In this article, you’ll learn how to setup NAT loopback, also knowns as hairpin NAT.
Prerequisities
In order to setup NAT loopback, you will need:
Active Acreto Ecosystem
The Purpose of NAT Loopback, known as Hairpin NAT
NAT loopback, also known as Hairpin NAT, is a technique that allows users on the internal network to access a server on the same network using its public IP address.
This can be useful in situations where the server is configured to use a public IP address, and users need to access it from both the internal and external networks.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to configure NAT loopback:
How To Steps
Step 1: Create a new ecosystem
To configure NAT loopback, you will need to have a network infrastructure that supports it. Start by creating a new Ecosystem, if you don’t already have one set up.
Step 2: Create a WireGuard gateway object
To enable VPN connectivity, you need to create a WireGuard gateway object. This object will be used to configure VPN connectivity to the ecosystem.
Step 3: Connect a VM running a WebServer using WireGuard VPN to the Ecosystem
Connect a virtual machine running a web server to the ecosystem using WireGuard VPN. This VM will serve as the target server for NAT loopback.
Step 4: Create an Allocated-IP object for the WebServer
Create an Allocated-IP object for the web server. This IP address will be used to access the server from the internet.
Step 5: Create a security policy: “any to any”
Create a security policy that allows traffic from any source to any destination.
Step 6: Create a NAT policy: DNAT (inbound)
Create a NAT policy that maps the public IP address of the server to its private IP address. This policy should be configured to allow inbound traffic from any source.
Step 7: Create a NAT policy: NAT-loopback/NAT-U-turn
Create a NAT policy that allows users connected to the VPN to access the web server using its public IP address. This policy should be configured to allow traffic from the VPN subnet to the Allocated-IP object.
Step 8: Create a Thing Device object
Create a Thing Device object for the VPN users (things) that will be connecting to the ecosystem. This object will be used to configure VPN connectivity for the users.
Step 9: Connect to the Ecosystem with Acreto Connect Client (VPN)
As a user, connect to the ecosystem using Acreto Connect Client (VPN) to establish a VPN connection.
Step 10: Connect to the WebServer using the Allocated-IP
As a VPN user, connect to the web server using the Allocated-IP object. This will allow you to access the server using its public IP address, even if you are on the internal network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Why do I need to setup NAT Loopback, known as Hairpin NAT?
Usually the Orgazniations use Acreto to secure the WebServer or MailServer. If the server is connected to Acreto Ecosystem, and is properly isolated and secured, then to access that Server users may choose to connect:
Using server’s Local IP
Using public IP when connecting from Internet
Using DNS name (which points to public IP) when connecting from Internet, so in fact it’s the same as option 2.
Using DNS name or public IP when connecting using VPN (via Acreto)
Option 4. requires NAT loopback, to allow redirection of the traffic that is originated in local network (source IPs are local), but the destination is Public IP. The loopback policy allows to divert back the traffic to Local IP of the Server.
Summary
The benefit from this NAT Loopback (Hairpin NAT) configuration is for the End-Users.
End-Users can connect the Server using it’s DNS name from any location (inside Ecosystem while connected using VPN such as Acreto Connect Client), or from the Internet.
Identity Providers Overview
Overview
In this article, you will learn how Acreto integrates with Identity Providers
(like Active Directory or OKTA) to authenticate your users.
Definitions
Identity Provider on the Acreto Platform
An Identity Provider is a service that verifies and stores user identity information. Some examples of Identity Providers are:
Microsoft Active Directory
Okta
OpenLDAP
2-Factor Authentication
In addition to an Identity Provider, you might also want to configure a 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) provider.
Using a 2FA provider will require your users to provide more than one type of credential when authenticating; for example, a password (something users know) and a code displayed via mobile phone (something users own).
Benefits of Identity Provider Integration
Integrating an Identity Provider will allow you to:
Keep credentials under control with centralized management.
Avoid data duplication by storing user data in one place only.
Control user data processing to ensure compliance with personal data processing regulations, such as GDPR.
Limit risks by managing access to your network based on rules and policies.
Disable access of company resources for former partners or employees by removing or limiting access rights in a single place.
Easily Onboard employees and organization members.
Connect to the Acreto Ecosystem with the Identity Provider credentials.
How Acreto Uses Identity Providers
Acreto uses Identity Providers to deliver the following features for data plane users:
Authentication of users connecting with Acreto TLS-Client and OpenVPN
Ability to send invitation emails to data plane users
Acreto sends a request to the Identity Provider each time it needs to
access user information. We only store some anonymized user identity data (for example, in Active Directory it is
Guid).
We might also cache some user data in memory on a short-term basis.
Identity Providers are only used to authenticate an Ecosystem’sdata plane users or while connecting to an Ecosystem with OpenVPN or Acreto TLS-Client.
An Azure Active Directory integration allows your Acreto Ecosystem to utilize the user credentials stored in your Active Directory to connect to the Ecosystem using Acreto TLS Client.
It uses the LDAPS (LDAP Secure) protocol and the Domain Services which can be deployed on the Azure account to sync with AD passwords.
The LDAPS protocol is used to establish communication between the Acreto Ecosystem and the Azure Active Directory.
Tip
Administrators integrate with a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory to streamline the user login process and to automate administrative tasks, such as creating users and assigning roles. An LDAP integration allows the system to use it’s existing LDAP server as the master source of user data.
Typically, AD integration is also part of a single sign-on implementation.
How Does it Work?
The integration uses the LDAP service account credentials to retrieve the user’s distinguished name (DN) from the LDAP server. Given the user’s DN value, the integration then reconnects with LDAP using the user’s DN and password.
In the diagram below, you can see the communication flow between
some Employee (trying to connect to the Ecosystem using Acreto TLS Client), Acreto Ecosystem and Azure AD.
Info
The integration never stores LDAP passwords on the Ecosystem.
The integration uses a read-only connection that never writes to the Azure
Active Directory. The integration only queries for information.
How To
Configuration of Azure Active Directory
To configure your Azure Active Directory to work with Acreto, please:
If you followed the first tutorial and don’t use on-premises AD the
synchronization (between your Azure AD and Azure AD Domain
Services) will be enabled by default. However it is needed to reset
the password of all current users. It can be done by expiring all the
current passwords, or resetting them manually from the Azure AD Users
View.
Configuration of Acreto Ecosystem
1.Log in to New or Existing Ecosystem
Create Security Policy
Create a Security Policy that allows users to connect through your Identity Provider to reach all destinations.
Warning
In beta mode, all users authenticated using Identity Providers belong to default profile group Profile Group 1. This will change in future versions.
To simplify the initial configuration, we will create a policy that allows all traffic to be passed through the Ecosystem.
Info
You should customize the Security Policy to fit your needs once the Identity Provider setup is complete. It should be configured to limit access to network resources for each group (Profile Group).
Add New Identity Provider
To add a new Identity Provider, select Objects and Identity Providers
from the left menu and then click on “Add New”.
Fill the form with proper values:
Name - descriptive name for this IdP
Description - description of the IdP
Identity Provider Type - in case of AD config choose one of two available options
Host - domian or IP address of your AD server
Port - 636
Username - user that will be used to connection
Password - password for the user account
User Base DN - for Azure AD use OU=AADDC Users, DC=somedomain, DC=onmicrosoft, DC=com, for On-premise Windows Server AD CN=Users, DC=SOMEDOMAIN, DC=com
Tip
Base DN and other values may be specific for your custom configuration. Check proper configuration in the AD control panel.
Save and commit your changes
Provide Onboarding Portal Link to Your Users
To allow users, employees or team members VPN users to authenticate in OpenVPN using Azure AD credentials, Acreto offers unique and individual URLs for every Ecosystem portal called Onboarding Portal.
To access the unique URL to that portal, please click on Edit next to previously added IdP and scroll down.
Then, click on the icon to copy the URL.
Now, provide the generated link to your users.
VPN User Experience
When the End User or Employee opens the Onboarding Portal, the
Welcome Page will be presented.
The Ecosystem Admin should share this URL with the End Users, ask them to open it, and then follow instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Active Directory included into Office 365 subscription sufficient for the
integration?
No, Office 365 subscription covers only the free Azure Active Directory.
Users (and service accounts) can’t perform LDAP simple binds if you have
disabled NTLM password hash synchronization on your managed domain.
Acreto uses LDAP simple binds, therefore NTLM password hash synchronization feature needs to be enabled.
If you followed the first tutorial and don’t use on-premises AD the synchronization (between your Azure AD and Azure AD Domain Services) will be enabled by default. However it is needed to reset the password of all current users. It can be done by expiring all the current passwords or resetting them manually from the Azure AD Users View.
Summary
Thanks to Acreto and Azure Active Directory Identity Provider Integration, users can connect to an Acreto Ecosystem with the same credentials utilized for other internal resources on their network domain.
Also, Acreto Ecosystem Admin(s) can re-use any existing password and security policies that are already in place. For example, the Active Directory may already have account lockout and password expiration policies.
Active Directory - Windows Server
Overview
In this article, you’ll learn how to integrate your Windows Server Active Directory
with an Acreto Ecosystem. This process involves the following steps:
Configuration of Windows Server Active Directory
Configuration of Acreto Ecosystem
Providing an Onboarding Portal link to users
The Purpose of Active Directory Integration
An Active Directory integration allows your Acreto Ecosystem to
utilize the user credentials stored in your Active Directory to connect to the
Ecosystem using Acreto TLS Client.
The LDAPS protocol is used to establish communication between the Acreto
Ecosystem and the Active Directory.
Tip
Administrators integrate with a LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
to streamline the user login process and to automate administrative
tasks, such as creating users and assigning roles. An LDAP integration
allows the system to use it’s existing LDAP server as the master source of user
data.
Typically, an AD integration is also part of a single sign-on implementation.
How Does it Work?
The integration uses the LDAP service account credentials to retrieve the user’s
distinguished name (DN) from the LDAP server. Given the user’s DN value,
the integration then reconnects with LDAP using the user’s DN and password.
In the diagram below, you can see the communication flow between
some Employee (trying to connect to the Ecosystem using Acreto TLS Client),
Acreto Ecosystem and AD.
%%{init:{"fontFamily":"monospace", "sequence":{"showSequenceNumbers":true}}}%%
sequenceDiagram
Employee->>Ecosystem:Here is my password.
Ecosystem->>Azure AD: is Employee's password.
Azure AD->>Ecosystem: Sure, let the Employee in!
Ecosystem->>Employee: Welcome!
Info
The integration never stores LDAP passwords on the Ecosystem.
The integration uses a read-only connection that never writes to the Active Directory. The integration only queries for information.
Prerequisite
To complete this procedure, you should:
Have an active and configured Ecosystem.
Have an active Windows Server with installed Active Directory Domain Services.
Have basic knowledge of LDAP protocol.
Configuration of Windows Server Active Directory
Install the “Active Directory Certificate Services” role through Server Manager roles.
On your Windows Server Machine, click on Start –> Server Manager –> Add Roles and Features.
After selecting Add Roles and Features Click on Next.
Choose the Role-based or feature-based installation option and click on the Next button.
Choose Select a server from the server pool option & Select LDAP server from the server pool and click on the Next button.
Choose the Active Directory Certificate Services option from the list of roles and click on the Next button.
Choose nothing from the list of features and click on Next button.
In Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) choose nothing and Click on Next button.
Mark Certification Authority from the list of roles and Click on Next button.
Click on Install button to confirm installation.
Now, click on Configure Active Directory Certificate Services on Destination Server option and click on Close button.
We can use the currently logged on user to configure role services since it belongs to the local Administrators group. Click on Next button.
Mark Certification Authority from the list of roles and Click on Next button.
Choose Enterprise CA option and Click on Next.
Choose the Root CA option and Click on the Next button.
Choose to Create a new private key option and click on the Next button.
Choose most recent hasing alhorithm from the list of options. For minimum recommended configuration choose SHA256 as the hash algorithm and Click on Next.
Click on the Next button.
Specify the validity of the certificate choosing Default 5 years and Click on Next button.
Select the default database location and Click on Next.
Click on Configure button to confirm.
Once the configuration succeeded and click on Close button.
Create a certificate template
Go to Windows Key+R and run certtmpl.msc command and choose the Kerberos Authentication Template.
Right-click on Kerberos Authentication and then select Duplicate Template.
The Properties of New Template will appear. Configure the setting according to your requirements.
Go to the General tab and Enable Publish certificate in Active Directory option.
Go to the Request Handling Tab and Enable Allow private key to be exported option.
Go to the Subject Name tab and Enable the subject name format as DNS Name and click on Apply & OK button.
Issue certificate template
Go to Start –> Certification Authority –> Right-click on Certificate Templates –> select New –> Certificate Template to Issue.
Now, select your recently created Certificate Template and click on the OK button.
Request a new certificate for the created certificate template
Go to Windows Key+R –> mmc –> From top menu choose File -> Add/Remove snap-in.
Select Certificates, click on Add button, and then click on the OK button.
Select the Computer account option and click on the Next button.
Select the Local computer option and click on the Finish button.
Now, right click on Certificates select All Tasks and click on Request for new Certificate.
Click on the Next button.
Click on the Next button.
Select your certificate and click on Enroll button.
Click on the Finish button.
Export the created certificate
Right-click on the recently generated certificate and select All tasks –> Export.
Click on the Next button.
Select Do not export the private key option and click on the Next button.
Choose Base-64 encoded X .509 file format and click on Next.
Export the .CER file to your local system path and click on Next.
Click on the Finish button to complete the certificate export.
Configuration of Acreto Ecosystem
Login to New or Existing Ecosystem
Create Security Policy
Create a Security Policy that allows users connecting through your Identity
Provider to reach all destinations.
Warning
In beta mode, all users authenticated using Identity Providers belong to
default profile group Profile Group 1. This will change in future
versions.
To simplify initial configuration, we will create a policy that allows all
traffic to be passed through the Ecosystem.
Info
You should customize the Security Policy to fit your needs once the Identity Provider
setup is complete. It should be configured to limit access to network
resources for each group (Profile Group).
Add New Identity Provider
To add a new Identity Provider, select Objects and Identity Providers
from the left menu and then click on “Add New”.
Fill the settings with connection details
Save and commit your changes
Provide Onboarding Portal Link to Your Users
To allow users, employees or team members VPN usersto authenticate in Acreto Connect Client using AD credentials, Acreto offers unique andindividual URLs for every Ecosystem portal called Onboarding Portal.
To access the unique URL to that portal, please click on Edit next to
previously added IdP and scroll down.
Then, click on the icon to copy the URL.
Now, provide the generated link to your users.
VPN User Experience
When the VPN user
opens the Onboarding Portal, the Welcome Page will
be presented.
The Ecosystem Admin(s) should share this URL with the VPN Users, ask them to
open it and then follow instructions.
The first step of onboarding is to recognize the user’s operating system to provide platform-specified installers and profiles.
The second step allows you to download the latest version of Acreto Connect Client and the VPN profile.
Summary
Thanks to Acreto and Active Directory Identity Provider Integration,
users can connect to an Acreto Ecosystem with the same credentials utilized for
other internal resources on their network domain.
Also, Acreto Ecosystem Admin(s) can re-use any existing password and security
policies that are already in place. For example, the Active Directory may
already have account lockout and password expiration policies.
In this article, you’ll learn how to integrate OKTA with an Acreto Ecosystem. The OKTA integration allows your Acreto Ecosystem to utilize the user credentials managed by OKTA to connect to the Ecosystem using Acreto TLS Client.
It uses the LDAPS (LDAP Secure) protocol and the OKTA LDAP Interface which can be deployed on the OKTA account.
Steps
This process involves the following steps:
Enable OKTA LDAP Interface
Configure Acreto Ecosystem
Define Security Policies
Test the integration
How OKTA integration works
The integration uses the LDAP service account credentials to retrieve the user’s
distinguished name (DN) from the LDAP server. Given the user’s DN value,
the integration then reconnects with LDAP using the user’s DN and password.
In the diagram below, you can see the communication flow between
some Employee (trying to connect to the Ecosystem using Acreto TLS Client),
Acreto Ecosystem and Azure AD.
sequenceDiagram
Employee->>Ecosystem: Hello Ecosystem, can I connect? Here is my password.
Ecosystem->>OKTA LDAP Interface: Hello OKTA, can Employee connect? Here is Employee's password.
OKTA LDAP Interface->>OKTA API: Let me know if these credentials are correct.
OKTA API->>OKTA LDAP Interface: Yes, they are.
OKTA LDAP Interface->>Ecosystem: Sure, let the Employee in!
Ecosystem->>Employee: Welcome!
Info
The integration never stores users passwords (except the password provided during Identity Provider configuration).
The integration uses a read-only connection that never writes to the OKTA.
It only queries for information.
Limitations
All authentication requests originate from Acreto Ecosystem addresses.
Therefore, it’s not possible to implement granular network-based access control on OKTA.
See relevant article in OKTA documentation.
In the Admin Console, go to Directory(1) > Directory Integrations(2).
Select LDAP Interface(3)
Note displayed information
Create OKTA Third-Party Administrator account with read-only administrator role. This administrator account will be used by Acreto Ecosystem to authenticate with OKTA.
Tip
Ensure that created Third-Party Administrator account will not be challenged with OKTA Multifactor Authentication for requests originating from your Ecosystem IP addresses.
You also need to whitelist the following addresses on your server section of the Identity Provider creation page in step 2.
Step 2: Configuration of Acreto Ecosystem
Add New Identity Provider
To add a new Identity Provider:
Select Objects and Identity Providers from the left menu.
Click on “Add New”.
Fill in the following information:
Name and Description
Host, User Base DN, Group Base DN - as provided on OKTA LDAP Interface settings screen
Username and Password - credentials of the OKTA Third-Party Administrator account created in step 1
Save your changes.
Create Security Policy to allow traffic sent by your users
When you create a new Identity Provider, a new Profile Group is created with a name containing
Identity Provider name, for example: Identity Provider LDAP001 (fa45).
By default, all users authenticated with this Identity Provider are assigned to that
Profile Group.
To allow traffic from your users using that Identity Provider, select this Profile Group in the Source field of Security Policy. For detailed instructions on creating a Security
Policy, see Create first security policy.
Commit your changes
Step 3: Testing
To test the integration:
Generate Onboarding Portal Link
Open generated Onboarding Portal Link and follow the instructions
Connect to your ecosystem providing username and password managed by OKTA
Define mappings of LDAP groups to Identity Provider groups
Send invitations to your users
Summary
Thanks to Acreto and OKTA Identity Provider Integration,
users can connect to an Acreto Ecosystem with the same credentials utilized for
other internal resources on their network domain.
What is Multifactor Authentication, and why should you use it?
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA or MFA) - 2FA is an extra layer of security to ensure that people trying to access an online account are who they say they are. First, a user will enter their username and password. Then, instead of immediately gaining access, they must provide other information. For example, this second factor could come from one of the following categories:
Something you know: This could be a password
Something you have: Typically, a user would have something in their possession, like a smartphone, or a small hardware token
Something you are: This might include a biometric pattern of a fingerprint, an iris scan, or a voice print
Acreto supports the most popular form of two-factor authentication - which uses a software-generated time-based, one-time passcode (also called TOTP, or “soft-token”) and also auth-code sent to the user’s email.
First, users must download and install a free 2FA app on their smartphone or desktop. They can then use the app with any site supporting this authentication type. At sign-in, the user first enters a username and password, and then, when prompted, they enter the code shown on the app. Like hardware tokens, the soft token is typically valid for less than a minute. And because the code is generated and displayed on the same device, soft tokens remove the chance of hacker interception. That’s a big concern with SMS or voice delivery methods.
Since app-based 2FA solutions are available for mobile, wearables, or desktop platforms — and even work offline — user authentication is possible almost everywhere.
Prerequisities
To start using MFA, you must own an application that will be your second-factor code generator.
Several popular MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) applications are available in the market:
Google Authenticator: Google Authenticator is a free MFA app for Android and iOS devices. It generates time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) to provide an additional layer of security for Google accounts and third-party accounts that support the TOTP protocol.
Microsoft Authenticator: Microsoft Authenticator is a free MFA app that generates TOTP codes and pushes notifications for Microsoft and third-party accounts supporting the TOTP or OpenID Connect protocols.
Authy: Authy is a free MFA app that generates TOTP codes, push notifications, and SMS-based codes. It supports various third-party accounts and the Authy OneTouch feature for fast and easy authentication.
Duo Mobile: Duo Mobile is a free MFA app that generates push notifications, SMS-based and TOTP codes. It supports various third-party accounts and the Duo Push feature for fast and easy authentication.
All mentioned application uses starts supported by Acreto - choose the best tool for you and install it on your device.
