Methods and systems for providing and controlling cryptographic secure communications terminal providing a remote desktop accessible in secured and unsecured environments

A computing system configured to communicate with trusted endpoints within a secure enterprise network, the computing system being communicatively connected within the secure enterprise network but untrusted within the secure enterprise network, the computing system comprising:

• a programmable circuit;
• a memory communicatively connected to the programmable circuit, the memory storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the programmable circuit, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising:
• initiating execution of an operating system from the computing system hosting the secure boot device, the computing system communicatively connected within a secure enterprise network, the computing system being untrusted within the secure enterprise network;
• receiving authentication credentials from the user;
• based on verification of the received authentication credentials, booting, from the secure boot device, the operating system;
• establishing a secure communication tunnel with a service appliance;
• receiving, from the service appliance, via the secure communication tunnel, a destination address of a secure gateway device connected to the enterprise network and community of interest keys and filters based on authentication credentials being verified;
• and
• establishing a cleartext communication channel with the secure gateway device, thereby allowing communication between the computing system and one or more trusted endpoints within the secure enterprise network.

A secure system for operating a remote desktop client from a secure boot device positioned within a secure enterprise network, the method comprising:

• a client computer having a secure boot device connected thereto, the client computer communicatively connected within a secure enterprise network, the client computer being untrusted within the secure enterprise network;
• a remote server communicatively connected to the client computer via a communications network;
• and
• a trusted set of processing modules stored in the secure boot device that, when executed on the client computer, cause the client computer to:
• initiate an operating system from the secure boot device;
• receive authentication credentials including a user identification and a password;
• based on authentication of the received credentials, boot, from the secure boot device, the operating system;
• establish a secure communication tunnel with a service appliance;
• receive, from the service appliance, via the secure communication tunnel, a destination address of a secure gateway device connected to the enterprise network and community of interest keys and filters based on the authentication credentials being verified;
• and
• establish a cleartext communication channel with the secure gateway device, thereby allowing communication between the client computer and one or more trusted endpoints within the secure enterprise network.