Organizations have shifted to remote desktop work environments at an increasing speed since then - simultaneously expanding their attack surface and exposing themselves to greater cybersecurity threats.
The remote work revolution has pushed companies to rethink their security and data protection practices amidst hybrid work and cloud environments.
As a result, companies find it increasingly difficult to manage their attack surface at the speed and scale necessary to prevent attacks.
Here are the top attack surface exposures and trends from the past year and ways institutions can remediate these threats before they transform into critical issues.
Top Attack Surface Exposures Palo Alto Networks' 2023 Unit 42 Attack Surface Threat Management report found that the top attack surface exposures exist via two methods: Actions directly taken on a compromised device or leveraging unauthorized access on a compromised attack surface asset to gain further access within an organization.
The cloud is one increasingly popular attack surface cybercriminals have honed in on.
Cloud is the dominant attack surface through which these critical exposures are accessed due to its operational efficiency and pervasiveness across industries.
Web framework takeover and remote access service exposures accounted for over 40% of exposure types.
Over 85% of organizations analyzed have RDPs accessible via the internet for at least 25% of a given month, leaving them open to ransomware attacks.
The attack landscape has evolved to target critical infrastructure.
The growing trend of targeting critical infrastructure is concerning, as we've seen attacks like SUNBURST have devastating impacts.
These companies heavily rely on remote access services, which can be a significant attack vector due to insecure servers, inadequate security protocols, cloud misconfigurations, exposure of security infrastructure, and more.
Key Recommendations Today's threat actors are adept at exploiting organizational vulnerabilities to gain access to remote environments.
In addition to implementing the suggestions below, I suggest monitoring for emerging threats through comprehensive efforts that will set up a strong baseline for your company, such as a service retainer for threat landscape briefings or an audit of your organization's attack surface for risk.
Here are key recommendations and best practices organizations should consider to strengthen their security posture and actively manage their attack surfaces.
This way, organizations can secure remote access services and monitor for signs of unauthorized access attempts.
Attack premeditation is another vital way to secure your systems.
While remote access services are crucial for hybrid work environments, their faulty configurations pose significant risks to company security.
Install protocols and mechanisms to help your team quickly leverage attack surface management tools to prioritize patches and remediate common exposures.
By implementing these key recommendations, organizations can take a more proactive and holistic approach to maintaining control over their infrastructure and evolving with the changing nature of their attack surface.
This Cyber News was published on securityboulevard.com. Publication date: Mon, 04 Dec 2023 14:43:05 +0000