Cloud based logging service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016366101-A1
Application number	US-201615236455-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 14, 2016
Priority date	Jun 5, 2013
Publication date	Dec 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for facilitating access to a cloud-based logging service. According to one embodiment, access to a cloud-based logging service is integrated within a network security appliance by automatically configuring access settings for the logging service and creating an account for the security appliance with the logging service. A log is created within the logging service by making use of the automatically configured access settings and the account. A request is received by the security appliance to access data associated with the log. Responsive thereto and without requiring separate registration of a network administrator with the cloud-based logging service, the data is retrieved by the security appliance from the logging service and is presented via a graphical user interface of the security appliance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A network security gateway comprising:
one or more mircoprocessors; and one or more internal data storage devices operatively coupled to the one or more microprocessors and storing: a graphical user interface module, which when executed by the one or more microprocessors, allows a network administrator to view and modify various configuration settings for the network security gateway, wherein a configuration screen associated with logging and reporting settings has integrated therein one or more settings associated with a cloud-based logging service provided by a vendor of the network security gateway, wherein by default a setting of the one or more settings associated with logging and archiving of information regarding one or more of network traffic, system events and security events observed by the network security gateway causes the network security gateway to use the cloud-based logging service as a logging device for storage and retrieval of the information; and a cloud-based logging service access module, which when executed by the one or microprocessors, automatically creates an account within the cloud-based logging service by registering the network security gateway itself as a user of the cloud-based logging service, thereby allowing the network security gateway to make use of the cloud-based logging service for purposes of logging and reporting the information without requiring separate registration with the cloud-based logging service to be performed by the network administrator.

2 . The network security gateway of claim 1 , wherein the cloud-based logging service is invoked by the network security gateway through an application programming interface (API) of the cloud-based logging service and wherein the API is implemented within the network security gateway.

3 . The network security gateway of claim 1 , wherein the network security gateway provides on behalf of a private network one or more of firewall functionality, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) functionality, application control functionality, Virtual Private Networking (VPN) functionality and web content filtering functionality.

4 . A method comprising:
allowing a network administrator of a network security gateway to view and modify various configuration settings for the network security gateway, wherein a configuration screen associated with logging and reporting settings has integrated therein one or more settings associated with a cloud-based logging service provided by a vendor of the network security gateway; causing the network security gateway to use the cloud-based logging service as a logging device for storage and retrieval of information regarding one or more of network traffic, system events and security events observed by the network security gateway by enabling by default, by the network security gateway, a setting of the one or more settings associated with logging and archiving of the information; and automatically creating, by the network security gateway, an account within the cloud-based logging service by registering the network security gateway itself as a user of the cloud-based logging service, thereby allowing the network security gateway to make use of the cloud-based logging service for purposes of logging and reporting the information without requiring separate registration with the cloud-based logging service to be performed by the network administrator.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising invoking, by the network security gateway, the cloud-based logging service through an application programming interface (API) of the cloud-based logging service implemented within the network security gateway.

6 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising providing, by the network security gateway, on behalf of a private network one or more of firewall functionality, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) functionality, application control functionality, Virtual Private Networking (VPN) functionality and web content filtering functionality.

7 . A method comprising:
causing, by a network security gateway device, usage of a cloud-based logging service, provided by a vendor of the network security device, as a logging device for storage and retrieval of information regarding one or more of network traffic, system events and security events observed by the network security gateway by:
integrating access, within the network security gateway appliance, to the cloud-based logging service;
enabling, by default, logging and archiving of the information to the cloud-based logging service; and
providing a basic level of logging and reporting services via the could-based logging service by automatically creating an account within the cloud-based logging service, including registering the network security gateway itself as a user of the cloud-based logging service;
creating within the cloud logging service, by the network security gateway, a traffic log or an event log for a private network protected by the network security gateway by making use of the automatically created account; receiving, by the network security gateway, a request from a network administrator to access data associated with the traffic log or the event log; and responsive to the request and without requiring separate registration with the cloud-based logging service by the network administrator, retrieving, by the network security gateway, the data from the account of the cloud-based logging service and presenting the data to the network administrator via a log or report page of a graphical user interface of the network security gateway.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising invoking, by the network security gateway, the cloud-based logging service through an application programming interface (API) of the cloud-based logging service implemented within the network security gateway.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing, by the network security gateway, on behalf of the private network one or more of firewall functionality, Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) functionality, application control functionality, Virtual Private Networking (VPN) functionality and web content filtering functionality.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said enabling, by default, logging and archiving of the information to the cloud-based logging service is responsive to a determination by the network security device that it does not have a local hard disk.

11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising prompting the network administrator to register with the cloud-based logging service to obtain enhanced services beyond those of the basic level of logging and reporting services.

Assignees

• Fortinet Inc

Inventors

• Yin Jun

Classifications

• H04L63/1425

  Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection · CPC title

• H04L41/22

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• H04L67/1097

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• H04L63/0281 Primary

  Proxies · CPC title

• H04L63/0272

  Virtual private networks · CPC title