Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring digital user experience include performing inline monitoring of network access between one or more users each with an associated user device executing an agent application, the Internet, and one or more cloud applications and private applications accessible via lightweight connectors; responsive to a user executing a specific application, obtaining device and application metrics for the user from the associated user device related to usage of specific application; obtaining network metrics from the cloud system related to network performance of the specific application; and providing the device and application metrics and the network metrics to a logging and analytics system for quantifying digital user experience of the specific application.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing configurations of distributed computing services include responsive to an update to a configuration of a service, performing a write to a cryptographically bound journal; validating the write by a plurality of validators; responsive to validation of the write, permanently recording the write in the cryptographically bound journal in a block chain; and providing an update to the cryptographically bound journal to the distributed computing services.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods automatically identify computers that act as load balancers on a digital communications network, using data collected from one or more computers on that network. Once a load balancer has been identified, the communications between two hosts may be connected across the identified load balancer, thereby making it possible to better analyze the behavior of hosts and applications on that network.

Abstract: Disclosed is a computer implemented method for malware detection that analyses a file on a per packet basis. The method receives a packet of one or more packets associated a file, and converting a binary content associated with the packet into a digital representation and tokenizing plain text content associated with the packet. The method extracts one or more n-gram features, an entropy feature, and a domain feature from the converted content of the packet and applies a trained machine learning model to the one or more features extracted from the packet. The output of the machine learning method is a probability of maliciousness associated with the received packet. If the probability of maliciousness is above a threshold value, the method determines that the file associated with the received packet is malicious.

Abstract: A cloud system includes a plurality of cloud nodes configured to implement a cloud service which is used by a plurality of clients; a cloud management system communicatively coupled to the plurality of cloud nodes and configured to manage the plurality of cloud nodes; and a probe endpoint service executed on a cloud node, wherein a client is configured to utilize the cloud service based on a connection between the client and the cloud node executing the probe endpoint service, wherein the client is configured to execute a probe client, wherein the probe client is configured to periodically transmit probes and receive probe responses which are either empty responses denoting connectivity or a response body with maintenance or situational data contained therein, and wherein the probe client is configured to perform mitigation actions based on reception of the data.

Abstract: Mobile device security, device management, and policy enforcement are described in a cloud based system where the “cloud” is used to pervasively enforce security and policy and perform device management regardless of device type, platform, location, etc. A cloud based method includes monitoring traffic between a mobile device and an external network in a cloud based system separate from the mobile device and the external network; enforcing policy with respect to the traffic from the mobile device to the external network to determine whether to block or allow the traffic from the mobile device to the external network; and inspecting content associated with the traffic from the external network to the mobile device to determine whether to block or allow the traffic from the external network to the mobile device.

Abstract: A cloud-based security system enforcing application-based control of network resources includes a plurality of nodes communicatively coupled to the Internet; and one or more authority nodes communicatively coupled to the plurality of nodes; wherein a node of the plurality of nodes is communicatively coupled to a user device via the Internet, and wherein the node is configured to receive a request from a user device for network resources on the Internet or in an external network, to evaluate the request to determine an application on the user device associated with the request, and to provide application-based control of the request based on the determined application and the network resources.

Abstract: A cloud-based security method using Domain Name System (DNS) includes receiving a request from a user device at a DNS server; performing a security check on the request based on a policy look up associated with the user device; responsive to the policy look up, performing a DNS security check on the request; and responsive to the DNS security check, performing one of allowing the request to the Internet; blocking the request based on the policy; and providing the request to inline inspection based on the policy, wherein the request is one of allowed to the Internet or blocked based on the inline inspection.

Abstract: A method for troubleshooting and performance analysis of a cloud based system, the method implemented by an analyzer service executed on one or more servers, and the analyzer service communicatively coupled to a network and to user devices, the method includes receiving results from execution of an analyzer application on each of the user devices, wherein the analyzer application is executed locally on user devices to perform tests comprising traceroutes and web page loads, and wherein the plurality of tests are performed both through the cloud based system to the network and directly to the network; processing the results to determine a status of the cloud based system and associated user devices communicating therewith; utilizing the status to identify bottlenecks and issues associated with the cloud based system and the network; and causing performance of remedial actions based on the identified bottlenecks and the issues.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving digital user experience include performing inline monitoring of network access between one or more users each with an associated user device executing an agent application, the Internet, and one or more cloud applications and private applications accessible via lightweight connectors; obtaining user experience scores for any of a user, a group of users, a location, and an organization from the inline monitoring or from the logging and analytics system; responsive to a low user experience, analyzing the low user experience score to determine one or more likely factors; and causing one or more remedial actions to address the low user experience score based on the one or more likely factors.

Abstract: Systems and methods implemented by an application executed on a mobile device for service driven split tunneling include receiving and configuring the application on the mobile device; responsive to a set of rules, opening one or more tunnels to one or more host concentrators in the cloud; and intercepting packets being transmitted from the mobile device and one of forwarding the packets over the one or more tunnels and forwarding the packets directly based on the set of rules.

