Did you know that 73% of organizations use VPN connections? With the current pandemic, more and more people are working from home. This means that companies must ensure their systems are secure against potential threats.
Without proper home security measures in place, your system could be vulnerable to malicious attacks or data breaches. It's important to take the necessary steps to protect your remote access points and keep your data safe. Fortunately, there are some simple best practices you can follow to make sure your system is secure. Keep reading because in this article we'll discuss the top 5 remote access security best practices so you can rest assured knowing that your data is safe and sound.
Which Technologies Are Used for Remote Work Access?
Now that we’ve established what secure remote access is, let’s talk about the technologies that are used for it. Common SRA technologies include:
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
A VPN creates an encrypted connection between your device and the company's local area network (LAN). It ensures that all of your data remains private, even if you're using a public internet connection.
Remote Access over Secure Shell (SSH)
Secure Shell is another common way to access remote networks. This type of protocol allows users to securely log in and execute commands on remote computers without exposing their credentials or data. SSH also supports port forwarding, which enables other applications to communicate with resources on the remote network.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) over Remote Access
Multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to remote access by requiring more than one credential for authentication. Common factors include passwords, SMS codes sent to cell phones, biometric scanners such as fingerprints, and one-time passcodes.
Top 5 Remote Access Security Best Practices
Now that you understand what Secure Remote Access is, here are the top five best practices for ensuring your system remains secure. They include:
1. Use Strong Passwords and Two-Factor Authentication
Setting strong passwords for all of our online accounts is essential for protecting ourselves against hackers. Rather than settling for too-easily guessed words, we should create passwords that are at least eight characters long and feature a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Even better, two-factor authentication provides another barrier to prevent unauthorized access by asking users to enter an additional code sent via email or text message each time they log in — giving us greater peace of mind that our information is secure.
2. Restrict Access to Specific Resources
Utilizing restrictions on user access to sensitive resources is a great way to bolster the security of your information. By granting access to only those users that need it, you can make sure that there are fewer potential entry points for malicious actors and keep confidential data safe.
With appropriate access controls in place, more secure processing and transaction of data can occur within the limits of accepted standards and practices. Furthermore, users will be less prone to making error-based decisions or taking risks with confidential data if they do not have the ability to do so.
Limiting access reduces risk while still allowing legitimate users the necessary freedom to do their job without worry.
3. Monitor User Activity
Securing your network requires you to be vigilant and employ various strategies. One effective approach is to monitor user activity on your systems. Although it may seem like an arduous task, it can be beneficial in the long run as it allows you to determine when users are accessing your network and what they’re doing while they’re there.
This is especially useful if a malicious individual infiltrates the system, giving you the ability to trace their origin rapidly. Ultimately, by being able to monitor user activity, you can ensure that the integrity of your data remains even when threats arise.
4. Use Encryption
Encryption is an essential security measure that all internet users should be using regularly. Whether sending an email containing confidential data, submitting a credit card number, or logging into a secure account--encryption provides an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access.
By utilizing encryption protocols such as SSL and TLS, any data transmitted over the web becomes impossible for hackers to decipher. With encryption in place, it’s impossible for perpetrators to intercept and read your sensitive information, providing you with peace of mind that your data is secure.
5. Keep Software Up-To-Date
Keeping your software up-to-date and secure can be essential in preventing security breaches. Software providers routinely release updates to patch security vulnerabilities or add new features; these updates should be applied as soon as possible to ensure that your software is at its most secure.
Additionally, using an endpoint security solution is an effective way to protect yourself from malicious software, unauthorized access, and other forms of attack. Securing your software will help keep your data private and secure so you can feel confident in the safety of your system.
Improve Your Remote Access Security
By following these five remote access security best practices, you can ensure that your system is as secure as possible. Implementing strong authentication methods and regularly monitoring user activity are essential steps to safeguarding against malicious threats. Additionally, by developing policies for user behavior and making sure that all software and hardware is kept up-to-date with the latest security patches, you can help protect yourself from potential cyberattacks. With the right combination of precautions in place, you can maintain a secure environment regardless of where your team members work. Read more about What is Remote Access Security?
If you're looking for fast, secure connectivity for your users, check out Cloudbrink today.
