Methods and Apparatus for Controlling Application-Specific Access to a Secure Network

A computer program product for controlling application-specific access to a secure network arranged within a communication environment, wherein

• the computer program product comprises computer code configured to, when executed by at least one computer device, cause the at least one computer device to:
• provide access control data that identifies an authorized client application being authorized to access at least one service provided by a secure network and further identifies at least one service provided by the secure network to which service the authorized client application is authorized to access,
• receive a first request at a secure gateway device from a requesting client application external to the secure network, the first request being an access request to access to the secure network,
• check, by the secure gateway device, whether the first request includes information trustworthily identifying the requesting client application, wherein when the checking indicates that the first request includes information trustworthily identifying the requesting client application, verifying, by the secure gateway device, on a basis of access control data and the information trustworthily, whether the requesting client application is the authorized client application being authorized to access the at least one service provided by the secure network;
• grant, by the secure gateway device, access to the secure network in response to verifying that the requesting client application is the authorized client application;
• receive, at the secure gateway device, a second request from the requesting client application to access a requested service provided by the secure network;
• verify, by the secure gateway device, based on the access control data, whether the requesting client application is the client application authorized to access the requested service;
• and
• grant, by the secure gateway device, access to the requested service in response to verifying that the requesting client application is the client application authorized to access the requested service.

A method of controlling application-specific access to a secure network arranged within a communication environment performed by a requesting client application external to the secure network, the method comprising:

• transmitting a first request to a secure gateway device, the first request being an access request to access to the secure network and including information trustworthily identifying the requesting client application, the secure network comprising the secure gateway device to provide access to the secure network for client applications external to the secure network;
• transmitting a second request to the secure gateway device, when access to the secure network is granted and in response to verifying, by the secure gateway device on the basis of the information trustworthily identifying the requesting client application and the control access data identifying the authorized client application being authorized to access at least one service provided by the secure network, that the requesting client application is the authorized client application, wherein the second request is a request to access a requested service provided by secure network;
• and
• accessing the requested service, when access to the requested service is granted and in response to verifying, by the secure gateway device based on the control access data further identifying at least one service provided by the secure network to which the authorized client application is authorized to access, that the requesting client application is the client application authorized to access the requested service.

A computer program product for controlling application-specific access to a secure network arranged within a communication environment, wherein the computer program product comprises computer code configured to, when executed by at least one computer device, cause the at least one computer device to:

• transmit a first request to a secure gateway device, the first request being an access request to access to a secure network and including information trustworthily identifying a requesting client application, the secure network comprising the secure gateway device to provide access to the secure network for client applications external to the secure network;
• transmit a second request to the secure gateway device, when access to the secure network is granted and in response to verifying, by the secure gateway device on the basis of the information trustworthily identifying the requesting client application and the control access data identifying the authorized client application being authorized to access at least one service provided by the secure network, that the requesting client application is the authorized client application, wherein the second request is a request to access a requested service provided by secure network;
• and
• access the requested service, when access to the requested service is granted and in response to verifying, by the secure gateway device based on the control access data further identifying at least one service provided by the secure network to which the authorized client application is authorized to access, that the requesting client application is the client application authorized to access the requested service.

A secure gateway device for application-specific access control to a secure network arranged within a communication environment, the secure gateway device adapted to:

• check whether a first request, being transmitted to the secure gateway device from a requesting client application external to the secure network and being an access request to access to the secure network, includes information trustworthily identifying the requesting client application, the secure network comprises a secure gateway device providing access to the secure network for client applications external to the secure network;
• verify, when the check of the first request indicates that the first request includes information trustworthily identifying the requesting client application, on a basis of access control data identifying an authorized client application being authorized to access at least one service provided by the secure network and the information trustworthily, whether the requesting client application is the authorized client application;
• grant access to the secure network in response to verifying that the requesting client application is the authorized client application;
• in response to a second request from the requesting client application to access a requested service provided by secure network, verify, based on the access control data further identifying at least one service provided by the secure network to which service the authorized client application is authorized to access, whether the requesting client application is the client application authorized to access the requested service;
• and
• grant access to the requested service in response to verifying that the requesting client application is the client application authorized to access the requested service.

A client application external to a secure network for controlling application-specific access to the secure network arranged within a communication environment including an access control server, the client application adapted to:

• transmit a first request to the secure gateway device, the first request being an access request to access to the secure network and including information trustworthily identifying the requesting client application, the secure network comprises a secure gateway device providing access to the secure network for client applications external to the secure network;
• transmit a second request to the secure gateway device, when access to the secure network is granted and in response to verifying, by the secure gateway device on the basis of the information trustworthily identifying the requesting client application and control access data identifying an authorized client application being authorized to access at least one service provided by the secure network, that the requesting client application is the authorized client application, wherein the second request is a request to access a requested service provided by secure network;
• and
• access the requested service when access to the requested service is granted and in response to verifying, by the secure gateway device based on the access control data further identifying at least one service provided by the secure network to which service the authorized client application is authorized to access, that the requesting client application is the client application authorized to access the requested service.