Systems, methods, and devices for security enhancements in cloud computing environments

A method comprising:

• receiving a request from a service in a cloud-based computing environment comprising a first service mesh comprising a plurality of services and a plurality of sidecars configured to perform communications operations for associated services;
• identifying a chain of trust data object embedded in a custom security header of the request generated by the service, the request being configured to include a custom data field storing the security header, the chain of trust data object being generated by one or more security entities in the cloud-based computing environment, the one or more security entities comprising one or more external firewall services provided by a service provider, the chain of trust data object being configured to store results of a sequence of one or more security verification operations performed on the request as it traverses the first service mesh such that the chain of trust data object tracks at least some of the one or more security verification operations performed by the external firewall service as the request traverses the first service mesh, and such that the chain of trust data object includes a first signature from a first service and further includes a second result from a second firewall service and a second signature from a second service;
• determining if the chain of trust data object embedded in the custom security header is a valid chain of trust based, at least in part, on one or more security policies;
• and sending, using a sidecar associated with the service, the request to another entity in the cloud-based computing environment identified based on the request and in response to determining the chain of trust data object is a valid chain of trust.

A computer program product comprising non-transitory computer-readable program code capable of being executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code comprising instructions configurable to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

• receiving a request from a service in a cloud-based computing environment comprising a first service mesh comprising a plurality of services and a plurality of sidecars configured to perform communications operations for associated services;
• identifying a chain of trust data object embedded in a custom security header of the request generated by the service, the request being configured to include a custom data field storing the security header, the chain of trust data object being generated by one or more security entities in the cloud-based computing environment, the one or more security entities comprising one or more external firewall services provided by a service provider, the chain of trust data object being configured to store results of a sequence of one or more security verification operations performed on the request as it traverses the first service mesh such that the chain of trust data object tracks at least some of the one or more security verification operations performed by the external firewall service as the request traverses the first service mesh, and such that the chain of trust data object includes a first signature from a first service and further includes a second result from a second firewall service and a second signature from a second service;
• determining if the chain of trust data object embedded in the custom security header is a valid chain of trust based, at least in part, on one or more security policies;
• and sending, using a sidecar associated with the service, the request to another entity in the cloud-based computing environment identified based on the request and in response to determining the chain of trust data object is a valid chain of trust.