BeyondCorp Enterprise: access your applications with Google Cloud and without VPN
Teleworking poses new challenges. In spite of the fact that the main management solutions (ERP, CRM, BI, etc.) work 100% in these environments, there are also web applications developed by companies that must also be accessible from outside of the office and applying a high level of security. One of the options that companies have relied on until now are known as VPN or private network connections, which can end up causing us real headaches for many reasons: impossibility of connection, server errors, slow transfer of information, etc. An interesting alternative option is BeyondCorp Enterprise, a service based on Google Cloud Platform with which it is possible to access these applications in a very agile, reliable and secure way....and, more importantly: without the need to resort to what are known as virtual private networks.
Imagine the following situation: you are teleworking from home and you need to access an internal web application belonging to the company which is crucial to obtain the information you need to complete the report you have to present in a few hours to the management committee.
You try to access the company’s VPN and problems start to arise that stress you out even more: from the lack of response from the server to the exasperating sluggishness in the transfer of information, to incompatibilities with your internet connection or even your firewall. As the saying goes, things can just go “from bad to worse”.
Why go through such a hard time if you can avoid it with an alternative that guarantees maximum reliability, security and agility in the remote management of your information? At Intelligence Partner we use BeyondCorp Enterprise, a service based on Google Cloud Platform that offers you maximum peace of mind.
What is it used for?
- To manage access to your company’s applications, on the cloud or on premise.
- To define and apply access policies according to the user, device and other contextual factors.
- To make access to corporate apps easier.
- To protect your users’ browsing with the Chrome Enterprise browser.
Let’s look more closely at this service.
BeyondCorp Enterprise, the service based on Google Cloud Platform for your internal web applications
The BeyondCorp Enterprise service will enable your employees or authorised external staff to remotely access internal web applications easily and securely and, more importantly: without the need for a VPN.
This service comprises the following phases:
- Analysis of the infrastructure.
- Definition of the interconnection plan
- Security and monitoring
1. Analysis of the infrastructure
This phase includes an in-depth review by Intelligence Partner’s experts of the workload architecture of the local web. After this first review, a precise assessment of the final architecture of the solution is carried out, bearing in mind the necessary connection requirements.
It is interesting to note that it is possible to grant remote access to internal applications deployed on an on-premises environment or on another cloud provider other than Google. Finally, the final solution will be based on deployments in Google Cloud Platform computing services and networks.
2. Definition of the interconnection plan
In this phase of the service, our experts will prepare a private interconnection plan between Google Cloud Platform and the network infrastructure where the internal application is located. It is a document containing the recommendations of Intelligence Partner’s technicians regarding the interconnection and configuration of the solution, a crucial aspect to obtain maximum performance.
It falls outside of the connection service between Google Cloud Platform and the application’s network infrastructure, which will be carried out separately. This phase is limited to the interconnection plan and the experts’ recommendations.
3. Security and monitoring
The last section of this service has a bearing on aspects of security and control of the connection between Google Cloud Platform and the network infrastructure. For this reason, it includes the following elements:
- Basic technical configuration with IaC (Infrastructure as Code) for the implementation of the landing zone.
- Basic networks
- Billing
- Monitoring
- IAM (application access permissions)
- Security
The advantages of BeyondCorp Enterprise
With BeyondCorp Enterprise, you will:
- Maintain control and security of your company’s critical information: Apply an access control to each application which is based on the user’s identity, the device status, the location and other attributes to increase security and reduce risks.
- More productive employees: Help your employees, suppliers, customers and partners to stay productive with access to internal web applications from anywhere and from practically any device.
- Rapid deployment: Enable remote access in a question of days, rather than months, which is what deploying a traditional VPN can take.
The result of this services is a project on Google Cloud Platform. Moreover, this includes a configuration based on Deployment Manager or Terraform (IaC), as well as an interconnection plan (which includes recommendations to interconnect GCP and the network of the local application).
As you have been able to see, you can avoid resorting to VPN to access your local web applications remotely. You just need to make the most of the advantages of this unique service, which offers you a unique combination: the powerful interconnection capacities of an environment on the loud likeGoogle Cloud Platform and the proven expertise of Intelligence Partner, Premier Partner of Google Cloud, offering this type of projects to companies.
Are you interested? Contact us and we will show you the numerous advantages in employee productivity and satisfaction that our BeyondCorp Enterprise service can offer your organisation.
Let’s talk?