How Acreto uses MFA to provide security?
Acreto uses Multifactor Authentication in two scenarios:
Secure Ecosystem Access - Ecosystem Administrator can activate the MFA to secure access to Acreto Portal.
MFA Based Profiles for users - this future allows to force all users connecting to Ecosystem to use MFA in the defined period. For example, each person connected to MFA must confirm the connection with the MFA token once a day.
Both of these options are optional and can be enabled or disabled any time.
Summary
In an increasingly interconnected and threat-prone digital landscape, Multi-Factor Authentication has emerged as a “must-have” feature for organizations and individuals. By mitigating password vulnerabilities, enhancing security, complying with regulations, and offering user convenience, MFA significantly strengthens access control and protects against unauthorized access and data breaches. Implementing MFA is a proactive step towards bolstering overall cybersecurity posture and safeguarding sensitive information.
Subsections of Multifactor Authentication
MFA for Acreto Connect Client - How To Enable
Before You Start
What is Multifactor Authentication and why should you use it?
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA or MFA) - 2FA is an extra layer of security to ensure that people trying to access an online account are who they say they are. First, a user will enter their username and password. Then, instead of immediately gaining access, they must provide other information.
Read more about why you should enable MFA in Acreto Ecosystem in this article.
Prerequisites
To enable MFA for Ecosystem users, there are some steps required:
Make sure that all users know what the MFA is and why you enable it.
You need to be Ecosystem Administrator to enable this option.
Ecosystem users need to be imported to Ecosystem by Identity Provider
How To
Step 1: Enable the MFA for Users
To activate Multi-Factor Authentication for the Ecosystem users, login into Acreto Portal and choose your Ecosystem from the Ecosystem list.
Move to Multi-Factor Auth (1) and enable the MFA option (2). When enabled, you may change the available source of the second factor (3).
You may enable a One-time password generator like Google Auth or/and email address. In the second case, the user will receive an email message with a code on each authentication. You may find more details about the second factor in an article for users.
This setting only enables the configurable option for the user, which may choose from available methods when configuring MFA for his account.
Save and commit the settings.
Step 2:
When the MFA is enabled, go to the Users section and invite all users again - this will generate a special type of Acreto Connect Client profile with MFA support.
This part of the procedure is mandatory - this invitation allows users to set up their Multi-Factor access.
Choose the users from the list and send the invitation.
Reset MFA
Working with users, you may expect many potential issues with the second factor - lost devices, forgotten passwords, etc.
The best solution for all potential issues with locked access is a reset of the MFA. However, this action is available only to Ecosystem Administrator for security reasons.
If the users need to reset the MFA, they should ask Administrator to reset MFA.
Ecosystem Administrator can then go to the Users list in Acreto Portal, choose a user, and perform Reset MFA or Reset and Logoff action.
The reset option is dedicated to users who " forgot " the MFA device/source credentials. In case of the situation when the device was stolen, the best practice is to use Reset MFA and Logoff - this will automatically close all existing Acreto sessions related to this device.
Summary
MFA is an easy-to-enable and managed feature that increases security to another level.
MFA for Acreto Connect Client - User Guide
Before You Start
What is Multifactor Authentication, and why should you use it?
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA or MFA) - 2FA is an extra layer of security to ensure that people trying to access an online account are who they say they are. First, a user will enter their username and password. Then, instead of immediately gaining access, they must provide other information.
This article explains why you should enable MFA in Acreto.
Prerequisites
The Administrator of your Ecosystem should Enable the MFA for you.
To get the best User Experience with Acreto MFA, you need to download and install Acreto Connect Client
How To
Step 1: Start the Onboarding Procedure
If MFA is enabled in your Ecosystem, you should receive an Invitation email that allows you to set up the MFA for your account.
Click the Button Accept Invitation to start the onboarding process. Next, you see an MFA setup page - provide your username and password registered on Identity Provider ( Generic LDAP, Azure Active Directory, Windows Server AD, Google Workspace, etc.) and select one of the Multi-Factor Providers to register their Multi-factor device.
On this screen, you may also choose the second-factor method: Email or Authentication Application - more details about them in next the step.
Step 2: Choose the Second Factor
There are two ways of receiving the second factor of authentication - Email and Authentication Application.
Email
If you choose Email as the Multi-factor provider, you receive the auth code as an email message whenever you try to log in.
Provide the token received on the email on the Acreto auth page.
Whenever the token expires(generally 24 hours), Acreto will prompt for reconnection, and the user will have to provide the username/password and new token sent via email to reconnect.
Proceed to the next step for finishing the Onboarding process to Acreto VPN.
One-Time Password
If you choose One-Time Password as the Multi-factor provider, you need to scan the QR code screen to register the authenticating device which can receive the token.
Download Google Authenticator or an equivalent app from the App Store on your mobile device.
Scan the QR code on the Acreto page to add the account on the Authenticator app.
The Authenticator app will generate the token after adding the account. Use the token on the Authenticator app and provide it on the token box on the Acreto page.
Whenever the token expires(generally 24 hours), Acreto will prompt for reconnection, and the user will have to provide the username/password and token generated on the Authenticator app to reconnect.
PProceed to the next step for finishing the Onboarding process to Acreto VPN.
Step 3: Complete the onboarding process
After successful authentication, the user will be provided the link to download the VPN configuration.
Click the link to download the VPN configuration.
Import the downloaded VPN configuration on the Acreto Connect Client
Upon successful import, the Acreto VPN will be auto-connected.
From now on, periodically (usually once for 24h), Acreto Connect Client will ask you about the second factor.
You must provide the token to keep the connection or establish a new one. Acreto Connect CLient will inform you about the need to authenticate with the proper window.
Summary
In an increasingly interconnected and threat-prone digital landscape, Multi-Factor Authentication has emerged as a “must-have” feature for organizations and individuals. By mitigating password vulnerabilities, enhancing security, complying with regulations, and offering user convenience, MFA significantly strengthens access control and protects against unauthorized access and data breaches. Implementing MFA is a proactive step towards bolstering overall cybersecurity posture and safeguarding sensitive information.
Multifactor Authentication - MFA for Ecosystem
Before You Start
What is Multifactor Authentication and why should you use it?
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA or MFA) - 2FA is an extra layer of security to ensure that people trying to access an online account are who they say they are. First, a user will enter their username and password. Then, instead of immediately gaining access, they must provide another information.
Read more about why you should enable MFA in Acreto Ecosystem in this article.
Prerequisities
To start using MFA, you must own an application that will be your second-factor code generator.
Several popular MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) applications are available in the market:
Google Authenticator: Google Authenticator is a free MFA app for Android and iOS devices. It generates time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) to provide an additional layer of security for Google accounts and third-party accounts that support the TOTP protocol.
Microsoft Authenticator: Microsoft Authenticator is a free MFA app that generates TOTP codes and pushes notifications for Microsoft and third-party accounts supporting the TOTP or OpenID Connect protocols.
Authy: Authy is a free MFA app that generates TOTP codes, push notifications, and SMS-based codes. It supports various third-party accounts and the Authy OneTouch feature for fast and easy authentication.
Duo Mobile: Duo Mobile is a free MFA app that generates push notifications, SMS-based and TOTP codes. It supports various third-party accounts and the Duo Push feature for fast and easy authentication.
All mentioned application uses starts supported by Acreto - choose the best tool for you and install it on your device.
How To
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and Timeout
Log in to your Acreto account, and clock on your email address in the top right corner; next, choose the Profile option.
Scroll down to the bottom of the panel, and click the Enable button in Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to enable this feature.
The new window will show a QR code you should scan using Google Authenticator or a similar tool. Scan it, and in step #4 place the first authentication code from this app, to confirm that the setup is correct; click on Enable button.
From now on, every login to Wedge will ask you about the second factor.
On the same panel, you can also define the inactivity timeout when logged out - you can choose between 5min, 10min, and 30min.
Remember to save the setting using the Update button.
What next?
When MFA for an account is activated on every login to the Ecosystem, you will need to use the second factor to confirm your credentials.
Summary
In an increasingly interconnected and threat-prone digital landscape, Multi-Factor Authentication has emerged as a “must-have” feature for organizations and individuals. By mitigating password vulnerabilities, enhancing security, complying with regulations, and offering user convenience, MFA significantly strengthens access control and protects against unauthorized access and data breaches. Implementing MFA is a proactive step towards bolstering overall cybersecurity posture and safeguarding sensitive information.
Quick start guide
Quick start
Thank you for choosing the Acreto platform.
You will find several steps that you should follow.
Registering and activation of the account is the first step to start using Acreto services. This article is a guide on the standard register & confirm procedure.
Click on the Register Here link or yellow Sign up button on the top bar.
On a register page enter the email address (1) and click accept in the box provided next to the Privacy Policy (2).
Click on the Sign up button (3) and shortly thereafter you will receive an email with an activation link from Acreto to the email address provided.
Tip
If you do not receive an email from Acreto within a minute or so, check your spam folder or retype your email address in the registration form.
Once you receive the email, click on the embedded link so that we may confirm your account.
Set up your First Name, Last Name, and Password on the page that will appear - after you have completed, hit Next.
The second step allows us to set up your company and includes Company Name, Address, and Administrative Contact.
Tip
The Administrative Contact is the person that you want to receive all notices related to any issues with your account and all general notices regarding the Acreto platform.
The third part of the profile setup establishes your method of payment, either a credit card or an established corporate account ID.
For credit card - simply enter your credit card number in the fields provided. Your card information does not come to Acreto but is transacted with an accredited card processor.
Contract ID - if you have a corporate contract ID number, please enter it in the field provided. If you would like to set up a corporate billing ID, please contact us today.
When you click the finish button your profile will be complete. You are now ready to set up your first Acreto Ecosystem
Create a New Ecosystem
Overview
Ecosystem security is a methodology unique to the Acreto platform. It’s actually quite simple. Within your organization, there are many different departments, functions, and programs. Each of these areas contains specific applications, users, and devices that work together to execute organizational tasks. For example, your remote sales team may consist of and utilize Office 365, Salesforce, another internal pricing application, and of course, every sales team member. This is an Ecosystem. In a similar fashion, your Vendor Relations department may have 75 external suppliers that provide your organization with various goods and services. In order to be effective, each vendor must interact with your purchasing application(s). These vendors, your internal purchasing department, and every utilized purchasing application is an Ecosystem.
In addition to isolating Ecosystem members from the Internet, Acreto enables you to establish security policies at the Ecosystem level, allowing you to apply customized security policies for each Ecosystem. The right set of security policies for the sales team may very well differ from the needed security policies for the vendors.
How to Create A New Ecosystem
Creating a new Acreto Ecosystem is simple:
Log in to Acreto and click on the Add New button to add a new Ecosystem.
Enter your Ecosystem name and click on the Add button.
Use a descriptive name so that others in your organization can differentiate one Ecosystem from another.
For example ATM Ecosystem, Guest WiFi Ecosystem, Cafeteria POS Ecosystem, Conference Room Tech Ecosystem, Branch Edge Ecosystem, etc.
Acreto will immediately create your new Ecosystem. You will see it on the screen next to the Add New Ecosystem box.
You’re now ready to start configuring and connecting your Thing(s) and Gateway(s) into your Ecosystem!
Switch Between Ecosystems
Acreto allows you to create multiple Ecosystems. You can create a separate Ecosystem for each physical location and manage them from one WEDGE panel.
To switch between existing Ecosystems:
Log in to Acreto Wedge and select the first existing Ecosystem.
On the Wedge panel, check the name of the currently selected Ecosystem.
Click on the <– All Ecosystems button on the side menu.
Choose a different Ecosystem.
Create a new Gateway
Prerequisites
This procedure required:
Active Acreto Account.
Basic knowledge about local network configuration.
Overview
Gateway is a device that allows you to connect your local network to Acreto and secure whole network traffic and end-user devices without configuring them one-by-one. Take a look at the images below to compare standard network connection with the network secured by Acreto with the Gateway method.
Gateway may be configured in IPsec or vGateway mode. Each of these configurations may be used for different purposes and in different network structures:
choose vGateway when you want to download a preconfigured Acreto vGateway appliance and install it on a Raspberry Pi device or some virtualization platform (like KVM or VMware)
choose IPSec if you prefer to manually configure your existing device (like router or Linux machine) which supports IPSec protocol
Select your ecosystem and go to Objects using the left menu.
Click Add new Object and select Gateway.
Fill at least:
Name: - the name of the gateway that you creating, needs to be compatible with
Strongswan connection name requirements (basically, only letters and
numbers)
Category: IoT
Fill gateway type-specific settings described here: IPsec | vGateway
Save the created Gateway by pressing Add.
Add security policy that will allow communication from the Gateway
device to the Internet.
Commit pending changes (top of the screen)
Notice: To successfully test your connectivity, you also need to create a security policy that will allow traffic to go through your device.
IPsec Gateway
Set specific setting for IPsec Gateway:
Allow connection from: Empty (describes the source IP address where the connection will be permitted)
Local Networks: - your local network addresses that should be routed through this gateway
Tip: To simplify testing, add IP addresses of all interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32 prefix for public interface). This will allow testing connectivity from the gateway through Acreto using ping, traceroute, and similar tools.
vGateway
Set specific setting for IPsec Gateway:
DHCP/Static: - select the method of assigning addresses on the network
vGateway Local IP: - address of local (LAN) interface of your device (for example 192.168.200.1/24)
Local Networks: - your local network addresses that should be routed through this gateway
vGateway Internet IP - IP address with a netmask of internet-facing (WAN) interface, for example 1.2.3.4/24
vGateway Default Route - IP address of your Internet gateway/router that allows access to the Internet, for example 1.2.3.1
Tip: To simplify testing, add IP addresses of all interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32 prefix for public interface). This will allow testing
Next Steps
When Gateway is ready you should configure the gateway device on your end to act as a gateway to the Acreto platform and pass traffic from your endpoints through the gateway device. connectivity from the gateway through Acreto using ping, traceroute, and similar tools.
We define a Thing as any individual compute device that belongs to an Ecosystem, including servers, desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, IoT devices, etc. Whenever you want to connect a new device, you can create a new Thing that will represent the device in your Ecosystem.
Note: To connect your local network instead of an individual device, you should create and provision a Gateway.
Add Thing to Acreto WEDGE
Before starting this process, you should make sure that you have an Acreto account with at least one Ecosystem added to your Profile.
Identify and select which Ecosystem you’d like to connect your Thing.
Click on the Things option in the left sidebar menu.
Once your Thing panel opens, select the Add New Thing option.
An Add Device window will appear, where you can enter information about the Thing that you want to add:
Configuration tab
Name - the human-readable name of the Thing that you want to add. For example, a “Front Door Security Camera.”
Category - the category of the Thing that helps you better understand its purpose (informational only). For example, “Physical Security.”
Operational Importance - a scale from 1-10 that lets you determine which Thing is a priority for your business. For example, a “1” is of minor importance and a “10” is critical.
Profile Group – enables you to group similar Things together to provide simple security policy management.
Descriptors tab
The Descriptors tab contains some optional informational fields that allow you to manage your Things with ease.
Description - this field should contain any additional information that describes your added Thing(s).
Location – this field allows you to save the geographical location of your Thing(s).
After you complete the required form fields, click the Add button to save the Thing on Acreto. Your new Thing will now be visible on the Things list.
Next, let’s configure your Thing to connect to the Acreto platform.
Configure Thing
To learn how to configure your Thing(s) on a variety of platforms, please refer to the Acreto Connect documentation.
Please note: it’s recommended to test your connectivity from a different device than the one you use to manage your Ecosystem at https://wedge.acreto.net.
Configure a Security Policy for Connected Things
A security policy is a set of rules that manages the network traffic in an Ecosystem. These policies allow you to decide what traffic should be allowed from or into your added Thing(s) and which should be blocked or redirected.
Warning
Acreto follows a Zero-Trust approach. This means that all network traffic is blocked by default. To allow traffic to pass through your Ecosystem you must create some security policies, as described in the next article.
Create first security policy
Overview
In the previous step, you configured and connected your first Thing to your Ecosystem. Now, you need to create a security policy.
A security policy is a set of rules that manages network traffic in an Ecosystem. These policies allow you to decide what traffic should be allowed, inspected, or blocked.
Warning
Acreto follows a Zero-Trust approach. This means that all network traffic is blocked by default.
Security policy: Allow all
To allow communications to flow through an Ecosystem, you must define a set of security policies. Without a matching security policy, the traffic is blocked.
For testing purposes, we’ll guide you through the creation of an Allow all traffic security policy. To do this, you will complete an Add New Policy form as shown below.
Complete the form by entering the correct values:
Name - use a descriptive name so that others in your organization will know what this policy is for; in this case, Allow all.
Description – add a short description of the policy; in this case, Allow all outgoing traffic.
Source - choose the source where the traffic will come from; in this case, select your profile group.
Service - select a protocol (like TCP, UDP, ICMP) and destination port of the traffic; in this case, Any.
Application - choose the applications for which the policy applies; in this case, Any.
Destination - choose a target where the traffic should be directed; in this case, Any.
Action - allow/drop traffic when the conditions have been met; in this case, Allow.
Threat protection - decide whether you want to enable threat protection for the traffic; in this case, Marked.
Click on the Add button to save the configuration.
Once the new security policy has been added and is visible on the list, you must Commit your changes.
Before saving, the form should look like the image below :
Warning
Your changes will not be applied until you Commit them!
Now, any Thing in a selected Profile group (Source) should be able to securely connect to any destination.
Security Policy: Block Facebook Using Application Control
If you want to block Facebook from accessing your Ecosystem users, you should use the Application Control security policy. To create such a policy, fill out the Add New Policy form as shown below.
Name - use a descriptive name so that others in your organization will know what this policy is for; in this case, “Block facebook.com.”
Description – create a short description of the policy; in this case, Block all facebook.com traffic.
Source - choose the source from where the traffic will come; in this case, Any.
Service - select the protocol (TCP, UDP, ICMP) and destination port of the traffic; in this case, Any.
Application - choose the application(s) for which the policy applies; in this case, facebook-base and facebook-chat.
Destination – select a target where the traffic should go; in this case, Any.
Action - allow/drop traffic when the conditions have been met; in this case, Drop.
Click the Add button to save the configuration.
Once the new security policy has been added and is visible on the list, you must Commit your changes.
Warning
Your changes will not be applied until you commit them!
After committing your settings, any Facebook traffic now coming through the Ecosystem should be blocked.
Share the Ecosystem (Access Granting)
Before You Start
Overview
In this article, you’ll learn how to grant access to your Ecosystem to another person. This function may be used to share access with your team or to allow Acreto Support to get access to it.
Warning
Share access only with trusted people! Anyone with Ecosystem Admin privileges may control all your network traffic.
Prerequisities
To grant access to your Ecosystem, you will need:
Active Acreto Ecosystem - where you have Owner or Ecosystem Admin role.
On the list of Ecosystem’s find this one that you want to share and click on the menu icon
From the menu choose the edit option.
On the edit screen input the email address of the person that you want to share the access with. You may add more than one person at once (1).
Select the role of the new user that you are sharing access with (2).
Click on the Save button.
Double-check the information about the person that you are adding on the pop-up windows that will appear.
If the added person doesn’t have an Acreto Wedge account yet, Acreto will send an invitation to create a new one. Otherwise, that person will get an email invitation to the Ecosystem and the Ecosystem will be made available in Wedge.
The person that you shared access with can now access your Ecosystem.
Acreto Connect Client is a simple application that allows to connect your device to Acreto Ecosystem.
It is available on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.
From the left menu choose Objects > Things (1) and click on this option.
In the Things panel click on the + Add New Thing button (2)
Fill the form:
Input the descriptive name of the device.
Choose the category of the device.
Choose the Profile Group for the device if you have more than one group. Otherwise, leave the default value.
Save the form to add the Thing.
The newly created Thing is now available on the list.
Click on the Apply changes button on the top of the screen to commit a new thing to the Ecosystem.
Wait for the changes to be applied
Click on the name of created Thing to see its details.
On the right part of the details screen you may see Configuration Options - find the right configuration file for your device and copy the link by clicking on the icon.
Install Acreto Connect Client
At first, you need to download and install Acreto Connect Client - a small application that allows you to connect to the Acreto ecosystem.
Open kb.acreto.net/client on the device which you want to connect to the Ecosystem.
Download the ACC version for your operating system - this page tries to recognize the type of your device and allows you to download the dedicated version.
When the installation file is downloaded, install the Acreto Connect Client.
Run Acreto Connect Client - the interface of the application is the same on all platforms. You should get a screen similar to this shown below:
Click on the Import Profile button.
