Cybercriminals Targeting VPNs: Protect Yourself from Attacks
Threat actors are increasingly targeting virtual private networks (VPNs) to gain access to organizations. This trend has been exacerbated by the shift to remote and hybrid work, which has created new vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. By targeting VPNs, threat actors can launch ransomware, phishing attacks, or denial of service (DoS) attacks.
A recent study found that almost 500 publicly known VPN vulnerabilities could be exploited by cybercriminals to exfiltrate sensitive business data. It is important for businesses to choose a reliable and secure VPN provider to protect against these types of attacks. Free VPNs are not safe and it is recommended to use well-known brands like PrivateInternetAccess (PIA), ExpressVPN, or CyberGhost, which offer business-specific features to improve work and collaboration.
A survey of cybersecurity professionals found that 44% have witnessed an increase in exploits targeting their business's VPN since the shift to remote and hybrid work. To secure their perimeter, businesses should carefully consider which VPN provider they use, and ensure that employees and third parties have secure access to the corporate network. It is also important for businesses to adopt a zero-trust model, which assumes that all users and devices are potentially risky, and to implement other security measures such as strong and unique passwords, two-factor authentication, and antivirus software.