Score-based dynamic firewall rule enforcement

1. A method for a host to perform score-based dynamic firewall rule enforcement in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment, wherein the host supports a virtualized computing instance, the method comprising:

in response to detecting, from the virtualized computing instance which is associated with a user, a first request to access a first resource protected within a firewall of the SDN environment:

identifying a first score associated with the user, and a firewall rule that is associated with the firewall and that is applicable to the user based on information associated with the user; and

based on the first score, applying the firewall rule to allow access to the first resource;

adjusting the first score to a second score that represents a more restrictive access level compared to the first score, wherein adjusting the first score to the second score is based on an attempted unauthorized access by the user to at least one resource protected within the firewall; and

in response to detecting, from the virtualized computing instance associated with the user, a second request to access the first resource:

based on the second score, applying the firewall rule to block the second request to access the first resource.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the first score to the second score comprises:

generating and sending event information to a network manager to cause the network manager to identify one or more security incidents associated with the user, wherein a particular security incident represents a deviation of the user from an access pattern associated with a group of which the user is a member.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein adjusting the first score to the second score comprises:

based on an instruction from the network manager, adjusting the first score to the second score based on at least one of the one or more security incidents which include: (a) access to a blocked resource, (b) access to blocked information, (c) access to a blocked website, and (d) detection of a malware executed by the virtualized computing instance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the first score to the second score comprises:

adjusting the first score to the second score based on a penalty associated with one or more security incidents, wherein the penalty associated with a particular security incident is computed based on at least one of: a weight assigned to the particular security incident and a frequency of the particular security incident.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on one or more further security incidents, adjusting the second score to a third score that represents a more restrictive access level compared to the second score.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the firewall rule further comprises:

determining whether the first score or the second score satisfies a threshold score required to access the first resource.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting, by an agent supported by the virtualized computing instance, a login event associated with the user; and

generating and sending, by the agent, identity information associated with the user to a firewall engine to cause the firewall engine to retrieve from a network manager: (a) the first score which is assigned to the user, the virtualized computing instance associated with the user, or an application supported by the virtualized computing instance, and (b) the firewall rule based on the identity information.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes a set of instructions which, in response to execution by a processor of a computer system, cause the processor to perform a method of score-based dynamic firewall rule enforcement, wherein the method comprises:

in response to detecting a first request by a user to access a first resource:

identifying a first score associated with the user, and a firewall rule that is applicable to the user based at least in part on information associated with the user; and

based on determination that the first score satisfies a threshold requirement specified by the firewall rule, applying the firewall rule to allow access to the first resource;

adjusting the first score to a second score that represents a more restrictive access level compared to the first score; and

in response to detecting a second request by the user to access the first resource:

based on determination that the second score fails to satisfy the threshold requirement, applying the firewall rule to block the second request to access the first resource.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein adjusting the first score to the second score comprises:

generating and sending event information to a network manager to cause the network manager to identify one or more security incidents associated with the user, wherein a particular security incident represents a deviation of the user from an access pattern associated with a group of which the user is a member.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein adjusting the first score to the second score comprises:

based on an instruction from the network manager, adjusting the first score to the second score based on at least one of the one or more security incidents which include: (a) access to a blocked resource, (b) access to blocked information, (c) access to a blocked website, and (d) detection of a malware executed by the virtualized computing instance.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein adjusting the first score to the second score comprises:

adjusting the first score to the second score based on a penalty associated with one or more security incidents, wherein the penalty associated with a particular security incident is computed based on at least one of: a weight assigned to the particular security incident and a frequency of the particular security incident.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:

based on one or more further security incidents, adjusting the second score to a third score that represents a more restrictive access level compared to the second score.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the first score or the second score satisfies the threshold requirement which is specified by the firewall rule in order to access the first resource.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:

detecting, by an agent supported by a virtualized computing instance of the computer system, a login event associated with the user; and

generating and sending, by the agent, identity information associated with the user to a firewall engine to cause the firewall engine to retrieve from a network manager: (a) the first score which is assigned to the user, the virtualized computing instance associated with the user, or an application supported by the virtualized computing instance, and (b) the firewall rule based on the identity information.

