In an era where collaboration with suppliers and temporary consultants has become the norm, it is crucial to implement robust security measures to protect your company's network and sensitive data.
By following these practical methods, you can establish a secure environment that fosters
productive partnerships while safeguarding your organization's integrity.
THE BASICS
Adopting a Zero Trust Strategy
When it comes to granting network access to suppliers and consultants, it is crucial to adopt the
Zero Trust security model to ensure comprehensive protection.
This approach operates on the principle that no one, whether inside or outside the network, is
inherently trusted. Instead, all users and devices must undergo authentication before gaining access
to specific resources.
By implementing this strategy and through granular control, you can significantly mitigate risks
based on factors such as user identity, device state and behavior.
Granular Access Controls External Parties
In addition to the Zero Trust model, the implementation of granular access controls is another fundamental measure to bolster security. It is imperative to limit the access privileges of external parties to only the resources that are essential for their assigned tasks. You should clearly define the specific areas of your network and applications they can access, while also enforcing restrictions on copying or transferring sensitive data. By limiting access rights, you proactively minimize the potential for data exfiltration and unauthorized access. By combining the principles of the Zero Trust model and granular access controls, you establish a robust security framework that safeguards your company's sensitive data while promoting efficient collaboration with external partners.
OUR SECURE ACCESS SOLUTIONS
To facilitate secure access for external parties, we present two effective and proven solutions
developed by AXS Guard. These 2 solutions ensure a seamless and protected connection to your
company network, allowing consultants and suppliers to work efficiently while maintaining the
integrity of your company data.
1. AXS Guard Remote Workspace with strong authentication
AXS Guard's Remote Workspace provides a secure means of accessing your network, office computers, servers, IoT devices and specific applications directly through a web browser, eliminating the need for additional software or VPN connections. By establishing a secure connection via AXS Guard, external parties can seamlessly access applications and files without the need to store them locally on their devices.
To boost security, we strongly recommend implementing strong authentication (2FA) measures,
which significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access by requiring users to provide two forms
of authentication.
With Remote Workspace, you retain full control over your company data while fostering a secure
collaborative environment with your business partners.
2. Enhancing Network Access with Secure VPN Solutions
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a well-established and highly secure method that enables seamless communications with your company network, while ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of data transmissions. Users can take advantage of a range of easily accessible VPN options, including popular protocols like OpenVPN, which are fully compatible with widely used operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. For a more streamlined and controlled approach, consider Personal AXS Guard. This compact hardware solution offers the ability to establish a permanent VPN connection with corporate headquarters, and offers centralized access controls that are expertly managed via AXS Guard. By utilizing this option, you maintain complete control over network access and enhance the overall security posture of your organization.
In today's threat landscape, bolstering login security is paramount. By implementing multi-factor authentication (2FA) for VPNs, you introduce an additional layer of protection. This powerful security measure relies on one-time passwords generated by tokens, such as dedicated hardware tokens or popular mobile applications such as Microsoft or Google Authenticator. 2FA ensures that only authorized individuals in possession of a valid token can successfully authenticate, thereby significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access, even in the event of a compromised password.
Conclusion
By leveraging the capabilities of VPNs, exploring solutions like Personal AXS Guard, and
implementing multi-factor authentication (2FA), you can establish a robust and secure network
infrastructure that effectively safeguards your data and facilitates secure communications with
external parties.
Ensuring secure access for business partners to your network and applications may present
challenges, but with the right methods, you can achieve the highest level of security. It is therefore
essential to adhere to the principles of Zero Trust and to implement granular access controls to
maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your company data. Strong authentication
should always be a top priority.
By following these practical approaches, you can successfully collaborate with consultants while
safeguarding the security of your business information. However, it is important to note that the
aforementioned strategies should not be limited to external consultants; they should also be applied
for your own workforce.
On a related note, it is crucial to be aware of the risks associated with remote desktop (RDP) usage,
as highlighted by the FBI and other agencies. Remote desktop can be a wide open door for potential
hackers; vulnerabilities in remote desktop implementations can lead to unauthorized control of a
device, data breaches or the deployment of malicious software. Therefore, we advise against its use
and recommend utilizing AXS Guard Remote Workspace as a safer alternative.
For further information, please don't hesitate to contact us or reach out to your AXS Guard partner.
The use of remote desktop carries inherent risks, as highlighted in the article "Why remote desktop
use is risky" by Techzine. In light of these risks, we strongly advise against the use of remote
desktop (RDP) and instead recommend implementing AXS Guard Remote Workspace as a more
secure alternative.
Practical Solutions for Secure Access to Your Company Network and Applications, for Third Parties