. 
     The processor  302  is a hardware device for executing software instructions. The processor  302  can be any custom made or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the memory  310 , a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set), or generally any device for executing software instructions. When the mobile device  300  is in operation, the processor  302  is configured to execute software stored within the memory  310 , to communicate data to and from the memory  310 , and to generally control operations of the mobile device  300  pursuant to the software instructions. In an exemplary embodiment, the processor  302  may include a mobile optimized processor such as optimized for power consumption and mobile applications. The I/O interfaces  304  can be used to receive user input from and/or for providing system output. User input can be provided via, for example, a keypad, a touch screen, a scroll ball, a scroll bar, buttons, bar code scanner, and the like. System output can be provided via a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), touch screen, and the like. The I/O interfaces  304  can also include, for example, a serial port, a parallel port, a small computer system interface (SCSI), an infrared (IR) interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and the like. The I/O interfaces  304  can include a graphical user interface (GUI) that enables a user to interact with the memory  310 . Additionally, the I/O interfaces  304  may further include an imaging device, i.e. camera, video camera, etc. 
     The radio  306  enables wireless communication to an external access device or network. Any number of suitable wireless data communication protocols, techniques, or methodologies can be supported by the radio  306 , including, without limitation: RF; IrDA (infrared); Bluetooth; ZigBee (and other variants of the IEEE 802.15 protocol); IEEE 802.11 (any variation); IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX or any other variation); Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum; Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum; Long Term Evolution (LTE); cellular/wireless/cordless telecommunication protocols (e.g. 3G/4G, etc.); wireless home network communication protocols; paging network protocols; magnetic induction; satellite data communication protocols; wireless hospital or health care facility network protocols such as those operating in the WMTS bands; GPRS; proprietary wireless data communication protocols such as variants of Wireless USB; and any other protocols for wireless communication. The data store  308  may be used to store data. The data store  308  may include any of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, and the like)), nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CDROM, and the like), and combinations thereof. Moreover, the data store  308  may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media. 
     The memory  310  may include any of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.)), nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, etc.), and combinations thereof. Moreover, the memory  310  may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media. Note that the memory  310  may have a distributed architecture, where various components are situated remotely from one another, but can be accessed by the processor  302 . The software in memory  310  can include one or more software programs, each of which includes an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. In the example of  FIG.  3   , the software in the memory  310  includes a suitable operating system (O/S)  314  and programs  316 . The operating system  314  essentially controls the execution of other computer programs, and provides scheduling, input-output control, file and data management, memory management, and communication control and related services. The programs  316  may include various applications, add-ons, etc. configured to provide end user functionality with the mobile device  300 . For example, exemplary programs  316  may include, but not limited to, a web browser, social networking applications, streaming media applications, games, mapping and location applications, electronic mail applications, financial applications, and the like. In a typical example, the end user typically uses one or more of the programs  316  along with a network. 
     VPN Architecture 
     Referring to  FIG.  4   , in an exemplary embodiment, a network diagram illustrates a VPN architecture  400  for an intelligent, cloud-based global VPN. For illustration purposes, the VPN architecture  400  includes the cloud system  100 , the Internet  104 , SaaS/public cloud systems  402 , and an enterprise  404 . The VPN architecture  400  also includes a client  410  which can include any computing device/platform connecting to the cloud system  100 , the Internet  104 , the SaaS/public cloud systems  402 , and the enterprise  404 . The VPN architecture  400  includes a single client for illustration purposes, but those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the VPN architecture  400  contemplates a plurality of client devices. The client  410  can be a nomadic user, a regional/branch office, etc. That is, the client  410  can be any user of the enterprise  404  that is physically located outside a firewall  412  associated with the enterprise  404 . The SaaS/public cloud systems  402  can include any systems containing computing and data assets in the cloud such as, for example, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Apple iCloud, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, Sales management systems, etc. The enterprise  404  includes local computing and data assets behind the firewall  412  for additional security on highly confidential assets or legacy assets not yet migrated to the cloud. 
     The client  410  needs to access the Internet  104 , the SaaS/public cloud systems  402 , and the enterprise  404 . Again, conventionally, the solution for secure communication, the client  410  has a VPN connection through the firewall  412  where all data is sent to the enterprise  404  including data destined for the Internet  104  or the SaaS/public cloud systems  402 . Furthermore, this VPN connection dials into the enterprise  404 . The systems and methods described herein provide the VPN architecture  400  which provides a secure connection to the enterprise  404  without bringing all traffic, e.g., traffic for the Internet  104  or the SaaS/public cloud systems  402 , into the enterprise  404  as well as removing the requirement for the client  410  to dial into the enterprise  404 . 
