BeyondCorp Enterprise

Google's BeyondCorp Enterprise is a zero-trust security solution designed to provide secure access to applications and cloud resources without the need for traditional VPNs. Here’s a technical overview of its architecture and operational considerations:

BeyondCorp Enterprise shifts access controls from the network perimeter to individual users and devices, adhering to the "never trust, always verify" principle. This approach is particularly useful for securing on-premises applications, which can be integrated using either the on-premises connector or the application connector. The on-premises connector deploys on the GCP side and proxies connections over Cloud VPN or Interconnect to your private datacenter or other clouds, while the application connector establishes a reverse-TLS connection from the on-premises environment back to GCP, though it is limited to one application per connector.

From an architectural standpoint, BeyondCorp Enterprise leverages Google's global network to enforce user- and device-based authentication and authorization. It integrates with various Google services, including Cloud IAP, which controls internet access to applications running in GCP by verifying user identity and request context. This setup allows for granular access control policies based on user identity, device security status, and IP address.

Operationally, deploying BeyondCorp Enterprise requires careful consideration of firewall configurations, as necessary ports must be opened between GCP and the on-premises network for the connectors to function properly. Additionally, active BeyondCorp Enterprise licenses are necessary to utilize advanced features like application or on-premises connectors. The solution also enhances security for Chrome Browser users through integrated threat and data protection features, including DLP rules and context-aware access controls.

In terms of technical details, BeyondCorp Enterprise supports single sign-on, access proxy, and detailed security reporting through the Security dashboard. It can enforce complex conditions for data protection rules, such as scanning files for specific content matches or custom regex patterns. However, the scalability of these features can be limited by the complexity of the rules and the volume of traffic, which may impact performance and costs, especially in multi-account setups.