Solving Secure Mobile Access with F5 and iOS 7 Per app VPN - Part 1
Overview As an F5 engineer out in the field I’m fortunate in the fact that I get to talk with customers about their projects and security concerns. While it probably would not surprise you to learn that Mobility is a key project for many organizations what does surprise me is how many are still using a layer-3 VPN approach on mobile devices. The major problem with this design is that once the VPN is established any application on the mobile platform can now access the corporate network. As we hear more and more about malware on mobile devices it is critical to start protecting corporate infrastructure by limiting access to corporate applications only. With iOS 7 Apple introduced a great way to accomplish this with their Per app VPN. Per app VPN allows iOS to control which applications have access to the VPN tunnel. This gives organizations the ability to designate which applications are corporate apps and treat everything else as personal. Per app VPN also works in Safari with a per-tab level of granularity. So I can have one tab open watching who the Houston Texan’s take in the first round draft (Johnny Manziel of course) and a second tab that is securely connected to my corporate SharePoint site. To take advantage of the iOS Per app VPN functionality Apple requires an Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM) solution to configure the mobile device and an Enterprise VPN solution like F5’s Access Policy Manager. So, if you’re anything like me you’ve scrolled past this text and straight to the pictures below because you need to deploy this ASAP right? We’ll here we go… Configuration The iOS Per app VPN uses F5’s APM SOCKS Proxy functionality so we'll need TMOS 11.4 or higher installed on the BIG-IP and Edge Client 2.0 or higher installed on the mobile device. 1. Create a new Application Policy Profile and select your default language. 2. Customize the Profile's Visual Policy Builder by adding a Client Cert Inspection object and set the successful branch to Allow 3. Create a new LTM Client SSL Profile: set Client Certificate to request set Trusted Certificate Authority to the CA that signed the certificate installed on the iOS device. 4. Create a new LTM Virtual Server: Add your customer Client SSL profile Select your Access Profile Select the default Connectivity Profile of create a custom connectivity profile with default settings Click the VDI & Java Support box to enable SOCKS proxy capabilities User Experience So What does the end result look like? In the example below I tested the Safari per-tab capabilities by clicking the F5 shortcut icon and seamlessly had access to my test web server. Next Steps In Part 2 we will walk through how I configured AirWatch to perform the user experience demonstration.BIG-IP Edge Client v1.0.6 for iOS 7
With all your other iOS 7 updates (if you've made the plunge), if you are running the BIG-IP Edge Client on your iPhone, iPod or iPad, you may have gotten an AppStore alert for an update. If not, I just wanted to let you know that version 1.0.6 of the iOS Edge Client is available at the AppStore with iOS 7 support. Customers who use UDID in their access policies should have users update to this version. The BIG-IP Edge Client application from F5 Networks secures and accelerates mobile device access to enterprise networks and applications using SSL VPN and optimization technologies. Access is provided as part of an enterprise deployment of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager, Edge Gateway, or FirePass SSL-VPN solutions. BIG-IP Edge Client for iOS Features: Provides accelerated mobile access when used with F5 BIG-IP Edge Gateway. Automatically roams between networks to stay connected on the go. Full Layer 3 network access to all your enterprise applications and files. ps Related: Manual: BIG-IP Edge Apps Client Compatibility Matrix BIG-IP Edge Client and BIG-IP Edge Portal for Apple iOS and Android software support policy Release Note: BIG-IP Edge Client for iOS 1.0.6 Advanced Edge Client Installation for Windows–The Mysteries of Windows Installer Revealed F5 BIG-IP Edge Client F5 BIG-IP Edge Portal F5 BIG-IP Edge Client for Android Technorati Tags: f5,big-ip,edge client,ssl-vpn,mobile,smartphone,ios7,apple,iphone,ipad,silva,remote access,security,secure access,apm Connect with Peter: Connect with F5:
Edge VPN client for MAC
Hi, I am not very strong with MAC device. When downloading the Edge VPN client for MACs from the F5, it comes as a zip file containing two files: config_tmp.f5c & mac_edgesvpn.pkg I understand that "mac_edgesvpn.pkg" is the file that a MAC user needs to open and install on ther desktop. My question is: What is the purpose of "config_tmp.f5c" and is that file needed for the installation, when and where then? ThanksBIG-IP Edge Client v1.0.4 for iOS
