DROPSYNC SECURITY RISK FULL
If your business has many third-party vendors, and each vendor has full access to your network, a hacker now has multiple potential routes to break into and exploit your network using VPN traffic. Hackers often use VPNs to gain access to networks. The reality is that malicious hackers have exploited weak VPN protocols and non-secure internet connections to cause data breaches at major companies such as Home Depot and Target. If your third-party vendors and VPN users have access to your network, you may believe that your company data and network are safe after all, the “P” in VPN does stand for “private”. The Ugly VPN Security Risks VPN provides a false sense of security Without easy, centralized access to all the historical information on a connection (user, applications accessed, the reason for access, etc.), it is impossible to prove who or what created an issue, should a breach or mistake occur due to a third-party vendor. Usually, all that is logged in connection times and even then that data is in yet another log to monitor and watch. VPNs typically provide little or no granular audit records, so you can’t monitor and record the actions of every third-party vendor using the VPN. Lack of accountability creates third-party VPN risks Even if you segment your networks with VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks), access can still be too broad, or even too narrow, which requires additional VPN troubleshooting and technician time.
DROPSYNC SECURITY RISK SOFTWARE
VPN servers and client software grant a vendor access to everything in your network unless least privileged access is implemented.
The more servers, applications, and network equipment your vendors can access, the more you have at risk. There are no shades of gray, no ability to give partial access only to required resources. When a business uses VPNs to provide third-party vendors access to their network, those vendors either have full access to your network (for example, at the start of a job) or they don’t (when you revoke access after the job ends) – unless companies implement strict network segmentation with firewalls and switches, which adds additional complexity. The Bad VPN Security Risks All or nothing = VPNs create security risks Plus, third-party vendors may not have in-house technical support to help with initial setup, troubleshooting VPN connection problems as well as solving everyday issues, and you may require more resources at your helpdesks to assist users, thus increasing your costs of doing business. Without the ability to deploy, monitor, and manage all of your connections from a single place, your support personnel must spend a great deal of time supporting the VPN client and the connected applications. With VPNs, there’s no centralized remote management.
High VPN support costs = Higher cost of doing business The result: Long lag times in getting vendor support technicians on the job, which also impacts your workforce’s productivity and customer service quality. This two-step process slows things down and often involves personnel who aren’t familiar with the application or the vendors’ use case for getting access in the first place. While using VPN software increases security over an unencrypted connection, connection speeds and application performance can decrease due to several factors – such as the time needed to provision and test the VPN, which usually involves other departments such as IT support.Īnd this must happen before any application or server access can be tested.
More secure VPN = Less productive workforce According to a Verizon report, 76% of network intrusions involved compromised user credentials. Third-party vendors may sometimes follow a number of VPN practices that are not optimal, yet are beyond your control – practices that create opportunities for hackers to enter your network.Įxample: Sharing credentials with co-workers, or reusing weak passwords from personal accounts that are easily exploited. The Not-So-Good VPN Security Risks Third-party VPNs can’t create or enforce policies that protect credentials