     Instead of the client  410  creating a secure connection through the firewall  412 , the client  410  connects securely to a VPN device  420  located in the cloud system  100  through a secure connection  422 . Note, the cloud system  100  can include a plurality of VPN devices  420 . The VPN architecture  400  dynamically routes traffic between the client  410  and the Internet  104 , the SaaS/public cloud systems  402 , and securely with the enterprise  404 . For secure access to the enterprise  404 , the VPN architecture  400  includes dynamically creating connections through secure tunnels between three entities: the VPN device  420 , the cloud, and an on-premises redirection proxy  430 . The connection between the cloud system  100  and the on-premises redirection proxy  430  is dynamic, on-demand and orchestrated by the cloud system  100 . A key feature of the systems and methods is its security at the edge of the cloud system  100 —there is no need to punch any holes in the existing on-premises firewall  412 . The on-premises redirection proxy  430  inside the enterprise  404  “dials out” and connects to the cloud system  100  as if too were an end-point via secure connections  440 ,  442 . This on-demand dial-out capability and tunneling authenticated traffic back to the enterprise  404  is a key differentiator. 
     The VPN architecture  400  includes the VPN devices  420 , the on-premises redirection proxy  430 , a topology controller  450 , and an intelligent DNS proxy  460 . The VPN devices  420  can be Traffic (VPN) distribution servers and can be part of the cloud system  100 . In an exemplary embodiment, the cloud system  100  can be a security cloud such as available from Zscaler, Inc. (www.zscaler.com) performing functions on behalf of every client that connects to it: a) allowing/denying access to specific Internet sites/apps—based on security policy and absence/presence of malware in those sites, and b) set policies on specific SaaS apps and allowing/denying access to specific employees or groups. 
     The on-premises redirection proxy  430  is located inside a perimeter of the enterprise  404  (inside the private cloud or inside the corporate data center—depending on the deployment topology). It is connected to a local network and acts as a “bridge” between the clients  410  outside the perimeter and apps that are inside the perimeter through the secure connections  440 ,  442 . But, this “bridge” is always closed—it is only open to the clients  410  that pass two criteria: a) they must be authenticated by an enterprise authentication service  470 , and b) the security policy in effect allows them access to “cross the bridge”. 
     When the on-premises redirection proxy  430  starts, it establishes a persistent, long-lived connection  472  to the topology controller  450 . The topology controller  450  connects to the on-premises redirection proxy  430  through a secure connection  472  and to the cloud system  100  through a secure connection  480 . The on-premises redirection proxy  430  waits for instruction from the topology controller  450  to establish tunnels to specific VPN termination nodes, i.e., the VPN devices  420 , in the cloud system  100 . The on-premises redirection proxy  430  is most expediently realized as custom software running inside a virtual machine (VM). The topology controller  450 , as part of the non-volatile data for each enterprise, stores the network topology of a private network of the enterprise  404  including, but not limited to, internal domain name(s), subnet(s) and other routing information. 
     The DNS proxy  460  handles all domain name to Internet Protocol (IP) Address resolution on behalf of end points (clients). These end points are end user computing devices—such as mobile devices, laptops, tablets, etc. The DNS proxy  460  consults the topology controller  450  to discern packets that must be sent to the Internet  104 , the SaaS/public cloud systems  402 , vs. the enterprise  404  private network. This decision is made by consulting the topology controller  450  for information about a company&#39;s private network and domains. The DNS proxy  460  is connected to the client  410  through a connection  482  and to the cloud system  100  through a connection  484 . 
     The VPN device  420  is located in the cloud system  100  and can have multiple points-of-presence around the world. If the cloud system  100  is a distributed security cloud, the VPN device  420  can be located with enforcement nodes. In general, the VPN device  420  can be implemented as software instances on the cloud nodes  102 , as a separate virtual machine on the same physical hardware as the cloud nodes  102 , or a separate hardware device such as the server  200 , but part of the cloud system  100 . The VPN device  420  is the first point of entry for any client wishing to connect to the Internet  104 , SaaS apps, or the enterprise private network. In addition to doing traditional functions of a VPN server, the VPN device  420  works in concert with the topology controller  450  to establish on-demand routes to the on-premises redirection proxy  430 . These routes are setup for each user on demand. When the VPN device  420  determines that a packet from the client  410  is destined for the enterprise private network, it encapsulates the packet and sends it via a tunnel between the VPN device  420  and the on-premises redirection proxy  430 . For packets meant for the Internet  104  or SaaS clouds, the VPN device  420  can forwards it to the existing Enforcement Nodes (EN) such as the cloud nodes  102 —to continue processing as before, or send directly to the Internet  104  or SaaS clouds. 
     VPN Method 
     Referring to  FIG.  5   , in an exemplary embodiment, a flowchart illustrates a VPN method  500  for an intelligent, cloud-based global VPN. The VPN method  500  can be implemented through the VPN architecture  400 . The VPN method  500  includes the client  410  connecting to the cloud system  100  through authentication (step  510 ). Once the authentication is complete, a VPN is established between the client  410  and a VPN server in the cloud system  100  and DNS for the client  410  is set to a DNS proxy  460  (step  520 ). Now, the client  410  has a secure VPN connection to the cloud system  100 . Subsequently, the client  410  sends a request to the cloud system  100  via the DNS proxy  460  (step  530 ). Here, the request can be anything—request for the enterprise  404 , the Internet  104 , the SaaS/public cloud systems  402 , etc. The DNS proxy  460  contacts the topology controller  450  with the identity of the user and the request (step  540 ). That is, whenever the client  410  wishes to reach a destination (Internet, Intranet, SaaS, etc.), it will consult the DNS proxy  460  to obtain the address of the destination. 
