Covid 19 Has Increased Exploitation Of These Vulnerabilities

Insecure Remote Desktop Connections

Remote Desktop Connections, or Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a Microsoft proprietary feature that allows for one computer to remotely control another computer over the internet. It is a useful feature for IT administrators who need to diagnose and troubleshoot issues remotely. However, a unsecured or misconfigured RDP connection can be a severe security vulnerability for an organization’s network.

Cybersecurity company McAfee has stated that the increase in work-at-home caused by COVID-19 has caused many organizations to rely on RDP connections for their employees to connect remotely to their company network. McAfee also discovered that the number of insecure RDP connections has increased to 4.5 million from 3 million in January of this year. RDP Threats such as  BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708) are particularly dangerous due to their ability to worm, which allows them to spread malware across a network after initial infiltration, without any additional input from a victim.

VPN Vulnerabilities

Vulnerabilities in Virtual Private Network (VPN) devices are also critical points that need attention when protecting your organization’s network. Known flaws in VPN devices from Puse Secure and Citrix are still relevant today due to unpatched systems running out-of-date firmware. Some threats of note include CVE-2019-19781, which allows for a cyberattacker to hijack a Citrix VPN device to execute arbitrary code, and CVE-2019-11510, which allows attackers to gain access to passwords and other sensitive information in Pulse Secure devices.

Office 365 Vulnerabilities

In light of COVID-19, many organizations have migrated to using cloud based platforms like Office 365 for centralized collaboration and communication. However, Office 365 environments have some vulnerabilities that are important to address for a secure network. Firstly, multifactor authentication is not automatically activated on administrator accounts. This means that cyberattackers that brute force a username and password can gain full access to the administrative portal.

Don’t fall victim to cyberattack. GIGE IT Solutions can help you configure and maintain your RDP and VPN connections to ensure that your organization’s network is never left unprotected. During COVID-19, GIGE is offering a promotion to resolve your technical issues at $95 flat, no contract and no assessment. There will be no charge unless your issue is resolved. You can get started here.