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Implementing DirectAccess with Windows Server 2016 Now Available
I am very excited to announce that my new DirectAccess book, “Implementing DirectAccess with Windows Server 2016“ from Apress media, is now shipping! The book is available on popular online sites like Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Springer.com, Apress.com, and others. The book is also available in electronic formats such as Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook, as well as a variety of subscription formats including Safari, Books24x7, and SpringerLink.
This book contains detailed and prescriptive guidance for the planning, design, implementation, and support of a DirectAccess remote access solution on Windows Server 2016. It also includes valuable insight, tips, tricks, and best practice recommendations gained from my many years of deploying DirectAccess for some of the largest organizations in the world.
Current DirectAccess administrators will also find this book helpful, as the majority of content is still applicable to DirectAccess in Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2. In addition, the book also includes essential information on the design and deployment of highly available and geographically redundant DirectAccess deployments.
Troubleshooting DirectAccess can be a daunting task, so I’ve dedicated an entire chapter in the book to this topic. For those responsible for the maintenance and support of DirectAccess in their organization, this chapter alone will be worth the investment.
Be sure to order your copy today!
Microsoft Reputation Services (MRS) Offline after December 31, 2015
As I recently mentioned, Microsoft has discontinued and will be terminating their Microsoft Reputation Services (MRS) cloud URL categorization service on or shortly after December 31, 2015. Today, Microsoft released additional information vital to TMG administrators everywhere who are still relying on this service for URL filtering. Specifically, what happens with TMG once Microsoft officially turns off MRS and it is no longer available?
Bad things.
First, any firewall rules that rely on URL categorization to allow traffic will fail closed. That is, they will block all traffic. Second, any rules using URL categorization to deny traffic will fail open and allow that traffic instead. Finally, there is potential performance degradation that may occur with TMG after the service is disabled by Microsoft.
What to do?
First, update any TMG firewall rules that use URL Categories or URL Category Sets. You can replace them with Domain Name Sets or URL Sets, if desired. Next, disable the use of URL filtering in TMG by opening the TMG management console, right-clicking Web Access Policy and choosing Configure and then URL Filtering. Uncheck the box next to Enable URL Filtering and then click Ok.
Finally, consider a replacement solution for TMG’s URL filtering. There are a number of solutions available, both on-premises and cloud-based, that are capable replacements. The Zscaler solution is highly effective, and if you’re looking for a low-buck alternative, consider something like OpenDNS. There are many more, I’m sure.
Good luck!
Hotfix Rollup 2 for Forefront UAG 2010 Service Pack 4 Now Available
Hotfix Rollup 2 for Microsoft Forefront UAG 2010 Service Pack 4 is now available for download. This hotfix rollup includes fixes for the following issues:
KB3066351 – Client HTTP connections to a UAG redirect trunk receives errors after you install hotfix rollup 1 for Forefront UAG 2010 SP4
KB3070067 – You may receive an HTTP 503 “Service is Unavailable” error when a connection to a UAG trunk fails in Forefront UAG 2010 SP4
KB3068283 – You may receive HTTP 503 errors on a server that is running Forefront UAG 2010 SP4
KB3068289 – Moving mailboxes as part of a hybrid Office 365 migration fails in Forefront UAG 2010 SP4
You can download Hotfix Rollup 2 for Forefront UAG 2010 SP4 here.
Forefront TMG 2010 Network Inspection System NIS Signature Updates
When Microsoft announced the formal end-of-life for Forefront TMG 2010, they laid out in clear detail the support boundaries for the product going forward. Microsoft stated specifically that they would continue mainstream support for TMG until April of 2015, and extended support would terminate in April 2020. However, the Web Protection Service (WPS) updates for the URL filtering database, antimalware signatures, and the Network Inspection System (NIS) would only continue until December 31, 2015.
Unfortunately, it appears that Microsoft has abandoned the updating for NIS signatures. You may have noticed that a fully updated Forefront TMG firewall with the latest signature updates shows that the last NIS signature was released for security bulletin MS12-050 on July 20, 2012!