     For non-enterprise requests, the cloud system  100  forwards the request per policy (step  550 ). Here, the cloud system  100  can forward the request based on the policy associated with the enterprise  404  and the client  410 . With the identity of the user and the enterprise they belong to, the VPN server will contact the topology controller  450  and pre-fetch the enterprise private topology. For enterprise requests, the topology controller  450  fetches a private topology of the enterprise  404 , instructs the redirection proxy  430  to establish an outbound tunnel to the VPN server, the redirection proxy  430  establishes the outbound tunnel, and requests are forward between the client  410  and the enterprise  404  securely (step  560 ). Here, the DNS proxy  460  works with the topology controller  450  to determine the local access in the enterprise  404 , and the topology controller  450  works with the redirection proxy  430  to dial out a secure connection to the VPN server. The redirection proxy  430  establishes an on-demand tunnel to the specific VPN server so that it can receive packets meant for its internal network. 
     Global VPN Applications 
     Advantageously, the systems and methods avoid the conventional requirement of VPN tunneling all data into the enterprise  404  and hair-pinning non-enterprise data back out. The systems and methods also allow the enterprise  404  to have remote offices, etc. without requiring large hardware infrastructures—the cloud system  100  bridges the clients  410 , remote offices, etc. to the enterprise  404  in a seamless manner while removing the requirement to bring non-enterprise data through the enterprise  404 . This recognizes the shift to mobility in enterprise applications. Also, the VPN tunnel on the client  410  can leverage and use existing VPN clients available on the mobile devices  300 . The cloud system  100 , through the VPN architecture  400 , determines how to route traffic for the client  410  efficiently—only enterprise traffic is routed securely to the enterprise  404 . Additionally, the VPN architecture  400  removes the conventional requirement of tunneling into the enterprise  404  which can be an opportunity for security vulnerabilities. Instead, the redirection proxy  430  dials out of the enterprise  404 . 
     The systems and methods provide, to the end user (enterprise user), a single, seamless way to connect to Public and Private clouds—with no special steps needed to access one vs. the other. To the IT Admin, the systems and methods provide a single point of control and access for all users—security policies and rules are enforced at a single global, cloud chokepoint—without impacting user convenience/performance or weakening security. 
     Distributed, Cloud-Based Security 
     Referring to  FIG.  6   , in an exemplary embodiment, a network diagram illustrates a network  600  with a security cloud  602  communicatively coupled to the Internet  104  and SaaS applications  604 . Various users  606 , including, for example, users “on-the-go” or remote, mobile, users located on internal networks in headquarters or branch offices, user devices for the Internet-of-Things (IOT), and the like, can connect to the Internet  104  and the SaaS applications  604  via the security cloud  602 . The security cloud  602  can provide proactive monitoring to proactively detect and preclude the distribution of security threats, e.g., malware, spyware, viruses, email spam, etc., as well as enforce policy and access restrictions, e.g., Data Leakage Prevention (DLP), content filtering, etc. The use of the security cloud  602  for monitoring can be device-independent, location-independent, as well as avoid the need for appliances or hardware deployment or heavy clients on user devices. Further, an advantage of the security cloud  602  is multi-tenant, enabling zero-hour detection of threats, and the like. Importantly, the security cloud  602  has per-user, per-device visibility. An example of the security cloud  602  is provided by the assignee of this application, Zscaler, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. 
     Virtual Private Access Via the Cloud 
     Referring to  FIG.  7   , in an exemplary embodiment, a network diagram illustrates the network  600  with the security cloud  602  and with private applications  608  and data centers  610  connected thereto to provide virtual private access through the security cloud  602 . In an exemplary aspect, the virtual private access described herein leverages the security cloud  602  to enable various users  612  including remote users, contractors, partners, etc., i.e., anyone who needs access to the private applications  608  and the data centers  610  access, without granting unfettered access to the internal network, without requiring hardware or appliances, and in a seamless manner from the users&#39;  612  perspective. The private applications  608  include applications dealing with financial data, personal data, medical data, intellectual property, records, etc., that is the private applications  608  are available on an enterprise&#39;s network, but not available remotely except conventionally via VPN access. Examples of the private applications  608  can include Customer Relationship Management (CRM), sales automation, financial applications, time management, document management, etc. 
     Referring to  FIG.  8   , in an exemplary embodiment, a network diagram illustrates a virtual private access network  700  using the security cloud  602 . Of note, while described with reference to the security cloud  602 , virtual private access is also contemplated in the cloud  100  or any other distributed system. The virtual private access network  700  includes users  702  with an application  704  on their associated user devices (phones, tablets, laptops, etc.). The users  702  can be remote users, partners, contractors, etc., i.e., anyone who needs remote access to cloud file shares and applications  706  and/or enterprise file shares and applications  708 . The file shares and applications  706 ,  708  can be the private applications  608 , and can be generally referred to as resources. The cloud file shares and applications  706  are located in the cloud such as in the data center  610  whereas the enterprise file shares and applications  708  are located within an enterprise&#39;s internal network. Note, while described as file shares and applications  706 ,  708 , each could only be file shares or applications, i.e., these are generalized to denote something accessible by users. Again, conventional access techniques rely on VPNs to the data center  610  or the enterprise&#39;s internal network, with all of the resulting issues previously discussed. Also, the virtual private access network  700  includes a central authority  710  for policy configuration and the like. The virtual private access network  700  further includes lightweight connectors  712  at the file shares and applications  706 ,  708 . 