If you are running the BIG-IP Edge Client on your iPhone, iPod or iPad, you may have gotten an AppStore alert for an update. If not, I just wanted to let you know that version 1.0.4 of the iOS Edge Client is available at the AppStore. The main updates in v1.0.4: IPv6 Support Localization New iPad Retina Graphics The BIG-IP Edge Client application from F5 Networks secures and accelerates mobile device access to enterprise networks and applications using SSL VPN and optimization technologies. Access is provided as part of an enterprise deployment of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager, Edge Gateway, or FirePass SSL-VPN solutions. BIG-IP Edge Client for iOS Features: Provides accelerated mobile access when used with F5 BIG-IP Edge Gateway. Automatically roams between networks to stay connected on the go. Full Layer 3 network access to all your enterprise applications and files. I updated mine today without a problem. psVPN prevents Apple's continuity camera
While running Big-IP Edge Client, it's common that I can't use the continuity camera feature, which allows an iPhone to be used as external camera to a MacBook. It does not work for Apple's native FaceTime, nor Microsoft Teams. This was working fine with F5Access though. Is this a known issue? Can this be solved or worked around? I'm currently on latest iOS (17.3.1) and macOS (14.3.1), and the feature works well when not connect to the VPN. Thanks for any information or guidance. Kind regards, Henrique
F5 BIG-IP Edge Client for iOS version 2.0.9 Now Available
F5 recently released F5 BIG-IP Edge Client for iOS, version 2.0.9 on the Apple App Store. The release of the F5 Edge Client for iOS, version 2.0.9 delivers various fixes and workarounds that address customer issues, along with other security related fixes. The main issues F5 Edge Client for iOS, version 2.0.9 addresses pertain to problems encountered by customers using iOS App Configurations with MDM solutions and Edge Client for iOS; in these instances, the Edge Client had been crashing or only made visible the background of the Edge Client for iOS app. The BIG-IP versions that currently support F5 Edge Client for iOS, version 2.0.9 may be found in the BIG-IP Edge Client Compatibility Matrix. The release notes for F5 Edge Client for iOS, version 2.0.9 are also available. Should there be any additions or modifications to the F5 Edge Client for iOS, version 2.0.9, F5 will communicate those as soon as possible. Please contact F5 Support with any questions or comments regarding F5 Edge Client for iOS, version 2.0.9.Where Do You Wear Your Malware?
The London Stock Exchange, Android phones and even the impenetrable Mac have all been malware targets recently. If you’re connected to the internet, you are at risk. It is no surprise that the crooks will go after whatever device people are using to conduct their life – mobile for example, along with trying to achieve that great financial heist….’if we can just get this one big score, then we can hang up our botnets and retire!’ Perhaps Homer Simpson said it best, ‘Ooh, Mama! This is finally really happening. After years of disappointment with get-rich-quick schemes, I know I'm gonna get Rich with this scheme...and quick!’ Maybe we call this the Malware Mantra! Malware has been around for a while, has changed and evolved over the years and we seem to have accepted it as part of the landmines we face when navigating the internet. I would guess that we might not even think about malware until it has hit us….which is typical when it comes to things like this. Out of sight, Out of mind. I don’t think ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ works with malware. We certainly take measures to guard ourselves, anti-virus/firewall/spoof toolbars/etc, which gives us the feeling of protection and we click away thinking that our sentinels will destroy anything that comes our way. Not always so. It was reported that the London Stock Exchange was delivering malvertising to it’s visitors. The LSE site itself was not infected but the pop-up ads from the site delivered some nice fake warnings saying the computer was infected and in danger. This is huge business for cybercriminals since they insert their code with the third-party advertiser and never need to directly attack the main site. Many sites rely on third-party ads so this is yet another area to be cautious of. One of the things that Web 2.0 brought was the ability to deliver or feed other sites with content. If you use NoScript with Firefox on your favorite news site (or any major site for that matter), you can see the amazing amount of content coming from other sources. Sometimes, 8-10 or more domains are listed as content generators so be very careful as to which ones you allow. With the success of the Android platform, it also becomes a target. This particular mobile malware looks and acts like the actual app. The problem is that it also installs a backdoor to the phone and asks for additional permissions. Once installed, it can connect to a command server and receive instructions; including sending text messages, add URL’s/direct a browser to a site along with installing additional software. The phone becomes part of a botnet. Depending on your contract, all these txt can add up leading to a bill that looks like you just bought a car. In fact, Google has just removed 21 free apps from the Android Market saying its malware designed to get root access to the user’s device. They were all masquerading as legitimate games and utilities. If you