What is Remote Desktop Protocol
Many organizations use the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to provide remote access to their systems. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts your data and holds it hostage until a ransom is paid. It can be disastrous for businesses, who can lose access to critical files and documents if they don't pay.
RDP, due to its popularity and the fact that it provides attackers with direct access to corporate networks, has become a target for ransomware attacks.
In this article we illustrate some best practices to protect your organization from this type of attack.
Measures to prevent a Ransomware attack on RDP
The first step in preventing ransomware via RDP is to ensure that strong authentication protocols are active on all devices connected via RDP connections. This means that users connecting to the system via an external connection, such as VPN or dial-up modem services, must provide two-factor authentication credentials, such as passwords combined with OTP (One time Password) or biometric verification methods, such as facial recognition software or fingerprint scanner, before you can log in.
Enforcing strong password rules will also help prevent brute force attempts to gain unauthorized access to networked systems through weak passwords; this includes implementing password expiration policies so that users must regularly change their login information, and creating rules about acceptable character sets when creating new accounts within the system itself.
Brute force attacks
Hackers use brute force to gain unauthorized access to a computer system. They use trial and error methods, trying various username and password combinations until the correct combination is discovered. To quickly enter a system, the hacker can also use automatic programs that generate random username and password combinations.
Brute force attacks are becoming increasingly common, as cybercriminals' techniques for accessing sensitive data or systems become increasingly sophisticated. They are particularly dangerous because they do not require specific technical knowledge or skills, making them simple to execute even by inexperienced attackers. Additionally, brute force attacks can be difficult to detect because they often occur without a trace.
Organizations must protect themselves from brute force attacks by implementing strong security measures. Additionally, it is critical that employees receive regular training on cybersecurity best practices so they understand how to protect themselves from these types of threats.
Segmentation and staff education
Another important security measure that organizations should implement when using RDP is controlling segmentation between different parts of the internal network infrastructure. This way, if one component is compromised by malicious actors, other components remain unaffected while IT teams investigate further.
Segmentation also helps limit the spread of potential malware damage across an organization's digital landscape, which can be disastrous depending on the type of data previously stored. Additionally, implementing multiple layers of firewall and antivirus/anti-malware solutions on all endpoints connected via remote desktop sessions will significantly improve overall protection.
Also in this case, employees must be educated in order to recognize suspicious emails containing links that lead to malicious websites that host potentially dangerous malware; Training staff members on basic cybersecurity hygiene principles, such as not clicking on unknown links sent from untrusted sources, goes without saying, but the training must be ongoing, it cannot be one-off.
Ransomware protection on RDP systems
Businesses using Remote Desktop Protocol (RPD) connections can better protect themselves from ransomware threats by adopting these methods, while increasing user confidence that they have taken the necessary steps to ensure safe operations in the future. Fortunately, there are precautions you can take to protect the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) from ransomware attacks.
The first step in protecting RDP from ransomware is to ensure that all users accessing the system remotely have strong passwords.
If possible, enable two-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to enter both their username/password and another code sent via email or text message before gaining access.
Another way to protect yourself from ransomware attacks on RDP systems is to keep the operating system updated with the latest patches installed whenever they are available. This ensures that any known vulnerabilities are addressed quickly, so that attackers cannot easily exploit them. You should also regularly scan for malware with reputable antivirus software, delete suspicious emails without opening them, limit administrative privileges when possible, and perform frequent backups of important data.
Disable network level authentication
Finally, you should consider disabling network-level authentication, which requires more credentials than username/password combinations when logging into an RDP session: this helps prevent brute-force attacks because any attempt to Failed login requires more information than a single attempt to guess the password.
Disabling Network Level Authentication (NLA) is a security feature that requires users to authenticate before starting an RDP session. This authentication procedure helps prevent malicious login attempts and unauthorized logins. However, in some cases, it may be necessary to disable NLA when joining an RDP session.
Compatibility issues between different versions of Windows operating systems or third-party software applications running on both the client and server sides of a remote desktop connection are a major reason for disabling network-level authentication. If either party's software is out of date, authentication protocols can fail, causing failed connections or other errors during login attempts. By disabling NLA, users can avoid these potential compatibility issues while still benefiting from basic security measures such as encryption and user verification processes during logins.
Another reason you may need to disable network-level authentication is if you need to log in from multiple devices at the same time with a single account, but you don't want each device's credentials stored locally on the server side for reasons of privacy.
In this case, disabling NLA will allow all devices connected via the same account to be used remotely via RDP sessions without requiring additional local credentials to be stored for each individual device, providing greater flexibility for end users who need to simultaneous access from multiple locations without compromising data privacy rights in any way.
In conclusion, there are several scenarios where disabling network-level authentication when logging into an RDP session can be beneficial, particularly if there are compatibility issues between different versions of Windows operating systems and third-party applications parties running on both sides, as well as situations where you need to meet simultaneous access requirements from multiple devices without jeopardizing users' data privacy rights and regulations set by organizations' IT departments and guidelines. But, as always, we must proceed with caution.
By following the above best practices, you will greatly reduce your chances of incurring costly downtime due to successful ransomware attacks on your organization's remote desktop protocol systems!