![]() ![]() If you don’t have the remote tools, perform the audit in another way, for example with an email questionnaire. If you have remote tools that allow for internal audits, check who is using RDP on Windows 7 in your company, and then make sure they’re following the security practices detailed above.Require complex passwords and multi-factor authentication for RDP use.This allows only people with valid credentials to perform remote code authentication. Don’t allow RDP connections over the open internet - only use it with a secure VPN, or a zero-trust remote access gateway.Even though no security patches have been issued since January, the older security patches provide some RDP protection. First, make sure that Windows 7 is patched with its final set of security updates.Given all that, what can IT do to keep Windows 7 PCs that use RDP secure? Follow this advice: between March and May 2020 as remote work surged due to coronavirus lockdowns. And Atlas VPN reports that attacks on RDP more than tripled in the U.S. More than 20% of those exposed ports were on Windows 7 PCs. Between January and March 2020, as the pandemic took root around the world, the number of exposed RDP ports skyrocketed from around 3 million to more than 4.5 million, according to security software vendor McAfee. The security company Radware warned in the early days of the pandemic, “RDP has been for the most part of 2019, and continues to be, by a fair margin, the most important attack vector for ransomware.” Related vulnerabilities, collectively known as DejaBlue, exposed Windows 7 and later devices to such attacks. The notorious BlueKeep vulnerability in RDP, discovered in 2019, exposed Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008 to attack by self-propagating worms. RDP is particularly dangerous when the TCP port it uses (3389) is “exposed” on the internet - in other words, is unprotected.Įven before the pandemic hit, RDP was a hacker’s best friend. So have attacks against the notoriously insecure protocol - particularly against Windows 7 devices, which are more vulnerable to attacks than Windows 10 systems.Īttackers can break into a PC connecting remotely and endanger not just that computer but the rest of the network and enterprise as well. It lets you connect to a Windows server or PC remotely, and its use has skyrocketed during the pandemic. Windows’ Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is one of Windows 7’s biggest security holes. Here’s what you need to know to keep them as safe as possible. Protecting those devices can no longer wait. Either way, Windows 7 PCs are accessing corporate networks and apps. Other businesses may have had Windows 7-to-10 migration plans that were interrupted by the pandemic. ![]() And some portion of those devices are running Windows 7. According to a June 2020 survey by IBM Security and Morning consult, 53% of employees newly working from home are using their own personal laptops and desktop computers to conduct work at least part of the time. The suddenness with which the COVID-19 pandemic hit meant that many companies had little choice but to allow employees to use their home computers for work. In other words, there’s a reasonably good chance that if you’re in IT, you’re supporting Windows 7 devices remotely, whether you know it or not. businesses and 66% of UK businesses had at least some devices that were still using Windows 7. And a small survey of IT professionals by Kollective, which helps businesses deliver content such as video and software updates, claimed in January 2020 that 40% of U.S. NetMarketShare pegs it a bit higher than that, at 26% of all desktops and laptops worldwide in August. To give you a sense of the number of people in your company who may be using Windows 7 to work remotely, consider this: StatCounter’s latest numbers show that 19.4% of all Windows PCs worldwide were running it in August 2020. Many companies, including tech giants Facebook, Twitter and Slack, have already announced that they’ll allow remote work permanently for some or most of their workforce. Remote work, either from home or from satellite offices, has become the new normal. Because of global warming, there will be more frequent storms, more powerful storms, and higher sea levels, disrupting infrastructure in many locations. So is your entire corporate network, and by extension everyone in your company.Īnd it’s not just today that you’ll have this problem. Keep in mind that when a hacker gets access to a remote worker’s Windows 7 system, it’s not just that worker who’s vulnerable. So if you have remote workers using Windows 7, you should assume that your business is being targeted. ![]()
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