     The virtual private access is a new technique for the users  702  to access the file shares and applications  706 ,  708 , without the cost, hassle or security risk of VPNs, which extend network access to deliver app access. The virtual private access decouples private internal applications from the physical network to enable authorized user access to the file shares and applications  706 ,  708  without the security risk or complexity of VPNs. That is, virtual private access takes the “Network” out of VPNs. 
     In the virtual private access network  700 , the users  702 , the file shares and applications  706 ,  708 , and the central authority  710  are communicatively coupled to the security cloud  602 , such as via the Internet  104  or the like. On the client side, at the users  702 , the applications  704  provision both secure remote access and optionally accessibility to the security cloud  602 . The application  704  establishes a connection to the closest cloud node  102  in the security cloud  602  at startup and may not accept incoming requests. 
     At the file shares and applications  706 ,  708 , the lightweight connectors  712  sit in front of the applications. The lightweight connectors  712  become the path to the file shares and applications  706 ,  708  behind it, and connect only to the security cloud  602 . The lightweight connectors  712  can be lightweight, ephemeral binary, such as deployed as a virtual machine, to establish a connection between the file shares and applications  706 ,  708  and the security cloud  602 , such as via the closest cloud node  102 . The lightweight connectors  712  do not accept inbound connections of any kind, dramatically reducing overall threat surface. The lightweight connectors  712  can be enabled on a standard VMware platform; additional lightweight connectors  712  can be created in less than 5 seconds to handle additional application instances. By not accepting inbound connections, the lightweight connectors  712  make the file shares and applications  706 ,  708  “dark,” removing a significant threat vector. 
     Policy is established and pushed by policy engines in the central authority  710 , such as via a distributed cluster of multi-tenant policy engines that provide a single interface for all policy creation. Also, no data of any kind transits the policy engines. The cloud nodes  102  in the security cloud stitch connections together, between the users  702  and the file shares and applications  706 ,  708 , without processing traffic of any kind. When the user  702  requests an application in the file shares and applications  706 ,  708 , the policy engine delivers connection information to the application  704  and app-side cloud nodes  102  which includes the location of a single cloud nodes  102  to provision the client/app connection. The connection is established through the cloud nodes  102 , and is encrypted with a combination of the customer&#39;s client and server-side certificates. While the cloud nodes  102  provision the connection, they do not participate in the key exchange, nor do they have visibility into the traffic flows. 
     Advantageously, the virtual private access provides increased security in that the file shares and applications  706 ,  708  are visible only to the users  702  that are authorized to access them; unauthorized users are not able to even see them. Because application access is provisioned through the security cloud  602 , rather than via a network connection, the virtual private access makes it impossible to route back to applications. The virtual private access is enabled using the application  704 , without need to launch or exit VPN clients. The application access just works in the background enabling application-specific access to individual contractors, business partners or other companies, i.e., the users  702 . 
     The virtual private access provides capital expense (CAPEX) and operating expense (OPEX) reductions as there is no hardware to deploy, configure, or maintain. Legacy VPNs can be phased out. Internal IT can be devoted to enabling business strategy, rather than maintaining network “plumbing.” Enterprises can move apps to the cloud on their schedule, without the need to re-architect, set up site-to-site VPNs or deliver a substandard user experience. 
     The virtual private access provides easy deployment, i.e., put lightweight connectors  712  in front of the file shares and applications  706 ,  708 , wherever they are. The virtual private access will automatically route to the location that delivers the best performance. Wildcard app deployment will discover applications upon request, regardless of their location, then build granular user access policies around them. There is no need for complex firewall rules, Network Address Translation issues or policy juggling to deliver application access. Further, the virtual private access provides seamless integration with existing Single Sign-On (SSO) infrastructure. 
     Referring to  FIG.  9   , in an exemplary embodiment, a network diagram illustrates a virtual private access network  700 A and a flowchart of a virtual private access process  750  implemented thereon. The security cloud  602  includes three cloud nodes  102 A,  102 B,  102 C, assume for illustration purposes in San Francisco, New York, and London, respectively. The user  702  has the application  704  executing on the user device which is communicatively coupled to the cloud node  102 A. The enterprise file share and application  708  is communicatively coupled to the cloud node  102 C. Note, there can be direct connectivity between the cloud nodes  102 A,  102 C, the cloud nodes  102 A,  102 C can connect through the cloud node  102 B, or both the user  702  and the enterprise file share and application  708  can be connected to a same cloud node. That is, the architecture of the security cloud  602  can include various implementations. 