You will see three options to connect import the profile: Code, URL, and the file. In this case, we will use the URL generated in the previous step.
Paste the configuration link from the Wedge generated in the previous step and click on the Import button
The Acreto Connect Client will import the profile and atomically connect your device to the Ecosystem.
Your device is now connected to the Ecosystem!
Summary
Acreto Connect Client allows connecting your Thing to the Ecosystem. This method works on every platform and it’s easy to understand for Users.
Please don’t forget to create Security Policy - Policies to allow Outbound traffic for your Thing(s) to connect to the Internet, or to the other devices within your Ecosystem.
VPN Start Before Logon (SBL)
Before You Start
Overview
Available only for Windows platforms, the Acreto Connect Client Start Before Logon (SBL) establishes the VPN connection before logging onto Windows. The purpose of this feature is while the computer is off the office or when the user is logging onto a new computer remotely. SBL allows remote users to log to Windows using Domain Controlled credentials because the VPN tunnel to the Data-Center is always on.
Note
This feature is available only for version 2.4.0 and newer. Update your ACC if you want to use this option.
Prerequisites
To connect your Windows device to the Ecosystem on the log on you will need:
From the left menu, choose Logs(1) > User and Things(2).
Set Refresh rate to 5S.
Restart the device with the SBL profile.
Wait for the login screen on the tested device (do not log in) and the logs, where you should receive information that the profile you placed in the config directory is connected to your Ecosystem (3).
Verify using logs:
Restart the device with the SBL profile.
Wait for a few seconds on the logon screen, then log in.
Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Acreto Connect Client\sbl
Find the NAME OF YOUR PROFILE.log and open it to check the logs.
Limitation
We highly recommend using the Split-tunnel profiles.
Once SBL starts the connection User will not be able to disconnect it. If you use the Full-tunnel profile, you will not connect using other full-tunnel profiles.
Summary
Acreto Connect Client allows connecting your Windows device to the Acreto Ecosystem using the SBL feature.
Deep Link
Deep link
To import a profile directly to app from a web browser link, deep link is avalaible with the pattern acreto://
Import Profile using URL
To import from a URL link use the format acreto://import-profile?url=<URL_TO_PROFILE>
To import from a invite Code use the format acreto://import-profile?code=<6_DIGIT_CODE>
Example:
acreto://import-profile?code=123456
Webserver configuration
To make sure that the VPN profile is opened automatically by the Acreto Connect Client, make sure that the webserver that hosts the .ovpn file sends the correct mime media type in the response HTTP header.
If the header is missing, the .ovpn file may be opened as a text file on Android and iOS devices.
Apache
On Apache servers update mime.conf file and restart the server:
On Nginx servers update mime.types file and restart the server:
Edit mime.types config file with your favorite text editor:
nano /etc/nginx/mime.types
Add new mime type
application/x-openvpn-profile .ovpn
Restart the server
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Test
Use any Android or iOS device with Acreto Connect Client installed and tap on the deep link based on your server.
If Acreto Connect Client appeared after the click and the VPN profile is on the list everything works properly.
Install ACC from Windows Command Line
Overview
If your company manages the software using the Active Directory Group Policy Object or tools like Syxsense - ACC is ready to be installed by CMD. This solution lets you quickly onboard your entire team to the Acreto Ecosystem.
Installation and configuration of ACC with the GPO Rules is described in a separate article.
Install and Update Acreto Connect Client with CMD
Acreto Connect Client installer supports parameters that allow the install of software without user action:
Windows CMD command:
.\Acreto-Connect-Client-v2.9.6.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES
Parameters used in install command:
/VERYSILENT - instructs to proceed with installation in the background - no windows will be shown on the system GUI. Alternatively, it may be replaced by /SILENT - in this case, the installation will only show the progress window.
/NORESTART - disables installer option to restart user device after installation - this option is highly recommended.
/SUPPRESSMSGBOXES - instructs to suppress any message boxes that appear at installation time and proceed with default options. It only has an effect when combined with /SILENT or /VERYSILENT.
The commands described above can be used to install or upgrade ACC. You can use them in your custom scripts or software management tool.
Install ACC with Group Policy Object
Overview
If your company manages the users by the Active Directory, it’s possible to provide and install Acreto Connect Client using Group Policy Object. ACC is ready to be installed and configured by GPO rules. This solution allows you to quickly onboard the whole of your team to the Acreto Ecosystem.
This feature is available only for version 2.4.3 and newer. Update your ACC if you want to use this option.
To complete these tutorial steps, the following items are required:
Windows Server machine
Basic knowledge of Windows Server configuration
Active Directory setup experience
Install Acreto Connect Client with Group Policy Object
Acreto Connect Client uses *.EXE installer - this means that you cant use the default way of software installation for GPOs. To install ACC you need to create a Scheduled Task to run the installation script. Scheduler task allows to run the script and install software with administrator privileges. What’s more important - installation is completely invisible for the user.
How to
First, create the shared folder that will be available for the users.
1.Rename the installer to Acreto-Connect-Client.exe and place it in a shared folder. Installation script also takes care of the updates - it will read the installation version and compare it to the one existing on the users device - if the available version is newer, it will install it.
On the domain controller server, create an acreto_install.ps1 file with the below content:
# ADD YOUR VALUES HERE
$InstallPath = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Acreto Connect Client' #local installation path
$InstallerFile = '\\SERVER\acc\Acreto-Connect-Client.exe' #ACC installer path shared in internal network
# END
IF (Test-Path -Path $InstallPath) {
#if path exists then...
$InstallPathExe = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Acreto Connect Client\Acreto Connect Client.exe' #local installation binary
$update = ((Get-Item $InstallerFile).VersionInfo.ProductVersion) #Version of ACC available on server
$current = ((Get-Item $InstallPathExe).VersionInfo.ProductVersion) #Version of ACC available on server
IF ([System.Version]"$update" -gt [System.Version]"$current"){
#if update is available than install
& "$InstallerFile" /qn /SILENT /norestart INSTALLSTARTMENUSHORTCUTS=1 DISABLEADVTSHORTCUTS=0
& 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Acreto Connect Client\post_install.exe'-y /qn /SILENT /norestart
} ELSE {
#If thers no update, exit.
EXIT
}
} ELSE {
& "$InstallerFile" /qn /SILENT /norestart INSTALLSTARTMENUSHORTCUTS=1 DISABLEADVTSHORTCUTS=0
& 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Acreto Connect Client\post_install.exe'-y /qn /SILENT /norestart
}
In Group Policy Management, create a new Group Policy under your domain.
Edit the GPO by right-clicking on it and select Edit.
Navigate to User Configuration > Preferences > Control Panel Settings > Scheduled Tasks
Click Right Mouse Button on Scheduled Task panel and choose New > Immediate Task (At least Windows 7)
In task creation widow set:
Name: ACC installer
When running the task, use the following user account: click on Change User or Group button and inpute SYSTEM as a user and click on Check names button. As a Result you should recive the NT AUTHORITY\System.
Check: Run whether user is logged or not
Check: Run with highest privileges
Configure for: Windows 7, [..]
Go to Actions tab and click on New… tab
Action: Start a program
Program script: %windir%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe - path to the PowerShell
Add arguments: -Noninteractive -ExecutionPolicy Bypass –Noprofile -file PATH-TO-acreto_install.ps1 - make sure that path to script will be available throught the network.
Click Ok butten and the sace whole task.
Result
As a result, the scheduled task will be run regularly on users devices and run the installer script. Installer script working with system privileges will check if ACC needs to be installed or updated.
Importing Profile into Acreto Connect Client with Group Policy Object
Acreto Connect Client is already installed on the user’s computer. To establish a connection the ACC required a profile with configuration. Create the policies to download the correct Profile for ACC.
How to
Add the script to import the profile, navigate to User Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Scripts ( Logon / Logoff ):
Copy and paste the below code into acreto_profile_deep_link.ps1:
This action needs to be made on user log-on because it required Internet access to download the profile data.
Navigate to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > All Settings
Do the following change under settings:
Configure Logon Script Delay: Enabled
Turn on Script Execution: Enabled
Double click on Turn on Script Execution and modify its setting. Make sure that the Execution Policy is set to Allow all scripts. If you want to run only signed scripts it is also possible, but you will need to sign in with your certificate before running it.
This script will be executed on the user login. ACC import profile by the deep link. No user actions are required.
Next step
All computers should be configured to use Acreto Connect Client. The user needs to use their credentials to login into the Ecosystem (if the profile needs that).
If users were imported from the AD the credential should be the same as stored in AD.
Connect GL.iNet using Wireguard client
Overview
In this article, you’ll learn how to setup Wireguard client on Gl.iNet and connect it to the Acreto ecosystem.
How to
Prerequisites
To connect GL.iNet router with Acreto Ecosystem, you will need:
Create a new Wireguard gateway profile using tutorial and download the new Wireguard configurations.
Setup OpenVPN client on GL.iNet
Login to the GL.iNet routers Web Admin Panel.
From the left sidebar, goto VPN » Wireguard Client and click + Set up WireGuard Manually..
Goto tab Configuration and paste the Wireguard configuration from the downloaded file in previous steps.
Modify the Alloweed IPs = 0.0.0.0/0 and click Next.
Enter a description for your Wireguard connection and then click Add.
Click Connect to start the Wireguard connection.
Once connected, the Disconnect button is shown on the screen along with the recieved IP address and Data sent and recieved information.
Also the Gl.iNet Dashboard, will show the Wireguard VPN connected.
IPsec Gateway
Overview
This document describes some challenges and issues identified when testing and
using vGateway to connect to the Acreto platform.
Routing
Default Route
Once vGateway connects to the Acreto platform, we:
create a direct route to the Acreto platform (“right” server in IPSec
nomenclature) via a local gateway, to ensure we can reach the server
create a new default route that goes through vti- device
remove the previous default route to disallow sending any traffic to the Internet if the tunnel is down
This causes several issues:
DHCP can restore the default route when refreshing the lease
If the interface goes down (like network cable disconnect or adapter failure), route in point 1 will disappear, making it impossible to maintain/reconnect ipsec connection (as our default route goes now through vti- device)
Note We are not deleting vti- device/route when the tunnel goes down because
this causes a “no route to host” error. It means that any default route records in the routeing table will not be used, because they will have lower priority (higher metric) than vti- default route.
Create a Security Policy to allow traffic from selected Gateway and/or Profile Group(s) to the VPC subnet
AWS Site-to-Site VPN using Virtual Private Gateway
Before You Start
Overview
This article describes how to configure a Route-Based Site-to-Site IPsec VPN between an Acreto Ecosystem and the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) using static routing:
IPsec VPN tunnel: An encrypted link where network traffic can pass between Acreto Ecosystem and AWS VPS.
Customer gateway: An AWS resource that provides information to AWS about the Acreto IPsec Gateway object.
Virtual private gateway: The VPN concentrator on the Amazon side of the Site-to-Site VPN connection.
Prerequisites
In order to setup IPsec Site-to-Site VPN tunnel between Acreto Ecosystem and AWS VPS you need:
Access to Active Acreto Ecosystem
Access to AWS Management Console
The Purpose of Site-to-Site IPsec VPN
Acreto as a Cloud Provider allows to connect and integrate multiple networks, both physical and virtual. All connections require stable and secure links. Virtual (EC2) Instances running on Amazon VPC can’t communicate securely with your own (remote) network by default. It is possible to connect your network to Acreto Ecosystem and then you can enable access to your remote network from your VPC by creating an AWS Site-to-Site VPN (Site-to-Site VPN) connection, and configuring routing to pass traffic through the connection.
Acreto Ecosystem configures the routing automatically and passes the traffic between AWS VPC and your network. Additionally, the traffic is scanned by the Acreto Threat Engine to block suspicious traffic and malware.
Tip
AWS Site-to-Site VPN limitations: IPv6 traffic is not supported for VPN connections on a virtual private gateway. An AWS VPN connection does not support Path MTU Discovery. In addition, take the following into consideration when you use Site-to-Site VPN.
How To: Configure Site-to-Site VPN in AWS
Use the following procedures to manually set up the AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection on Amazon AWS.
You can create a Site-to-Site VPN connection with either a virtual private gateway or a transit gateway as the target gateway.
Step 1: Create VPC
Use existing VPC or create a new VPC using the steps below :
Login to AWS console.
Goto the region where you want to create your VPC.
Search VPC in the Services search tab.
From the VPC Dashboard, click Your VPCs under VIRTUAL PRIVATE CLOUD in the left sidebar and click Create VPC
Create a VPC with the following values:
IPv4 CIDR Block: 172.16.0.0/22
IPv6 CIDR Block: No IPv6 CIDR Block
Tenancy: default
Click Create VPC
Step 2: Create Subnet
Now create a new subnet in the VPC address range. If you want to use an existing subnet, you can skip this step and use the pre-existing subnet in subsequent steps.
From the VPC Dashboard, click Subnets under VIRTUAL PRIVATE CLOUD in the left sidebar and click Create Subnet
Select the new VPC created in the Step 1 or your existing VPC in the VPC ID options.
Create a new Subnet under Subnet settings with the below details :
Availability Zone: No preference
IPv4 CIDR block: 172.16.1.0/24
Click Create Subnet button
Step 3: Create Internet Gateway
From the VPC Dashboard, click Internet Gateway under VIRTUAL PRIVATE CLOUD in the left sidebar and click Create Internet Gateway
Give the name for the Internet gateway and click Create internet gateway
Select the Internet gateway and click Actions and Attach to VPC
Assign your VPC
Click Attach internet gateway.
Step 4: Create Route Table
Configure Route table for the above subnet to reach Acreto’s public IP through Internet Gateway.
From the VPC Dashboard, click Route Tables under VIRTUAL PRIVATE CLOUD in the left sidebar and click Create Route Table
Create a Route table with the following values:
Name: Acreto_ipsec_RT
VPC: Select the VPC created in Step 1
Click Create Route Table, with parameters as shown in screenshot below:
Select the Route table created above and click Subnet association, with parameters as shown in screenshot below:
Select your Subnet and click Save associations, with parameters as shown in screenshot below:
Select the routes and click Edit routes, with parameters as shown in screenshot below:
Add route for Acreto’s Default Tunnel IP used to form the VPN through the Internet Gateway, with parameters as shown in screenshot below:
Click Save changes.
Step 5: Create Customer Gateway
Create new Customer Gateway with Acreto’s public IP.
From the VPC Dashboard in the left side bar, goto VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN) » Customer Gateways
Click Create Customer Gateway
Provide the following values :
Name: Acreto
Routing: Static
IP Address: Acreto’s Default Tunnel IP
Click Create Customer Gateway.
Step 6: Create Virtual Private Gateway
Create a Virtual Private gateway that will be used to form the Ipsec tunnel with Acreto.
From the VPC Dashboard in the left sidebar, goto VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN) » Virtual Private Gateways
Click Create Virtual Private Gateway
Give the name and click Create Virtual Private Gateway
Select the Virtual Private Gateway and click Actions » Attach to VPC
Select your VPC and click Yes, Attach button.
From the VPC Dashboard, click Route Tables under VIRTUAL PRIVATE CLOUD in the left sidebar.
Select the route table created in Step 4
Select the Route Propagation tab and click the button Edit route propagation.
Check Enable
Click the Save button.
Tip
This step ensures that the AWS virtual hosts receive a route for the 100.64.0.0/16 network (Acreto Ecosystem Internal network) after the VPN establishes.
Step 7: Create and Configure VPN Connection
Create a new VPN connection and associate the previously created VGW and CGW.
From the VPC Dashboard in the left sidebar, go to VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN) » Site-to-Site VPN Connections.
Click Create VPN Connection.
Provide the following values in the tunnel setting:
Name: Acreto_ipsec
Target Gateway Type: Virtual Private Gateway
Virtual Private Gateway: Select the Virtual Private gateway created above
Customer Gateway: Existing
Customer Gateway ID: Select the Customer gateway created above
Routing Options: Static
Static IP Prefixes: 100.64.0.0/16
Click Create VPN Connection.
Select the VPN created and click the tab Tunnel Details. Copy the Outside IP address of the tunnel to form a VPN with Acreto.
This Outside IP address will be used in the next steps to configure the Acreto gateway on Wedge Ecosystem.
Step 8: Create Acreto Gateway for IPsec
Create Gateway on Ecosystem by following the instruction in the link. Provide the following values:
Acreto IPsec Gateway allows to set up VPN tunnel to connect Acreto Ecosystem with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
Azure Site-to-Site connection using VPN Gateway
Before You Start
Overview
This article describes configuring a Route-Based Site-to-Site IPsec VPN between an Acreto Ecosystem and Azure network.
Network Diagram
Pre-requisite
To set up an IPsec Site-to-Site VPN tunnel between Acreto Ecosystem and Azure, you need:
Access to Active Acreto Ecosystem (Wedge)
Access to Azure Portal
How To: Configure Site-to-Site VPN in Azure
Use the following procedures to set up the Azure Site-to-Site VPN connection manually.
Step 1: Create a virtual network
Use an existing virtual private network or create a new virtual private network using the steps below:
Login to Azure Portal
Click on Create a resource
Click on Networking from the left sidebar.
Click on Virtual Network
Fill in the following fields in the Basics tab.
Project details
Subscription
Resource group
Instance details
Name
Region
Fill in the following fields in the IP Addresses tab
Address space
Subnet Name
Subnet Address range
Review the configurations on the Review + create tab and click Create
Wait for the deployment to finish and the Virtual Network to be created.
Step 2: Create a VPN gateway
Create the virtual network gateway for your virtual network. Creating a gateway can often take 45 minutes or more, depending on the selected gateway SKU.
Click on Create a resource
Click on Networking from the left sidebar
Click on Virtual network gateway
Fill in the following fields in the Basics tab.
Project details
Subscription
Instance details
Name
Region
Gateway type: VPN
VPN type: Route-based
SKU
Generation: Generation 1
Virtual Network: (select the virtual network you created earlier)
Gateway Subnet address range
Public IP address
Public IP address: Create a new ( or use existing)
Public IP address name
Review the configurations on the Review + create tab and click Create
Step 3: Create a local network gateway
The next step is to create a local gateway representing your local network.
Click on Create a resource
In the search bar, search for Local Network Gateway
Click on Create.
Fill in the following fields in the Basics tab.
Project details
Subscription
Resource group
Instance details
Name
Region
Endpoint: IP address
IP Address: Acreto’s Tunnel IP
Address Space(s): 100.64.0.0/16
Review the configurations and click Create
Step 4: Create a VPN connection
This step creates a Site-to-Site VPN connection between your VPN device and the virtual network gateway.
Click on Create a resource
In the search bar, search for Connection
Click on Create.
On the Basics tab, fill in the following fields:
Connection type (Site-to-site)
Subscription (select the same subscription as before)
Resource group (select the same resource group as before)
Location (select the same location as before)
Click on Next
On the Settings tab, fill in the following fields:
Virtual network gateway (created in step 2)
Local network gateway (created in step 3))
Shared key (create a temporary password)
Click on Next
Click on Review + Create
Wait for the deployment to finish and the connection created.
Step 5: Download strongswan configuration
Next, download the VPN configurations from Azure to use it to configure the Acreto gateway.
Go to the VPN connection created in step 4.
Click Overview from the left sidebar
Click Download Configuration
Select any Device vendor, Device family, and Firmware version of your choice.
Click the button Download configuration
Open the downloaded file and note the Azure VPN Gateway IP
Step 6: Create Gateway on Wedge with option AWS Site-to-Site IPsec and Azure Tunnel IP
Create Gateway on Ecosystem by following the instruction in the link. Provide the following values:
Goto Objects » Gateways
Add New Gateway
Provide the following information :
Name: Azure
Category: Cloud Instance
Type: IPSec
Model: AWS site-to-site VPN
AWS Tunnel Outside IP Address: <Azure VPN gateway IP from Step 5>
Local Network
Step 7: Read the Configuration
Read the PSK information from the Acreto gateway created in the previous steps.
Click the gateway created on Acreto in Step 5.
Click the Play button under Configuration Options to generate the strongSwan Config.
Once the Config file is generated, click the Download button to download the configuration on the local computer.
Unzip the downloaded file and copy the PSK from the file ipsec.secrets
Step 8: Update the PSK from Wedge in Azure VPN
Update the new PSK from the previous step and update the VPN connection on Azure.
Goto VPN connection created in step 4
From the left sidebar, click Settings » Shared key
Update the Shared key (PSK) from the Step 7
Save
Step 9: Update IPsec Parameter
Goto VPN connection created in step 4.
