US 12,143,414 B2
Penetration testing in zero trust network environment
Greg Schumacher, Holliston, MA (US)
Assigned to T-Mobile Innovations LLC, Overland Park, KS (US)
Filed by T-Mobile Innovations LLC, Overland Park, KS (US)
Filed on Aug. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/899,427.
Prior Publication US 2024/0073236 A1, Feb. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. H04L 9/40 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 63/1433 (2013.01) [H04L 63/083 (2013.01); H04L 63/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for performing a penetration test in a zero trust network to identify vulnerabilities in the zero trust network, wherein the method comprises:
obtaining, by a test application in a test system of the zero trust network, parameters for performing the penetration test in the zero trust network, wherein the parameters indicate a path from a source microsegment to a target microsegment in the zero trust network, wherein the communications between the source microsegment and the target microsegment are to be prohibited, and wherein the parameters are stored in a test log;
inserting, by the test application, a unique token identifying the penetration test into a test packet to perform the penetration test between the source microsegment and the target microsegment, wherein the test packet indicates that a source of the test packet is in the source microsegment;
transmitting, by the test application, the test packet to a policy enforcement point in the target microsegment, wherein a result log associated with the policy enforcement point stores data regarding at least one of a reception of the test packet by the policy enforcement point or a subsequent processing step performed by the policy enforcement point, and wherein the data is stored in record log in association with the unique token;
determining, by a log application in the test system, whether the test packet impermissibly passed through the policy enforcement point or has been impermissibly processed by the policy enforcement point based on the test log and the result log indicating whether the test packet comprising the unique token has impermissibly passed through the policy enforcement point or been processed by the policy enforcement point; and
transmitting, by a result application in the test system, to a policy decision point in the zero trust network, a message comprising a recommendation to prohibit communications from the source microsegment to the target microsegment when the test packet comprising the unique token has impermissibly passed through the policy enforcement point or been processed by the policy enforcement point.