     The virtual private access process  750  is described with reference to both the user  702 , the security cloud  602 , and the enterprise file share and application  708 . First, the user  702  is executing the application  704  on the user device, in the background. The user  702  launches the application  704  and can be redirected to an enterprise ID provider or the like to sign on, i.e., a single sign on, without setting up new accounts. Once authenticated, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) certificate  720  enrollment occurs, between the user  702  and the cloud node  102 A. With the application  704  executing on the user device, the user  702  makes a request to the enterprise file share and application  708 , e.g., intranet.company.com, crm.company.com, etc. (step  752 ). Note, the request is not limited to web applications and can include anything such as remote desktop or anything handling any static Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP) applications. 
     This request is intercepted by the cloud node  102 A and redirected to the central authority  710  which performs a policy lookup for the user  702  and the user device (step  754 ), transparent to the user  702 . The central authority  710  determines if the user  702  and the user device are authorized for the enterprise file share and application  708 . Once authorization is determined, the central authority  710  provides information to the cloud nodes  102 A,  102 B,  102 C, the application  704 , and the lightweight connectors  712  at the enterprise file share and application  708 , and the information can include the certificates  720  and other details necessary to stitch secure connections between the various devices. Specifically, the central authority  710  creates connection information with the best cloud nodes  102  for joint connections, from the user  702  to the enterprise file share and application  708 , and the unique tokens (step  756 ). With the connection information, the cloud node  102 A connects to the user  704 , presenting a token, and the cloud node  102 C connects to the lightweight connector  712 , presenting a token (step  758 ). Now, a connection is stitched between the user  702  to the enterprise file share and application  708 , through the application  704 , the cloud nodes  102 A,  102 B,  102 C, and the lightweight connector  712 . 
     Comparison—VPN with Virtual Private Access 
     Referring to  FIGS.  10 - 11   , in an exemplary embodiment, network diagrams include a VPN configuration ( FIG.  10   ) compared to virtual private access ( FIG.  11   ) illustrating the differences therein. In  FIG.  10   , a user device  800  connects to a VPN termination device  804  associated with an enterprise network  806  via the Internet  104 , such that the user device  800  is on the enterprise network  806 , where associated applications reside. Of course, any malware on the user device  800  or anyone that steals the user device  800  is also on the enterprise network  806 . The VPN termination device  804  creates a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack surface, adds infrastructure cost and creates network complexity as applications grow. Conversely in  FIG.  11   , the user device  800  uses the virtual private access via the security cloud  602  to connect to the lightweight connector  712  associated with a specific application. The virtual private access provides granular access by the user device  800  and the application, and the user device  800  is not on the enterprise network  806 . Thus, the application is never directly exposed to the user device  800 , the security cloud handles provisioning, and the traffic remains completely private. 
     Comparison—Private Applications in the Public Cloud 
     Referring to  FIGS.  12 - 13   , in an exemplary embodiment, network diagrams include conventional private application access in the public cloud ( FIG.  12   ) compared to private application in the public cloud with virtual private access ( FIG.  13   ). In  FIG.  12   , the user device  800  still has to connect to the enterprise network  806  via the VPN termination device  804  as in  FIG.  10    and the cloud applications, such as in the data center  610 , are access via the enterprise network  806  via a site-to-site VPN between the enterprise network  806  and the data center  610 . Disadvantageously, the user experience is eroded for the user device  800  and agility is hampered for the enterprise by networking concerns and capability. In  FIG.  13   , the virtual private access abstracts the application, in the data center  610 , from the IP address, so location is irrelevant. The enterprise can move private applications to the cloud securely, as needed. 
     Comparison—Contractor/Private Application Access 
     Referring to  FIGS.  14 - 15   , in an exemplary embodiment, network diagrams include conventional contractor/partner access ( FIG.  14   ) of applications in the enterprise network  806  compared to contractor/partner access ( FIG.  15   ) of the applications with virtual private access. Contractor/partner access includes provide third parties access to applications on the enterprise network  806 , for a variety of purposes. In  FIG.  14   , similar to  FIGS.  10  and  12   , contractor/partner access includes VPN connections to the VPN termination device  804 , providing contractor/partners  820  full access to the enterprise network  806 , not just the specific application or asset that they require. Unfortunately, stolen credentials can allow hackers to get into networks or to map assets for later assault. In  FIG.  15   , the virtual private access, using the security cloud  602 , allows access specific to applications or assets as needed by the contractor/partners  820 , via the lightweight connector  712 . Thus, the contractor/partners  820  do not have full network access, the access is specific to each user and the connections are provisioned dynamically avoiding a direct network connection that can be misused or exploited. 
     Comparison—Example Application—M&amp;A Data Access 
     Referring to  FIGS.  16 - 17   , in an exemplary embodiment, network diagrams include a conventional network setup to share data between two companies ( FIG.  16   ) such as for Merger and Acquisition (M&amp;A) purposes or the like compared to a network setup using virtual private access ( FIG.  17   ). Conventionally, the two companies provide VPN connections between their associated enterprise networks  806 A,  806 B to one another. Each company gets “all or nothing”—no per-application granularity. Disadvantageously, creating Access Control Lists (ACLs)/firewall rules and NATting through each companies&#39; respective firewalls is very complex, particularly with overlapping internal IP addressing. In  FIG.  17   , the virtual private access allows connections provisioned by the user and device to the application by name, not by IP address, authorized users can access only specific applications, not an entire network, and firewall complexities disappear. 
