Secured network bridge

1. A computer-implemented method of securing communications with an enterprise, the method comprising:

authenticating a bridge appliance with an authentication server associated with an enterprise having secure communications, wherein authenticating the bridge appliance includes receiving a cryptographic key and one or more filters associated with at least one community of interest to which a remote computing device belongs;

receiving a packet at the bridge appliance, the packet including a source address and a destination address, the source address being one of the remote computing device and a secured computing device within an enterprise network, the destination address being another of the remote computing device and the secured computing device;

in a case where the packet is encrypted according to the cryptographic key associated with the enterprise,

removing a routing header from the packet to provide packet contents;

decrypting the packet contents to provide decrypted packet contents, and

reattaching the routing header to the decrypted packet contents to form a decrypted packet;

forwarding the decrypted packet to a remote computing device in communication with the bridge appliance; and

in a case where the packet is received from the remote computing device in cleartext,

removing the routing header from the packet to provide the packet contents;

encrypting the packet contents according to the cryptographic key associated with the enterprise, to provide encrypted packet contents;

reattaching the routing header to the encrypted packet contents to provide an encrypted packet; and

forwarding the encrypted packet to an endpoint within the enterprise.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the remote computing device is in communication with the bridge appliance by way of at least one of a wired interface and a wireless interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein authenticating the bridge appliance occurs prior to receiving the packet at the bridge appliance.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the packet at the bridge appliance comprises receiving the packet from the remote computing device, wherein the remote computing device comprises a cleartext endpoint.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the packet at the bridge appliance comprises receiving the packet from the endpoint within the enterprise, wherein the packet is encrypted.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein authenticating the bridge appliance further comprises the bridge device securing a license from the authentication server.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the bridge device secures a license prior to receiving the packet at the bridge appliance.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the remote computing device is assigned a network address within a valid address space used within the enterprise.

9. A system enabling secured communications with an enterprise, the system comprising:

a bridge appliance comprising:

a memory storing instructions for performing a method of securing communications with an enterprise; and

a processor, operating under control of the instructions to:

authenticating the bridge appliance with an authentication server associated with the enterprise, wherein authenticating the bridge appliance includes receiving a cryptographic key and one or more filters associated with at least one community of interest to which a remote computing device belongs;

receive a packet at the bridge appliance, the packet including a source address and a destination address, the source address being one of the remote computing device and a secured computing device within an enterprise network, the destination address being another of the remote computing device and the secured computing device;

in a case where the packet is encrypted according to the cryptographic key associated with the enterprise,

remove a routing header from the packet to provide packet contents;

decrypt the packet contents to provide decrypted packet contents, and

reattach the routing header to the decrypted packet contents to form a decrypted packet;

forward the decrypted packet to a remote computing device in communication with the bridge appliance; and

in a case where the packet is received from the remote computing device in cleartext,

remove the routing header from the packet to provide the packet contents;

encrypt the packet contents according to the cryptographic key associated with the enterprise, to provide encrypted packet contents;

reattach the routing header to the encrypted packet contents to provide an encrypted packet; and

forward the encrypted packet to an endpoint within the enterprise.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the bridge appliance comprises a layer 2 bridging device.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising the authentication server within a secured enterprise network to which the bridge appliance is connected.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the endpoint within the enterprise is a member of the at least one community of interest to which the remote computing device belongs.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising the remote computing device, wherein the remote computing device is a device selected from among the group of devices consisting of:

a web camera;

a medical monitoring device;

an infusion pump;

a SCADA device;

a computing device having a legacy operating system installed thereon;

a smart meter;

a location security system;

an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the routing header is applied at a source endpoint selected from among the remote computing device and the secured computing device and defines a destination endpoint that is another of the remote computing device and the secured computing device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the bridge appliance is not directly addressed via the routing header.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the remote computing device is assigned a network address within a valid address space used within the enterprise.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the remote computing device is a single endpoint external to the enterprise that is connected to the enterprise via the bridge appliance.