I find it difficult to believe that there hasn’t been a single vulnerability discovered or hotfix released since July of 2012 that wouldn’t benefit from NIS protection, so I have to assume that Microsoft is no longer supporting NIS in spite of their pledge to provide support for WPS through the end of 2015. If you are relying on NIS for essential network protection, it’s time to consider deploying a dedicated IDS/IPS solution or another solution that provides this functionality.
Enable TLS Forward Secrecy for Forefront TMG 2010 Published Web Sites
Last year I wrote an article for ISAserver.org that outlined in detail how to improve SSL and TLS security for web sites published using Forefront TMG 2010. In its default configuration, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Forefront TMG leave quite a bit to be desired in terms of SSL and TLS security. In the article I demonstrated how to dramatically improve the security posture of TMG when publishing web sites that use SSL and TLS. At the time I wrote the article it was not recommended to enable forward secrecy, so the changes I originally proposed resulted in an “A” score from the Qualys SSL Labs test site. However, times have changed since then, and with the recent revelations of wide spread government spying, it is now recommended to enable forward secrecy by default. Sites that don’t support forward secrecy will now receive a reduced grade.
To accomplish this on the Forefront TMG 2010 firewall, open the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) and navigate to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Network, SSL Configuration Settings. Double-click SSL Cipher Suite Order and choose Enabled. Copy the list of SSL cipher suites to a blank notepad document and then move all of the cipher suites that begin with TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_ to the front of the list. Use caution here because the list cannot have any extra commas, line breaks, or spaces at all. Paste the updated list back in to the SSL Cipher Suites box and click Ok.
The server will have to be restarted for the changes to take effect. Once complete, forward secrecy will now be used by modern browsers and you should once again receive an “A” grade from SSL Labs.
Hotfix Rollup 5 for Forefront TMG 2010 SP2 Now Available
Hotfix rollup 5 for Microsoft Forefront TMG 2010 with Service pack 2 (SP2) is now available for download. This latest hotfix rollup includes fixes for the following issues:
KB2963805 – Account lockout alerts are not logged after you install Rollup 4 for Forefront TMG 2010 SP2
KB2963811 – The Forefront TMG 2010 Firewall service (wspsrv.exe) may crash when the DiffServ filter is enabled
KB2963823 – “1413 Invalid Index” after you enable cookie sharing across array members in Forefront TMG 2010
KB2963834 – HTTPS traffic may not be inspected when a user accesses a site through Forefront TMG 2010
KB2967726 – New connections are not accepted on a specific web proxy or web listener in Forefront TMG 2010
KB2965004 – EnableSharedCookie option doesn’t work if the Forefront TMG 2010 service runs under a specific account
KB2932469 – An incorrect value is used for IPsec Main Mode key lifetime in Threat Management Gateway 2010
KB2966284 – A zero value is always returned when an average counter of the “Forefront TMG Web Proxy” object is queried from the .NET Framework
KB2967763 – The “Const SE_VPS_VALUE = 2” setting does not work for users if the UPN is not associated with a real domain
KB2973749 – HTTP Connectivity Verifiers return unexpected failures in TMG 2010
You can download hotfix rollup 5 for Forefront TMG 2010 SP2 here. After applying this update, the new Forefront TMG 2010 build number will be 7.0.9193.644.
Forefront UAG 2010 End of Life Statement
Today, Microsoft announced the end of life for the Forefront UAG 2010 product. Microsoft will continue to provide mainstream support for UAG until April 14, 2015, and extended support until April 14, 2020. Existing customers with active Software Assurance on their existing UAG licenses as of December 1, 2013, may add new UAG server instances, users, and devices without having to purchase additional UAG licenses. In addition, existing customers who have purchased Forefront UAG server licenses will be given upgrade rights to Windows Server 2012 R2, which provides some of the remote access features found in Forefront UAG. For example, Windows Server 2012 R2 supports DirectAccess, client-based VPN, and reverse web proxy with new Web Application Proxy role.
