Providing Virtualized Private Network tunnels

Abstract

Various aspects of the disclosure relate to providing a per-application policy-controlled virtual private network (VPN) tunnel. In some embodiments, tickets may be used to provide access to an enterprise resource without separate authentication of the application and, in some instances, can be used in such a manner as to provide a seamless experience to the user when reestablishing a per-application policy controlled VPN tunnel during the lifetime of the ticket. Additional aspects relate to an access gateway providing updated policy information and tickets to a mobile device. Other aspects relate to selectively wiping the tickets from a secure container of the mobile device. Yet further aspects relate to operating applications in multiple modes, such as a managed mode and an unmanaged mode, and providing authentication-related services based on one or more of the above aspects.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 storing, by a mobile device, a ticket in a secure container usable to store data related to a managed application being provided by the mobile device, wherein the ticket is configured to provide authentication in connection with creating a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel for the managed application to at least one resource accessible through an access gateway;   providing the managed application with access to the at least one resource based on the ticket, the VPN tunnel, and policy information that describes one or more policies for providing the managed application of the apparatus with access to the at least one resource;   determining to perform a selective wipe;   determining that the ticket is stored by the mobile device; and   deleting the ticket from the secure container.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing, at the mobile device, the policy information in the secure container; and   deleting the policy information as part of a selective wipe process that deletes secured data associated with the managed application.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 searching the secure container for the ticket based on information included in the policy information.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting a selective wipe acknowledgement to the access gateway, wherein the acknowledgement includes a listing of tickets that were deleted during the selective wipe.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the ticket is stored by the mobile device includes analyzing the policy information for an identification of the ticket or a location where the ticket is stored. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the VPN tunnel is a per-application policy-controlled VPN tunnel that provides only the application with access to the at least one resource. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining to perform the selective wipe is based on the managed application being switched from a managed mode of operation to an unmanaged mode of operation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining to perform the selective wipe is based on one or more of the following: a determination that the mobile device is jailbroken or rooted, a determination that the mobile device is installed with a blacklisted application, or a determination that the mobile device is not configured with a lock screen. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining to perform the selective wipe is based on the managed application being uninstalled. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   memory storing executable instructions configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
 store a ticket in a secure container usable to store data related to a managed application being provided by the apparatus, wherein the ticket is configured to provide authentication in connection with creating a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel for the managed application to at least one resource accessible through an access gateway, 
 provide the managed application with access to the at least one resource based on the ticket, the VPN tunnel, and policy information that describes one or more policies for providing the managed application of the apparatus with access to the at least one resource, 
 determine to perform a selective wipe, 
 determine that the ticket is stored by the mobile device, and 
 delete the ticket from the secure container. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the executable instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:
 store the policy information in the secure container; and   delete the policy information as part of a selective wipe process that deletes secured data associated with the managed application.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the executable instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to search the secure container for the ticket based on information included in the policy information. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the executable instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to transmit a selective wipe acknowledgement to the access gateway, wherein the acknowledgement includes a listing of tickets that were deleted during the selective wipe. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein determining that the ticket is stored by the mobile device includes analyzing the policy information for an identification of the ticket or a location where the ticket is stored. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the VPN tunnel is a per-application policy-controlled VPN tunnel that provides only the application with access to the at least one enterprise resource. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining to perform the selective wipe is based on one or more of the following: the managed application being switched from a managed mode of operation to an unmanaged mode of operation, the managed application being uninstalled, a determination that the mobile device is jailbroken or rooted, a determination that the mobile device is installed with a blacklisted application, or a determination that the mobile device is not configured with a lock screen. 
     
     
         17 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions configured to, when executed, cause at least one computing device to:
 store a ticket in a secure container usable to store data related to a managed application being provided by the apparatus, wherein the ticket is configured to provide authentication in connection with creating a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel for the managed application to at least one resource accessible through an access gateway;   provide the managed application with access to the at least one resource based on the ticket, the VPN tunnel, and policy information that describes one or more policies for providing the managed application of the apparatus with access to the at least one resource;   determine to perform a selective wipe;   determine that the ticket is stored by the mobile device; and   delete the ticket from the secure container.   
     
     
         18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions are configured to, when executed, further cause said at least one computing device to:
 store the policy information in the secure container;   delete the policy information as part of a selective wipe process that deletes secured data associated with the managed application; and   search the secure container for the ticket based on information included in the policy information.   
     
     
         19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions are configured to, when executed, further cause said at least one computing device to transmit a selective wipe acknowledgement to the access gateway, wherein the acknowledgement includes a listing of tickets that were deleted during the selective wipe. 
     
     
         20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 17 , wherein determining that the ticket is stored by the mobile device includes analyzing the policy information for an identification of the ticket or a location where the ticket is stored.