Key Takeaways
- Remote access compromises, especially VPN exploits, are now the leading initial vector in ransomware attacks.
- Most breaches succeed due to missed basics: weak authentication, unpatched vulnerabilities, and misconfigurations.
- Resilience depends on consistent processes: enforce MFA, patch promptly, audit accounts, and monitor VPN activity.
- Remote access security is inseparable from business continuity and backup strategy in modern hybrid environments.
Remote access is the backbone of modern business. Employees log in from home and on the road, vendors and contractors need entry points to keep services running, and IT teams depend on remote tools to manage sprawling hybrid environments. In short, organizations can’t function without it.
But in 2025, convenience comes with a growing cost: threat actors now treat remote access as the path of least resistance. A single VPN gateway can become the front door to your entire network. Too often, it’s a door that’s poorly monitored, inconsistently patched, or protected with outdated credentials.
Coveware by Veeam case data confirms it: remote access compromise is now the leading initial access vector in ransomware attacks. Groups like Akira have escalated campaigns by exploiting VPNs and remote tools, taking advantage of overlooked flaws, sloppy upgrade cycles, and absent multi-factor authentication (MFA).
The alarming truth is that most of these intrusions don’t involve advanced exploits or novel zero-days. They succeed because the basics were missed: unpatched vulnerabilities, legacy accounts left active, and the false assumption that “we set this up once, so it must still be secure.”
But the reality is clear. Organizations must treat remote access as a top security priority, not an afterthought, in pursuit of data resilience.
Anatomy of a Remote Access Compromise
At its core, a remote access compromise happens when an attacker slips in through your VPN or remote gateway. What makes this tactic so dangerous is its simplicity: attackers don’t need to brute-force their way through advanced defenses if they can find an unlocked side door. There are three primary ways it happens.
1. Weak Authentication
- Single-factor logins and reused credentials leave organizations exposed.
- Forgotten “support” or contractor accounts without MFA become skeleton keys waiting to be exploited.
- With phishing kits, credential dumps, and dark web marketplaces, attackers don’t break in, they log in.
2. Unpatched Vulnerabilities
- Remote access tools are software, and software has bugs.
- Most breaches exploit already-documented flaws where patches were available but not applied.
- Known VPN vulnerabilities are scanned and attacked at scale, often within days of disclosure.
3. Misconfigurations
- Upgrade errors, default settings left unchanged, or features enabled unnecessarily all create entry points.
- Attackers specifically look for these lapses before attempting more complex techniques.
After the Break-In: What Attackers Do Next
Getting through the VPN or remote gateway is just the start. Once an attacker has a foothold, the real work — and the real damage — begins. Rarely do they strike immediately. Instead, they take their time, quietly preparing the environment for maximum leverage. Typical steps include:
- Lateral movement: mapping the network, identifying servers, and probing backups.
- Privilege escalation: harvesting credentials until they gain domain admin rights.
- Data exfiltration: stealing sensitive files to fuel double extortion.
- Payload staging: planting ransomware across systems, often delaying execution to maximize impact.
By the time the encryption event begins, the damage has already been done. The attackers have been inside long enough to own your environment, exfiltrate valuable data, and position themselves for maximum leverage. The encryption is simply the final hammer blow in a campaign that started much earlier.
The Data Shows Common Patterns in These Attacks
A key lesson from recent incident data is this: no single vendor is “the problem.” Attackers have exploited every major VPN and remote access solution at some point. The brand or platform matters far less than the consistency of how it’s deployed, maintained, and monitored.
What Coveware by Veeam case data makes clear is that the same patterns repeat across organizations and technologies:
- Human error and process gaps outweigh technology flaws. Most compromises don’t hinge on sophisticated exploits. Instead, they stem from basics left undone—an update not applied, an MFA policy not enforced, an account forgotten after a contractor left. These gaps are predictable, which makes them attractive targets.
- Attackers prioritize the easiest targets. Cybercriminals don’t waste time forcing their way into hardened systems when so many “low-hanging fruit” remain. Unpatched VPN appliances, default credentials, stale admin accounts, and weak password hygiene consistently give them the access they need with minimal effort.
- Vendors can only do so much. While technology providers must release patches, advisories, and configuration guidance, resilience ultimately comes down to what organizations do with that information. Patches sitting uninstalled, or configurations applied incorrectly, leave environments just as vulnerable as if no fix existed.
Remote access compromise is less about the platform you choose and more about how you operationalize security around it. Strong processes, timely patching, and disciplined credential management make the difference between being an easy target and a resilient organization.
Practical Steps for IT Leadership
You don’t need to be a security researcher to reduce your risk from remote access compromise. In fact, the most effective defenses are often the simplest. By focusing on fundamentals and applying them consistently, you raise the bar high enough that most attackers will move on to easier targets.
- Audit accounts regularly. Remove unused access and enforce MFA everywhere — especially on vendor and contractor accounts.
- Patch promptly and validate. Don’t just apply updates; confirm fixes worked and attackers haven’t already established persistence.
- Reset credentials after patching. After patching, reset credentials in case attackers harvested them before the fix.
- Disable unnecessary features. Reduce your attack surface by turning off what you don’t need.
- Monitor VPN logs. Look for anomalies like failed logins, unusual geographies, or odd login times.
- Segment access. Isolate VPN gateways from production networks and limit admin interfaces to trusted IP ranges.
These steps aren’t complex, but they do require discipline. Resilience comes from consistency. Remote access compromise thrives when basics are neglected. Organizations that execute the fundamentals well will dramatically cut exposure.
Remote Access Security: A Cornerstone of Resilience
Even the strongest backup strategy can be undermined if attackers walk in through an unsecured VPN. Once inside, they can disable defenses, corrupt data, and encrypt backups before recovery begins.
That’s why remote access security must be treated as inseparable from business continuity. MFA, timely patching, and disciplined access management are as critical as backup testing. Together, they create the resilience needed to stay operational, even under attack.
Threats will evolve. New attack paths will emerge. But resilience is built through practice: review, strengthen, repeat. Organizations that consistently close gaps and operationalize security soon realize they are doing more than resisting disruption — they’re outpacing it. And in doing so, they unlock the capacity for growth, turning resilience into a foundation for innovation, trust, and competitive advantage.
Strengthen your remote access defenses before attackers strike.
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