Applying security policy to an application session

Abstract

Applying a security policy to an application session, includes: recognizing the application session between a network and an application via a security gateway; determining by the security gateway a user identity of the application session using information about the application session; obtaining by the security gateway the security policy comprising network parameters mapped to the user identity; and applying the security policy to the application session by the security gateway. The user identity may be a network user identity or an application user identity recognized from packets of the application session. The security policy may comprise a network traffic policy mapped and/or a document access policy mapped to the user identity, where the network traffic policy is applied to the application session. The security gateway may further generate a security report concerning the application of the security policy to the application session.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for applying a security policy to an application session, comprising:
 recognizing the application session between a network and an application via a security gateway; 
 retrieving, by the security gateway, an application session record for the application session, the application session record comprising a first user identity used for accessing the application through a first host, a first host identity for the first host, and an application session time; 
 recognizing, by the security gateway, an access session between a second host and the network; 
 retrieving, by the security gateway, an access session record for the access session, the access session record comprising a second user identity used for accessing the network through the second host, a second host identity for the second host, and an access session time; 
 querying, by the security gateway, an identity server by sending the first host identity and the application session time in the application session record, the identity server comprising the access session record for the access session between the second host and the network; 
 comparing, by the identity server, the first host identity in the application session record with the second host identity in the access session record, and comparing the access session time with the application session time; 
 returning, by the identity server, the second user identity in the access session record if the first host identity in the application session record matches the second host identity in the access session record, and if the access session time matches the application session time; 
 storing, at the identity server, the second user identity as a network user identity used for accessing the network in the application session record; 
 determining, by the security gateway, at least one security policy applicable to the application session based on a group identity; and 
 applying the at least one security policy to the application session by the security gateway if the network user identity is a member of the group identity. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining, by the security gateway, at least one security policy applicable to the application session further comprises determining that the at least one security policy is applicable for the time period. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one security policy comprises a network traffic policy. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises a bandwidth rate capacity for the network. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises a quality of service mapped to the network user identity for the application session. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises one or more of: a queuing delay, a queuing priority, a packet forwarding path, a link interface preference, a server load balancing preference, and a packet routing policy. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises a traffic shaping control. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the traffic shaping control comprises a TCP profile. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises an application session modification control based on the network user identity. 
     
     
       10. A computer program product for applying a security policy to an application session, the computer program product comprising:
 a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied thereon, the computer readable program code configured to:
 recognize the application session between a network and an application via a security gateway; 
 retrieve, by the security gateway, an application session record for the application session, the application session record comprising a first user identity used for accessing the application through a first host, a first host identity for the first host, and an application session time; 
 recognize, by the security gateway, an access session between a second host and the network; 
 retrieve, by the security gateway, an access session record for the access session, the access session record comprising a second user identity used for accessing the network through the second host, a second host identity for the second host, and an access session time; 
 query, by the security gateway, an identity server, by sending the first host identity and the application session time in the application session record, the identity server comprising the access session record for the access session between the second host and the network; 
 compare, by the identity server, the first host identity in the application session record with the second host identity in the access session record, and compare the access session time with the application session time; 
 return, by the identity server, the second user identity in the access session record if the first host identity in the application session record matches the second host identity in the access session record, and if the access session time matches the application session time; 
 store, at the identity server, the second user identity as a network user identity used for accessing the network in the application session record; 
 determine, by the security gateway, at least one security policy applicable to the application session based on a group identity; and 
 apply the at least one security policy to the application session by the security gateway, if the network user identity is a member of the group identity. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the computer readable program code configured to determine, by the security gateway, at least one security policy applicable to the application session is further configured to determine that the at least one security policy is applicable for the time period. 
     
     
       12. The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one security policy comprises a network traffic policy. 
     
     
       13. The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises a bandwidth rate capacity for the network. 
     
     
       14. The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises a quality of service mapped to the network user identity for the application session. 
     
     
       15. The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises one or more of: a queuing delay, a queuing priority, a packet forwarding path, a link interface preference, a server load balancing preference, and a packet routing policy. 
     
     
       16. The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises a traffic shaping control. 
     
     
       17. The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the traffic shaping control comprises a TCP profile. 
     
     
       18. The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises an application session modification control based on the network user identity. 
     
     
       19. A system, comprising:
 a corporate directory comprising at least one security policy; and 
 a security gateway, wherein the security gateway:
 recognizes an application session between a network and an application; 
 retrieves an application session record for the application session, the application session record comprising a first user identity used for accessing the application through a first host, a first host identity for the first host, and an application session time; 
 recognizes an access session between a second host and the network; 
 retrieves an access session record for the access session, the access session record comprising a second user identity used for accessing the network through the second host, a second host identity for the second host, and an access session time; 
 queries an identity server by sending the first host identity and the application session time in the application session record, the identity server comprising the access session record for the access session between the second host and the network, wherein the identity server:
 compares the first host identity in the application session record with the second host identity in the access session record, and compares the access session time with the application session time; 
 returns the second user identity in the access session record if the first host identity in the application session record matches the second host identity in the access session record, and if the access session time matches the application session time; and 
 stores the second user identity as a network user identity used for accessing the network in the application session record; 
 
 determines at least one security policy applicable to the application session based on a group identity; and 
 applies the at least one security policy to the application session if the network user identity is a member of the group identity. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the determines at least one security policy applicable to the application session further comprises determines that the at least one security policy is applicable for the time period. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one security policy comprises a network traffic policy. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises a bandwidth rate capacity for the network. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises a quality of service mapped to the network user identity for the application session. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises one or more of: a queuing delay, a queuing priority, a packet forwarding path, a link interface preference, a server load balancing preference, and a packet routing policy. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises a traffic shaping control. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 25 , wherein the traffic shaping control comprises a TCP profile. 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the network traffic policy comprises an application session modification control based on the network user identity.