Methods, systems, and computer readable media for monitoring encrypted packet flows within a virtual network environment

A system for monitoring encrypted packet flows within a virtual network environment, the system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• memory;
• and
• a virtual tap element implemented using the at least one processor, wherein the virtual tap element is configured to obtain cryptographic key information from either a first virtual machine or a second virtual machine, to detect an encrypted packet flow being communicated in the virtual network environment between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine via the virtual tap element, wherein the virtual tap element includes a virtual key store that stores the cryptographic key information that is mapped to the encrypted packets flow communicated between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine, to decrypt the encrypted packet flow using the cryptographic key information, wherein the virtual tap element is configured to operate via a dynamic SSL (DSSL) protocol and access the key store to obtain a new previously provisioned cryptographic key information based on a predefined periodic basis, such that the cryptographic key information used to decrypt the encrypted packet flow is dynamically changed in accordance to the predefined periodic basis, to generate a decrypted packet flow set comprising at least a portion of the decrypted packet flow, and to send the decrypted packet flow set to a packet analyzer, wherein the virtual network environment comprises a single computing platform that includes each of the first virtual machine, the second virtual machine, and the virtual tap element, wherein communication between two or more of the first virtual machine, the second virtual machine, and the virtual tap element is conducted via a backplane bus of the single computing platform.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions embodied in the computer readable medium that when executed by at least one processor of a computer cause the computer to perform steps comprising:

• obtaining, by a virtual tap element, cryptographic key information from either a first virtual machine or a second virtual machine in a virtual network environment, wherein the virtual network environment comprises a single computing platform that includes each of the first virtual machine, the second virtual machine, and the virtual tap element, wherein communication between two or more of the first virtual machine, the second virtual machine, and the virtual tap element is conducted via a backplane bus of the single computing platform;
• detecting an encrypted packet flow being communicated in the virtual network environment between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine via the virtual tap element, wherein the virtual tap element includes a virtual key store that stores the cryptographic key information that is mapped to the encrypted packets flow communicated between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine;
• decrypting the encrypted packet flow using the cryptographic key information, wherein the virtual tap element is configured to operate via a dynamic SSL (DSSL) protocol and access the key store to obtain a new previously provisioned cryptographic key information based on a predefined periodic basis, such that the cryptographic key information used to decrypt the encrypted packet flow is dynamically changed in accordance to the predefined periodic basis;
• generating a decrypted packet flow set comprising at least a portion of the decrypted packet flow;
• and
• sending the decrypted packet flow set to a packet analyzer.