International. According to Kirk Jensen, Leading Marketing Innovation & Insight at WatchGuard Technologies, wireless access points (WAPs) and routers are among the devices that pose the most significant security risks to businesses.
The increasing complexity of networks and connected devices makes securing cybersecurity an increasingly complex task. Although in recent years there has been an increase in awareness of the importance of this discipline for companies, we continue to find some aspects of basic cyber hygiene that are ignored.
"Researchers have recently announced that wireless access points (WAPs) and routers are among the devices that pose the greatest security risk to companies. This concern, which we already mentioned in our blog a year ago, unfortunately has not changed much. In addition, new techniques such as the SSID confusion attack are emerging. To carry out this attack, cybercriminals exploit a gap in the IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi standard to create fake Wi-Fi networks with names identical to those of legitimate networks. This tricks devices into connecting to the fraudulent network instead of the real thing. So, if the device is configured to disable VPN on trusted networks, this will be automatically disabled when connecting to the fake network, leaving the user's traffic exposed," Jensen explains.
In this way, attackers can intercept and spy on the user's confidential information, seriously compromising their security. What makes these devices a potential threat?
Default Settings
Many devices come pre-configured with settings that, while easy to install and use initially, make them vulnerable to cyberattacks. Among the main sensitive configurations we find weak passwords, open ports without protection or unnecessary services activated. If users do not modify them, these predefined accesses become a weak point that cybercriminals can exploit.
Lack of firmware updates
Firmware is the software that resides in the internal memory of devices, controlling crucial functions such as booting, hardware management, and communication with software. Keeping firmware up to date is an essential measure to ensure the security of computing devices. Outdated firmware exposes vulnerabilities that attackers can use to access sensitive information, take control of devices, or even spread malware on the network.
Constant connection to the network
The uninterrupted connectivity of these devices provides cybercriminals with a continuous access path. Many times these devices connect directly to the Internet without the necessary protection measures, such as firewalls or proper segmentation of the network infrastructure.
Critical Infrastructure
Wireless routers and access points are essential components of a company's critical infrastructure, acting as gateways between its networks and the outside world. If an attacker compromises these devices, they can gain access to a large portion of the network and other devices connected to it.
Lack of monitoring and management
Despite being critical to businesses, these devices often go unnoticed in terms of their importance in network security. A lack of proper monitoring and management can make them a blind spot for safety. Implementing tools that provide adequate visibility allows you to detect unusual activity, intrusion attempts, and other indicators of compromise.
It needs to be recognized that IT devices, such as routers and wireless access points, are critical to the connectivity of corporate networks, but they also represent a potential gateway for cyber threats. Implementing cybersecurity solutions specifically designed to protect these critical points is, without a doubt, essential today.
Having a tool that offers centralized management and monitoring, automated security updates, and strong encryption and authentication can ensure a secure wireless environment. In addition, the use of advanced firewalls that will offer comprehensive threat protection, including intrusion prevention, application control, web filtering, and spam blocking, is critical to protecting these devices from potential attacks.
Maintaining a proactive and robust cybersecurity posture is essential to meeting today's challenges and achieving a secure corporate network.
