outgoing licensing validation should be in DMZ or internal/backend zone?  What mitigations if none

sunhux
sunhux used Ask the Experts™
on
We have a internal zone server holding financial data.

Users would like to load ACL (Audit Command Language) into it to analyse the data but ACL
requires periodic (think can be daily) connection to Internet (& possibly incoming ports but
I'm not certain about incoming) for license validation.

Q1:
For a server that goes out to Internet, shouldn't it be placed in DMZ rather than internal zone?

Q2:
Or it does not matter for outgoing;  it's more for incoming connections (eg: web server) that
needs to be placed in DMZ?

Q3:
If we don't move the server to DMZ, what are the mitigations we can consider?
Let this server connect to a proxy to go out to Internet?
Use firewall to permit it to a specific destination IP for license validation only?
If the ACL component can't go by proxy, but it requires a non Tcp80/non Tcp443,
is this considered safe to permit (without going thru proxy)?

Q4:
If an internal zone server (Prod) goes out via proxy on Tcp80/443, isn't this
akin to a sysadmin being allowed to browse Internet from an internal server
which is risky?
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Aaron TomoskyDirector of Solutions Consulting

Commented:
A dmz is just an old word for a firewalled vlan, so if you want a firewall in between your financial server and a server that talks to the internet, then yes, do that. Something like VMware NSX offers microsegmentation, basically giving every single VM a firewall. This is the future.
sunhux

Author

Commented:
Thanks Aaron.
We are not opting for VM as that dept has no budget for it.
So you agree that such a license server should be seated in DMZ ?
So if it sits in internal zone going thru proxy to do license validation, it's not recommended (ie a risk)?
Director of Solutions Consulting
Commented:
Both a proxy and a dmz are risks. The dmz is a lower risk since it has a firewall between the new server and the license server, but requires more management. You have to decide based on your organizational policies which level of risk is appropriate.

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