Secure Gateway Server

How to secure communication of mobile/roaming users using Secure Gateway Server?

Description

This document will explain you the steps involved in securing the communication of roaming users using Secure Gateway Server. Secure Gateway Server can be used when roaming agents (on the mobile devices and desktops) access the server through internet. It prevents the exposure of Endpoint Central MSP Server directly to the internet by serving as an intermediate server between the Endpoint Central MSP server and roaming agents. This ensures that the Endpoint Central MSP Server is secure from risks and threats of vulnerable attacks.

For a step by step demonstration video on how to configure secure gateway server, click here.

How Secure Gateway works?

Endpoint Central MSP Secure Gateway Server is a component that will be exposed to the internet. This Secure Gateway Server acts as an intermediate server between the managed roaming agents and the Endpoint Central MSP server.All communications from the roaming agents will be navigated through the Secure Gateway. When the agent tries to contact the Endpoint Central server, Secure Gateway server receives all the communications and redirects to the Endpoint Central MSP Server. 

Note: Map your Secure Gateway's public IP adress and Endpoint Central MSP server's private IP address to a common FQDN in your respective DNS. For example, if your FQDN is "product.server.com", map this to both your Secure Gateway and Endpoint Central MSP server IP address. By this mapping, the WAN agents of roaming users will access Endpoint Central MSP server via Secure Gateway (using internet) and the agents within the LAN network will directly reach Endpoint Central MSP server, hence leading to quicker resolution.

Software requirements for Secure Gateway Server

You can install Secure Gateway Server on any of these Windows operating system versions:

• Windows 7
• Windows 8
• Windows 8.1
• Windows 10
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2019

Hardware requirements for Secure Gateway Server

The hardware requirements for Secure Gateway Server include the following :

Steps 

To introduce Secure Gateway based communication to Endpoint Central MSP, follow the steps given below:

• Modify Endpoint Central MSP Settings
• Install and configure Secure Gateway
• Infrastructure recommendations

Modify Endpoint Central MSP Settings

1. Enter Secure Gateway IP address instead of Endpoint Central MSP server IP address under Endpoint Central MSP server details while adding remote office. This is to ensure the WAN agents and DS communication to Secure Gateway.
2. Enable secured communication(HTTPS) under DS/WAN agent to Endpoint Central MSP server communication.
3. Configure NAT settings using the Secure Gateway's public FQDN/IP address.  

• On the Endpoint Central MSP Server Console, click on Admin tab -> Server Settings -> NAT Settings       
• Add the FQDN of the Secure Gateway server against the Public FQDN under NAT device as shown below

Install and configure Secure Gateway

1. Download and install Secure Gateway on a machine in Demilitarized zone.
2. Enter the following details under Setting up the Secure Gateway window, which will open after the installation process.
   • Central Server Name: Specify the FQDN/DNS/IP address of the Central server. Or specify virtual IP address if Failover server is used.
   • Https Port: Specify the port number that the mobile devices use to contact the Central server (eg: 8041 - it is recommended to use the same port 8041(HTTPS) for Endpoint Central MSP Server in secured mode), it can be modified as required.
   • Notification Server port: 8057 (to perform on-demand operations), it can be modified as required.
   • Web Socket Port : 8047(HTTPS), it can be modified as required.
   • File Transfer Port: 8053(HTTPS), it can be modified as required.
   • Username & Password: Enter Endpoint Central MSP user's credentials with administrative privilege.

Infrastructure recommendations

Ensure that you follow the steps given below

1. Secure Gateway's Public IP address with the port 8383(https) should be provided to Endpoint Central MSP server for accessibility verification.
2. Configure Secure Gateway in such a way, that it should be reachable via public IP/FQDN address configured in NAT settings. You can also configure the Edge Device/Router in such a way that all the request that are sent to the Public IP/FQDN address gets redirected to the Endpoint Central MSP Secure Gateway.
3. It is mandatory to use HTTPS communication
4. You will have to ensure that the following port is open on the firewall for the WAN agents to communicate the Endpoint Central MSP Secure Gateway.

You have now secured communication between Endpoint Central MSP server, WAN agents and roaming users.

Check this video for a step by step demonstration on how to configure the secure gateway server.