With regard to license upgrade rights, users are entitled to a Windows Server 2012 R2 license for each Forefront UAG server license (or External Connector license) they currently own. Software Assurance for UAG can still be purchased until January 1, 2014. Forefront UAG 2010 will be removed from the pricelist on July 1, 2014. Forefront UAG 2010 will continue to be available from Microsoft OEM hardware partners like Celestix Networks for the foreseeable future, however.
Windows Azure Multifactor Authentication and Forefront TMG 2010
When Microsoft first announced Windows Azure Multi-Factor Authentication, a cloud-based strong authentication solution, my first thought was “I wonder if it works with Forefront TMG 2010?” Being cloud-based, my first thought was perhaps not. However, once I started digging in to it I quickly learned that it includes a software component that can be installed on-premises and will even integrate with on-premises security solutions via a number of interfaces, including RADIUS. Forefront TMG 2010 has supported RADIUS authentication for many years, so I put together a test lab and in no time at all I had Windows Azure multi-factor authentication working with Forefront TMG 2010 remote access VPN. Forefront TMG 2010 integrated with Windows Azure multi-factor authentication provides the highest level of protection for remote access users. Leveraging Windows Azure cloud-based strong authentication is extremely cost effective, with very low per user or per authentication costs and no on-premises hardware to purchase. The Windows Azure public cloud, which is ISO/IEC27001:2005 certified, provides the most secure and reliable strong authentication service available today. To learn how to configure Forefront TMG 2010 to work with Windows Azure multi-factor authentication, click here.
Extending the Life of Forefront TMG 2010 with Zscaler Cloud Based Security
Forefront TMG End of Life
With the end of life announcement for Microsoft Forefront TMG 2010, one of the most common questions I am asked is “What should I replace my Forefront TMG firewall with?” Many are surprised when I reply “Why do you want to replace it?” Simply because Forefront TMG will not be developed in the future does not mean there’s an immediate need to replace it. Considering the fact that Forefront TMG mainstream support extends until April 2015, and extended support lasts until April 2020, often the decision to replace TMG is nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to marketing pressure by vendors of competing solutions.
Do You Need to Replace Forefront TMG 2010 Now?
If you have deployed Forefront TMG 2010 as a firewall, basic forward or reverse web proxy, or remote access or site-to-site VPN, there is no need to replace Forefront TMG 2010 right now. All of the features used in these deployment scenarios will continue to function in to perpetuity. You have until April 2020 to find a replacement for Forefront TMG, which should give you plenty of time to consider alternative solutions. However, if you have deployed Forefront TMG as a secure web gateway, the situation is a little different. Although support for the product extends until April 2020, the Web Protection Service (WPS) subscription will only function until the end of 2015. This means that URL filtering reputation database updates, antimalware signatures, and Network Inspection System (NIS) signatures will no longer be updated past this time. Not to worry, there are some excellent cloud-based security solutions that can be integrated with Forefront TMG 2010 to effectively extend the life of TMG for the foreseeable future.
Extending the Life of Forefront TMG 2010 with Zscaler
Recently I had the opportunity to evaluate the Zscaler Cloud-based security solution. Zscaler provides security-as-a-service and integrates seamlessly with Forefront TMG to provide essential web security protection with URL filtering, dynamic web content control, virus and malicious software scanning, HTTPS inspection capabilities, and more. The Zscaler security solution provides significantly more protection than the native Forefront TMG technologies offer. There are also tremendous economies of scale to be gained by using this cloud-based security solution, as Zscaler has more than 4000 enterprise customers in 180 countries, servicing more than 10 million users globally. The threat intelligence gained from having such a broad view of Internet activity worldwide enables Zscaler to quickly identify emerging threats on a global basis and extend protection to all of its customers quickly and effectively.