From the left sidebar, click Settings » Configuration
Update the following
IPsec / IKE policy - Custom
IKE Phase 1
Encryption - AES256
Integrity/PRF - SHA256
DH Group - DHGroup14
IKE Phase 2(IPsec)
Encryption - AES256
Integrity/PRF - SHA256
DH Group - ECP256
IPsec SA lifetime in seconds - 3600
DPD timeout in seconds - 30
Save.
Step 10: Check Connection
Goto VPN connection created in step 4.
From the left sidebar, click Settings » Connections
Give a few minutes for changes to be effective.
Once all the configurations are saved, the status of the VPN connection will be shown as Connected.
Acreto IPsec Gateway allows to set up VPN tunnel to connect Acreto Ecosystem with Azure VPN Gateway.
Connect to multiple VPCs in AWS using Transit Gateway
Before You Start
Overview
This article describes configuring a Route-Based Site-to-Site IPsec VPN between an Acreto Ecosystem and the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Transit Gateway to access multiple VPCs.
Network Diagram
Concepts and Glossary
IPsec VPN tunnel: An encrypted link where network traffic can pass between Acreto Ecosystem and AWS VPS.
Customer gateway: An AWS resource that provides information to AWS about the Acreto IPsec Gateway object.
Virtual private gateway: The VPN concentrator on the Amazon side of the Site-to-Site VPN connection.
Prerequisites
To setup an IPsec Site-to-Site VPN tunnel between Acreto Ecosystem and AWS VPS, you need:
Access to Active Acreto Ecosystem
Access to AWS Management Console
Pre-configured VPC, subnets, route tables, NACL, and security groups
The Purpose of Site-to-Site IPsec VPN
Acreto, as a Cloud Provider, allows to connect and integrate multiple physical and virtual networks. All connections require stable and secure links. Virtual (EC2) Instances running on Amazon VPC can’t communicate securely with your own (remote) network by default. However, it is possible to connect your network to Acreto Ecosystem. Then, you can enable access to your remote network from your VPC by creating an AWS Site-to-Site VPN (Site-to-Site VPN) connection and configuring routing to pass traffic through the connection.
Acreto Ecosystem configures the routing automatically and passes the traffic between AWS VPC and your network. Additionally, the traffic is scanned by the Acreto Threat Engine to block suspicious traffic and malware.
How To
Configure Site-to-Site VPN in AWS
Use the following procedures to manually set up the AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection transit gateway on Amazon AWS.
Step 1.1: Create Customer Gateway
Create a new Customer Gateway with Acreto’s public IP.
From the VPC Dashboard in the left sidebar, go to VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN) » Customer Gateways
Click Create Customer Gateway
Provide the following values :
Name: Acreto
Routing: Static
IP Address: Acreto’s Default Tunnel IP
Click Create Customer Gateway.
Step 1.2: Create Transit Gateway
Create a Transit gateway that will be used to form the IPsec tunnel with Acreto.
From the VPC Dashboard in the left sidebar, go to TRANSIT GATEWAYS » Transit Gateways.
Click Create Transit Gateway.
Give the name and click Create Transit Gateway
Wait for a few minutes to get the state of Transit Gateway to Available.
Step 1.3: Create Transit Gateway attachment
Create a Transit gateway attachment that will attach to the primary VPC.
From the VPC Dashboard in the left sidebar, go to TRANSIT GATEWAYS » Transit Gateways Attachment
Click Create Transit Gateway Attachment
Provide the following values
Transit Gateway ID - Select the Transit gateway created in the previous step
Attachment type - VPC
VPC ID - Select the VPC
Subnet IDs - Select the subnets that will communicate over the VPN
Click Create Transit Gateway attachment
Step 1.4: Create and Configure VPN Connection
Create a new VPN connection and associate the previously created Virtual Gateway in Step 2 and Customer Gateway in Step 1.
From the VPC Dashboard in the left sidebar, go to VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN) » Site-to-Site VPN Connections.
Click Create VPN Connection.
Provide the following values in the tunnel setting:
Name: Acreto_ipsec
Target Gateway Type: Transit Gateway
Transit Gateway: Select the Transit gateway created Step 6
Customer Gateway: Existing
Customer Gateway ID: Select the Customer gateway created in Step 5
Routing Options: Static
Static IP Prefixes: 100.64.0.0/16
Click Create VPN Connection.
Select the VPN created and click the tab Tunnel Details. Copy the Outside IP address of the tunnel to form a VPN with Acreto.
This Outside IP address will be used in the next steps to configure the Acreto gateway on Wedge Ecosystem.
Step 1.5: Create Acreto Gateway for IPsec
Create Gateway on Ecosystem by following the instructions in the link. Provide the following values:
Acreto Gateway allows setting up an IPsec VPN tunnel with AWS Transit Gateway, which can be used to access resources in multiple VPCs.
Fortinet FortiGate Dual VPN setup
Before You Start
Overview
This article illustrates a Dual VPN setup and explains how to connect the secondary tunnel from your environment to the second Ecosystem which can act as a backup in case of failure of the Primary ISP or Ecosystem. With this setup, when the first tunnel is down, the traffic will automatically start going through the second tunnel to the backup Ecosystem.
Firstly, you will need to create a new Gateway device in the Acreto platform. Instructions on how to create a new Gateway are available here.
Name: IPsec connection name must meet the same requirements as the Strongswan connection name (letters and numbers only).
Category: IoT
Type: IPsec
Allow connection from: Empty (describes the source IP address where the IPsec connection will be permitted).
Local Networks: any local network addresses that will be routed through this gateway.
Info
To simplify testing, add the IP addresses of all interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32 prefix for public interface). This will allow you to test connectivity from the gateway through Acreto by using Ping, Traceroute, or similar tools.
Task 1: Read IPsec Gateway Values Required for FortiGate Configuration
To proceed with the FortiGate configuration, you will need a few values from an existing committed Acreto Gateway:
Gateway Address
Pre-Shared Key
Recommended Ciphers
All of these may be found within the Gateway details panel - view the below animation for further instruction.
Task 2. Configure Primary Tunnel on FortiGate with Acreto Primary EcoSystem
In FortiGate, go to VPN > IPsec Tunnels. From Create New drop-down menu, select IPsec Tunnel
In the next window, give the primary tunnel name and click on Custom and click on Next.
Configure the following VPN settings:
IP Version: IPv4
Remote Gateway: Static IP Address
IP Address: Primary EcoSystem Gateway
Interface: Select WAN Interface
Mode Config: Enable
DPD Retry interval: 30
Expand Advance Option and configure as below:
Add Route: Disabled
Authentication Method: Pre-shared Key
Pre-shared Key: enter the pre-shared key
IKE Version: 2
In Phase1 Proposal. Delete all proposals except two as below:
Encryption: AES 128 Authentication: SHA256
Encryption: AES 128 Authentication: SHA512
DH Group: 15 , 14, 2
Key Lifetime: 10800
Local ID: enter the peer id
In Phase2 setting, please enter below:
Encryption: AES 128 Authentication: SHA256
Encryption: AES 128 Authentication: SHA512
PFS: Enable
DH Group: 15 , 14, 2
Auto Keep Alive: Enable
Click OK to save the VPN setting.
Task 3. Configure Secondary Tunnel on FortiGate with Acreto Secondary EcoSystem
Repeat the above steps for the creation of a secondary tunnel. We will use Acreto-ECO-2 as the name of a secondary tunnel in this article.
Task 4. Configure IPs on Tunnel Interfaces
This step is required for policy routing to work. Any dummy/unused IPs can be used for interfaces.
Go to Network > Interfaces. Select Acreto-ECO-1 Tunnel interface and click on Edit
Configure IP as below:
IP: 169.254.254.1
Remote IP: 169.254.254.2/32
Click on Save
Repeat the step to configure IP on the secondary tunnel interface.
Go to Network > Interfaces. Select Acreto-ECO-2 Tunnel interface and click on Edit.
Configure IP as below:
IP: 169.254.254.3
Remote IP: 169.254.254.4/32
Click on Save.
Task 5. Configure Routing for VPN Traffic
Go to Network > Static Route. Click on Create New.
In the next window, configure the static route as below:
Destination: 0.0.0.0/0
Interface: Acreto-ECO-1 (Acreato-primary-tunnel)
Administrative Distance: 30
Click on Save
Repeat the step to configure a static route for the secondary tunnel.
Go to Network > Static Route. Click on Create New.
In the next window, configure the static route as below:
If the tunnel is showing down. Select the tunnel and click on Bring UP
Primary and secondary VPN selection is handled by Policy Route.
Traffic will be matched with the policy on top if both tunnels are up.
Summary
After this setup, there are two tunnels created from FortiGate to Acreto Primary and Secondary Ecosystem through Primary and Secondary tunnel respectively. If the primary tunnel goes down, all traffic will start going from the backup tunnel, which in this case is the Secondary tunnel.
Firstly, you will need to create a new Gateway device in the Acreto platform. Instructions on how to create a new Gateway are available here.
Name: IPsec connection name must meet the same requirements as the Strongswan connection name (letters and numbers only).
Category: IoT
Type: IPsec
Allow connection from: Empty (describes the source IP address where the IPsec connection will be permitted).
Local Networks: any local network addresses that will be routed through this gateway.
Info
To simplify testing, add the IP addresses of all interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32 prefix for public interface). This will allow you to test connectivity from the gateway through Acreto by using Ping, Traceroute, or similar tools.
How-To
Step 1: Read IPsec Gateway Values Required for FortiGate Configuration
To proceed with the FortiGate configuration, you will need a few values from an existing committed Acreto Gateway:
Gateway Address
Pre-Shared Key
Recommended Ciphers
All of these may be found within the Gateway details panel - view the below animation for further instruction.
Step 2: Configure FortiGate - VPN Creation Wizard
Use VPN Wizard to create all basic configurations.
Log in to the FortiGate Dashboard.
In the navigation panel, select VPN > IPsec Wizard and view VPN Creation Wizard
Complete the first step of VPN Wizard, VPN Setup, by inserting these values:
Name: AcretoGate (or your own readable name)
Template Type: Site to Site
Remote Device Type: Cisco
NAT Configuration: No NAT between sites
When the form is ready, click Next.
Complete the second step of the VPN wizard, Authentication.
Remote Device: IP address
IP Address: Input the IP address of your Acreto Gateway created in Wedge.
Outgoing Interface: Select the existing interface that will be used for this connection.
Authentication Method: Pre-shared Key
Pre-shared Key: Enter the Pre-shared Key common for Acreto and FortiGate (available on Acreto Wedge in the Gate configuration panel).
When the form is ready, click Next.
Complete the last step of the VPN wizard, Policy & Routing.
Local Interface: Select the local interface that will use this connection.
Local Subnets: Define local subnets for this connection.
Remote Subnets: Define remote (Acreto site) subnets for this connection (0.0.0.0/0 - for all networks).
Internet Access: None
Click on Save.
From the side menu, choose VPN > IPsec Tunnels to confirm that the newly created VPN is displayed on the list in the Site to Site section.
Step 3: Configure FortiGate - Convert VPN to Custom Tunnel
From the side menu, choose VPN > IPsec Tunnels. You should see the Acreto Gate tunnel created in the previous step.
Double-Click on the tunnel name to open editing options.
On the Edit VPN tunnel screen, click Convert To Custom Tunnel- this action will convert your VPN to a custom tunnel, allowing you to configure additional settings.
After you click on Convert To Custom Tunnel, a few additional options will be displayed on the screen.
Edit Network by clicking on Edit and set the Mode Config to check, as shown on the screen below (IP address and Interface will be different).
Edit Authentication by clicking on Edit and set Version to 2, as shown on the screen below.
Edit Phase 1 Proposal by clicking on Edit and set Version to 2, as shown on the screen below.
Encryption: AES256
Authentication: SHA512
Diffie-Hellman Group: 16
Key Lifetime: 3600
Edit Phase 2 Selectors by clicking on Edit > Advanced, as shown on the screen below:
Encryption: AES256
Authentication: SHA512
Enable Replay Detection: check
Enable Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS): check
Diffie-Hellman Group: 16
Autokey Keep Alive: check
Key Lifetime: Seconds
Seconds: 3600
When all edits are complete, click OK at the bottom of the screen to convert the tunnel. From now on, the IPsec tunnels panel will show as Custom.
Step 4: Configure FortiGate - Assign IP to the tunnel interface
From the side menu, choose Network > Interfaces. Find the tunnel interface name AcretoGate under WAN interface.
Edit the interface and assign local and remote IP. You can choose any IP, it will not affect the traffic.
IP: <any /32 IP>
Netmask: 255.255.255.255
Remote IP/Netmask: <any /32 IP>
Step 5: Configure FortiGate - Routing Changes
From the side menu, choose Network > Static Routes. Find the static route created by the wizard. Should be with the name <Tunnel_name>_remote.
Edit the static route and change the Administrative Distance to 50.
Click OK to save the route.
From the side menu choose Network > Policy Routes and click on Create New
Configure the new Policy Route, as shown on the screen below.
Incoming Interface: <select your local interface>
Source Address-Ip/Netmask : <enter local subnet >
Destination Address-Ip/Netmask : 0.0.0.0/0
Action : Forward Traffic
Outgoing Interface : AcretoGate OR <choose your tunnel interface>
Gateway Address : <enter Remote IP configured in Step 4.2.3>
Click OK to Save
Step 6: Configure FortiGate - Bring the Tunnel Up
From the side menu, choose Dashboard > Network > IPsec
Select the Tunnel and click on Bring Up.
Step 7: Configure FortiGate - Verify
When the configuration is complete, all network traffic on the selected interface and the selected subnet(s) is redirected through Acreto.
Fortinet FortiGate IPsec Configuration through CLI
Before you start
Overview
This article will show you how to use CLI to connect the FortiGate managed network to the Acreto Ecosystem.
This step is optional, skip it if you already own the Gateway.
Firstly, you will need to create a new Gateway device in the Acreto
platform. Instructions on how to create a new Gateway are available
here.
Name: IPsec connection name must meet the same requirements as the Strongswan connection name (letters and numbers only).
Category: IoT
Type: IPsec
Allow connection from: Empty (describes the source IP address
where the IPsec connection will be permitted).
Local Networks: any local network addresses that will be routed
through this gateway.
Info
To simplify testing, add the IP addresses of all
interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32
prefix for public interface). This will allow you to test connectivity
from the gateway through Acreto by using Ping, Traceroute, or similar
tools.
Step 1: Read IPsec Gateway Values Required for Fortigate Configuration
To proceed with the Fortigate configuration, you will need a few values
from an existing committed Acreto Gateway:
Gateway Address
Pre-Shared Key
Recommended Ciphers
All of these may be found within the Gateway details panel - view the
below animation for further instruction.
Step 2: Configure Fortigate - Create VPN (Phase1 and Phase2)
Use the following commands to create a VPN through CLI.
Log in to the Fortigate CLI.
Configure IPsec VPN Phase-1
config vpn ipsec phase1-interface
edit AcretoGate
set interface <wan_interface>
set peertype any
set net-device disable
set mode-cfg enableset proposal aes128-sha256 aes256-sha512
set ike-version 2set keylife 10800set remote-gw acreto-peer-ip (Copy from Wedge Dashboard)set psksecret psk (Copy from Wedge Dashboard)set dhgrp 16set localid local-id (Copy from Wedge Dashboard) next
end
Configure IPsec VPN Phase-2
config vpn ipsec phase2-interface
edit AcretoGate
set phase1name AcretoGate
set proposal aes256-sha512 aes256gcm
set dhgrp 16set keepalive enableset keylifeseconds 3600 next
end
Step 3: Configure Fortigate - Create Address and Address group
Create addresses for all local addresses/subnets
config firewall address
edit AcretoGate_local_1
set allow-routing enableset subnet 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0
next
edit AcretoGate_local_2
set allow-routing enableset subnet 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0
next
end
Create an address group to add all the addresses created in the previous step
config firewall addrgrp
edit AcretoGate_local_grp
set member AcretoGate_local_1 AcretoGate_local_2
next
end
Step 4: Configure Fortigate - Create Firewall Policy for Traffic
Outbound Policy for traffic originating from Local lan interface to internet through Acreto VPN
config firewall policy
edit 0set name Outbound_toAcreto
set srcintf lan_interface_ip
set dstintf AcretoGate
set srcaddr AcretoGate_local_grp
set dstaddr all
set action accept
set schedule always
set service ALL
next
end
Inbound Policy for traffic coming from Acreto VPN to Local lan
config firewall policy
edit 0set name Inbound_fromAcreto
set srcintf AcretoGate
set dstintf lan_interface_ip
set srcaddr all
set dstaddr AcretoGate_local_grp
set action accept
set schedule always
set service ALL
next
end
Step 5: Configure Fortigate - Routing Changes
Scenario 1: When traffic from all local subnet/interfaces need to pass through the tunnel
Add Static Route
config router static
edit 0set dst Acreto_PeerIP
set device wan_interface
Set gateway ISP_Gateway
next
edit 0set dst 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0
set device AcretoGate
set distance 4 next
end
Scenario 2: When traffic from a specific subnet/interface needs to pass through the tunnel.
Add IP at the tunnel interface
config system interface
edit "AcretoGate"set ip 2.2.2.2 255.255.255.255
set remote-ip 2.2.2.3 255.255.255.255
next
end
Add Static Route to direct the traffic through the tunnel with a higher administrative distance
config router static
edit 0set distance 254set device AcretoGate
set dst 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0
next
end
Add Policy Route to direct the specific traffic through the tunnel
config router policy
edit 0set input-device lan_interface
set srcaddr AcretoGate_local_grp
set dstaddr all
set output-device AcretoGate
Set gateway 2.2.2.3
next
end
Step 6: Configure Fortigate - Bring the Tunnel Up
Run the following command to bring the tunnel up bash diagnose vpn tunnel up AcretoGate
diagnose vpn tunnel up AcretoGate
Step 7: Configure Fortigate - Verify
Check the status of tunnel Phase-1
diagnose vpn ike gateway list name AcretoGate
Check status of Phase-2
diagnose vpn tunnel list name AcretoGate
Summary
Once the VPN connection is successfully established, all the internet traffic will be routed through Acreto.
Linux - Automatic IPsec Configuration
Prerequisites
Ubuntu 18.04 or newer installed on your device
Ecosystem set up with proper security policies
Create Gateway for IPsec
If you didn’t do it yet, you need to create a new Gateway device on the Acreto
platform.
Select your ecosystem and go to Objects using the left menu.
Click Add new Object and select Gateway.
Fill at least:
Name: the name of the IPSec connection needs to be compatible with
Strongswan connection name requirements (basically, only letters and
numbers)
Category: IoT
Allow connection from: Empty (describes the source IP address where the
IPsec connection will be permitted)
Local Networks: - your local network addresses that should be routed
through this gateway
Note: To simplify testing, add IP addresses of all interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32 prefix for public interface). This will allow testing connectivity from the gateway through Acreto using ping, traceroute, and similar tools.
Save the created Gateway by pressing Add.
Add a security policy that will allow communication from the Gateway device to the Internet.
Commit pending changes (top of the screen)
Note: to successfully test your connectivity, you also need to create a
security policy that will allow traffic going through your device.
Restart IPsec service with the following command: ipsec restart
Wait approximately 10 seconds, and check the status of IPsec: ipsec statusall
If the connection did not start, try to take it up manually:
CONN=`grep '^conn .*' /etc/ipsec.d/*.conf|cut -d' ' -f2`;echo$CONNipsec up $CONN
It should display information useful for debugging purposes.
Ensure everything works fine with:
ipsec statusall
ip address show
ip route show
Check if you have Internet access
IPsec Watchdog
In case you Internet connection if very unstable or your ISP changes your public IP, then you may consider running an IPsec watchdog that verifies every minute if the tunnel is passing the traffic to Acreto Ecosystem.
Please download the script and follow the steps from the comments section at the beginning of this script.
Click on the button and save the script in your home directory:
Select your ecosystem and go to Objects using the left menu.
Click Add new Object and select Gateway.
Fill at least:
Name: - the name of IPSec connection, needs to be compatible with
Strongswan connection name requirements (basically, only letters and
numbers)
Category: IoT
Allow connection from: Empty (describes the source IP address where the
IPsec connection will be permitted)
Local Networks: - your local network addresses that should be routed
through this gateway
Note: To simplify testing, add IP addresses of all interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32 prefix for public interface). This will allow testing connectivity from the gateway through Acreto using ping, traceroute, and similar tools.
Save the created Gateway by pressing Add.
Add security policy that will allow communication from the Gateway device to the Internet.
Commit pending changes (top of the screen)
Note: to successfully test your connectivity, you also need to create a
security policy that will allow traffic going through your device.
To work in gateway mode, you need to configure IPsec to use VTI devices.
