What is OpenBlue Secure Remote Access?

OpenBlue Secure Remote Access is the ability to connect users, devices, and workloads to critical resources without exposing your network to unnecessary risk. Unlike traditional VPNs that extend broad network access, secure remote access uses identity-based policies and encrypted tunnels to ensure only authorized endpoints can communicate. Airwall delivers this through a Zero Trust Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP), creating a private, cloaked overlay network across IT, OT/ICS, IoT, cloud, and remote sites. This approach reduces attack surfaces, prevents lateral movement, and simplifies centralized policy orchestration—making remote access secure, scalable, and easy to manage.

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Why organizations need a modern Secure Remote Access model?

  • Network boundaries are disappearing; users, devices, and workloads span on premises and cloud.
  • IoT/OT systems must be protected, isolated, and remotely managed—without broad network exposure.
  • Traditional firewalls, VLANs, and VPNs struggle to provide granular, identity based access at the device level.

Airwall applies a Zero Trust SDP to create a private, encrypted overlay network where policies align to user/device identity. It eliminates man in the middle risks found in legacy VPNs and centrally orchestrates tunnels and access via the Conductor—making remote access secure, scalable, and simple.

Benefits

Benefits_Prevent lateral movement
Segment & Protect:

Restore a virtual air gap for critical assets.

Challenges_Limitations of traditional tools
Encrypt Connections:

End-to-end encryption for all remote connections.

Benefits_Reduce attack surface
Reduce Attack Surface:

Harden and cloak devices and prevent unauthorized discovery.

Benefits_Prevent lateral movement
Prevent Lateral Movement:

Contain malware/ransomware and stop insider overreach.

Challenges_Cost and complexity of deployment
Lower Costs & Accelerate Deployment:

Simple enforcement with no forklift upgrades or vendor lock-in.

How it works?

  • Deploy Airwall Edge Services/Agents to protected assets and endpoints.
  • Define allow list policies in the Conductor based on identity and explicit permissions.
  • Airwall establishes peer to peer encrypted tunnels (overlay) across any IP infrastructure.
  • Unauthorized users cannot see or reach protected devices (cloaking), stopping discovery and lateral movement.
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Key features

Features_zero trust SDP

Zero trust SDP with identity-based policies at the user and device level.

Challenges_Integration with existing systems

Conductor orchestration for centralized setup of tunnels and policies.

Features_Granular identity based policies

HIP based foundation (Host Identity Protocol) enabling cryptographic identities and micro-segmentation across environments.

Features_HIP protocol

Encrypted overlay tunnels between any systems over any network.

OpenBlue Secure Remote Access FAQs

  • How is secure remote access different from a traditional VPN?

    Airwall enforces a Zero Trust SDP: access is identity based and scoped per device/workload. It sets up encrypted overlays and prevents lateral movement, rather than extending broad network reach as many VPNs do.

  • Does Airwall work across any IP infrastructure?

    Yes. Airwall creates encrypted tunnels over any network (WAN, internet, cloud, remote sites) and orchestrates them centrally via the Conductor.

  • Can Airwall protect legacy OT/ICS and IoT devices?

    Yes. Airwall cloaks devices, segments communications, and enforces identity based policies keeping legacy systems reachable only by authorized endpoints.

  • What security standard underpins Airwall identities?

    Airwall is built on HIP (Host Identity Protocol), an identity based networking approach that enables secure overlays and micro segmentation.

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