What are the risks of Remote Computer Access?


With the rising popularity of remote computer access, especially during this pandemic, many cyber threats related to this have also been found. The most significant danger associated with remote access services and software is that a hacker will get deeper access to your company or office, exposing you to various IT security vulnerabilities. It will be impossible to avoid data theft, phishing, and ransomware if they have gained privileged access to your system.

What is Remote Access?

Remote computer access means getting authorized access to another computer virtually from another physical location; it allows you to access the files, applications, and all of the data. Remote access is beneficial for personal and business purposes, from remote personal computers to servicing client PCs.

Risk of Remote Computer Access

As we know, the benefits of Remote Computer Access are many, especially to businesses, but with that comes a lot of risks and concerns to your network. In today's world, hackers are waiting to find a loophole to hack into your systems, and Remote Computer Access gives them a lot of ways. Some of the risks related are discussed below −

Unrestricted Access to Information

With the surge of remote employees, security teams must keep an eye on a whole new set of endpoint devices for malware, fileless assaults, and a slew of other threats aimed at them. On the other hand, many security teams lack insight into remote user activity and east-west traffic within the network, making it impossible to detect sophisticated threats from distant users or identify an attacker transferring from a compromised user's machine to network hosts.

Brute Force Attacks

A brute force attack initiates a dictionary attack and enters many passwords or passphrases to guess a combination correctly.

The attacker iterates through all potential password combinations until they locate the correct one. Once logged in as the administrator, attackers attempt to learn more about the server, such as what it's used for, who it's used by, and when.

Attackers who get control of the server can carry out nefarious operations such as accessing protected data, deleting security protection, changing passwords, leaking data, and many other things. This bruteforce attack could cause a denial of service (DoS) to the operating system's memory or storage, causing it to stop working and preventing other users from accessing it.

Phishing

Phishing is one of the most common methods of gaining access to business networks. The coronavirus outbreak creates ideal conditions for phishing, as criminals frequently use fear, panic, and urgency to persuade victims to click on fraudulent websites. Spam based on the Coronavirus is now being utilized as a lure, and the over-communication and panic will lead some users to click on anything.

Incompetent Tools

Investing in an excellent remote access tool is always a good idea. Most businesses currently challenge compromising their network security by choosing low-cost, inadequate remote access solutions. It will be tough for your firm to defend its confidentiality from harmful web attackers without a secure remote access tool.

The ability to encrypt remote sessions between local and remote devices is one of the characteristics you should look for in a remote access solution. Users with evil intent can steal confidential information from your network and system if you don't do this.

How to Protect Yourself from Such Threats?

Following are some of the actions that you can take to keep yourself protected from the threats associated with remote computer access −

  • Use strong passwords − Many internet accounts are hacked and hijacked due to users using simple passwords that are easy to remember or guess, making it easy for others to gain access. Using strong passwords to safeguard your account is one approach to avoid being worried about getting hacked. Using a password consisting of letters, numbers, and special characters in your password is one approach to make it more secure. Creating long passwords is another option. Longer passwords, while usually the bare minimum, provide additional security.

  • Use an antivirus or antimalware software − Hackers may hijack your computer or device with malware or viruses to steal your passwords and gain access to your account. Hackers can carry out this attack using phishing or USB drive downloads. Use antivirus or antimalware software to avoid this problem.

  • Use a VPN and a firewall − Install a Firewall on your home or workplace network to analyze all incoming traffic and prohibit any harmful information from accessing your network. To secure your network from hackers, you can employ an IPS (Intrusion Prevention System). To avoid being hacked, it's critical to secure your internet connection. If you're utilizing public Wi-Fi, a VPN might provide an extra layer of security.

  • Activate two-factor authentication − Getting into your device will be twice as difficult as before. To obtain a second verification code, hackers will need physical access to your phone or another device.

  • Update your software regularly − By allowing and auditing Automatic Updates, you can always guarantee that you're running the most recent software versions. Older versions may not support high encryption levels and may have other security vulnerabilities for remote access.

  • Set up a Remote Desktop Gateway − Remote Desktop Protocol gateways allow you to restrict access to remote desktop ports while still allowing remote connections to be made through a single server (gateway).

Updated on: 28-Dec-2021

392 Views

Kickstart Your Career

Get certified by completing the course

Get Started
Advertisements