Modify /etc/strongswan.d/charon.conf - leave all on defaults except for the
following:
install_routes = no
install_virtual_ip = no
ignore_routing_tables = 220
Modify connection file /etc/ipsec.d/*.conf to enable VTI support -
uncomment mark and leftupdown options:
# uncomment this line for policy routing configuration
mark=105
# uncomment this line for policy routing configuration
leftupdown=/etc/ipsec-leftupdown.sh
Determine connection name as defined in ipsec configuration:
Create a routing file that will contain (remote) networks which should be
routed through the Acreto platform - by default, it would be a default gateway:
This section describes how to configure two IPSec VPN tunnels on a PA-200 firewall running version 9.1.x. Refer to Palo Alto Networks documentation for additional information about the web interface.
IPSec Connectivity Guide for Palo Alto Networks Firewall
The ethernet1/2 interface is connected to the internal corporate network. This interface will act as a gateway to the internal corporate network. The ethernet1/1 interface is the external interface. The internal network configuration will be in a trust security zone, and the external network interface configuration will be in an untrust security zone. Also, ensure that both interfaces use the same Virtual Router service.
To configure the IPSec VPN tunnels on PA-200, complete the following tasks:
Task 1: Create a New Virtual Router
For this task, you will create a new Virtual Router. To configure the new Virtual Router:
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Network → Virtual Routers.
Click Add to add a new Virtual Router.
Enter the Virtual Router name, in this case vrouter.
Click OK to save the vRouter configurations.
Task 2: Create New Zones
It is recommended to use separate zones to setup IPsec tunnels with PAN.
To configure trust and untrust zones, execute the following commands:
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Network → Zones.
Click Add to create a new zone.
Enter the trust zone name, in this case trust. Choose zone type Layer3.
Click OK to save the zone.
Click Add to create a new zone.
Enter the untrust zone name, in this case untrust. Choose zone type Layer3.
Click OK to save the zone.
Task 3: Configuring the External Ethernet Interface
Configure the external network interface on PAN to be an untrust zone.
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Network -> Interfaces
Navigate to the Ethernet tab and click on Ethernet 1/1
Set the Interface Type to Layer3
Configure the ethernet 1/1, assign it to an untrust zone and connect to vrouter Virtual Router
Configure the IP address on the external network, in this example 10.1.203.96/24
Click OK to save the configurations
Task 4: Configuring the Internal Ethernet Interface
Configure the internal network interface on PAN to be a trust zone.
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Network -> Interfaces.
Navigate to the Ethernet tab and click on Ethernet 1/2.
Set the Interface Type to Layer3.
Configure the ethernet 1/2, assign it to a trust zone and connect to vrouter Virtual Router.
Configure the IP address on the internal interface, in this case 10.1.201.96/24.
Click OK to save the configurations.
Task 5: Configuring the Tunnel Interfaces
Configure the tunnel interface on the external interface (ethernet1/1). Ensure the tunnel is configured in the untrust security zone. In this example, the tunnel interface is named tunnel.1 with a source IP address 10.1.203.93.
To configure the primary tunnel interface:
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Network -> Interfaces.
Click the Tunnel tab.
Click Add to create a new tunnel interface.
In the Tunnel Interface window, complete the following:
Interface Name: Enter a name for the tunnel interface, such as tunnel.1.
Netflow Profile: Choose the appropriate NetFlow profile. In this example, it’s None.
Comment: Enter additional notes or information (optional).
Assign Interface To:
Virtual Router: Choose vrouter.
Security Zone: Choose untrust.
Under the IPv4 tab, assign IP address 10.1.203.93 to the tunnel.1 interface.
Click OK to save the tunnel interface.
Click *Commit to apply the configurations.
Task 6: Creating the IKE Crypto Profile
Create an IKE crypto profile that specifies the security settings for the IKE phase 1 negotiations.
To create an IKE crypto profile:
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Network.
Expand Network Profiles.
Select IKE Crypto.
Click Add to create an IKE crypto profile.
In the IKE Crypto Profile window, complete the following:
Name: Enter a name for the IKE crypto profile. In this case: acreto-ike-crypto.
DH Group: Click Add and choose group14, group19, group20.
Encryption: Click Add and choose aes-128-cbcaes-256-cbc.
Authentication: Click Add and choose sha256, sha384, sha512.
Lifetime: Set it to 3 hours.
Click OK to save configurations.
Task 7: Creating the IKE Gateway
Create IKE gateways using the Acreto Gateway IP address. In this case: 104.193.146.132.
To create the primary IKE gateway:
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Network.
Expand Network Profiles.
Click IKE Gateways.
Click Add.
In the IKE Gateway window, complete the following:
Name: Enter a name for the IKE gateway, such as Acreto-IPsec.
Version: Select IKEv2 only mode.
Interface: Choose the external interface ethernet 1/1.
Local IP Address: Choose None.
Peer IP Type: Choose Static.
Peer IP Address: Enter the Acreto Gateway address for the primary gateway. In this case, it's 104.193.146.132.
Pre-shared Key: Enter the pre-shared key you generated in the Acreto web Portal.
Confirm Pre-shared Key: Reenter the pre-shared key.
Local Identification: Enter the Peer ID from the Acreto Web Portal.
Peer Identification: Choose None.
Show Advanced Phase 1 Options: Select to show the following options.
IKE Crypto Profile: Choose the IKE crypto profile you created in the previous step. In this case, it's acreto-ike-crypto.
Enable Passive Mode: Deselect.
Enable NAT Traversal: Select.
Liveness Check: Deselect.
Below are reference snapshots of the IKE gateway configurations.
Click OK to save configurations.
Note: To view the Acreto Web Portal information, complete the following steps:
Navigate to the gateway you want to connect to and click the Information sign on the right.
A new window will appear. Click on “VPN Parameters” to expand the details:
From here you can view the Pre-Shared Key, Gateway Address and Peer ID.
These parameters will be used for Task #7.
Task 8: Creating the IPSec Crypto Profile
Create an IPSec crypto profile that specifies the security parameters for the IKE phase 2 negotiations.
To create an IPSec crypto profile:
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Network.
Expand Network Profiles.
Click IPSec Crypto.
Click Add to create a IPSec crypto profile.
In the IPSec Crypto Profile window, complete the following:
Name: Enter a name for the IPSec crypto profile, such as acreto-ipsec-crypto.
IPSec Protocol: Ensure ESP is chosen.
Encryption: Click Add and choose aes-256-gcm to encrypt the traffic.
Authentication: Click Add and choose sha256.
DH Group: Ensure group20 is chosen.
Lifetime: Set it to 1 Hour.
Lifesize: Set the lifesize according to your incoming traffic volume (optional).
Reference snapshot of IPsec crypto profile.
Click OK to save configurations.
Task 9: Creating the IPSec VPN Tunnels
Configure the IPSec VPN Tunnel using the Acreto Gateway Address. In this case, 104.193.146.132
To create the IPSec VPN tunnel:
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Network -> IPSec Tunnels.
Click Add to create a new IPSec tunnel.
In the IPSec Tunnel window under the General tab, complete the
following:
Name: Enter a name for the tunnel, such as Acreto-IPsec-Tunnel.
Tunnel Interface: Choose the tunnel interface you created in Configuring the Tunnel Interfaces. In this case, it's tunnel.1.
Type: Ensure Auto Key is chosen.
IKE Gateway: Choose the primary IKE gateway you created in Creating the IKE Gateway section. In this case, it's Acreto-IPsec.
IPSec Crypto Profile: Choose the IPSec crypto profile you created in Creating the IPSec Crypto Profile. In this case, it's acreto-ipsec-crypto.
Show Advanced Options: Select to show the following options.
Enable Replay Protection: Select.
Copy TOS Header: Deselect.
In the Proxy IDs tab, click Add and complete the following:
Proxy ID: Enter a name for the proxy.
Local: Enter the local IP address 0.0.0.0/0.
Remote: Enter the remote IP address 0.0.0.0/0.
Protocol: Ensure Any is chosen.
Click OK to save the proxy ID.
Click OK again to save the IPSec tunnel configurations.
Reference configuration for the IPSec Tunnel is described in the snapshots below:
Click Commit to apply configurations on PAN.
Task 10: Defining the Policy-Based Forwarding Rule
Defining two policy-based forwarding rules to route the traffic from the Palo Alto Network appliance into the tunnel.
To define the primary policy-based forwarding rule:
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Policies -> Policy-Based Forwarding.
Click Add to create a new rule.
In the General tab, complete the following:
Name: Enter a name for the policy, such as
pbf-ipsec-acreto.
Description: Enter a description (optional).
Tags: Choose a tag (optional).
Reference configurations are described in the image below:
In the Source tab, choose Type Zone. Under Zone, click Add and choose trust. Reference configurations of the Source tab are below:
In the Destination/Application/Service tab, complete the following:
Destination Address: Ensure Any is selected.
Applications: Ensure Any is selected.
Service: Ensure Any is selected.
Reference configurations of this tab are described in the image below:
In the Forwarding tab, complete the following:
Action: Choose Forward.
Egress Interface: Choose the primary tunnel interface you created in task 5. Configuring the Tunnel Interfaces. In
this case, it's tunnel.1.
Next Hop: Leave this field blank.
Monitor: Deselect.
Enforce Symmetric Return: Deselect.
Schedule: Choose None.
Reference configurations for this tab are described in the image below:
Click OK to save the configurations.
Commit the changes in PAN.
Task 11: IPSec Tunnel Status
Once completing the above step, the IPsec tunnel will be established between PAN
and the Acreto IPsec Gateway. To check the status of the tunnel, navigate to
Network → IPSec Tunnels and view the tunnel status. A green
color status signifies that the tunnel is established correctly.
Task 12: Configure Routing on PAN
To validate the network traffic going from PAN to the Acreto IPsec gateway,
routes must be configured in the virtual router in PAN. Execute
the following steps to configure the routes:
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Networks -> Virtual Routers.
Click on the router that was created in the previous task, in this case vrouter.
From the left panel, select Static Routes.
Click Add to add a new route.
Configure the route fields according to the details below:
Name: test-ipsec-pan.
Destination: 8.8.8.8/32.
Interface: tunnel.1.
Next Hop: None.
Admin Distance:
Metric: 10.
Route Table: Unicast.
BFD Profile: Disable BFD.
Path Monitoring: Deselect.
Reference configurations of this route are described in the image below:
Click OK to save the configurations.
Click Commit to apply the configurations.
Task 13: Defining the Security Policy
Defining the Security Policy to allow the traffic from the Palo Alto Network to outside.
To define the Security Policy rule:
In the Palo Alto Networks web interface, go to Policies -> Security.
Click Add to create a new rule.
In the General tab, complete the following:
Name: Acreto_PAN_Security_policy
Rule Type: Interzone.
In the Source tab, complete the following:
SOURCE ZONE: trust
In the Destination tab, complete the following:
DESTINATION ZONE: any
In the Actions tab, complete the following:
Action: Allow
Click OK to save the configurations.
Click Commit to apply the configurations.
Task 14: Verifying the Connectivity
In this section, the connectivity between PAN and Acreto gateway will be
verified.
SSH to the PAN device.
Run the following command below:
ping source <tunnel.1 IP address> host 8.8.8.8
The ping should work with a sample output like below:
PING 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8) from 10.1.203.93 : 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp\_seq=1 ttl=116 time=7.98 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp\_seq=2 ttl=116 time=4.76 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp\_seq=3 ttl=116 time=4.24 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp\_seq=4 ttl=116 time=4.90 ms
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp\_seq=5 ttl=116 time=4.99 ms
You should be able to see these traffic logs in the Acreto Reports dashboard. Navigate to the Ecosystem and from the left panel, select
Reports. Below is a sample of the reports from the Acreto Web Portal:
Pfsense Ipsec with Acreto
Overview
This article will help you connect and secure your pfSense installation with Acreto Ecosystem.
Firstly, you will need to create a new Gateway device in the Acreto platform. Instructions on how to create a new Gateway are available here.
Name: IPsec connection name must meet the exact requirements as the Strongswan connection name (letters and numbers only).
Category: IoT
Type: IPsec
Allow connection from: Empty (describes the source IP address where the IPsec connection will be permitted).
Local Networks: any local network addresses that will be routed through this gateway.
Info
To simplify testing, add the IP addresses of all interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32 prefix for public interface). This will allow you to test connectivity from the gateway through Acreto by using Ping, Traceroute, or similar tools.
How-To
Task 1: Read IPsec Gateway Values Required for IPsec Configuration
To proceed with the pfSense configuration, you will need a few values from an existing committed Acreto Gateway:
Gateway Address
Pre-Shared Key
Recommended Ciphers
All of these may be found within the Gateway details panel - view the below animation for further instruction.
Task 2: Configure IPsec on pfSense
Log in to your pfSense panel.
Go to VPN > IPsec. Click on Add P1 to configure the Phase 1 settings.
In the following window, configure VPN Phase1 settings as below:
General Information:
IKE Exchange Version: IKEV2
Internet Protocol: IPv4
Interface: WAN
Remote Gateway: Acreto Peer IP
Description: AcretoVPN
Phase 1 Proposal (Authentication)
Authentication Method: Mutual PSK
My Identifier: select Distinguished Name and use Peer ID in the value field.
Pre-Shared Key: PSK
Phase 1 Proposal (Encryption Algorithm)
Encryption Algorithm: AES 128 SHA256 15(3072)
Expiration and Replacement
Lifetime: 10800
Advanced Options
Dead Peer Detection: Enable
Delay: 30
Max Failures: 5
Click Save to save the configuration.
Click on Show Phase 2 Entries and Click on Add P2.
In the next window, configure the Phase 2 setting as below:
General Information:
Mode: Tunnel IPv4
Local Network: Select Network and enter local network address 192.168.252.0/24
Remote Network: Select Network and enter 0.0.0.0/0
Description: AcretoVPN_P2
Phase 2 Proposal (SA/Key Exchange)
Protocol: ESP
Encryption Algorithm: AES 128
Hash Algorithm: SHA256
PFS key group: 15 (3072)
Expiration and Replacement
Lifetime: 3600 `
Click on Save.
Click on Apply Changes to save the configuration.
Task 3. Configure Policy to allow traffic from LAN to VPN
Go to Firewall > Rules and select LAN
Click on Add button to add a new rule.
In the next window, configure policy as below:
Edit Firewall Rules
Action: Pass
Interface: LAN
Address Family: IPv4
Protocol: Any
Source
Source: Select Network and enter local lan address i.e., 192.168.252.0/24
Destination
Destination: Any
Click on Save
Click on Apply Changes to save the configuration.
Task 4. Disable NAT for traffic over VPN
Go to Firewall > NAT.
Select Outbound, and in the Mapping section click on the Add button.
In the next window, configure the rule as below:
Edit Advanced Outbound NAT Entry
Do not NAT: Enable
Interface: IPsec
Address Family: IPv4
Protocol: Any
Source: Select Network and enter local lan address i.e., 192.168.252.0/24
Destination: Any
Click on Save
Click on Apply Changes to save the NAT rule.
In the same window, select mode Hybrid Outbound NAT rule generation. (Automatic Outbound NAT + rules below) in Outbound NAT Mode.
Click on Apply Changes to save settings.
Task 5. Verify Tunnel Status
Go to Status > IPsec.
The following window will show the status of the VPN as below. Click on Connect VPN if the tunnel is down.
Task 6. Check the connectivity using the LAN interface
Go to Diagnostics » Ping.
In the next windows, check ping as below:
Hostname: 8.8.8.8
Source address: LAN
Ping should be successful, and logs on the Wedge dashboard should show the same record.
Task 7. Optional: Configure the local source and destination to bypass from IPsec
Go to VPN > IPsec and click on Advanced Setting.
In IPsec bypass rules, enter the source and destinations of your local traffic, which doesn’t need to go through Acreto VPN.
Summary
Once the VPN connection is successfully established, all the internet traffic will be routed through the Acreto.
Sonicwall 6.5 IPsec Configuration
Overview
In this article, you will learn how to connect your Sonicwall to the Acreto Ecosystem. To make it possible and secure, we will use the IPSec VPN connection.
Create a new Gateway device in the Acreto platform. Instructions on how to create a new Gateway are available here.
Type: IPsec
Category: Data Center
Model: AWS site-to-site VPN
Connections from: Public IP
Local network: local_network
Save and Commit the changes
Info
To simplify testing, add the IP addresses of all interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (use /32 prefix for public interface). This allows testing connectivity from the gateway through Acreto by using Ping, Traceroute, or similar tools.
How-To
Task 1: Read IPsec Gateway Values Required for IPsec Configuration
To proceed with the Sonicwall configuration, you will need a few values from an existing committed Acreto Gateway:
Gateway Address
Pre-Shared Key
Recommended Ciphers
All the details may be found within the Gateway details panel - please check the video below for further instructions.
Task 2: Configure IPsec VPN on Sonicwall
To configure the IPsec VPN using tunnel interface, proceed with the following steps:
Goto MANAGE » VPN » Base Settings.
Under the VPN Policies click the ADD button
Under the General tab, enter the following values:
Security Policy
Policy Type: Tunnel Interface
Authentication Method: IKE using Preshared Secret
Name: Acreto
IPsec Primary Gateway Name or Address: <Wedge_Tunnel_IP>
IKE Authentication
Shared Secret:
Confirm Shared Secret:
Local IKE ID: IPv4 Address: wedge_tunnel_IP
Peer IKE ID: IPv4 Address: Local Public IP
Goto Proposals
IKE (Phase 1) Proposal
Exchange: IKEv2 Mode
DH Group: Group 2
Encryption: AES-256
Authentication: SHA256
Life Time (seconds): 10800
IPsec (Phase 2) Proposal
Protocol: ESP
Encryption: AES-256
Authentication: SHA256
Enable Perfect Forward Secrecy: Yes
DH Group: Group 14
Life Time (seconds): 3600
Advanced Settings
Enable Keep Alive: Enable
Click the OK button.
Task 3: Create a new tunnel interface
Next, we will create the tunnel interface that will be used to route the traffic.
Goto MANAGE » Network » Interfaces
In the middle of the screen, for the field Add Interface, select VPN Tunnel Interface.
Create a new interface with the following values:
VPN Policy: Acreto
Name: vdi_Acreto
IP Address: <any random IP as 2.2.2.2>
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.255
Click the OK button.
Task 4: Configure Routing
To allow the traffic from the LAN subnet to route through the tunnel interface, perform the following steps:
Goto MANAGE » Network » Routing
Under the tab Route Policies, click the Add button
Create a new rule with the following values under General:
Route Policy Settings
Name: Lan_to_Acreto
Source: <lan_subnets>
Destination: Any
Service: Any
Interface: <tunnel_interface>
Click the OK button
Task 5: Configure Access Rules
Verify existing or create a new access rule to allow the desired traffic
Goto MANAGE » Rules » Access Rules
Click the Add button
Under General, provide the following values:
Name: To_Acreto
Action: Allow
From: <Lan_interface>
To: <tunnel_interface>
Source Port: Any
Service: Any
Source: <lan_subnet>
Destination: Any
Click the OK button
Task 6: Verify the connection
Once the tunnel connection is successfully established, its status will change to UP.
To verify the status on Sonicwall, navigate to goto MANAGE » VPN » Base Settings
VPN Policies
The status of the VPN policy should be Green.
Currently Active VPN Tunnels
The active VPN tunnel will be shown in the list.
Execute tracert 1.1.1.1 (or traceroute 1.1.1.1) on internal server check the route to external host 1.1.1.1. It should show Acreto’s IP in the path.
Summary
Once the VPN connection is successfully established, all the internal traffic to the internet will be routed through Acreto.
Sonicwall 7.0 IPsec Configuration
Overview
In this article, you will learn how to connect your Sonicwall to the Acreto Ecosystem. To make it possible and secure, we will use the IPSec VPN connection.
Create a new Gateway device in the Acreto platform. Instructions on how to create a new Gateway are available here.
Type: IPsec
Category: Data Center
Model: AWS site-to-site VPN
Connections from: Public IP
Local network: local_network
Save and Commit the changes
Info
To simplify testing, add the IP addresses of all interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (use /32 prefix for public interface). This allows testing connectivity from the gateway through Acreto by using Ping, Traceroute, or similar tools.
How-To
Task 1: Read IPsec Gateway Values Required for IPsec Configuration
To proceed with the Sonicwall configuration, you will need a few values from an existing committed Acreto Gateway:
Gateway Address
Pre-Shared Key
Recommended Ciphers
All the details may be found within the Gateway details panel - please check the video below for further instructions.
Task 2: Configure IPsec VPN on Sonicwall
To configure the IPsec VPN using tunnel interface, proceed with the following steps:
Goto NETWORK » IPsec VPN » Rules and Settings.