got one of these, it’s highly recommended that you simply take your phone back to the carrier and swap it for a new one, since there’s no way of telling what has been compromised. As malware continues to evolve, the mobile threat is not going away. This RSA2011 recap predicts mobile device management as the theme for RSA2012. And in related news, F5 recently released our Edge Portal application for the Android Market – malware free. Up front, I’m not a Mac user. I like them, used them plenty over the years and am not opposed to getting one in the future, just owned Windows devices most of my life. Probably due to the fact that my dad was an IBM’r for 30 years. Late last week, stories started to appear about some beta malware targeting Macs. It is called BlackHole RAT. It is derived from a Windows family of trojans and re-written to target Mac. It is spreading through torrent sites and seems to be a proof-of-concept of what potentially can be accomplished. Reports say that it can do remote control of an infected machine, open web pages, display messages and force re-boots. There is also some disagreement around the web as to the seriousness of the threat but despite that, criminals are trying. Once we all get our IPv6 chips installed in our earlobes and are able to take calls by pulling on our ear, a la Carol Burnett style, I wonder when the first computer to human virus will be reported. The wondering is over, it has already happened. ps Resources: London Stock Exchange site shows malicious adverts When malware messes with the markets Android an emerging target for cyber criminals Google pulls 21 apps in Android malware scare More Android mobile malware surfaces in third-party app repositories Infected Android app runs up big texting bills Ignoring mobile hype? Don't overlook growing mobile device threats "BlackHole" malware, in beta, aims for Mac users Mac Trojan uses Windows backdoor code I'll Believe Mac malware is a problem when I see it BlackHole RAT is Really No Big Deal 20 years of innovative Windows malware Edge Portal application on Android MarketInvasion of Privacy - Mobile App Infographic Style
Couple blogs/weeks ago, I posted What’s in Your Smartphone? covering the recent Nielsen report, State of the Appnation – A Year of Change and Growth in U.S. Smartphones. According to the study, 70% (last year) and 73% (this year) expressed concern over personal data collection and 55% were cautious about sharing location info via smartphone apps so, obviously, it is important that users are aware of the risks they face when downloading and using apps. So it is perfect timing that I came across Veracode’s infographic showing real world cases to outline the threat to user privacy posed by mobile apps. Infographic by Veracode Application Security Fascinating and scary at the same time. ps References: How Mobile Apps are Invading Your Privacy Infographic Infographic: How Mobile Apps Invade Your Privacy State of the Appnation – A Year of Change and Growth in U.S. Smartphones Nielsen: 1 in 2 own a smartphone, average 41 apps Freedom vs. Control BYOD–The Hottest Trend or Just the Hottest Term Hey You, Get Off-ah My Cloud! Evolving (or not) with Our Devices The New Wallet: Is it Dumb to Carry a Smartphone? BYOD Is Driving IT ‘Crazy,’ Gartner Says Consumerization trend driving IT shops 'crazy,' Gartner analyst saysiDo Declare: iPhone with BIG-IP
Who would have imagined back in 1973 when Martin Cooper/Motorola dialed the first portable cellular phone call, that one day we'd be booking airline tickets, paying bills, taking pictures, watching movies, getting directions, emailing and getting work done on a little device the size of a deck of cards. As these 'cell-phones' have matured, they've also become an integral part of our lives on a daily basis. No longer are they strictly for emergency situations when you need to get help, now they are attached to our hip with an accompanying ear apparatus as if we've evolved with new bodily appendages. People have grown accustomed to being 'connected' everywhere. There have been mobile breakthroughs over the years, like having 3G/4G networks and Wi-Fi capability, but arguably one of the most talked about and coveted mobile devices in recent memory is the Apple iPhone. Ever since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, it has changed the way people perceive and use mobile devices. It's not just the tech-savvy that love the iPhone, it's Moms, Florists, Celebrities, Retailers and everyone in between that marvel at the useful ways iPhone can be used, and for their very own novel purpose. There are literally hundreds of thousands of apps available for iPhone, from the silly and mundane to banking and business. Browsing the web is a breeze with the iPhone with the ability to view apps in both portrait and landscape modes. The ability to zoom and 'pinch' with just your fingers made mobile browsing tolerable, even fun from an iPhone. Shopping from your cell phone is now as common as ordering a cup of coffee - often at the same time! iPhone developers are pushing the limits with augmented reality applications where you can point your iPhone into the sky and see the flight number, speed, destination