How Can a Network Block VPN Access?
Network administrators are under constant pressure to improve security by
limiting connectivity to unapproved sources. In recent years, the volume
of threats from cybercriminals and malevolent state-sponsored actors has
escalated, leading to a rise in productivity-blocking security measures.
Unfortunately, these controls often impact the trust a business has in
its employees and partners, disrupting day-to-day business operations. In
this blog post, we’ll discuss the implications of these threats for
network administrators and the steps they can follow to ensure business
continuity.
Threats From State-Sponsored Cyber Criminals
Malevolent state-sponsored cyber criminals are the digital
equivalent of an armed robbery in the middle of a city. These groups
typically represent a government or an interest group that sees
cybersecurity not as a line item in a budget but as a way to influence
political ideology and/or gain economic or military advantage. This
isn’t new – the NSA has been at the forefront of this type of
activity for decades – but modern threats like Lazarus are adapting
cyberattacks from Ransomware and DDoS attacks to advance their
interests. This trend will only continue.
This isn’t a theoretical concern. In fact, the number of
professional cyber criminals has increased by 70% since 2014. This
increase is largely attributed to the lucrative black market for
cybercrime tools, which have been integrated into regular botnets and
malware. To put this into perspective, the average cost to remediate a
single compromised host is $200, and the cost to completely clean a
network can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. This makes it
clear that cybercriminals aren’t interested in breaking even; they want
to be paid in some way for their efforts.
Private vs. Public Interests
Threats from corporate and criminal hackers alike often overlap in
interests. This means that a network security policy that
successfully blocks one type of threat can often be used to block the
other. For example, a VPN that is based on OpenVPN technology can act as
a powerful deterrent against network-based threats, including
state-sponsored ones. However, when a corporation uses this service, it
can inadvertently prevent employees from accessing necessary tools
provided by their employers, including online banking and HR systems. It
is a commonplace for cybercriminals to target these types of systems in
order to steal valuable information or to disrupt business operations
through the introduction of fake data or documents. These types of
attacks often include tampering with network DNS servers in order to
mislead victims into thinking that they are connecting to the “right”
website or service.
The Great And Accurate DNS Leakage Detector (GAD)
To address these concerns, network administrators can deploy The
Great And Accurate DNS Leakage Detector (GAD) tool. This is a free
open-source utility that enables them to identify malicious activity
that attempts to impersonate legitimate websites and services. It
scans traffic in real time and compares it against a growing Black
List of known malicious domains and websites. If a user attempts to
connect to a site or service that is on the blacklist, GAD will
automatically block the connection. This protection is completely
transparent and relies on the users to be compliant. However, since
DNS is a protocol that is commonly used to resolve domain names (i.e.,
website addresses) to IP addresses, this method of blocking can
disrupt the ability of an individual to access the websites they want to
visit. In some cases, this can prevent them from reaching critical
systems like search and email, impeding business operations.
Who Is Blocking My VPN?
More and more often, businesses and network administrators are
seeing VPNs get flagged as a possible security risk. However, they may
not know who is blocking their connection or why. To understand
this, one must understand the basics of cybersecurity and how VPNs work.
VPNs are intended to provide users with a secure private
connection to the Internet, enabling them to browse the web privately,
access sensitive information, and thwart online attackers. There are two
basic components to a VPN: a service provider and a client. A user
interacts with the service provider in order to establish a VPN
connection, and the service provider handles all the encryption and
security protocols, ensuring the user’s privacy and authentication. The
user interfaces with the service provider through the use of a special
software program known as a VPN client. It is the task of the VPN
client to establish the connection with the service provider and to
handle all the interactions necessary to ensure the user’s
confidentiality.
VPNs are among the most complicated pieces of technology to
maintain, and network administrators can easily become overwhelmed
trying to keep up with the constantly changing protocol. For this
reason, small businesses and individuals should opt for a VPN that is
managed by a third party, like a VPN provider. Managed VPNs take the
burden of maintaining and securing the network connection off of the
individual, enabling them to simply use the service. It is also worth
pointing out that managed VPNs provide a lot more functionality than
simple, DIY VPNs because they offer additional tools to help businesses
and consumers stay safe online.
Why Am I Seeing Blocked URLs In My Logs?
When a user attempts to visit a website that is blocked by a
firewall or security software, their browser will display an error page
or offer them to visit the site manually. For example, if they try to
visit facebook.com but are redirected to google.com, they will see a
page from Google telling them that facebook.com is blocked due to
security reasons. In these types of situations, the URL will be
blacklisted and any attempt to access it will result in a security
error or a warning message.
My VPS Is Overloaded, Can I Use A Different Service?
If you’re hosting your own website or application on a Virtual
Private Server (VPS), you may encounter problems due to hardware
limitations or excess traffic. In these cases, you may want to choose a
different service that is more suitable for your needs. There are many
options out there, like ProPrivacy, which provides powerful
dedicated servers with the added security of multiple VPNs and
firewalls. Alternatively, you could host your site or app on a
cloud-based server, like Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform
which similarly provide excellent performance with a lot of resources
available at your fingertips.
IP Address Scanners And Advanced Threat Analytics (ATA)
IP address scanners are a fundamental tool in the cybersecurity
arsenal, enabling administrators to identify the physical location of
Internet users and devices. However, the term “IP address” is
often misunderstood. It is not as easy as it sounds to pinpoint the
location of a single device or user on the Internet. The problem is
that every host, router, and device on the Internet has an IP address
which can change frequently. For example, Google hosts about
20.65.185.184 IP addresses on their Google Fiber infrastructure in
Austin, Texas. This means that even if they know the original IP
address of a device or user, it can be hard to track them down. To
address this issue, network administrators can use advanced
threat analytics (ATA) programs to identify and track individuals
attempting to break into their network. ATA programs look at traffic
flow and session activity to identify suspicious behavior and
high-risk individuals within their network.
DDoS Attacks: What Are They And Why Do I Need To Worry About Them?
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are designed to
disrupt the functioning of a website or service by inundating it with
requests. These attacks can come from anywhere, but they typically
target Internet connected devices like web servers and routing
equipment. The goal of a DDoS attack is to bring a target’s service to
its knees by overloading it with traffic.
This type of attack is often used as a way to bring
undesirable attention to a website or service. For example, if you run
a blog which discusses controversial topics, it might be used as a
manually operated botnet to bring your site down. In some cases, a
DDoS attacker can even cause physical damage, like electricity
outages, by using specialized hardware like malware-infected
routers.