"New VPN Flaws Highlight Proven Pathway for Hackers Into Industrial Organizations"
Industrial companies have been advised to secure their Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections used by employees for remote connectivity in order to avoid providing entry points for hackers seeking sensitive data. This advice is even more essential now with the rise in remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers from the cybersecurity company, Claroty, recently published data on multiple remote-connectivity products widely used in oil, gas, and other industrial sectors, highlighting the importance of securing VPN connections. The researchers discovered new vulnerabilities in VPN servers and devices that could be exploited by attackers to gain access to industrial computers used to connect to machinery. The three vendors whose products were discovered to contain the vulnerabilities are HMS Networks, Moxa, and Secomea. This article continues to discuss notable attacks faced by industrial organizations involving the abuse of remote-access technology, the increased targeting of civilian infrastructure by foreign powers, and the discovery of new flaws in VPN products.