Over Half of Fortune 500 Exposed To Remote Access Hacking

Over a two-week period, the computer networks at more than half of the Fortune 500 left a remote access protocol dangerously exposed to the internet, something many experts warn should never happen, according to new research by the security firm Expanse and 451 research. From a report: According to Coveware, more than 60% of ransomware is installed via a Windows remote access feature called Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). It’s a protocol that’s fine in secure environments but once exposed to the open internet can, at its best, allow attackers to disrupt access and, at its worst, be vulnerable to hacking itself. RDP is a way of offering virtual access to a single computer. It allows, for example, an IT staffer in one office to provide tech support for a baffled user in a different office. But RDP is best used over a secured network rather than over the open internet. “We compare exposed RDP to leaving a computer attached to your network out on your lawn,” Matt Kraning, co-founder and CTO of Expanse, told Axios.