While some organizations have implemented return-to-office policies, many still rely on remote workforces. That means their employees need to access systems with sensitive company data remotely. 

However, it’s not only employees who need remote access. In some cases, companies may rely on third-party vendors, such as help desks or contractors, that need privileged access to the network for business-critical operational tasks. For instance, an outsourced help desk employee may need remote access to help an employee with an IT problem on their endpoint.

In order to secure their remote workers’ access to business systems, companies can deploy several different tools.

• VPNs: VPNs provide an encrypted tunnel between a remote user and the network. This means that sensitive data like work emails is unreadable to others, especially on a public Wi-Fi network, where that information could be trackable by others who have access to the network if not properly secured. However, it’s important to note that while VPNs secure remote access connections, they don’t provide extra security against threats and malware. Additionally, threat actors have historically targeted security vulnerabilities or weaknesses in VPNs themselves as a way to access an enterprise network. 

• MFA: Through MFA, users are required to authenticate through at least two means in order to access the network (e.g., through an authenticator app, biometrics-based prompt, or email address). That means that even if a threat actor has access to an employee’s credentials, they would still need to get around a secondary MFA code or passkey protection to gain initial access. 

• SSO: SSO is an authentication method that allows users to sign in to multiple accounts. This allows IT teams to enforce strong password policies and MFA for businesses at a central point, simplifying remote employee access.

Unfortunately, threat actors have targeted remote access tools as a way to gain initial access to—or persistence on—company networks. 

At Huntress, we have seen this through threat actors targeting internet-accessible instances of RDP, which enables users to control remote computer desktop interfaces. For instance, we have seen attackers launching brute force attacks on RDP instances, giving them access to the victim network. Organizations can secure RDP by avoiding exposing it to the internet, using MFA for RDP sessions, and making sure that admin rights are limited.

Even with security measures in place, threat actors can still slip through the cracks. Businesses should create a proactive plan for situations where threat actors are able to remotely access their networks. 

• Identity threat detection and response (ITDR) can help companies monitor, identify, and mitigate threats related to unauthorized access and misuse of identity credentials.

• Security awareness training can help organizations continually educate their employees about best practices, which can help secure remote access. such as the security risks of using public Wi-Fi or reusing credentials. 

Overall, secure remote access is essential for businesses, especially as workplace environments become increasingly decentralized. By investing in tools and processes to make remote access more secure, organizations can help dramatically decrease security risks down the line.