Remote Work Security Challenges in 2025

Our latest Q1 2025 Rapid7 Incident Response findings are in—and the data paints a clear picture of how ransomware groups are breaking in. 🔐 Top 5 Initial Access Vectors: 1. Account Compromise (No MFA) – Over 50% of ransomware intrusions began this way. Often: misconfigured or missing MFA. 2. Known, Patchable Vulnerabilities – Fortinet, SimpleHelp, and others were hit despite available fixes. 3. Brute Forcing – Still rampant due to weak lockout controls. 4. Exposed RDP – Yes, still a common entry point in 2025. 5. SEO Poisoning – Trojanized “admin tools” delivered via search result manipulation. Spotlight: Social engineering through Microsoft Teams is on the rise—threat actors are posing as IT staff and tricking users into installing remote access tools. ✔️ Actionable Takeaways: Enable and harden MFA – Go phishing-resistant when you can Patch like it matters—because it does. Prioritize exploited CVEs. Shut down public RDP – Always route access securely Review password + lockout policies – Long passwords, enforced lockouts Lock down Teams chat – Social engineering doesn’t stop at email 📘 Read the full breakdown and get actionable advice here: https://lnkd.in/ekF4jhCq #Cybersecurity #IncidentResponse #Ransomware #ThreatIntel #MDR #Rapid7

Cybersecurity is not just a technical issue, it’s also an economics and people issue. On the latter, the latest research from our Counter Threat Unit (CTU), now part of Sophos from our Secureworks acquisition, further reinforces that position.   CTU has been tracking the North Korean IT workers scheme - which has been in operation since at least 2018 - as NICKEL TAPESTRY. Recent findings show this campaign has expanded beyond U.S. tech firms into Europe, Asia, and industries including finance, healthcare, and cybersecurity. These actors are applying for remote roles using AI-generated resumes, falsified identities, and cloned online profiles. Their goals range from salary diversion to data theft and extortion. In 2025, CTU observed a shift toward targeting cybersecurity roles and using more diverse personas. Given the level of trust and access that cybersecurity companies generally have, this becomes a large-scale keys-to-the-kingdom problem.   This is not just a cybersecurity concern, it’s a general hiring hygiene concern. HR and recruitment teams are now enlisted in the front lines of organizational risk controls. Our nutshell recommendations: - Enhanced identity verification during interviews - Live or video validation of candidates - Monitoring for cloned resumes and VoIP-linked contact info - Control of remote access tools and BYOD usage post-hire   This is a persistent, evolving threat. Organizations must adapt hiring and onboarding practices accordingly. Our full report: https://lnkd.in/gcruvt67

Why Traditional VPNs Are No Longer Secure in 2025 VPNs were once the gold standard for remote access, but in today’s threat landscape, they are more of a liability than a security solution. Here’s why 👀 1️⃣ VPNs Trust Too Much (Lack of Zero Trust) ✅ The Problem: Traditional VPNs grant users broad access to the network once they authenticate. This means if an attacker steals credentials or compromises a device, they can move laterally and access critical systems. ✅ The Fix: Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)—which only grants access to specific applications and data, not the whole network. 2️⃣ VPNs Are Easy Targets for Cyberattacks ✅ The Problem: VPNs have been the target of ransomware groups and nation-state attacks because they expose an entry point to the corporate network. ✅ Example: VPN vulnerabilities (like those in Fortinet, Palo Alto, and Pulse Secure) have been actively exploited by hackers to gain unauthorized access. ✅ The Fix: Cisco Secure Access and ZTNA replace VPNs with identity-based, cloud-delivered security, making it harder for attackers to exploit. 3️⃣ VPN Performance is a Bottleneck for Hybrid Work ✅ The Problem: VPNs route all traffic through a central data center, leading to slow performance for remote workers accessing cloud apps (e.g., Office 365, Salesforce, AWS). ✅ The Fix: Cloud-delivered Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) provides direct-to-app security without the VPN backhaul lag. 4️⃣ VPNs Don’t Provide Granular Security Controls ✅ The Problem: VPNs lack real-time security policies based on user behavior, device posture, and risk level. ✅ The Fix: Cisco Secure Access dynamically enforces security policies, requiring MFA, blocking access, or limiting permissions based on real-time risk signals (e.g., new location, risky device). 5️⃣ VPNs Increase Compliance & Insider Threat Risks ✅ The Problem: A VPN doesn’t monitor what a user does after logging in. If an insider (or a hacker with stolen credentials) accesses sensitive data, there’s little visibility. ✅ The Fix: Cisco Secure Access provides full visibility into user activity and applies least-privilege access controls to minimize risks. The Future: VPN-Free Secure Access 🚀 🔹 Zero Trust Access (ZTNA) → Only grant access to specific apps, not entire networks. 🔹 Cloud-Native Security (SASE) → Secure access without the VPN bottleneck. 🔹 Adaptive Security Policies → Enforce MFA, device checks, and real-time risk-based authentication. In 2025, VPNs are no longer a secure option. Organizations are shifting to Cisco Secure Access and Zero Trust solutions to keep up with modern threats. Is your company still relying on legacy VPNs? Let’s talk. 🗣️ #ZeroTrust #VPNAlternatives #ZTNA #CiscoSecureAccess #CyberSecurity