Remote access infrastructure has become the digital front door for most organisations. VPN concentrators, zero trust network access platforms, remote desktop gateways, and virtual desktop infrastructure all provide employees with connectivity to corporate resources from any location. This infrastructure is internet-facing, authentication-handling, and network-bridging, which makes it an extremely high-value target for attackers.
VPN vulnerabilities have featured prominently in major breaches over the past several years. Threat actors actively scan for and exploit known vulnerabilities in popular VPN products, often within days of patch release. Organisations that delay patching their VPN infrastructure leave a door open that sophisticated and opportunistic attackers alike will discover and walk through.
Zero trust network access solutions offer a more granular alternative to traditional VPNs by granting access to specific applications rather than broad network segments. ZTNA evaluates device posture, user identity, and contextual factors before granting each access request. However, ZTNA is only as secure as its configuration, and misconfigured policies can grant excessive access or fail to enforce the controls they promise.
Split tunnelling decisions affect both security and user experience. Full tunnel configurations route all traffic through the corporate network, providing complete visibility and control but potentially impacting performance. Split tunnel configurations allow direct internet access for non-corporate traffic, improving performance but reducing visibility into user activity and potentially exposing corporate credentials to interception on untrusted networks.
Authentication for remote access deserves the strongest controls your organisation can implement. Multi-factor authentication using phishing-resistant methods like hardware security keys, certificate-based authentication, and conditional access policies that evaluate risk before granting access all strengthen the authentication barrier that attackers must overcome to abuse remote access infrastructure.
Expert Commentary
William Fieldhouse | Director of Aardwolf Security Ltd
“Remote access infrastructure sits directly on the internet and handles authentication for your entire workforce. That combination makes it one of the highest-value targets in any organisation. VPN vulnerabilities, misconfigured ZTNA deployments, and exposed management interfaces provide attackers with the credentials and access they need to move straight to your internal network.”
Regular external network penetration testing focused on your remote access infrastructure reveals vulnerabilities from an attacker’s perspective. Testers probe VPN endpoints, ZTNA gateways, and remote desktop services for known exploits, authentication weaknesses, and configuration errors that could provide unauthorised access to your internal environment.
Session management for remote access connections requires careful configuration. Sessions that persist indefinitely, lack activity timeouts, or allow simultaneous connections from multiple locations create opportunities for session hijacking and credential abuse. Implement session limits that balance security with user productivity.
Logging and monitoring of remote access activity provides essential visibility into how your infrastructure is used and potentially abused. Failed authentication attempts, connections from unusual locations, access outside normal business hours, and unexpected data transfer volumes all warrant investigation. Without monitoring, compromised remote access credentials operate undetected.
Ongoing vulnerability scanning services focused on your remote access infrastructure ensure that new vulnerabilities receive prompt attention. Remote access systems are high-priority targets for attackers, which means patching these systems should never wait for standard maintenance windows. Emergency patching procedures for critical remote access vulnerabilities should be established and rehearsed.
Remote access infrastructure occupies a unique position in your security architecture. It must be accessible from the internet while protecting access to internal resources. This dual requirement demands continuous attention, regular testing, and prompt patching. Organisations that treat remote access security with the urgency it deserves deny attackers the most direct route into their networks.