     Administrative View of Virtual Private Access 
     Referring to  FIGS.  18 - 19   , in an exemplary embodiment, screen shots illustrate Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) for administrator access to the virtual private access.  FIG.  18    illustrates a GUI of network auto-discovery and  FIG.  19    illustrates a GUI for reporting. For network and application discovery, the virtual private access can use wildcard application discovery where a Domain/name-based query to the lightweight connector  712  will show company applications behind them. This allows discovery of internal applications as users request them using “*.company.com” to find applications. Then, granular policy can be built around the applications to dramatically simply startup. Further, the virtual private access can show the location of users that are accessing private/internal applications, including identifying anomalous access patterns to assist in stopping possible data leakage or compliance violation. 
     Virtual Private Access 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a virtual private access method implemented by a cloud system, includes receiving a request to access resources from a user device, wherein the resources are located in one of a public cloud and an enterprise network and the user device is remote therefrom on the Internet; forwarding the request to a central authority for a policy look up and for a determination of connection information to make an associated secure connection through the cloud system to the resources; receiving the connection information from the central authority responsive to an authorized policy look up; and creating secure tunnels between the user device and the resources based on the connection information. Prior to the receiving, a user executes an application on the user device, provides authentication, and provides the request with the application operating on the user device. The application can be configured to connect the user device to the cloud-based system, via an optimized cloud node based on a location of the user device. The resources can be communicatively coupled to a lightweight connector operating on a computer and communicatively coupled between the resources and the cloud system. The virtual private access method can further include detecting the resources based on a query to the lightweight connector. The lightweight connector can be prevented from accepting inbound connections, thereby preventing access of the resources external from the public cloud or the enterprise network. The creating secure tunnels can include creating connections between one or more cloud nodes in the cloud system, wherein the one or more cloud nodes do not participate in a key exchange, and the one or more cloud nodes do not have data access to traffic on the secure tunnels. The creating secure tunnels can include creating connections between one or more cloud nodes in the cloud system, wherein the one or more cloud nodes create the secure tunnels based on a combination of a client-side certificate and a server-side certificate. The secure tunnels can be created through software on the user device, the cloud system, and a lightweight connector operating on a computer associated with the resources, thereby eliminating dedicated hardware for virtual private network connections. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, a cloud system adapted to implement virtual private access includes one or more cloud nodes communicatively coupled to one another; wherein each of the one or more cloud nodes includes one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to receive a request to access resources from a user device, wherein the resources are located in one of a public cloud and an enterprise network and the user device is remote therefrom on the Internet; forward the request to a central authority for a policy look up and for a determination of connection information to make an associated secure connection through the cloud system to the resources; receive the connection information from the central authority responsive to an authorized policy look up; and create secure tunnels between the user device and the resources based on the connection information. Prior to reception of the request, a user executes an application on the user device, provides authentication, and provides the request with the application operating on the user device. The application can be configured to connect the user device to the cloud based system, via an optimized cloud node based on a location of the user device. The resources can be communicatively coupled to a lightweight connector operating on a computer and communicatively coupled between the resources and the cloud system. The memory storing instructions that, when executed, can further cause the one or more processors to detect the resources based on a query to the lightweight connector. The lightweight connector can be prevented from accepting inbound connections, thereby preventing access of the resources external from the public cloud or the enterprise network. The secure tunnels can be created through connections between one or more cloud nodes in the cloud system, wherein the one or more cloud nodes do not participate in a key exchange, and the one or more cloud nodes do not have data access to traffic on the secure tunnels. The secure tunnels can be created through connections between one or more cloud nodes in the cloud system, wherein the one or more cloud nodes create the secure tunnels based on a combination of a client-side certificate and a server-side certificate. The secure tunnels can be created through software on the user device, the cloud system, and a lightweight connector operating on a computer associated with the resources, thereby eliminating dedicated hardware for virtual private network connections. 
     Software stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by a system, which in response to such execution causes the system to perform operations including receiving a request to access resources from a user device, wherein the resources are located in one of a public cloud and an enterprise network and the user device is remote therefrom on the Internet; forwarding the request to a central authority for a policy look up and for a determination of connection information to make an associated secure connection through the cloud system to the resources; receiving the connection information from the central authority responsive to an authorized policy look up; and creating secure tunnels between the user device and the resources based on the connection information. The resources can be communicatively coupled to a lightweight connector operating on a computer and communicatively coupled between the resources and the cloud system, and wherein the instructions executable by the system, which in response to such execution can further cause the system to perform operations including detecting the resources based on a query to the lightweight connector. 
