ExtraHop issued
a report detailing rapid substantial changes in device usage trends as
businesses shifted their operations in March due to COVID-19. The report
also warns of the security complexity and risks posed by connected
devices-both those used by employees at home, and those left idle but
connected to the office network.
While
there are many lenses through which to explore the ways in which
COVID-19 is reshaping business operations, connected devices-including
internet of things (IoT) devices-and the ways in which people and
organizations interact with them tell a story all their own. Using
anonymized, aggregate data from across its global user base, ExtraHop
analyzed business-related device activity during a one week period at
the end of March 2020. This data was compared to activity from a similar
study of the same global user base conducted in November 2019. The
results reveal not only patterns that illuminate the state of work
during the COVID-19 crisis, but also the long-term security implications
of a distributed workforce.
Key findings from the report include:
- Steep Decline in Connected Devices at the Office Raises Concerns About Questionably Secure Local Networks: ExtraHop
observed a 65 percent decline in the number of laptops and a nearly 70
percent decline in the number of smartphones connecting directly to
corporate networks in March 2020. That said, the fact that these devices
are no longer connected to the corporate network doesn't mean they're
not connected at all. Employees are still accessing corporate resources,
often relying on questionably secure local networks that lack the
safeguards of the office network and thus are more exposed to malware.
- Vast Majority of Office Phones and Printers Are Still Plugged In, Exposing Risk: The
number of connected IP phones declined by just 7.5 percent, indicating
that many of these devices remain on and connected even when no one is
using them. According to ExtraHop data, nearly 25 percent of those VoIP
devices are Cisco IP phones, for which a critical vulnerability
(CVE-2020-3161) was announced in April. Printers - at high risk for
vulnerabilities and one of the most common targets of hackers - showed
even smaller declines in connectivity, dropping by just 0.53 percent.
- Spike in Physical Security Cameras: Connections
from security cameras increased by 47 percent in March, indicating that
many organizations are taking additional precautions against physical
intrusion or nefarious activity. Unfortunately, these devices can also
expose organizations to cyber risk. Like IP phones and printers, they
often have vulnerabilities and have been observed phoning data home.
- And Don't Forget the Treadmills: The
connections to the network from treadmills declined 100% when office
gyms were some of the first aspects of office life to close down. But
the connectivity of treadmills underscores the extent to which every
device is now a connected device. IT and security departments now have a
much broader attack surface to secure - even the office gym.
"The
almost overnight shift to remote work required a massive effort just to
ensure the availability of applications and critical resources for
employees outside the office," said Sri Sundaralingam, Vice President,
Cloud and Security Solutions at ExtraHop. "For many organizations, the
management of IoT and other connected devices may have been an
afterthought, or at least something they didn't anticipate having to
handle long term. As availability and security issues surrounding remote
access become more settled, this needs to be an area of focus."
Click here to download the complete report: Connected Devices in the Time of COVID-19.