and other such details as planes fly by. When the iPhone was first introduced and Apple started promoting it as a business capable device, it was missing a few important features. Many enterprises, and small businesses for that matter, use Microsoft products for their corporate software - Exchange for email, Word for documents, Excel for spreadsheets and PowerPoint for presentations. Those were, as expected, not available on the iPhone. As new generations of iPhones hit the market and iOS matured, things like iPhone Exchange ActiveSync became available and users could now configure their email to work with Exchange Server. Other office apps like Documents-to-Go make it possible for iPhone users to not only to view Microsoft Word and Excel documents, but they were able to create and edit them too. Today, there are business apps from Salesforce, SAP and Oracle along with business intelligence and HR apps. Companies can even lock down and locate a lost or stolen iPhone. Business users are increasingly looking to take advantage of Apple iOS devices in the corporate environment, and as such IT organizations are looking for ways to allow access without compromising security, or risking loss of endpoint control. IT departments who have been slow to accept the iPhone are now looking for a remote access solution to balance the need for mobile access and productivity with the ability to keep corporate resources secure. The F5 BIG-IP Edge Portal app for iOS devices streamlines secure mobile access to corporate web applications that reside behind BIG-IP Access Policy Manager, BIG-IP Edge Gateway and FirePass SSL VPN. Using the Edge Portal application, users can access internal web pages and web applications securely, while the new F5 BIG-IP Edge Client app offers complete network access connection to corporate resources from an iOS device; a complete VPN solution for both the iPhone and iPad. The BIG-IP Edge Portal App allows users to access internal web applications securely and offers the following features: User name/password authentication Client certificate support Saving credentials and sessions SSO capability with BIG-IP APM for various corporate web applications Saving local bookmarks and favorites Accessing bookmarks with keywords Embedded web viewer Display of all file types supported by native Mobile Safari Assuming an iPhone is a trusted device and/or network access from an iPhone/iPad is allowed, then the BIG-IP Edge Client app offers all the BIG-IP Edge Portal features listed above, plus the ability to create an encrypted, optimized SSL VPN tunnel to the corporate network. BIG-IP Edge Client offers a complete network access connection to corporate resources from an iOS device. With full VPN access, iPhone/iPad users can run applications such as RDP, SSH, Citrix, VMware View, VoIP/SIP, and other enterprise applications. The BIG-IP Edge Client app offers additional features such as Smart Reconnect, which enhances mobility when there are network outages, when users roaming from one network to another (like going from a mobile to Wi-Fi connection), or when a device comes out of hibernate/standby mode. Split tunneling mode is also supported, allowing users to access the Internet and internal resources simultaneously. BIG-IP Edge Client and Edge Portal work in tandem with BIG-IP Edge Gateway, BIG-IP APM and FirePass SSL VPN solutions to drive managed access to corporate resources and applications, and to centralize application access control for mobile users. Enabling access to corporate resources is key to user productivity, which is central to F5’s dynamic services model that delivers on-demand IT. ps Resources F5 Announces Two BIG-IP Apps Now Available at the App Store F5 BIG-IP Edge Client App F5 BIG-IP Edge Portal App F5 BIG-IP Edge Client Users Guide iTunes App Store Securing iPhone and iPad Access to Corporate Web Applications – F5 Technical Brief Audio Tech Brief - Secure iPhone Access to Corporate Web Applications Is the iPhone Finally Ready for Business Use? iPhone in Business The next IT challenge: Mobile device management Use Your iPhone to See Where Planes are Headed
Apple iPad Pushing Us Closer to Internet Armageddon
Apple’s latest “i” hit over a million sales in the first 28 days it was available. Combine that with sales of other Internet-abled devices like the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and other “smart” phones as well as the continued growth of Internet users in general (via cable and other broadband access technologies) and we are heading toward the impending cataclysm that is IPv4 address depletion. Sound like hyperbole? It shouldn’t. The depletion of IPv4 addresses is imminent, and growing closer every day, and it is that depletion that will cause a breakdown in the ability of consumers to access the myriad services offered via the Internet, many of which they have come to rely upon. The more consumers, the more devices, the more endpoints just exacerbates the slide toward what will be, if we aren’t careful, a falling out between IPv6-only consumers and IPv4-only producers and vice-versa that will cause a breakdown in communication that essentially can only be called “Internet Armageddon.”
