Secure Remote Access: Technologies, Tips & Solutions

Remote access presents multiple security risks that can negatively impact an organization and could be used by tech support scammers. The risks come from external actors intent on planting malware or compromising systems as well as from oversights made by internal users.

We offer some tips that can help companies enact strong remote access security in the battle against the evolving techniques of advanced cybercriminals. These techniques can also be applied to securing remote access from an individual’s mobile devices.

Following are some of the most common issues faced when implementing remote access and methods to enhance security.

1. The risk: Insufficient knowledge – Users need to be educated regarding their individual role in protecting computing resources and how to effectively use the technical security solutions available.

PRO TIP: Educate users regarding security and risk prevention

All personnel involved in remote access need to be educated about the potential business risks of poor security. This includes customers, employees, and members of remote technical support teams. Teams need to be on the same page and follow the approved set of security procedures to protect corporate resources from the risk of cyberattacks. Organizational security guidelines should be defined and shared with all parties.

Everyone needs to understand the dangers and likelihood of attacks from cybercriminals as well as the steps they can take to prevent them from occurring. Taking the risk of cybercrime seriously is the first step to implementing the policies and practices necessary to protect an organization’s computing environment and data resources.

2. The risk: Poor device hygiene – Individuals who sell a personal device that may have contained corporate data or access points without properly sanitizing its disks expose the organization to security risks.

PRO TIP: Implement automatic clipboard deletion

Information is stored in your computer’s clipboard when you are copying and pasting across apps or documents. If this data is not deleted from the clipboard, it can later be accessed by unauthorized users. This puts sensitive information at risk and can compromise security, especially when using remote sessions. Automatic clipboard deletion is available in some remote access solutions and should be enabled as an additional safeguard for data resources.

3. The risk: Insecure software solutions – The software used to provide remote access may not comply with a company’s security standards. This can put sensitive data resources at risk and enable intruders to infiltrate internal networks.

PRO TIP – Deploy verified secure remote access solutions

The remote access solution implemented by an organization needs to provide enhanced security to protect corporate data resources. All data transmission using the remote access tool should be encrypted with at least the Advanced Encryption Standards (AES) 256-bit protocol. Lack of encryption should be enough to rule out a specific remote access solution from consideration.

Some security features to look for in a remote access solution include the ability to use two-factor authentication to ensure the identity of potential users. Another strategy is to lock machines when a remote session terminates and require authorized personnel to initiate a new session. Security can also be strengthened by enforcing idle timeout controls to reduce the chance that unauthorized users are using a session.

4. The risk: Personal mobile devices – Enterprise data resources stored or accessible through personal devices like phones, laptops, or tablets may be put at risk by not being encrypted or protected sufficiently.

PRO TIP – Enforce strong remote access standards

Users should only be allowed to access company resources from a personal mobile device using an approved solution. While there are many remote access solutions available, letting users choose their method of connectivity does not promote strong security. Companies need to standardize the choices users can implement for remote access from personal mobile devices.

Issuing company-owned mobile devices designed specifically for business purposes is another more expensive solution.

5. The risk: Shared and weak passwords – Sharing passwords, using weak passwords, or reusing the same password across multiple devices can put data assets at risk.

PRO TIP – Educate users and institute strict password controls across the organization.

Trivial passwords that can easily be hacked open the door for cybercriminals to run rampant through corporate IT infrastructures. Users need to be educated on how to create and manage strong passwords. The use of a password manager may be helpful to address the challenges of maintaining multiple strong passwords.

Password controls should be implemented across all remote access solutions that enforce strong password standards. These controls should also require passwords to be changed regularly. The minor inconvenience of updating passwords will prove worthwhile by the enhanced security the practice provides.

6. The risk: Missing software patches – Users may not install the patches required to keep their software updated and protected from newly discovered security flaws.

PRO TIP – Institute a strong and centralized software update policy

Users cannot always be trusted to perform all of the software updates necessary to fully protect their systems or mobile devices. The updates may slow them down and not provide new features that interest them. Organizations need to push updates from a centralized team to ensure that all security patches are installed as soon as they become available. This can be done during off hours to avoid impacting the daily activities of the user community.

7. The risk: Phishing attacks – Sophisticated teams are trying to trick users into clicking on links in phishing emails that will result in malware being installed or introduced to the computing environment.

PRO TIP – Educate users on the dangers of phishing attacks

Phishing teams become more sophisticated and the level of education provided to a company’s users needs to keep pace. A major problem with phishing attacks is that they target all employees, even those who are not directly involved in IT support. This means everyone in the organization needs to be fully trained on how to spot potentially malicious emails and how to avoid inadvertently falling victim to an attack. Suspect emails should be addressed by an internal security team and lessons learned from studying the attack disseminated throughout the company.

8. The risk: Vulnerable or missing backups – Data that is not backed up or backed up using insecure methods risks the loss of the information or its access by unauthorized actors. Lost or stolen unsecured backup media can provide cybercriminals with easy access to a company’s most sensitive information.

PRO TIP – Regularly schedule backups using a secure methodology

Backups offer critical protection against outages and unexpected data loss. They need to be regularly scheduled and monitored to ensure that all machines have valid backups to use in the event of a restore. The backup tool should employ advanced encryption techniques to keep the backed-up information safe. Strong physical controls regarding the storage of backup media should also be enforced.

These security issues are exacerbated by the challenges of working from home and the expanded attack surface remote work presents to potential attackers. Companies can find it difficult to implement a secure remote access solution that adequately protects enterprise data. We hope that the suggested tips can help companies enact strong remote access security in the battle against the evolving techniques of advanced cybercriminals. These techniques can also be applied to securing remote access from an individual’s mobile devices.