     VPN in the Cloud 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a method includes connecting to a client at a Virtual Private Network (VPN) device in a cloud system; forwarding requests from the client for the Internet or public clouds accordingly; and for requests for an enterprise associated with the client, contacting a topology controller to fetch a topology of the enterprise, causing a tunnel to be established from the enterprise to the VPN device, and forwarding the requests for the enterprise through the tunnel to the cloud-based system for proactive monitoring; and providing a secure connection from the cloud-based system back to the enterprise, including internal domain and subnets associated with the enterprise. The method can further include authenticating, via an authentication server, the client prior to the connecting and associated the client with the enterprise. The method can further include, subsequent to the connecting, setting a Domain Name Server (DNS) associated with the cloud system to provide DNS lookups for the client. The method can further include utilizing the DNS to determine a destination of the requests; and for the requests for the enterprise, contacting the topology controller to pre-fetch the topology of the enterprise. The method can further include operating an on-premises redirection proxy within the enterprise, wherein the on-premises redirection proxy is configured to establish the tunnel from the enterprise to the VPN device. Secure tunnels to the enterprise are dialed out from the enterprise by the on-premises redirection proxy. The on-premises redirection proxy is a virtual machine operating behind a firewall associated with the enterprise. The on-premises redirection proxy is configured as a bridge between the client and applications inside the enterprise. The VPN device operates on a cloud node in the cloud system, and wherein the cloud system includes a distributed security cloud. The VPN device can include one of a software instance on a cloud node or a virtual machine on the cloud node. The topology controller includes a network topology of the enterprise including internal domain names and subnets. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, a cloud system includes one or more Virtual Private Network (VPN) servers, wherein one or more clients connect securely to the one or more VPN servers; a topology controller communicatively coupled to the one or more VPN servers; a Domain Name Server (DNS) communicatively coupled to the topology controller and the one or more VPN servers; and a redirection proxy located in a private network and communicatively coupled to the one or more VPN servers and the topology controller; wherein requests from the one or more clients to the private network cause on demand secure connections being established by the redirection proxy to associated VPN servers in a cloud-based system, wherein the on demand secure connections provide connectivity to the private network including internal domain and subnets associated with the private network, and wherein the cloud-based system performs proactive monitoring. Requests from the one or more clients outside of the private network are forwarded without traversing the private network. The redirection proxy maintains a persistent connection to the topology controller and establishes secure tunnels to the one or more VPN servers based on direction from the topology controller. The topology controller includes a network topology of the private network including internal domain names and subnets. The VPN servers operate on cloud nodes in a distributed security cloud. 
     In yet another exemplary embodiment, a VPN system includes a network interface, a data store, and a processor, each communicatively coupled together; and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: establish a secure tunnel with a client; forward requests from the client to the Internet accordingly; and for requests to an enterprise, contact a topology controller to fetch a topology of the enterprise, cause a tunnel to be established from the enterprise to the VPN system, and forwarding the requests for the enterprise through the tunnel and the secure tunnel, wherein the secure tunnel is achieved by using an on-demand dial-out and tunneling traffic authentication. The memory storing instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to: cause the tunnel to be established from the enterprise to the VPN system through an on premises redirection proxy located within the enterprise. 
     Clientless Connection Setup 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the client  410  can include the application  704  for performing the various virtual private access processes described herein. An example of such a client app is described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 9,935,955, issued Apr. 3, 2018, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CLOUD BASED UNIFIED SERVICE DISCOVERY AND SECURE AVAILABILITY,” the contents of which are incorporated by reference. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the client  410  can connect via virtual private access in a so-called clientless connection approach described herein. The clientless connection approach can use a standard Web browser on the users  702  device. The clientless connection approach can be used with third-party users  702  (e.g., contractors), for one-time use by a user  702 , or it situations where it is simply undesired to install the application  704 . The object of the clientless connection approach is to perform the same techniques described herein for virtual private access, without the application  704  (alternatively, the application  704  can be viewed as the standard Web browser). 
       FIG.  20    is a block diagram of logical components of a clientless connection approach  900 .  FIG.  21    is a block diagram of the logical components of the clientless connection approach  900  illustrating the steps for configuration.  FIG.  22    is a block diagram of the logical components of the clientless connection approach  900  illustrating the steps for a connection setup subsequent to the configuration. 
     The logical components are generalized at a user device  902 , centralized components  904 , and distributed components  906 . The user device  902  can be the user  702  or any of the other users described herein. This can a mobile device  300  or any other type of device which can execute a Web browser. The centralized components  904  can be compute and storage resources in the cloud, on dedicated servers  200 , or the like. For example, the centralized components  904  can be implemented in Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure. Other embodiments are also contemplated. The distributed components  906  can be through the cloud system  100 , such as through the cloud nodes  102 . 
     The user device  902  can include a User Interface (UI)  910  and a Web browser  912 . The UI  910  can be operated through the Web browser  912 . The Web browser  912  can be a standard Web browser such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge/Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, etc. 
     The centralized components  904  include an Application Programming Interface (API)  914 , a database (DB)  916 , a crypto service  918 , a cookie store  920 , and Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) Service Provider (SP) component  922 . The API  914  enables connectivity to the user device  902  for purposes of configuration. The database  916  stores public and private keys. The crypto service  918  creates/provides private keys. The SAML SP component  922  is used during the sign on process. 
     The distributed components  906  includes a broker  924  and an exporter  926  for creating clientless connections with the user device  902 . The distributed components  906  can be implemented at each of the cloud nodes  102  in the cloud system  100 . 
     In  FIG.  21   , a user device  902  performs a configuration such as through the UI  910  where a user of the user device  902  uploads a private+public key (step C 1 ). Of note, the user can use existing private+public keys, create private+public keys through various providers, obtain a private+public key from the cloud system  100 , etc. These keys are available at the user device  902  and provided to the cloud system  100  via the API  914  through the step C 1 . 
