Remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools are used by business organizations to manage and monitor their enterprise IT infrastructure from a central location. However, the increasing sophistication of hackers and cybercriminals has caused both alarm and alarmingly creative security abuses. In a recent paper, researchers revealed how malicious actors have adopted legitimate RMM tools as a primary tool for carrying out sophisticated cyberattacks.
Hackers are increasingly taking advantage of the power and convenience offered by RMM tools to exploit enterprise networks. By gaining access via breaches of security systems to legitimate remote tools, hackers are able to gain a deeper ideal into system architectures, configurations, and sensitive data. Then, they use this knowledge to launch malicious attacks that require little in the way of special hacking skills or methods.
The recent paper outlines an alarming trend among cyber threats — the abuse of RMM tools. In summary, these attacks include: gaining access to legitimate RMM tools, using the legitimate tools to gain access to the network, escalating privileges within the network, and installing malicious software that causes further damage. This cycle allows cyber attackers to steal data, manipulate internal processes, cripple operations, and even probe larger networks.
Given the power and reach of RMM tools, corporate networks need to take extra precautions to protect their enterprise. From a network security perspective, organizations should understand the vulnerabilities of RMM tools and be aware of the risk of these tools being adapted for malicious purposes. Businesses should also assess the security of their RMM tools and take measures to reduce the risk of them being used maliciously.
For instance, organizations should regularly monitor the connections and usage of RMM tools to identify any suspicious activity. In addition, they should also harden their networks to limit the spread of malicious code and limit the visibility and access of RMM tools. Furthermore, they should apply the latest security protocols to strengthen the security of RMM tools and establish access control systems to ensure that only authorized personnel can access these tools.
In conclusion, malicious actors are using RMM tools to create a powerful cyber attack vector. Organizations need to be aware of the dangers of these tools and take all the necessary security measures to reduce the risk of a breach. With proper security measures in place, businesses can protect the integrity of their corporate networks from the threat of cybercrime.
This Cyber News was published on www.csoonline.com. Publication date: Fri, 27 Jan 2023 15:05:03 +0000