The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the agency in charge of overseeing the security of the United States government’s networks and critical infrastructure, has issued an alert warning federal agencies to beware of hackers who exploit legitimate remote desktop protocols and access tools to gain unauthorized access to their networks.
According to CISA, it has been analyzing suspicious activity on federal networks and has identified several reports of malicious use of valid administrative tools like Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Windows Remote Desktop Services, or other remote access tools being exploited to gain unauthorized access. CISA warns that hackers are using various strategies to gain access, such as phishing emails, malicious executable files, and other methods.
A successful breach can easily have disastrous consequences, as malicious actors may be able to steal sensitive data, disrupt operations, or use the compromised network as a structure to launch further attacks.
To counter any breaches of security, CISA has put together a list of best practices to secure networks, such as patching systems, enabling multi-factor authentication, implementing user access control, scanning for malicious activities and indicators of compromise, and more.
Moreover, CISA has joined forces with the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (CERT-EU) and other security organizations to share information and intelligence about cyber threats, in order to provide better defense to federal agencies and help them protect critical data from cyber criminals, malware, viruses, and other malicious activity.
CISA reminds federal agencies that cyber threats can come from anywhere and have serious implications, so it is important to take active measures to protect the organization’s networks and systems. The agency also stresses the importance of regularly monitoring the network for indicators of compromise and responding to any suspicious activity in a timely manner.
This Cyber News was published on www.bleepingcomputer.com. Publication date: Wed, 25 Jan 2023 21:19:03 +0000