Exemplary embodiments involve a computing system requesting and receiving a socket policy file from a policy file server via a secure socket connection, identifying that the security policy requires communicating with a content server via a secure socket connection, and communicating with the content server via a second secure socket connection. The socket policy file specifies a security policy governing socket connections to a content server over a transport protocol layer. Additional embodiments involve requesting a socket policy file via a non-secure socket connection, receiving (via the non-secure socket connection) a placeholder socket policy file requiring requests for socket policy files to be communicated via a secure socket connection, establishing a secure socket connection with the policy file server, and submitting a request for the socket policy file to the policy file server via the secure socket connection.