15. A computer system configured to perform score-based dynamic firewall rule enforcement in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment, wherein the computer system comprises:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to:

in response to detecting, from a virtualized computing instance which is associated with a user, a first request to access a first resource protected within a firewall of the SDN environment:

identify a first score associated with the user, and a firewall rule that is associated with the firewall and that is applicable to the user based on information associated with the user; and

based on the first score, apply the firewall rule to allow access to the first resource;

adjust the first score to a second score that represents a more restrictive access level compared to the first score, wherein adjustment of the first score to the second score is based on an attempted unauthorized access by the user to at least one resource protected within the firewall; and

in response to detecting, from the virtualized computing instance associated with the user, a second request to access the first resource:

based on the second score, apply the firewall rule to block the second request to access the first resource.

16. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein to adjust the first score to the second score, the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to:

generate and send event information to a network manager to cause the network manager to identify one or more security incidents associated with the user, wherein a particular security incident represents a deviation of the user from an access pattern associated with a group of which the user is a member.

17. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein to adjust the first score to the second score, the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to:

based on an instruction from the network manager, adjust the first score to the second score based on at least one of the one or more security incidents which include: (a) access to a blocked resource, (b) access to blocked information, (c) access to a blocked website, and (d) detection of a malware executed by the virtualized computing instance.

18. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein to adjust the first score to the second score, the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to:

adjust the first score to the second score based on a penalty associated with one or more security incidents, wherein the penalty associated with a particular security incident is computed based on at least one of: a weight assigned to the particular security incident and a frequency of the particular security incident.

19. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, further cause the processor to:

based on one or more further security incidents, adjust the second score to a third score that represents a more restrictive access level compared to the second score.

20. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein application of the firewall rule further comprises:

determine whether the first score or the second score satisfies a threshold score required to access the first resource.

21. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, further cause the processor to:

detect, by an agent supported by the virtualized computing instance, a login event associated with the user; and

generate and send, by the agent, identity information associated with the user to a firewall engine to cause the firewall engine to retrieve from a network manager: (a) the first score which is assigned to the user, the virtualized computing instance associated with the user, or an application supported by the virtualized computing instance, and (b) the firewall rule based on the identity information.

22. A method for score-based dynamic firewall rule enforcement, comprising:

receiving a packet from a user, wherein the packet corresponds to an access request by the user to a resource protected by a firewall along a datapath of the packet;

associating the packet with an identity of the user;

determining a trust score associated with the user;

identifying a matching firewall rule in the firewall that is applicable to the packet, based at least in part on the identity of the user or on characteristics of the packet;

determining if the trust score associated with the user satisfies a threshold requirement of the matching firewall rule; and

based at least in part of whether the trust score satisfies the threshold requirement of the matching firewall rule, allowing the packet or blocking the packet.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein:

the trust score comprises a first trust score,

the access request comprises a first access request;

the resource comprises a first resource, and

wherein the method further comprises after allowing the packet based on the first trust score having satisfied the threshold:

adjusting the first trust score to a second trust score that represents a more restrictive access level compared to the first trust score, wherein adjusting the first trust score to the second trust score is based on a security incident; and

in response to detecting a second access request by the user to access a second resource protected by the firewall and based on the second trust score, applying the firewall rule to deny the second access request to access the second resource.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein adjusting the first trust score to the second trust score based on the security incident comprises:

determining a frequency of the security incident;

determining a weight associated with the security incident;

determining a penalty based on the frequency and the weight; and

deducting the penalty from the first trust score to obtain the second trust score.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the user is part of a group of users, and wherein adjusting the first trust score to the second trust score based on the security incident comprises applying a stricter security policy to the user without affecting other users of the group.