Zscaler Integration with Forefront TMG 2010
Integrating an on-premises Forefront TMG firewall with the Zscaler cloud is accomplished without having to install a plug-in on the TMG firewall. On-premises web traffic is delivered to the Zscaler cloud service by Forefront TMG through the use of web proxy chaining rules. After you’ve signed up for the service, simply configure a web proxy chaining rule to forward web proxy requests from Forefront TMG to the Zscaler cloud proxy gateways.
Zscaler Protection for Mobile Users
The Zscaler solution has some additional advantages over Forefront TMG’s native web protection mechanisms. With a cloud-based solution, Zscaler’s protection can also be extended transparently to mobile users, keeping them safe regardless of where they are. Zscaler has more than 100 datacenters worldwide, ensuring quick response times and low latency wherever the mobile user happens to be. Integrating individual clients can be done using proxy PAC files to route traffic to Zscaler’s datacenters. Additionally there is an option to install an agent on the client to forward traffic, which has the benefit of preventing the end user from disabling proxy settings to bypass content filtering restrictions.
Forefront TMG 2010 and Zscaler – Better Together
You may be asking yourself “Why not just use Zscaler exclusively? Why do I need TMG at all?” Valid question! Integrating Zscaler with Forefront TMG provides the best of both worlds in terms of security and performance. With Forefront TMG 2010 on premises, you have a Common Criteria-certified enterprise-class firewall to provide the highest level of security for your network. You can leverage strong user and group-based authentication, and you gain the added benefit of local caching for web content. In addition, you can make use of Forefront TMG 2010’s other features like multi-networking to create perimeter or DMZ networks for isolating public-facing services, reverse proxy for on-premises web-based and non-web based applications and services, remote access VPN for managed and non-managed mobile users, and site-to-site VPN to connect remote offices, business partners, or cloud service providers.
Forefront TMG End of Sale? Not Quite!
Although Microsoft is committed to supporting Forefront TMG 2010 for many years to come, they are no longer selling Forefront TMG 2010 licenses or the Web Protection Service (WPS) subscription licenses. If you’ve already deployed Forefront TMG 2010, or have already purchased Forefront TMG processor licenses and the WPS subscription, you have nothing to worry about. If you’re looking to deploy Forefront TMG 2010 today, you can’t purchase licenses for the software from Microsoft. However, you can still obtain Forefront TMG 2010 through a Microsoft OEM partner like Celestix Networks. (Full disclosure: Celestix Networks is my current employer.)
Keep Calm and Carry On
In my estimation, you can safely deploy or keep Forefront TMG 2010 in your environment and still gain a healthy return on your investment for many years to come. If you’re using Forefront TMG for publishing services such as Outlook Web App (OWA) or SharePoint, or you’re leveraging client-based remote access or site-to-site VPN, you have nothing to worry about. If you’re using Forefront TMG as a secure web gateway, you can enhance and extend the solution by using Zscaler’s cloud-based security solution for less than you would have paid for the Microsoft WPS subscription. No need to go out and replace your Forefront TMG 2010 solution for quite a few more years! If you are considering a new deployment, you can still purchase Forefront TMG 2010 from Microsoft OEM partners like Iron Networks. So Keep Calm and Deploy Forefront TMG 2010 today!
Enable Hybrid Cloud with Forefront TMG 2010 and Windows Azure
Earlier this year I published an article on ISAserver.org on how to enable cross-premises network connectivity to Windows Azure using Forefront TMG 2010. When I wrote that piece, Windows Azure virtual networking was still in preview (beta). Since that time, Windows Azure virtual networking has been officially released, with some significant changes in features, functionality, and configuration steps. Many people noticed that their existing Forefront TMG 2010 to Windows Azure site-to-site VPN stopped working at this time and assumed that support for TMG had been dropped. Not so! Forefront TMG 2010 site-to-site VPN does work with Windows Azure virtual networks, and is indeed supported as it meets the minimum requirements for VPN devices connecting to Windows Azure virtual networks outlined here.