Click the ADD button.
Under the General tab, enter the following values:
Security Policy
Policy Type: Tunnel Interface
Authentication Method: IKE using Preshared Secret
Name: Acreto
IPsec Primary Gateway Name or Address: <Wedge_Tunnel_IP>
IKE Authentication
Shared Secret: PSK
Confirm Shared Secret: PSK
Local IKE ID: IPv4 Address: Wedge_tunnel_IP
Peer IKE ID: IPv4 Address: Local Public IP
Goto Proposals
IKE (Phase 1) Proposal
Exchange: IKEv2 Mode
DH Group: Group 2
Encryption: AES-256
Authentication: SHA256
Life Time (seconds): 10800
IPsec (Phase 2) Proposal
Protocol: ESP
Encryption: AES-256
Authentication: SHA256
Enable Perfect Forward Secrecy: Yes
DH Group: Group 14
Life Time (seconds): 3600
Advanced Settings
Enable Keep Alive: Enable
Click the OK button.
Task 3: Create a new tunnel interface
Next, we will create the tunnel interface that will be used to route the traffic.
Goto NETWORK » System » Interfaces.
Click the Add Interface button and select VPN Tunnel Interface
Create a new interface with the following values:
VPN Policy: Acreto
Name: vti_Acreto
IP Address: <any random IP as 2.2.2.2>
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.254
Click the OK button.
Task 4: Configure Routing
To allow the traffic from the LAN subnet to route through the tunnel interface, perform the following steps:
Goto POLICY » Rules and Policies » Route Policy
Create a new rule with the following values under General tab:
Name: Lan_to_Acreto
Source: <lan_subnets>
Destination: Any
Select Service radio button
Service: Any
Click Next Hop tab and give the following values :
Select Standard Route radio button
Interface: <tunnel_interface>
Click the SAVE button
Task 5: Configure Security Policy
Verify existing or create a new access rule to allow the desired traffic
Goto POLICY » Rules and Policies » Security Policy
Click the Add button
Under General, provide the following values:
Name: To_Acreto
Action: Allow
From: <Lan_interface>
To: <tunnel_interface>
Source Port: Any
Service: Any
Source: <lan_subnet>
Destination: Any
Click the OK button
Task 6: Verify the connection
Once the tunnel connection is successfully established, its status will change to UP.
To verify the status on Sonicwall, navigate to goto NETWORK » IPsec VPN » Rules and Settings » Active Tunnels tab.
The status of the VPN policy should be Green.
Currently Active VPN Tunnels
The active VPN tunnel will be shown in the list.
Execute tracert 1.1.1.1 (or traceroute 1.1.1.1) on internal server check the route to external host 1.1.1.1. It should show Acreto’s IP in the path.
Summary
Once the VPN connection is successfully established, all the internal traffic to the internet will be routed through Acreto.
Sophos Ipsec with Acreto
Overview
This article will help you connect your Sophos XG with Acreto Ecosystem through the IPsec tunnel.
Firstly, you will need to create a new Gateway device in the Acreto platform. Instructions on how to create a new Gateway are available here.
Name: IPsec connection name must meet the same requirements as the Strongswan connection name (letters and numbers only).
Category: IoT
Type: IPsec
Allow connection from: Empty (describes the source IP address where the IPsec connection will be permitted).
Local Networks: any local network addresses that will be routed through this gateway.
Info
To simplify testing, add the IP addresses of all interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32 prefix for public interface). This will allow you to test connectivity from the gateway through Acreto by using Ping, Traceroute, or similar tools.
How-To
Task 1: Read IPsec Gateway Values Required for IPsec Configuration
To proceed with the Sophos configuration, you will need a few values from an existing committed Acreto Gateway:
Gateway Address
Pre-Shared Key
Recommended Ciphers
All of these may be found within the Gateway details panel - view the below animation for further instruction.
Task 2: To configure IPsec VPN on Sophos
Configure Acreto policy
Log in to the Sophos Firewall panel as a user with an administrator role.
From the left side navigation, choose Configure > VPN (1).
Move to the IPsec policies tab (2) and click on the Add button (3) to create a new policy.
Fill the creation form with the following values:
General Settings
Name: Acreto_ipsec
Key exchange: ikev2
Phase1
Key life: 10800
DH group (key group): 14,16,20
Encryption - Authentication:
AES256 -SHA2 256
AES128 - SHA2 256
AES256 - SHA2 512
Phase2
PFS group (DH group): Same as phase1
Key life: 3600
Encryption - Authentication:
AES256 -SHA2 256
AES128 - SHA2 256
AES256 - SHA2 512
Dead Peer Detection
Dead Peer Detection: enable
Click on the Save button to create the policy.
Configure IPSec VPN
Goto VPN from left side navigator
Select tab IPsec connections and click Add button
Configure VPN with the following setting:
General Settings
Name: Acreto
IP version: IPv4
Connection type: Tunnel interface
Gateway type: Initiate the connection
Activate on Save: enable
Encryption
Policy: Acreto_ipsec
Authentication type: Preshared key
Preshared key: key (copied from Wedge)
Repeat preshared key: key (copied from Wedge).
Gateway settings
Local gateway
Listening interface: wan_ip
Local ID type: DNS
Local ID: peer_id (copied from Wedge)
Remote gateway
Gateway address: acreto_gateway (copied from Wedge)
Remote ID type: IP address
Remote ID: acreto_gateway (copied from Wedge)
Click Save.
Upon saving, the tunnel will try to establish a connection with Acreto, and upon successful connection, the tunnel will come up.
Task 3: Configure IP on the new tunnel interface
Goto Network from left side navigator
Select tab Network
Click the blue bar on the wan interface. It will unfold the new VPN tunnel interface formed
Click the tunnel interface and add some random IP
IPv4/netmask - 2.2.2.2 /32
Click Save.
Task 4: Configure Routing
Goto Routing from the left side navigator
Select tab Static Routing
Click Add button to configure the following routes
Direct route to Acreto gateway to establish the connection
Destination IP/Netmask : acreto_gateway_ip /32 (copied from wedge)
Gateway: ISP_gateway
Interface: wan
Distance: 0
Default route to through the tunnel
Destination IP/Netamsk: 0.0.0.0 /0
Gateway: blank
Interface: tunnel_inetrface
Distance: 10
Task 5: Configure Security Rules
Goto Rules and policies from left side navigator
Select tab Firewall rules and click Add firewall rule to add a new firewall rule
Create the firewall rule with values as below
Rule name: to_acreto
Action: Accept
Source Zone: LAN
Source network and devices: Any
During Scheduled time: All the time
Destination zones: Any
Destination network: Any
Services: Any
Task 6: Verify the connection
Verify the connection is going through Acreto.
From any server in the internal subnet, do traceroute or mtr and verify if traffic is going through Acreto.
Summary
Once the VPN connection is successfully established, all the internal traffic to the internet will be routed through Acreto.
Forticloud management connection was lost after connecting to Acreto.
Description
When FortiGate is set up to route all traffic through Acreto, it may lose connection with FortiGuard/FortiCloud management servers.
Reason
When the default route is set towards Acreto, FortiGate sends all the FortiCloud connections through Acreto. However, while sending these requests, FortiGate uses its WAN IP as the source of the connection, which may not be allowed in Acreto EcoSystem.
To fix the issue, apply the solutions listed below:
Solution: Changes in FortiGate ( from the Customer side)
Alternatively, this issue can be resolved at the Customer location by setting Fortigate’s LAN IP as the source address for Fortiguard by following the steps below :
Login to Fortigate Dashboard
Goto Network > Interfaces > select the LAN interface
Copy the IP address of the LAN interface of FortiGate (Gateway IP for the LAN network)
Login to CLI of FortiGate.
Run the following commands:
config system fortiguard
set source-ip <ip_address_lan_interface>
end
Any one of the above solutions will restore the connection with FortiCloud.
Ubiquiti Unifi IPsec Configuration
Overview
In this article, you will learn how to connect to the Acreto ecosystem with your Unifi USG/Edgerouter using IPSec VPN.
Firstly, you will need to create a new Gateway device in the Acreto platform. Instructions on how to create a new Gateway are available here.
If you already have one, make sure that it’s IPsec type and jump to How-to.
Name: IPsec connection name must meet the same requirements as the Strongswan connection name (letters and numbers only).
Category: IoT
Type: IPsec
Allow connection from: Empty (describes the source IP address where the IPsec connection will be permitted).
Local Networks: any local network addresses that will be routed through this gateway.
Info
To simplify testing, add the IP addresses of all interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32
prefix for public interface). This will allow you to test connectivity from the gateway through Acreto by using Ping, Traceroute, or similar
tools.
Step 2: Read the IPsec Gateway Values Required for Ubiquiti Configuration from Acreto Ecosystem
To proceed with the Ubiquiti configuration, you will need a few values from an existing committed Acreto Gateway:
Gateway Address
Pre-Shared Key
Recommended Ciphers
Peer ID
All of these may be found within the Gateway details panel - view the below animation for further instruction.
Step 3: Configure VPN settings on Ubiquiti
Login into Ubiquiti and enter Configuration mode
configure
Enable the auto-firewall-nat-exclude feature which automatically creates the IPsec firewall/NAT policies in the iptables firewall.
set vpn ipsec auto-firewall-nat-exclude enable.
Create the IKE / Phase 1 (P1) Security Associations (SAs) by providing the following values
set vpn ipsec esp-group AcretoGate lifetime 3600set vpn ipsec esp-group AcretoGate proposal 1 encryption aes256
set vpn ipsec esp-group AcretoGate proposal 1hash sha256
set vpn ipsec esp-group AcretoGate compression disable
Execute the below command using values from previous steps:
Configure the below steps with values for Gateway address, Preshared key and Peer Id collected in Step 1.
GATEWAY_ADDRESS - available in step 1, number 1 on screen.
PRE-SHARED KEY - available in step 1, number 2 on screen.
PEER ID - available in step 1, number 4 on screen.
set vpn ipsec site-to-site peer GATEWAY_IP_ADDRESS authentication mode pre-shared-secret
set vpn ipsec site-to-site peer GATEWAY_IP_ADDRESS authentication pre-shared-secret PRE-SHARED_KEY
set vpn ipsec site-to-site peer GATEWAY_IP_ADDRESS description ipsec
set vpn ipsec site-to-site peer GATEWAY_IP_ADDRESS authentication id PEER_ID
Copy the WAN IP and router address from the Ubiquiti gateway device
Use the above WAN IP and conFigure the Peer with the below commands
set vpn ipsec site-to-site peer GATEWAY_IP_ADDRESS local-address LOCAL_WAN_INTERFACE
Link the SAs created in the above steps to the remote peer and bind the VPN to a virtual tunnel interface (vti0).
set vpn ipsec site-to-site peer GATEWAY_IP_ADDRESS ike-group AcretoGate
set vpn ipsec site-to-site peer GATEWAY_IP_ADDRESS vti bind vti0
set vpn ipsec site-to-site peer GATEWAY_IP_ADDRESS vti esp-group AcretoGate
Configure a static route to route gateway address to the internet directly. Use router address copied from step 6.
set protocols static route GATEWAY_IP_ADDRESS next-hop ROUTER_IP_ADDRESS
Configure default static route to send all traffic to Acreto VPN.
set protocols static interface-route 0.0.0.0/0 next-hop-interface vti0
Commit the changes and save the configuration.
commit ; save
Summary
Once the VPN connection is successfully established, all the internet traffic will be routed through Acreto.
Watchguard IPsec Configuration
Overview
This article will show you how to configure the Watchguard to connect to the Acreto Ecosystem. This configuration will be made by using IPsec VPN.
Firstly, you will need to create a new Gateway device in the Acreto
platform. Instructions on how to create a new Gateway are available
here.
Name: IPsec connection name must meet the same requirements as
the Strongswan connection name (letters and numbers only).
Category: IoT
Type: IPsec
Allow connection from: Empty (describes the source IP address
where the IPsec connection will be permitted).
Local Networks: any local network addresses that will be routed
through this gateway.
Info
To simplify testing, add the IP addresses of all
interfaces connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32
prefix for public interface). This will allow you to test connectivity
from the gateway, or similar
tools.
Step 2: Read the Values from Acreto Gateway
To proceed with the Watchguard configuration, you will need a few values
from an existing committed Acreto Gateway:
Gateway Address
Pre-Shared Key
Peer ID
Recommended Ciphers
All of these may be found within the Gateway details panel - view the
below animation for further instruction.
Step 3: Configure VPN settings on Watchguard
Create Phase 2 proposal - Navigate to VPN > Phase 2 Proposals and click ADD button
Create Phase 2 with the following values and SAVE
Name: Acreto
Description: Acreto phase2 selectors
Type: ESP
Authentication: SHA-512
Encryption: AES(128-bit)
Time: 1 hour
To set up IPsec VPN navigate to VPN > BOVPN Virtual Interfaces and click ADD from the right pane
Select Remote Endpoint Type as Cloud VPN or Third-Party Gateway
Provide the Preshared key copied from the Wedge dashboard in Step 1 and click ADD button to configure Gateway Endpoint
Configure Local gateway - Select Interface By Domain Name and provide the Peer ID copied from Wedge dashboard in Step 1.
Configure Remote gateway with values copied in Step 1 and click OK
Static IP Address : Wedge_gateway
By IP Address: Wedge_gateway
Click Phase 1 Settings tab
the following values
Version: IKEv2
Keep-alive interval: 540 seconds
Traffic-idle timeout: 30 seconds
Select the Phase 1 Transform set in Transform Settings and click EDIT. Set the following values and click OK.
Authentication: SHA2-512
Encryption: AES(28-bit)
SA Life: 3 hours
Key Group: Diffie-Hellman Group 15
Click Phase 2 Settings and configure Phase 2 with values as below
Enable Perfect Forward Secrecy: Diffie-Hellman Group 15
Select Acreto from Phase 2 proposal and ADD and SAVE.
Verify the tunnel status - Navigate to SYSTEM STATUS > VPN Statistics > Branch Office VPN and click IKEv2 Virtual Interface. If the VPN is successfully established, the statistics related to VPN will be displayed.
Summary
Once the VPN connection is successfully established, all the internet traffic will be routed through Acreto.
WireGuard - Administrator Guide
About WireGuard
WireGuard is a modern VPN protocol that aims to be faster, more secure, and more useful than older solutions like OpenVPN or IPsec.
How To
Prerequisites
To connect to the Ecosystem using WireGuard, you will need:
From the left menu choose Objects > Gateways and search for previously created Wireguard Gateway.
Click on the name of created Gateway object to see its details.
Click Generate new private and public key and confirm with yes
Click on “Download configuration” (1) button, and then on Apply your changes link (2)
Open the WireGuard and import the new tunnel from the downloaded configuration file - right click on tunnel list and choose the Import tunnel(s) from file (Crtl+O).
In the WireGuard Client select and activate the tunnel. You should see the Peer section containing the server address and connection details.
At this point, the machine is connected to Acreto Ecosystem by the WireGuard gateway. You may confirm that by checking logs available in Acreto Portal > Logs > Gateways.
WireGuard is a modern VPN protocol that is designed to provide superior speed, security, and efficiency compared to older solutions like OpenVPN or IPsec.
Note that setting up WireGuard on Linux involves additional steps compared to Windows or macOS. Configuration files generated by Wedge require some modification before they can be used effectively.
Configuration on Linux
Check Available Interfaces:
Open the terminal and type ip a to list all available network interfaces. Note the IP address of the interface used for the internet connection. In the example below, it is 10.0.2.15/24.
Install WireGuard Client:
Use the package manager to install the WireGuard client:
From the left menu, select Objects > Gateways, and locate the previously created WireGuard Gateway.
Click the gear icon to edit the gateway settings.
Ensure the following settings are configured correctly:
WireGuard Client Local IP address: Set this to the IP address of the Ubuntu machine (e.g., 10.0.2.15/24).
Local Networks: Set this to a subnet mask that includes the IP address from the previous step (e.g., 10.0.2.0/24).
Save the changes and commit them to the Ecosystem.
Generate Keys and Download Configuration:
Click on the Gateway name to access the details screen.
Click Generate new private and public key and confirm.
Click the “Download configuration” button and then apply the configuration changes to the Ecosystem.
Transfer the Configuration File:
Transfer the downloaded configuration file to your Ubuntu machine.
Rename and Move the Configuration File:
In the terminal, rename the file and move it to the WireGuard directory:
sudo mv ./path-to-file/downloaded-file.conf /etc/wireguard/wg0.conf
Edit the Configuration File:
Open the configuration file using nano: sudo nano /etc/wireguard/wg0.conf.
Modify the following fields:
AllowedIPs: Set to 0.0.0.0/0.
Address: Remove this line and its associated value.
Save and close the file.
Start the WireGuard Connection:
Use wg-quick to start the connection:
sudo wg-quick up wg0
Check Interface Status:
Verify the interface status by running: sudo wg.
Enable Autostart:
Enable WireGuard to start automatically upon system boot:
sudo systemctl enable wg-quick@wg0
Disconnect:
To disconnect the VPN, type: sudo wg-quick down wg0
Upon completing these steps, your machine will be connected to the Acreto Ecosystem via the WireGuard gateway. You can verify the connection status by checking the logs available in the Acreto Portal > Logs > Gateways.
In this example, our target is to connect the existing virtual server to Acreto Ecosystem. The selected server works as a Virtual Machine based on Windows Server 2019 Hyper-V. In the same data center/cloud exist also other servers connected to different internal LANs but using the same Internet Router. The existing configuration was presented in the below diagram.
To connect the selected server to Acreto Ecosystem we will use the vGateway - a small virtual machine-generated by Acreto Wedge. This machine will be installed on the same host that other virtual machines in Data Center and connected to the same internal network. Also, network routing will be changed to redirect “external traffic” from/to the selected server thru Acreto vGateway.
The step-by-step procedure will be described in the below article.
Select your ecosystem and go to Objects (1) using the left menu.
Click Add new Object(2) and select the Gateway Option.
Fill at least:
Name: - the name of the created gateway. Needs to be compatible with Strongswan connection name requirements (basically, only letters and numbers). In this example- s01gateway
Category: IoT
Switch Gateway type to vGateway and set the specific setting for vGateway:
DHCP/Static: - select the method of assigning addresses on the network> In this example - Static
vGateway Internet IP - IP address with a netmask of internet-facing (WAN) interface. In this example: 198.51.100.2/24
vGateway Default Route - IP address of your Internet gateway/router that allows access to the Internet, for example 1.2.3.1. In this example 198.51.100.1
vGateway Local IP: - address of local (LAN) interface of your device. In this example 192.168.1.2/32
Local Networks: - your local network addresses that should be routed through this gateway.
In this example fill only the left field in the row: 192.168.1.12/32.
Save the created Gateway by pressing Add.
Add security policy that will allow communication from the Gateway device to the Internet:
From the left menu choose the Policies option (1), then click on the + Add New Policy button (2).
Fill the form with values similar to that from the screen.
Save the new policy by clicking on the Add button.
Commit pending changes (top of the screen)
Go to Elements > Objects > Gateways menu position.
On the list of existing gateways choose this created in the previous step, click on its name.
Choose VM and Cloud Images to expand the available option for download virtual images.
Click on Play for Microsoft Hyper-V .vhdx vGateway Image option. Generation of image for you Gateway may take a while, please be patient.
When the image will be ready you may download it or copy the URL - save it on your Windows Server machine.
vGateway image installation
Adding the Hyper-V role to your Windows Server
Hyper-V feature is disabled by default in Windows Server. If you are sure that this option is already turned on on your machine you may skip this step.
To turn on Hyper-V on Windows Server:
Log in to your Windows Server.
Open the Server Manager Panel.
Choose Add roles and features
Choose Role-based or feature-based installation and click on the Next button.
Choose Select a server from the server pool and mark one on the list of available servers.
On the list of the available roles search for Hyper-V, check this option and click on the Next button. If this option is already checked there’s no need to activate the Hyper-V option.
On Hyper-V Virtual Switches screen choose the proper switch for your network configuration.
Go thru the rest of the configuration screens.
Restart the machine to finish Hyper-V Installation.
After reset you should see Hyper-V in Roles and server groups.
Install vGateway image
Open Hyper-V Manager and select the New option to create a new virtual machine.
On the Specify name and location screen call your new VM vGateway.
On the Specify generation screen choose Generation 1
On the Configure network screen connect VM to the proper interface.
On the Connect Virtual Hard Disc screen choose Use an existing hard disk and select downloaded vGatway image.
Go thru the rest of the configuration steps and run the VM.