     The API  914  requests the crypto service  918  encrypt the private key (step C 2 ). This request can include a namespace for the encryption context, e.g., the request can indicate ‘for exporter’ or something similar to designate the use in the clientless virtual private access, conceivably even per customer. The crypto service  918  encrypts the private key and returns the encrypted private key to the API  914  (step C 3 ). The API  914  stores the public+private key in the database  916  (step C 4 ). Here, the private key is encrypted whereas the public key is not. 
     In  FIG.  22   , a user device  902  is already configured with a private+public key as described in  FIG.  21    and performs a clientless connection via the Web browser  912  to an address, e.g., app.cust.com. The Web browser  912  can request app.cust.com from a DNS server  930  which CNAME&#39;s app.cust.com to an address of the exporter  926 , e.g., cust.export.zscaler.com which can resolve to the nearest cloud node  102  acting as the exporter  926  (step S 1 ). 
     The Web browser  912  can set a GET request to the exporter  926  using Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port 80 (most common port for HTTP) and the exporter  926  recognizes the hostname as app.cust.com and redirects to TCP port 443 (which is used for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)) (step S 2 ). 
     The Web browser  912  opens Transport Layer Security (TLS) to the exporter  926  and sends the GET request (step S 3 ). The exporter  926  utilizes Server Name Indication (SNI) to determine the certificate to present. SNI is an extension to the TLS protocol by which the user device  902  indicates which hostname it is attempting to connect to at the start of the handshaking process. The exporter can obtain the encrypted certificate from the database  916  and the certificate decryption key from the crypto service  918  and the crypto service  918  authenticates the exporter  926  based on the certificate credentials (step S 4 ). 
     The exporter  926  parses HTTP and determines there is no valid cookie with the GET request (step S 5 ). Note, if there were a valid cookie, the process could go to step S 12 . Note, other HTTP methods are also contemplated besides the GET request. The exporter  926  can redirect to the SAML SP component  922 , encoding the original GET request in a query string. 
     The SAML SP component  922  performs normal SAML functions and redirects to an Identity Provider (IDP)  932  (step S 6 ). The IDP  932  authenticates the user device  902  and redirects back to the SAML SP component  922  (step S 7 ). The SAML SP component  922  receives an authentication response (assertion) (step S 8 ). 
     The SAML SP component  922  generates a key (cookie) which is random plus some coding of the cookie store  920  in which it will be stored (step S 9 ). The cookie and assertion are stored in the cookie store  920 . The SAML SP component  922  redirects the user device  902  back to app.cust.com/zscalerauth/ . . . , encoding original GET request+cookie in the query string (step S 10 ). Specifically, the redirect address includes app.cust.com plus a designation of authentication (/zscalerauth/) plus the original GET request and cookie in the encoded query string. 
     The exporter  926  receives the request for app.cust.com/zscalerauth/ . . . with encoded query string (step S 11 ) and the exporter  926  redirects back to the original URL (app.cust.com) including a set-cookie with the authentication cookie encoded in steps S 9 , S 10 . 
     The exporter  926  receives the request with the authentication cookie (step S 12 ). The exporter  926  fetches the assertion from the cookie store  920  (step S 13 ). If the cookie (assertion) does not exist, is expired, etc., then the process returns to step S 5 . 
     The exporter  926  creates a virtual private access client context and authenticates to a broker  924  using end user assertion (step S 14 ). The exporter  924  opens (or reuses an idle) tunnel for a request to app.cust.com. (step S 15 ). As response arrives from the tunnel, it is sent back to the Web browser  912 . Thus, the exporter  926  makes the virtual private access connection between the user device  902  through the Web browser  912  and app.cust.com. 
     It will be appreciated that some exemplary embodiments described herein may include one or more generic or specialized processors (“one or more processors”) such as microprocessors; Central Processing Units (CPUs); Digital Signal Processors (DSPs): customized processors such as Network Processors (NPs) or Network Processing Units (NPUs), Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), or the like; Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs); and the like along with unique stored program instructions (including both software and firmware) for control thereof to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of the methods and/or systems described herein. Alternatively, some or all functions may be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic or circuitry. Of course, a combination of the aforementioned approaches may be used. For some of the exemplary embodiments described herein, a corresponding device such as hardware, software, firmware, and a combination thereof can be referred to as “circuitry configured or adapted to,” “logic configured or adapted to,” etc. perform a set of operations, steps, methods, processes, algorithms, functions, techniques, etc. as described herein for the various exemplary embodiments. 
     Moreover, some exemplary embodiments may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a computer, server, appliance, device, processor, circuit, etc. each of which may include a processor to perform functions as described and claimed herein. Examples of such computer-readable storage mediums include, but are not limited to, a hard disk, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), Flash memory, and the like. When stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium, software can include instructions executable by a processor or device (e.g., any type of programmable circuitry or logic) that, in response to such execution, cause a processor or the device to perform a set of operations, steps, methods, processes, algorithms, functions, techniques, etc. as described herein for the various exemplary embodiments. 
     Although the present disclosure has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be covered by the following claims.