Abstract: Systems and methods of identifying and processing certificate pinned applications through a cloud based security system include monitoring traffic associated with a connection; developing a profile of an application associated with the traffic based on the monitoring, wherein the profile comprises whether or not the application is a certificate pinned application which requires a predefined set of criterion to be matched against an advertised certificate; and selectively performing SSL interception of the connection in the cloud based security system based on the profile. The monitoring can include monitoring handshake messages between a client and a server to determine a handshake status and a certificate status.

Abstract: Systems and methods of assessing Wi-Fi network vulnerability and enforcing policy based thereon in a cloud-based security system include obtaining and storing security risk scores for a plurality of Wi-Fi networks based in part on analysis performed by user equipment in range of each of the plurality of Wi-Fi networks; detecting user equipment associated with the cloud-based security system either desiring to connect to or already connected to a Wi-Fi network; obtaining a security risk score of the Wi-Fi network; and enforcing policy for the user equipment based on the obtained security risk score of the Wi-Fi network.

Abstract: Virtual private access systems and methods implemented in a clientless manner on a user device are disclosed. The systems and methods include receiving a request to access resources from a Web browser on the user device at an exporter in a cloud system. The resources are located in one of a public cloud and an enterprise network and the user device is remote therefrom on the Internet. The systems and methods also include performing a series of connections between the exporter and i) the Web browser and ii) centralized components to authenticate a user of the user device for the resources. The systems and methods further include, subsequent to authentication, exchanging data between the Web browser and the resources through the exporter. The exporter has a first secure tunnel to the Web browser and a second secure tunnel to the resources.

Abstract: A distributed security method is implemented in a processing node of a distributed security system comprising one or more processing nodes and one or more authority nodes, wherein the distributed security system is located external to a network edge of an enterprise and external from one of a computer device and a mobile device associated with a user. The distributed security method includes monitoring a content item sent from or requested by an external system which is external from a network edge of the external system; and responsive to a security policy associated with the external system, performing one of allowing the content item through the processing node; precluding the content item at the processing node; and threat detecting the content item at the processing node and one of allowing or precluding the content item based on the threat detecting.

Abstract: A distributed security method is implemented in a processing node of a distributed security system comprising one or more processing nodes and one or more authority nodes, wherein the distributed security system is located external to a network edge of an enterprise and external from one of a computer device and a mobile device associated with a user. The distributed security method includes obtaining security policy data associated with the user and the enterprise from an authority node; monitoring data communications between the user, the enterprise, and the Internet in a processing node; and controlling the data communications between the user, the enterprise, and the Internet based on the monitoring to provide security measures between the user, the enterprise, and the Internet.

Abstract: A multi-tenant cloud-based firewall method from a client, performed by a cloud node, includes receiving a packet from the client, wherein the client is located externally from the cloud node; checking if a firewall session exists for the packet, and if so, processing the packet on a fast path where a lookup is performed to find the firewall session; if no firewall session exists, creating the firewall session; and processing the packet according to the firewall session and one or more rules. The cloud node can perform the method without a corresponding appliance or hardware on premises, at a location associated with the client, for providing a firewall.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking and auditing changes in one or more cloud-based systems include, at a Web application, intercepting requests between one or more users and the Web application associated with the one or more cloud-based systems and creating log messages based on the intercepted requests; at a log forwarder in the logging system, forwarding the log messages to a log indexer; at the log indexer in the logging system, receiving the forwarded log messages and indexing the forwarded log messages in a centralized storage; and, at the logging system, responsive to a query, forwarding responsive indexed data from the centralized storage, based on the query.

Abstract: A cloud-based method of service function chaining using Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) assertions includes receiving configuration information related to any of users, services, and correspondence between the users and the services; responsive to a request from a user, generating a SAML assertion for the request and attaching a stack of service tags with the SAML assertion, wherein the stack of service tags defines a service chain for the user and for the request; and providing the SAML assertion with the stack of service tags to the user in response to the request. The method can further include providing the SAML assertion by the user to one or more services, wherein each of the services creates a context based on the stack of service tags. Each of the services identifies itself in the stack and sends the SAML assertion to a next service or application in the stack.

Abstract: Mobile device security, device management, and policy enforcement are described in a cloud based system where the “cloud” is used to pervasively enforce security and policy and perform device management regardless of device type, platform, location, etc. A cloud based method for mobile device security, device management, and policy enforcement includes, responsive to configuring the mobile device for connectivity to the cloud system, monitoring data between the mobile device and the external network, wherein the cloud system connects to the mobile device independent of a type, platform, or operating system associated with the mobile device; analyzing the data in real-time in the cloud system thereby not impacting performance of the mobile device; and controlling exchange of the data, in the cloud system, between the mobile device and the external network based on the analyzing.