Once the VM is up and running, you should be able to SSH to it with password authentication as:
login: acreto
password: acreto.io
Change your password after the first login
Connectivity check
Test the network connectivity
IPsec status showing the tunnel status
ipsec statusall
Traceroute to check if the traffic goes through Acreto Ecosystem
traceroute 8.8.8.8
More information about checking the connectivity can be found under Connectivity Check the article where a dedicated tool is available.
Summary
Thanks to the Hyper-v technology you were able to install Acreto vGateway in just a few steps. Users can connect to an Acreto Ecosystem with the same credentials utilized for other internal resources on their network domain.
Also, Acreto Ecosystem Admin(s) can re-use any existing password and security policies that are already in place. For example, the Active Directory may already have account lockout and password expiration policies.
Introduction to vGateway
Overview
In this document, you’ll become familiar with the concepts and basic features of Acreto vGateway.
Functionality
Acreto vGateway is a software appliance that allows simple connectivity between branch offices, on-premise data centers, cloud platforms, and Acreto.
vGateway uses 2 network interfaces:
WAN (usually the first interface on the device / VM) - used to communicate with the Internet.
LAN (usually the second interface on the device / VM) - used to communicate with the local network.
vGateway acts as a gateway, allowing bidirectional communication between Acreto and the local network using an IPsec connection.
Devices (workstations, VMs, servers, etc.) in the local network should use vGateway’s LAN IP address as their default gateway. vGateway forwards traffic coming to its LAN interface to Acreto, and then sends traffic received from Acreto to its local destination.
Requirements
Supported Platforms
Acreto vGateway is supported on the following platforms:
KVM (qcow2)
VMware ESXi (.vmdk)
VirtualBox (.vdi)
Microsoft Hyper-V (.vhdx)
Microsoft Azure (.vhd)
Raspberry Pi 3 and 4
Network Connectivity
vGateway LAN interface should be connected to the LAN network. All devices in the LAN network should use vGateway as a default gateway.
vGateway WAN interface should be connected to the internet router.
Firewall
Acreto vGateway communicates with Acreto using IPv4 and IPsec protocol. To allow networking connectivity, the firewall needs to allow communication on the following ports and protocols:
Acreto vGateway can be installed behind NAT. However, if you are installing more than one vGateway behind the same NAT device, each of them must get a different public IP address.
In addition, the NAT device should have IPsec Passthrough enabled.
Example
In a deployment involving two vGateway devices (192.0.2.10, 192.0.2.11), the NAT device needs to have at least two public IP addresses (198.51.100.10, 198.51.100.11) and define Source NAT rules to assign a different public IP address to each vGateway. In this case:
to vGateway 1 - 198.51.100.10
to vGateway 2 - 198.51.100.11
Specification
Base OS:
Raspberry Pi version: Ubuntu 20.04 (LTS)
Other platforms: Ubuntu 18.04.5 (LTS)
Disk size (raw): 5400 MB
Open ports:
TCP 22 (SSH)
UDP 500, UDP 4500 (ipsec)
Configuration
Web-based Configuration
The recommended way to configure Acreto vGateway is to modify configuration at https://wedge.acreto.net, and then generate and download a new image.
Manual Configuration
Acreto vGateway is a Linux-based solution. Administrators can connect and manage vGateways using SSH protocol and standard Linux tools. To get access credentials for your vGateway, please contact support.
Warning
vGateways with configuration modified by administrators might not be supported by Acreto.
The network configuration of Acreto vGateway is implemented using Netplan configuration files, placed in /etc/netplan. Refer to the Netplan website for more information.
IPsec connections are established using a Strongswan ipsec.conf configuration format, placed in /etc/ipsec.d/*.conf on the vGateway. The list of subnets that should be routed through Acreto is stored in /etc/ipsec.d/*.route files.
Acreto vGateway uses OpenSource software that is part of Ubuntu Linux.
You can find more licensing information on the Ubuntu website, at https://ubuntu.com/licensing.
Troubleshooting - Unsupported or invalid disk error in ESXi
Error Description
Failed to power on virtual machine XXXXXX . Unsupported or invalid disk type 23 for ‘scsi0:1’. Ensure that the disk has been imported.
Cause
This issue occurs if a virtual machine that is meant for VMware Hosted products such as VMware Workstation, VMware Player or VMware Fusion is powered-on on an ESX/ESXi host.
The underlying format used to store virtual machines on VMware Hosted products differs from the format used to store virtual machines on ESX/ESXi hosts.
Solution
The .vmdk file needs to be converted to the accepted the ESXi format using the steps below:
Upload the .vmdk file to datastore in ESXi
Connect to the ESX/ESXi host via SSH
Run the below commands to convert the file
cd vmfs
cd volumes
cd datastore1
vmkfstools -i xxxxxx.vmdk xxxx-New.vmdk
Result
After successful conversion new file will be generated.
vGateway image installation on Azure
Overview
This article shows how to setup vGateway on Azure to connect your
network to Acreto Ecosystem.
Create new Gateway
To set up the vGateway on Azure first it is needed to configure the
Gateway object.
Please follow the steps in Gateway creation guide with the vGateway as a type of a gateway.
Generate Azure .vhd type vGateway Image
To generate an Azure the image you need to:
In the Elements > Objects > Gateways menu click on the specified vGateway name - the details panel will appear.
On the right side of the gateway details panel click on VM and Cloud Images images to show a list of options to generate images.
Click the play icon next to the Microsoft Azure .vhd vGateway Image entry.
The generation of the image may take a while, please be patient.
When the image will be ready you may download it or copy the URL - save it on your PC.
Image installation
To install the generated vhd image on Azure we need to proceed with uploading the image to Azure according to official documentation.
Select your Ecosystem and go to Objects using the left-side menu.
Click Add new Object and select Gateway.
Fill in the following fields:
Name: the name of the gateway
Category: IoT
vGateway: select Gateway in the upper right corner
DHCP/Static: Select DHCP
vGateway Local IP: IP address of Raspberry Pi device in your LAN, i.e 192.168.200.1/24
Local Networks: your local network addresses that will be routed through this gateway
Save the created Gateway by pressing Add.
Add a security policy that will allow communication from the Gateway device to the Internet.
Commit pending changes (located at top of the screen).
Tip
To simplify testing, add the IP addresses of every interface connected to your gateway as Local Networks (you can use /32 prefix for public interface). This will allow testing connectivity from the gateway through Acreto using Ping, Traceroute, or similar tools.
Note
To successfully test your connectivity, you also need to create a security policy that will allow traffic to go through your device.
Generate Raspberry Pi vGateway Image
To proceed with this step, you should have at least one Gateway configured as vGateway in your Ecosystem. From the left-side menu, select Objects > Gateways to display the list of existing gateways.
To generate a Raspberry Pi configuration image, you must:
Click on the vGateway name on the vGateway panel. The details panel will then appear.
On the right side of the gateway details panel, click on SBC and IoT Images to view a list of image generation options.
Click the play icon for the right version of the device.
The generation of the image may take a while, please be patient.
When the image is ready, you may download it or copy the URL & save it on your PC.
Image Installation
Linux
To proceed with this step, you must have an image file generated by Acreto or a URL to the image for your vGateway.
To install the image, you must first proceed with flashing the SD card.
Download the write_image.sh script.
Click on the button and save the script in your home directory:
If Raspberry Pi Imager doesn’t start after installation, run it manually. You should see the window presented below:
Click on the Choose OS button and select the Use custom option.
Select a downloaded image using the explorer window.
Click on the Select Storage button and choose your SD Card.
Double-check the settings and if they’re OK, click on the Write button.
The writer will warn you about erasing the current content of the SD Card, click on the YES button to continue.
Now the Writing process will start, it may take a few minutes.
When writing ends, you should see the below information.
Once finished, take the SD card from your computer and plug it into your device.
Restart the Raspberry device and wait until it boots from the SD Card.
From the left menu choose the Logs > Gateways option.
As one of the last inputs, you should see information about the established connection from your Gateway.
More information about checking the connectivity can be found in the Connectivity Check article, where a dedicated tool is available.
List of Supported USB Ethernet Adapters to Use for LAN
By default, the Raspberry Pi has only one Ethernet adapter. But to connect your network, you’ll need an additional Ethernet adapter.
Acreto recommends using a USB Ethernet dongle facing the LAN network.
USB Ethernet Adapters Officially Supported by Acreto
TP-Link
TP-Link UE300 USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapter.
Works out of the box on Raspbian Wheezy on a Pi 2 Model B.
No external power source or USB hub needed.
Pi is powered by a 2.5 amp power supply.
Other Raspberry Pi Supported USB Ethernet Adapters
Other devices:
Warning!
Please note that this is a list of USB Ethernet adapters confirmed to work by the Raspberry Pi Community. None of the devices below were tested by Acreto.
ADMtek
ADM8511 Pegasus II Ethernet, full-speed, idVendor=07a6, idProduct=8511:
Works out of the box. No external power source needed.
AVM
FRITZ!Box WLAN 3030 USB Ethernet Adapter: Works out of the box.
No external power source needed.
ASUS
USB 2.0 to Fast Ethernet Adapter (ASIX AX88772B)
USB Ethernet Adapter: As distributed with Zenbook Ultrabooks.
Works out of the box.
No external power source needed.
Cable Matters
USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (ASIX AX88179) USB Ethernet Adapter.
NOTE: Since Raspbian 3.8.y kernel does not include a driver for this hardware, you must build a new kernel module from the source code provided by ASIX here.
Easy to follow instructions on how to download the kernel source code and symbol files can be found in the second posting here, including how to compile the module.
For Raspbian 3.9.+ the driver is already included in the distribution.
Wintech
USB 2.0 LanCard Model: LAU-15 (CK0049C) using the mcs7830 driver.
Probably needs more than 100 mA current. [1]
LogiLink
USB 2.0 UA0144: AX88772 chipset using the ASIX kernel driver.
Does not work without a powered USB hub. (idVendor=0b95, idProduct=772b)
LogiLink Fast EN USB 2.0 to RJ45 Adapter: Test on Wheezy-Raspian
(2012-08-16) without USB Hub will be confirmed
lsusb output: Bus 001 Device 004: ID 9710:7830 MosChip
Semiconductor MCS7830 10/100 Mbps Ethernet adapter
BE CAREFUL: There exists a copied Chinese version without the
Logilink logo using the Kontron DM9601-chip (see “Problem Ethernet
adapters” below). This only supports USB1.1 and isn’t well-supported in
Linux. If you get a model without the Logilink logo and the model number
JP1082, it’s a fake.
Apple
Apple USB Ethernet Adapter using ASIX kernel driver.
Works out of the box (driver present since kernel 2.6.32).
Doing OK using Apple USB charger and Pi’s own USB port.
USB register states that it draws max. 250 mA.
Belkin
USB 2.0 Ethernet Adapter (F4U047)
Works out of the box without any needed setup.
No powered USB hub needed, tested on Raspberry Pi A+.
Edimax
Edimax EU-4208 USB2.0 Fast Ethernet Adapter
(idVendor=0b95, idProduct=772b)
Works out of the box.
Requires own power supply (from powered USB hub).
Edimax EU-4230 USB2.0 Fast Ethernet Adapter with 3 port USB hub
Works out of the box.
Requires own power source.
D-Link
D-Link DUB-E100 Fast Ethernet USB 2.0 Adapter
Works out of the box.
Requires own power supply (from powered USB hub).
LinkSys
LinkSys - USB200M - Compact USB 2.0 10/100 Network Adapter
Raspbian recognizes it automatically.
Tested on a powered USB hub.
Linksys - USB300M - Compact USB 2.0 10/100 Network Adapter
Works out of the box.
Doesn’t require powered hub when powering Pi using MicroUSB supply
rated for 0.7A output.
With older kernels the adapter works about 10 minutes without a problem,
but after that, the kernel writes an error message to dmesg and no packet is received. Must unplug and plug USB again.
Tested with and without a powered USB hub.
i-tec
i-tec USB 2.0 Ethernet Adapter Fast Ethernet (chip ASIX AX88772B)
Works out of the box very stable with ASIX kernel driver on latest Raspbian
3.6.11+ (Nov. 2013), Raspberry Pi model B, 256MB RAM.
Connected through a powered USB hub (may work without it, not tested).
lsusb output: Bus 001 Device 005: ID 0b95:772b ASIX Electronics Corp.
Plugable
Plugable USB2-E100 USB 2.0 10/100 Ethernet adapter
Works out of the box.
(ASIX AX88772 chipset)
Raspberry Pi reboots when you plug it into the USB port,
but after that it works fine.
Create a new VPN profile using tutorial or use the existing profile.
Download the Acreto VPN profile
Setup OpenVPN client on GL.iNet
Login to the GL.iNet routers Web Admin Panel.
From the left sidebar, goto VPN » OpenVPN Client and click Add a New OpenVPN Configuration.
Add a new OpenVPN configuration.
Upload your VPN configuration file from Acreto.
Enter a description for your VPN configuration file and then click Submit to finish the upload process.
Click Connect to start the VPN connection.
Once connected, the Disconnect button is shown on the screen along with the recieved IP address and Data sent and recieved information.
At this point, the machine is connected to Acreto Ecosystem. You may confirm that by checking logs available in Acreto Acreto Portal > Logs > User and Things.
Android
Overview
This guide will help you to configure the Acreto Security connection on your Android device with the help of the OpenVPN app.
Android
Android doesn’t have built-in OpenVPN support. It is required to download
OpenVPN app from Google Play store.
1. Go to the Google Play Store
2. Search for the OpenVPN Connect application
3. Install the OpenVPN Connect application
4. Once the application is installed, download the configuration
Click on Download OpenVPN config file to save the configuration.
5. Launch the application from your home screen or menu
Select whether you wish to enable push notifications.
Accept the OpenVPN Policy Agreement
6. Go to home screen and open Files
7. Navigate to the folder with OpenVPN config file
Select the Share button in the upper right-hand corner.
Press Copy to OpenVPN
8. Add the VPN profile
Ensure the OpenVPN profile selected is correct, then press ADD.
9. Name the connection
Feel free to specify the profile name, by changing the field
Be sure to check the box Connect after import
10. When asked for permissions
Click Allow to allow OpenVPN to add VPN connections.
Click Yes to allow OpenVPN to enable the VPN connection.
If all went well, you should see the following
11. To disconnect
Tap on the same button you used to connect.
Linux
Overview
This article will demonstrate how to secure your Ubuntu system with an Acreto Secured Connection. To create an additional layer of security, we’ll use the OpenVPN application.
Before proceeding to the installation, make sure that you’ve added at least one Thing to your Ecosystem - if not, check how to do it.
Solution 1: Script-based Installation
Acreto Wedge offers a ready-to-use script that will install and configure the Acreto client on your Ubuntu system:
Click on the Objects item from the left side menu.
Find your Ubuntu device on the list and click the i button to show the details panel.
Within the details panel, you’ll see a Configuration Options section with a list of ready-to-use configurations. Find Acreto Connect Client for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS on this list and click the download icon.
Run this downloaded script – acreto-connect.sh.
sudo ./acreto-connect.sh
Once the script finishes downloading your device should be connected to Acreto.
The script:
Checks the type and version of the Operating System
Installs OpenVPN and all other required dependencies
Pulls the TLS-client configuration via API call using the device token
Creates a service enabled at boot
Starts the service and connects the client to the Acreto platform
In case the TLS client is already installed,
the user is presented with a menu to update/remove it.
Solution 2: Manual Installation
Don’t want to manage the VPN setup automatically?
How to connect to OpenVPN manually using the terminal:
Open the Terminal (keyboard shortcut: ctrl + alt + t).
Install OpenVPN client by entering:
sudo apt-get install openvpn
(if asked for a password, enter the password used
when creating your Linux account).
Navigate to the OpenVPN configuration directory with this command:
cd /etc/openvpn
Download OpenVPN configuration files –
in the terminal, type command:
curl -k --silent --request POST -H 'Accept: text/plain' \
https://api-is-rock-solid.acreto.net/v2/tlsvpn/config?_token=SECRET
In case you get an ERROR, the certificate is not trusted.
Please install the ca-certificates package with the command:
sudo apt-get install ca-certificates
Start OpenVPN with a chosen configuration by entering:
sudo openvpn [file name]
For example:
sudo openvpn acreto.ovpn
You have successfully connected to the VPN!
To disconnect, open the terminal window it’s running in and press ctrl + c.
MacOS
Overview
This article will show you how to secure your MacOS device with Acreto Secured Connection. To create an additional layer of security we will use the Tunnelblick app.
Configuring MacOS
The Tunnelblick application is a recommended option for connecting to ACRETO
servers on your Mac.
1. Download the Tunnelblick
Tunnelblick provides free, user-friendly control of OpenVPN client connections for macOS.
Save the file as-is, or change the name to acreto-thing.ovpn
3. To begin the installation of OpenVPN for macOS
Navigate to your Downloads folder and double-click the Tunnelblick image (DMg) file you just downloaded
4. Double-click on the Tunnelblick icon in the Tunnelblick disk image Finder window
5. A dialog box will appear
Tunnelblick is an app downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?
Click Open
6. The installer will ask for your password. Enter it and click OK:
7. After the installation completes, you will see a pop-up notification:
Installation succeeded. Tunnelblick was successfully installed.
Do you wish to launch Tunnelblick now?
(An administrator username and password will be required so Tunnelblick can be secured.).
Click Launch
8. Alternatively, you can click on the Tunnelblick icon on the status bar
and click VPN details:
9. A dialog box will appear:
There are no configurations installed.
Click I have configuration files
10. A pop-up will appear with instructions on how to import configuration files:
Click OK
11. Drag and drop the previously downloaded .ovpn file
From your Downloads folder, copy->paste or drag and drop to the Configurations tab on the Tunnelblick.
12. A new pop-up will appear
The Installer will ask if you want to install the configuration profile for your current user only, or for all users on your Mac.
13. You will be asked to enter your password again.
14. A new pop-up warning will appear about comp-lzo deprecation.
You can safely check the Do not warn about this again and click OK.
15. Select the server and click Connect.
16. You are connected to the VPN
17. Check your IP address
Browse to https://www.myip.com/ and verify your IP and network (should be different than your ISP).
18. Disconnect
Click on the Tunnelblick icon in your menu bar and select Disconnect from the drop-down menu.
Windows
Overview
This article will show you how to secure your Microsoft Windows with Acreto Secured Connection. To create an additional layer of security we will use the OpenVPN application.
Configuring Windows 10
Use these steps to set up a VPN on a computer running Windows 10.
You can set up a manual OpenVPN connection by using the OpenVPN application.
Save the file as-is, or change the name to acreto-thing.ovpn
5. Go to the folder where the configurations are downloaded
6. Click and drag to select the OpenVPN configuration downloaded
7. Right-click on them and select Copy
8. Find the OpenVPN config folder
Right-click the OpenVPN GUI shortcut on your desktop and select
Open file location.
9. Once you’re there, click the parent OpenVPN folder in the address bar
10. Extract the configuration file you need to this directory:
c:/Program Files/OpenVPN/config
11. Open the OpenVPN config folder
12. Paste the copied configuration files in the folder
13. Click Continue to allow the files to be extracted to the folder
14. Note: How to prevent possible DNS leaks (optional)
If you are using Windows 10, add an extra line in the configuration files.
To do that, open the downloaded .ovpn configuration file with any text editor and paste this line:
block-outside-dns
Don’t forget to save the file before proceeding to the next steps of this tutorial.
15. Run OpenVPN
Now that the configuration files have been loaded into the proper folder for the application to detect them, let’s open the OpenVPN GUI app itself.
Double-click the shortcut on your desktop.
16. Allow the application to make necessary changes to your device
17. The application will start running in the system tray
It’s the area near your clock:
It might also be in the hidden system tray area:
18. Right-click on the application icon, hover over one of the servers, and click Connect
19. The connection log window will pop up
You don’t need to provide any passwords.
20. In a few seconds, the application will connect, and its window will disappear.
The system tray icon will turn green and indicate that you are connected when you hover over it:
21. Check Internet access and IP
Browse to https://www.myip.com/ and verify your IP and network (should be different than your ISP)
Secure Google Access
Overview
Acreto offers a comprehensive solution for businesses seeking to safeguard their access to corporate Google applications and data. This is achieved by channeling all traffic to these applications through Acreto’s advanced threat engine and instituting a restriction rule on Google to accept traffic from Acreto’s IP address exclusively. With Acreto, enterprises can be assured of a secure and reliable connection to their essential Google assets.
This document outlines a clear and easy-to-follow process for businesses to secure their corporate Google access with the help of Acreto.
Step 1: Enforce IP restrictions on Google using Context-Aware access (CAA)
Google Administrators must enforce the IP restriction rule using Context-Aware access under the Admin console to allow access only from Acreto Ecosystem IP.
