Security for network computing environment using centralized security system

An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code is executable by one or more processors to implement a method comprising:

• receiving, by a centralized security system which is configured to operate within a machine-to-machine communication network as a security layer between a plurality of devices operating within the network and a computing system which hosts an application that is utilized by the devices, a digital certificate from a given device requesting access to the computing system, the digital certificate being previously issued to the given device by the centralized security system in response to the given device registering with the centralized security system and being authenticated as a trusted device to operate within the network;
• initiating, by the centralized security system, a secured communications channel between the centralized security system and the given device, in response to the centralized security system determining that the digital certificate received from the given device is valid;
• receiving, by the centralized security system, a request from the given device over the secured communications channel to access the computing system to perform a requested operation, the received request being encrypted using a session key issued by the centralized security system, and the received request comprising device identifying information of the given device;
• processing, by the centralized security system, the received request to determine if the requested operation is trusted;
• denying, by the centralized security system, the received request to perform the requested operation, in response to determining that the requested operation is not trusted;
• and
• sending, by the centralized security system, the received request to the computing system, responsive to the centralized security system determining that the given device is valid based on the device identifying information in the received request and that the requested operation is trusted.

A computing device, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory device configured to store program code, wherein the program code is executable by the at least one processor to implement a centralized security system which is configured to operate within a machine-to-machine communication network as a security layer between a plurality of devices operating within the network and a computing system which hosts an application that is utilized by the devices, wherein the centralized security system is configured to execute a process comprising:
• receiving a digital certificate from a given device requesting access to the computing system, the digital certificate being previously issued to the given device by the centralized security system in response to the given device registering with the centralized security system and being authenticated as a trusted device to operate within the network;
• initiating, a secured communications channel between the centralized security system and the given device, in response to the centralized security system determining that the digital certificate received from the given device is valid;
• receiving a request from the given device over the secured communications channel to access the computing system to perform a requested operation, the received request being encrypted using a session key issued by the centralized security system, and the received request comprising device identifying information of the given device;
• processing the received request to determine if the requested operation is trusted;
• denying the received request to perform the requested operation, in response to determining that the requested operation is not trusted;
• and
• sending the received request to the computing system, in response to the centralized security system determining that the given device is valid based on the device identifying information in the received request and that the requested operation is trusted.