Configuring site-to-site VPN connectivity between the Forefront TMG 2010 firewall and Windows Azure virtual networks is not without a minor drawback, however. One of the new features of Windows Azure virtual networking is point-to-site VPN using SSTP. Unfortunately this feature requires that you configure dynamic routing on your Windows Azure virtual network, and dynamic routing makes use of IKEv2, which the Forefront TMG 2010 firewall does not support. So, if you want to enable cross-premises network connectivity to Windows Azure using Forefront TMG 2010, you will not be able to take advantage of this new point-to-site VPN connectivity option.
Important Note: Windows Azure virtual networking site-to-site VPN requires that your VPN endpoint have a public IPv4 address assigned to it’s external network interface. If your Forefront TMG 2010 firewall is located behind a border router or edge firewall performing NAT, site-to-site VPN connectivity with Windows Azure will not be possible.
To configure cross-premises network connectivity with Windows Azure, log in to the Windows Azure portal and select Networks in the navigation pane, then click on Create Virtual Network. Enter a Name for the virtual network, specify a Region, and provide an Affinity Group Name and select the appropriate Subscription.
Enter the names and IP addresses of any DNS servers to be used by machines in this virtual network and select the option to Configure site-to-site VPN. Do NOT select the option to Configure point-to-site VPN.
Provide a name for the site-to-site connection and enter the IP address assigned to the external network interface of the Forefront TMG firewall. In addition, specify the network address space in use on the private, on-premises side of the connection.
Define your virtual network subnet as required. Here I’ve chosen to use the 10.0.0.0/24 address space. Define any additional subnets as necessary and then click Add gateway subnet.
Click on the newly created virtual network and then click on Dashboard. Click Create Gateway and choose Static Routing.
Once the gateway has been created, make a note of the Gateway IP Address and then click Manage Key. Copy this key as it will be required when configuring the site-to-site VPN on the Forefront TMG 2010 firewall.
On the Forefront TMG 2010 firewall, open the management console and select Remote Access Policy (VPN). Click the Remote Sites tab in the center pane and then click Create VPN Site-to-Site Connection in the Tasks pane. When the Create Site-to-Site Connection Wizard begins, enter a name for the new site-to-site network.
Select IP Security protocol (IPsec) tunnel mode.
Enter the IP address of the Windows Azure virtual network gateway and the local VPN gateway IP address, which is the IP address assigned to the external network interface of the Forefront TMG 2010 firewall.
Copy the pre-shared key from the Windows Azure virtual network gateway.
The IP address of the Windows Azure virtual network gateway will be automatically added to the network address list. Click Add Range and add the IP address range you defined earlier for the virtual network.
Select the option Create a network rule specifying a route relationship.
Any communication between the on-premises network and the Windows Azure virtual network must be allowed by firewall policy. You can create an access rule now, or create one later.
Review the configuration settings and click Finish.
Before applying the configuration, right-click the site-to-site connection and choose Properties, select the Connection tab, and then click IPsec Settings.
On the Phase I tab select SHA1 for the Integrity algorithm and leave the remaining settings at their defaults.
On the Phase II tab select SHA1 for the Integrity Algorithm. Select the option to Generate a new key every 102400000 Kbytes and clear the option to Use Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS).
Once complete, apply the configuration. Finally, set the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) on the Forefront TMG 2010 firewall’s external interface to 1350 bytes by opening an elevated command prompt and issuing the following command:
netsh interface ipv4 set interface <interface_name_or_index> mtu=1350
For example:
netsh interface ipv4 set interface external mtu=1350
The Windows Azure management console should now indicate that you have successfully established a site-to-site VPN to the remote virtual network.
When you configure a new Windows Azure virtual machine, you can specify that the machine be placed in to your virtual network.
The new virtual machine should now be reachable from your on-premises network using the site-to-site VPN configured on the Forefront TMG 2010 firewall.
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