Are Remote Users Threatening Your Security? (continued)
Besides redundant accounts, another challenge is that users may be accessing internal applications or Web applications that reside on different servers with different system administrators, says Oltsik. That creates another challenge when trying to audit everything from a single place.
A Balancing Act
Howard cautions that as IT looks for ways to decrease remote access security risks by adding more technology to the mix, the complexity for the end user increases. For example, he says some companies will use two-factor authentication (a security technique that combines something you have with something you know), which means when someone remotely logs in with a user name and password, they will also have a physical token that generates a number that must be input as a second step. That adds more complexity for the end user, but also adds more security to the process. Yet, tokens have shown to be very successful and most corporations use two-factor authentication for accessing the network remotely.
Another potential hassle for the remote worker -- but one both Howard and Oltsik say is critical -- is to check the remote computer's antivirus settings before letting anyone onto the network. If those systems are outdated, a laptop could be infected and a virus could spread to the network.
"It's a somewhat tedious process because if users are trying to connect remotely," says Howard, "they're trying to do it fast and if they get a message saying, 'Go update your antivirus software,' it's frustrating for them."
The demand for remote connections will only increase, and the potential for unintended malicious access will continue to be a serious concern for enterprise security teams. "We've done a good job of allowing people to access networks remotely, but not at securing that access,'' says Oltsik. "Remote access has grown organically and now it's time we take a step back and figure out what to do strategically and consolidate as we need to."
About the Author
Esther Shein is a freelance writer and editor specializing in technology and business issues. She is the former editor-in-chief of Datamation, an online technology magazine.
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