With the increasing emphasis on security and businesses moving more of their infrastructure to private networks, having a flexible and secure VPN solution is essential. In this article, we will explore how to leverage IBM Cloud VPN as a Service (VPNaaS) for Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), using IBM Cloud Secrets Manager for authentication.

IBM Cloud Secrets Manager

IBM Cloud Secrets Manager is a centralized resource that allows you to manage various secrets securely. It simplifies the management process and provides tight access control.

In this guide, we will use Secrets Manager as a certificate-signing authority to store and manage the TLS certificates required for VPN connectivity. Secrets Manager is integrated into the VPNaaS offering to handle client/server certificates.

IBM Cloud Virtual Private Cloud

IBM Cloud Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is a highly secure and scalable cloud networking service that enables businesses to create complex network topologies similar to their on-premises setups. Users can deploy and manage virtual servers, storage, and networking components in a logically isolated environment, ensuring enhanced security and control over their cloud-based assets. VPC also allows seamless integration with other IBM Cloud services to create a unified ecosystem for hosting various applications and workloads.

Assumptions

• A VPC has been created with a configured subnet.
• A Secrets Manager instance has been previously created.

Using Secrets Manager as the Certificate Authority

IBM Cloud Secrets Manager offers multiple ways to handle VPN certificates. In this guide, we will use the internal signing mechanism to generate a client and server pair of certificates for VPN connectivity. Alternatively, you can use an external signing authority or import externally generated self-signed certificates into Secrets Manager.

To get started with using Secrets Manager, follow these steps:

1. Create a Secrets Group to contain the VPN certificates:
   • Select “Secret groups” from the menu.
   • Click “Create”.
   • Enter a meaningful group name and optional description.
   • Click “Create” at the bottom of the screen.
2. Create a private certificate Secrets Engine:
   • Select “Secrets engines” from the menu.
   • Select “Private certificates” from the drop-down list.
3. Create the root authority:
   • Click the “Create certificate authority” button.
   • Enter a meaningful name for the root authority.
   • Toggle the encode URL switch.
   • Complete the form and click “Create”.
4. Create the intermediate authority:
   • Click the “Create certificate authority” link on the root authority screen.
   • Enter a meaningful name for the intermediate authority.
   • Toggle the encode URL switch.
   • Complete the form and click “Create”.
5. Create the certificate template:
   • Click the “Create template” link on the intermediate authority screen.
   • Complete the form using a meaningful name and other required information.
   • Click “Create template” to finish.
6. Create the server certificate and the client certificate.
7. Enable communication between Secrets Manager and the VPC services by granting service authorization.
8. Create the VPN using the IBM Cloud VPNaaS offering.
9. Configure VPN routing and security group settings.
10. Install and configure an OpenVPN-compatible client to establish a communication path.

For detailed instructions and additional guidance, refer to the official IBM Cloud documentation.

Summary

By leveraging IBM Cloud VPNaaS and Secrets Manager, businesses can create a secure and scalable VPN solution for private VPC networks. Secrets Manager acts as a certificate-signing authority, handling client/server certificates for authentication. With this setup, businesses can ensure flexible and secure access to their resources in the cloud.

FAQ

What is IBM Cloud Secrets Manager?

IBM Cloud Secrets Manager is a centralized resource that allows you to securely manage various secrets, such as API keys, passwords, and certificates. It provides a simple and secure way to store and access sensitive information in your IBM Cloud environment.

What is IBM Cloud Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)?

IBM Cloud Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is a highly secure and scalable cloud networking service. It allows you to create complex network topologies similar to your on-premises setups, with full control over addressing, routing, and security. VPC enables you to deploy and manage virtual servers, storage, and networking components in a logically isolated environment, ensuring enhanced security and performance for your cloud-based assets.

What is VPN as a Service (VPNaaS)?

VPN as a Service (VPNaaS) is a cloud-based VPN solution that enables secure communication over public networks, such as the internet. With VPNaaS, businesses can establish encrypted connections between their on-premises infrastructure or remote devices and their cloud resources. It provides a secure and private network tunnel that ensures the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted over the internet.