When this step is done, access to Google based services will be restricted to the IP address of Acreto, only users connected by Acreto Connect Client can access it.
Goto Home » Security » Access and Data control » Context-Aware Access
Click Create New Access Level
In the Details section, provide the following:
Access level name: Acreto_access_allow
Description: Access is allowed only through Acreto
Log in to Acreto Portal amd choose your Ecosystem. From the Left menu choose Objects > Alocated IP’s and copy default exits IPs.
In the Context conditions sections, click ADD CONDITION
Select meets all attributes (AND)
Select:
Attribute: IP Subnet
Value: Ecosystem Exit IP IPv4 , Ecosystem Exit IP IPv6 with mask /56 from Acreto Portal
Click Create
Next, click ASSIGN ACCESS LEVEL
Select all the apps that need secure access and click ASSIGN
Check both the Access level and assign to the Desktop app and click SAVE,
With this step, the IP enforcement configuration on Google is complete.
Step 2: Turn ON Context-Aware Access
Once onboarding of all the users on Acreto is complete, the administrators can Turn-On the Context-Aware Access for everyone.
When this step is done access restriction rule will be applied to all users.
Goto Home » Security » Access and Data control » Context-Aware Access and click Turn-On
Summary
Once the user or device is connected by Acreto Connect Client, the traffic goes through Acreto Ecosystem, which is thoroughly scanned against any threat or malware. Also, the traffic leaving Acreto gains Acreto’s Exit IP as the source, meeting the Google CAA access criteria.
All traffic that comes from the user to Google is now additionaly secured.
Microsoft ecosystem-based solutions
List of ‘Microsoft ecosystem-based solutions’ articles
Subsections of Microsoft ecosystem-based solutions
How to configure IIS Restricted Access for OWA
Before You Start
Overview
As the administrator, I need to restrict access for OWA (Outlook Web Access) or other site/URL based on the IIS server on port 443.
Windows Server provides IP Address and Domain Restrictions feature to define and manage rules that allow or deny access to content for a specific IP address, a range of IP addresses, or a domain name or names. This feature may be combined with Acreto Ecosystem to restrict access only for users/devices connected through Acreto.
Pre-requisite
To complete this procedure those elements may be required:
Windows Server environment
Working IIS server with resources that access needs to be restricted
Acreto Ecosystem
How to
IP Address and Domain Restrictions feature enable
Open the Server Manager by selecting Start > Administrative Tools > Server Manager.
On the next screen, select Role-based or feature-based, then select your server and click Next.
Click the Add Role Services link to add the required role.
From the Select Role Services screen, navigate to Web Server (IIS) > Web Server > Security.
Check the IP and Domain Restrictions check box and click Next to continue.
From the Confirm Installation Selections screen, click Install to add the IP and Domain Restrictions role service.
Configuring the Behavior for IIS when Allowing specific IP Addresses
To configure the behavior for allowing specific IP addresses, use the following steps:
Log in as an administrator on your Windows Server 2012 computer.
Open the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
Select the root folder or the website
Select Add Allow Entry from the Action sidebar in the right.
Add all the local subnet that will be allowed to access the site.
Click OK
Configuring the Behavior for IIS when Denying IP Addresses
To configure the behavior that IIS will use when denying IP addresses, use the following steps:
Log in as an administrator on your Windows Server 2012 computer.
Open the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
Select the website, or folder path in the Connections pane, and then double-click IP Address and Domain Restrictions in the list of features.
Click Edit Feature Settings in the Actions pane.
When the Edit IP and Domain Restriction Settings dialog box appears, provide the following values:
By following these steps, restrictive access to OWA can be achieved. This solution allows access only to specific internal users while blocking it for everybody else.
After connecting the Azure network to Acreto and sending all traffic through
Acreto vGateway, Azure Active Directory Domain Services managed domain fails to synchronize with
Microsoft Windows Active Directory servers.
Symptom 1: Domain synchronization alerts
In Azure, you can see an alert:
Name: The managed domain has not completed synchronization with Azure AD for a long time
Severity: Critical
ID: AADDS500
Symptom 2: Logs contain something
In Azure, you can see an alert:
Name: The managed domain is experiencing a network error
Severity: Critical
ID: AADDS104
Cause
Most likely, your Azure network’s routing table has a default route (0.0.0.0/0) defined that routes all traffic through Acreto vGateway.
It means that also communication required to synchronize with Azure AD DS is sent through Acreto, and is SNAT’ed (its source IP address is replaced) to Acreto Allocated IP address.
Microsoft detects that synchronization traffic goes from a different source IP address than expected, and blocks that traffic. This breaks synchronization between Azure AD DS and the target server.
Solutions
Solution 1: Separate Azure AD DS virtual network from Acreto networks (recommended)
Deploy Azure AD DS into a separate virtual network ("ADDS virtual network")
Configure default route in Azure AD DS to use default Azure gateway
Deploy Acreto vGateway and resources connected to Acreto into another virtual network ("resources virtual network"), and peer that network to the ADDS virtual network
Configure routing table in the resources virtual network to push all traffic (0.0.0.0/0) via Acreto vGateway
In case Acreto users are authenticated using Azure AD DS, ensure that traffic from ADDS virtual network to subnet 100.64.0.0/16 is routed through resources virtual network and Acreto vGateway
In Azure routing table, use default value for the route to 0.0.0.0/0
On each resource (server) that uses Acreto, define a static default route
that will go
Solution 3: Define explicit routes to send Azure AD DS traffic through the Azure gateway
Create routing configuration that will route IP addresses from Azure service tags through standard Azure gateway, while keeping default route pointing to Acreto vGateway. You can download a list of Azure IP Ranges and Service Tags – Public Cloud.
Windows activation fails when all the Internet traffic goes through Acreto.
This article describes how to resolve the KMS activation problem you might experience when you force all the traffic to go through Acreto.
Symptom
You enable forced tunneling on Azure virtual network subnets to direct all Internet-bound traffic back to your on-premises network. In this scenario, the Azure virtual machines (VMs) that run Windows fail to activate Windows.
Cause
The Azure Windows VMs need to connect to the Azure KMS server for Windows activation. The activation requires that the activation request come from an Azure public IP address. The activation fails in the forced tunneling scenario because the activation request comes from Acreto instead of from an Azure public IP address.
Solution
Use the Azure custom route to route activation traffic to the Azure KMS server to resolve this problem.
The IP address of the KMS server for the Azure Global cloud is 23.102.135.246. Its DNS name is kms.core.windows.net. If you use other Azure platforms such as Azure Germany, you must use the IP address of the corresponding KMS server. For more information, see the following table:
Platform
KMS DNS
IP
Azure Global
kms.core.windows.net
23.102.135.246
Azure Germany
kms.core.cloudapi.de
51.4.143.248
Azure US Government
kms.core.usgovcloudapi.net
23.97.0.13
Azure China 21Vianet
kms.core.chinacloudapi.cn
42.159.7.249
How to
Update the route table of the Subnet where Windows VM was created :
When using Rasberry PI as a vGateway device, you may use a built WiFi card to create a WiFi Access point.
This procedure requires modification of image created for Ecosystem you by Wedge.
Go to /etc/ipsec.d/ adn create the ipsec-leftupdown.sh file withe this content:
#! /bin/bash
# This script creates a new vti interface and adds routes based on data passed from Strongswan.# To use, add to "conn..." section of ipsec config file:# leftupdown=/path/to/ipsec-leftupdown.shset -o nounset
set -o errexit
VTI_IF="vti-${PLUTO_CONNECTION:0:10}"VTI_IF="${VTI_IF/./}"# Create run directoryRUNDIR=/var/run/acreto ; mkdir -p $RUNDIR# Read configuration from config filenetworks_right=''if[ -f /etc/ipsec.d/$PLUTO_CONNECTION.route ];thennetworks_right=`cat /etc/ipsec.d/$PLUTO_CONNECTION.route`elseecho WARN: Routing info file /etc/ipsec.d/$PLUTO_CONNECTION.route not found
fi# Determine gateway to use to reach ${PLUTO_PEER}function detectGateway {# Find a route with a 'via' addresslocalgateway=""# Start with default route# Note that we exclude gateways that are on vti- devices[ -z "$gateway"]&&gateway=`ip route show default | grep -v 'dev vti-'| egrep -o1 'via (([0-9]{1,3}.){3}[0-9]{1,3})'| head -1 |cut -d' ' -f2 `# Try 'ip route get'# It's not first rule because it doesn't survive link change[ -z "$gateway"]&&gateway=`ip route get $1| grep -v 'dev vti-'| egrep -o 'via (([0-9]{1,3}.){3}[0-9]{1,3})'|cut -d' ' -f2`# Fallback to a previously detected gateway[ -z "$gateway"]&&gateway=`cat $RUNDIR/local-gateway.conf`||true# Save detected gateway[ ! -z "$gateway"]&&echo$gateway > $RUNDIR/local-gateway.conf
echo$gateway}set -x
gateway=`detectGateway ${PLUTO_PEER}`case"${PLUTO_VERB}" in
up-client)if ip tunnel show "${VTI_IF}";thenop=change
elseop=add
fi ip tunnel $op"${VTI_IF}"local"${PLUTO_ME}" remote "${PLUTO_PEER}" mode vti \
okey "${PLUTO_MARK_OUT%%/*}" ikey "${PLUTO_MARK_IN%%/*}" ip link set"${VTI_IF}" up
sysctl -w "net.ipv4.conf.${VTI_IF}.disable_policy=1"iptables -t nat -F
iptables -t mangle -F
iptables -F
iptables -X
for net in $networks_right;doif[$net=='0.0.0.0/0'];then# Ensure that PEER is always accessible if we set up default route (and ignore errors)[ ! -z "$gateway"]&& ip route replace ${PLUTO_PEER} via $gateway||true# Ensure we don't have any other default gateway definedwhile ip route show default|grep -q default ;do ip route del default
donefi ip route add $net dev ${VTI_IF}done;; down-client)# Ensure that PEER is always accessible if we set up default route (and ignore errors)[ ! -z "$gateway"]&& ip route replace ${PLUTO_PEER} via $gateway||true# Nothing else to do here:# 1. We don't delete the tunnel interface and routing setup because it causes connection reset, as down-client is called whenever a connectionis renegotiated, and it makes apps (like mtr) break.# 2. We also don't remove the specific route to our gateway to be able to re-establish the connection.# 3. We also don't recover the default gateway, as we want to block all traffic if the tunnel is down.;;esac
Go to /etc/netplan/ and check does the 50-acreto.yaml file (or common) exist. Edit it by adding Access Point configuration:
After all of the modifications content of the folder should look like this:
Custom /boot/firmware/strongswan.zip contents
❯ tree custom
custom
└── etc
├── default
│ └── hostapd <-- added one line
├── hostapd
│ └── hostapd.conf <-- all WiFi settings
├── ipsec.d
│ ├── 402fd2ced4.conf
│ ├── 402fd2ced4.route
│ └── ipsec-leftupdown.sh <-- added iptables commands to flush rules
├── ipsec.secrets
├── netplan
│ └── 50-acreto.yaml <-- added configuration for ap mode and IP
└── sysctl.d
└── 10_ac_ip_forward.conf
Restart the device to provide all of the changes.
Try to connect to the acreto wifi network using acreto#1234 as a password.
Summary
After the device restart, you should be able to connect to the Acreto WiFi network. All traffic will go thru the Ecosystem and should be visible in logs.
Connect first SaaS application - Office365
Overview
The company wants to restrict access to Office 365 in the following ways.
A user can’t go direct to O365
A user has to go through a secure infrastructure before they gain access to O365
A users access to the Onedrive application is blocked if they are not in the USA or EU
A user has to go through two-factor authentication before they can access OneDrive, even though they have access to other office applications without the need for two-factor authentication.
Apply these configurations to O365 in a simple fashion. (e.g. from a centralized GUI without having to log into MSFT console)
Solution
Acreto solution allows us to secure access to Office365/OneDrive using Microsoft Azure AD.
Acreto will provide the policy configurations to control the following:
All users logged in through Acreto SASE+ can access O365.
All users not logged in through Acreto SASE+ are not allowed to reach O365. e.g. they can’t go from home cable modem direct to O365 going around Acreto VPN.
All users logged in through Acreto SASE+ but not logging in from a specific location such as China will not be allowed to log in to O365
All users logged in through Acreto SASE+ but not logging in from a specific location such as the United States or Europe can access O365, but not OneDrive
Before you start
To solve the described issue you will need:
Acreto account with configured security policy
Microsoft Azure ActiveDirectory with more than one user
Office365 licenses managed by Azure ActiveDirectory
Active Directory users with Office365 licenses and internet connection secured by Acreto
Make sure that you have all the required elements before you will start.
Create Acreto security policy
As a first step you need to create a secure connection between end-user and acreto - use one of two possible solutions:
configure vGateway connection and secure whole network connection
No matter which way you choose, after you connect to Acreto your external IP address should be masked with Acreto gateway - this means that any Internet service or website will be not able to see your real IP address. Acreto will mask your IP with an address that you may find in WEDGE panel - go to Allocated IP’s and then find Default Exit position - this is your Secured IP address.
Make this IP address to be the only address that should be allowed to access Office365/OneDrive services in your organization.
Configuration of Active Directory
If you already secured your internet connection with Acreto it’s time to make a security rule on Microsoft Azure ActiveDirectory.
1.Login to Azure panel as a user with administrator right and click on Azure Active Directory icon:
2. Choose the “Security” option marked on the screen below.
3.Create Named location - named and defined IP address range that will be allowed to access Office365/OneDrive.
To do this click on Named location on side menu (marked as “1”) and then click on + New location (marked as “2”).
4. Fill new location form with readable name and choose options and save:
Define the location using - choose IP ranges
Mark as trust location - check
IP ranges - add the IP address of Acreto gateway (104.193.146.121/32) - this is an example address, your Acreto Gateway may have different IP.
5.Create a security rule to limit access to Office365/OneDrive
Choose Conditional Acces option from the side menu and click on ** + New policy ** button.
The form of policy creation is advanced and offers many options, in this scenario we will use a minimal amount of options that allow us to get a working configuration.
Assignments > Users and groups - select users or a whole group of users that needs to be under control.
Assignments > Cloud apps or actions - choose the select apps option and then mark all apps that should be under control: Office 365 Exchange Online, Office 365 SharePoint Online, Office 365 (preview).
Assignments > Conditions > Locations - choose Configure: yes and Selected location to be able to restrict access only from previously configured Named location. Be sure that the selected option is the Named location with the Acreto IP address.
Assignments > Conditions > Client apps (Preview) - choose all available options to make sure that there will be no security gap in access rules.
Access controls > Block access/Grant - decide do these rules should grant or block access when conditions are true. Here you may also define additional authentification steps like multi-factor authentication.
Access controls > Session - choose Use app enforced restrictions, Use Conditional Access App Control
That’s a minimum required configuration necessary to make a goal of this case.
6. Make sure that Enable policy: On. -
This option is displayed on the bottom right part of the screen and it decided does the whole configuration is on.
7. Double-check all rules and click on the save button.
Security verification
To verify does the created access rules works we do a two-part test:
Login into Office365 without the Acreto
Login into Office365 with the Acreto
In both tests, we will use a user account managed by Azure AD. This account is added to the created rule of conditional access.
Login into Office365 without the Acreto
At the first test, we will check dose it possible to log in to Office365 from an internet connection that is not secured with Acreto.
The user goes to www.office.com and clicks on the login button
Fill login form with username and password
Click on the Log in button
The login page should return information that the User is not able to log in because does not meet the criteria to access this resource. This means that created security rule work.
Login into Office365 with the Acreto
In the second test user use Acreto secured internet connection and trying to login to office.com
The user goes to www.office.com and clicks on the login button
Fill login form with username and password
Click on the Log in button
The login page works in a standard way and allows the user to access his account.
Summary
Thanks to Acreto and Azure AD conditional access rules you can create advanced security solutions.
Encrypted DNS Guide
Why DNS Encryption Exists
The Domain Name System (DNS) translates user-friendly domain names (like acreto.io) into IP addresses that computers use to communicate. Traditionally, DNS queries and responses have been transmitted without encryption, making them vulnerable to interception, manipulation, or surveillance. DNS encryption methods, such as DNS over HTTPS (DoH), DNS over TLS (DoT), and DNSCrypt, have emerged to address these vulnerabilities by enhancing privacy and data security during DNS resolution.
The Security Dilemma: Privacy vs. Security
While DNS encryption enhances user privacy by protecting DNS queries from eavesdropping, it also introduces certain security challenges. Encrypted DNS can make it difficult for organizations to monitor DNS traffic, potentially hindering efforts to prevent malware infections, restrict access to harmful websites, or enforce network policies. This privacy versus security dilemma often forces network administrators to strike a balance maintaining user anonymity and ensuring proper control of network activity.
Acreto Ecosystem DNS Encryption Issue
In some cases, end-users utilizing platforms or browsers that implement encrypted DNS may experience issues reaching resources defined in internal DNS servers (available when connected to the Ecosystem) when the administrator has redirected default DNS using DNAT rules.
This challenge arises due to the aforementioned Privacy vs. Security Dilemma. The Ecosystem cannot decrypt the DNS request, meaning it cannot be properly redirected using a DNAT rule. As a result, encrypted DNS requests are dropped, and users receive an error message.
How to Solve Encrypted DNS Issues
Since there is no universal standard for encryption, and no feature allowing decryption of encrypted requests (which would defeat the purpose of encryption), the only reliable solution is to turn off all DNS encryption methods on the device. Remember that privacy is not the same as security. If traffic is encrypted, it may be harder to protect the user and their devices.
How to Disable Encrypted DNS
Below, you will find a brief guide on how to disable the most popular DNS encryption methods.
DNS over HTTPS (DoH)
Products/Systems: Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Windows 10/11.
Disabling DoH:
Firefox: Navigate to about:config, search for network.trr.mode, and set it to 5 (disable DoH).
Google Chrome: Access chrome://flags/, search for “Secure DNS”, and disable it.
Windows 10/11: Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Change Adapter Options, then disable Secure DNS in the advanced settings.
DNS over TLS (DoT)
Products/Systems: Android (versions 9 and above), Linux distributions.
Disabling DoT:
Android: Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced > Private DNS, and set it to “Off”.
Linux: Modify /etc/systemd/resolved.conf and set DNSOverTLS=no.
DNSCrypt
Products/Systems: Third-party DNS clients, custom router firmware like OpenWRT.
Disabling DNSCrypt:
DNS Clients: If using a client like Simple DNSCrypt, disable it from the application’s user interface.
Routers: Access the router’s configuration page, locate the DNS settings, and disable DNSCrypt.
Summary
DNS encryption methods like DoH, DoT, and DNSCrypt are potent tools for enhancing privacy in an increasingly surveillance-prone online world. However, they also come with trade-offs impacting network security and administrative control. While encryption can provide privacy, turning it off when the Acreto Ecosystem is protecting the whole network ensures effective security measures can be applied.
How to Invite a User with Onboarding Portal
Introduction
Acreto Support User Management - as an Ecosystem administrator, you may create user accounts or import them from LDAP / identity providers (like Azure Active Directory, Okta ) and invite them to start using Acreto by email or link.
Before you invite users to Acreto, make sure that Identity provider is present and configured in your Ecosystem.
How to Invite by Email (Recommended)
Acreto allows inviting users that exist in LDAP/Identity provider service(s) connected to the Ecosystem and have an email address in account details.
On the list of users check those who should get an invitation.
Click on the button Send invitations you will be a move to Send invitation emails form.
Fill the form:
Title - title for your reference only
Description - additional description for your reference only.
Note to your users - Invitation note - Add some personalized note to your users that will be included in the invitation
Contact person - contact information of the person responsible for invitation, that information will be displayed at the bottom of invitation e-mail - users may use them in case of issues.
Click on the Send button placed under the form. This action will send emails to users also you will see windows with information about which email been used to send invitations.
Window also contains Next Steps information - create/check Security Policy for invited users - click on Go to Security Policies button to go to the polices panel.
How to Invite by Link
Acreto allows inviting users that exist in LDAP/Identity provider service connected to the Ecosystem.
From the side menu choose Identity Providers option
From the list of configured LDAP/Identity providers choose this, into which you want to invite users, and click on the Edit button.
Scroll to the bottom of the screen to the Status summary section.
Click on the Copy icon in line Copy link to onboarding Portal this will copy the invitation link into your cache.
Now paste this URL into any form of communication with users: email, slack, or any internal communicator.
Done! Any user that gets this link and has LDAP/Identytiy provider credentials may configure and connect to Acreto.