Securing communication over a network using dynamically assigned proxy servers

A computing system, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors;
• the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
• changing a proxy for a particular server of a server system over time to prevent an attacker from knowing which proxy server of a plurality of potential proxy servers is acting as the proxy at a given time, including:
• at a first time:
• assigning a first proxy server of the plurality of potential proxy servers to temporarily act as the proxy for the particular server of the server system;
• and
• unassigning a second proxy server of the plurality of potential proxy servers as the proxy for the particular server system;
• and
• at a second time subsequent to the first time:
• assigning a third proxy server of the plurality of potential proxy servers to temporarily act as the proxy for the particular server;
• and
• unassigning the first proxy server as the proxy for the particular server system;
• at a third time between the first time and the second time, receiving at the first proxy server a request from a client system to access network applications and resources hosted by the server system;
• determining at the first proxy server whether the request includes an encrypted identifier for the client system;
• in accordance with a determination that the request includes the encrypted identifier;
• determining at the first proxy server whether the client system is authorized to access the requested network applications and resources based on the encrypted identifier;
• in accordance with a determination that the client system is authorized to access the requested network application and resources, communicatively coupling the client system to the particular server via the first proxy server;
• and
• in accordance with a determination that the request does not include the encrypted identifier, dropping the request without responding to the client system.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computing system, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

• changing a proxy for a particular server of a server system over time to prevent an attacker from knowing which proxy server of a plurality of potential proxy servers is acting as the proxy at a given time, including:
• at a first time:
• assigning a first proxy server of the plurality of potential proxy servers to temporarily act as the proxy for the particular server of the server system;
• and
• unassigning a second proxy server of the plurality of potential proxy servers as the proxy for the particular server system;
• and
• at a second time subsequent to the first time:
• assigning a third proxy server of the plurality of potential proxy servers to temporarily act as the proxy for the particular server;
• and
• unassigning the first proxy server as the proxy for the particular server system;
• at a third time between the first time and the second time, receiving at the first proxy server a request from a client system to access network applications and resources hosted by the server system;
• determining at the first proxy server whether the request includes an encrypted identifier for the client system;
• in accordance with a determination that the request includes the encrypted identifier:
• determining at the first proxy server whether the client system is authorized to access the requested network applications and resources based on the encrypted identifier;
• in accordance with a determination that the client system is authorized to access the requested network application and resources, communicatively coupling the client system to the particular server via the first proxy server, and
• in accordance with a determination that the request does not include the encrypted identifier, dropping the request without responding to the client system.