4 Ways Privileged Access Security Tools Can Prevent a Third-Party Breach

Today, the average organization has 182 vendors logging into its systems each week. Third-party vendors pose more risks to your reputation and bottom line than ever before. Roughly 3 out of 5 organizations have incurred a breach as a result of a vendor, according to a Ponemon & Opus study.

Vendors are vital to how most organization’s do business today. But as your network of suppliers and vendors grows and becomes more complex, so too does the cyber risk. And, without proper systems and policies for the control and management of vendor access to your network, there is a security threat to consider not just for your business, but for your customers as well.

Since data is the new “gold” and the vendors continues to grow and become more diverse, so will the efforts of cybercriminals who target vendor databases, hoping their systems are less secure than yours. Odds are that one of those vendor remote access points is the weakest link. And, without secure vendor access, you may have a multitude of weak links out there, ripe for exploit.

Evolving from VPN Access to Secure Vendor Access

A widespread problem with vendor access today is that vendors will commonly have Active Directory credentials, and a VPN-enabling them, to log in to your network at any time and to stay connected as long as they like. This type of access creates a broad and persistent risk surface. However, with BeyondTrust's Privileged Remote Access, third-parties do not have the physical foothold in your network as they do with a VPN. BeyondTrust allows you to extend secure, VPN-less network access to vendors. And, this access can be tightly controlled, monitored, and audited.

Thousands of organizations will experience a data breach at the hands of a third-party vendor this year. Don’t let it be you!

Here are 4 ways privileged access tools can protect your organization from a third-party security breach:

1. Control the access: Enforce a policy of least privilege by giving users just the right level of access needed for their roles. Also ensure individual accountability for shared accounts by leveraging an enterprise-class privileged access management (PAM) product. PAM solutions will allow you to define what endpoints users can access, schedule when they can access them, and allow list / block list applications for a comprehensive approach to privileged access. A PAM solution will also enable you to control and monitor sessions via a secure agent, or using standard protocols for RDP, VNC, Web, and SSH connections.
2. Track the access: Set authorization and notification preferences so you will be alerted when a vendor is accessing your network/systems. Administrators should have the ability to use their mobile devices to approve requests and monitor access usage from anywhere.
3. Consolidate access pathways: Administrators and IT teams can consolidate the tracking, approval, and auditing of privileged accounts in one place with BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access. You can require all connections to be brokered through a single access pathway, reducing the attack surface while providing a single list of authorized endpoints available for each user. End user experience will also improve as all endpoints are accessed within a single interface.
4. Capture what’s important: Satisfy internal and external compliance requirements with comprehensive audit trails, session forensics, and other reporting features. Capture detailed session data for real-time or post-session review. Administrators can review and monitor the use of privileged accounts, and easily provide attestation reports to prove compliance.

Vendor access security is too critical to be left to a VPN. You need to ensure your vendors have agile access to what they need—but without opening your organization to outsized risk.

Learn how to secure remote access and vendor access with BeyondTrust. Contact us today!