What is User View Vulnerability and How Can You Prevent It?
One way your system faces a security risk is through user view vulnerability. This is when someone is attacking your network after having obtained user access to your system. In this type of scenario, it isn’t an employee, but an outside party who has gained access to your network and is likely working remotely to break in. Regardless of what their intentions are, you need to know how this sort of attack works in order to be able to stop it.
There are many ways an attacker can gain access to your system. Sending a virus that will install Trojan horse software is one method. With this software installed, the attackers can access your system and change, delete, or copy data for themselves. This is a huge security issue not just for your proprietary information, but also for the confidential data your clients and customers trust you with. Training your employees to be vigilant about how they open attachments can help minimize the risk of falling prey to this ploy.
If an attacker manages to gain access to your system, they may be doing so by impersonating someone with legitimate network access. Whether they hacked the login or the employee was lax about protecting it, they can still do tremendous damage. Training employees to keep all passwords confidential and to change them regularly to hard-to-crack alphanumeric codes is one way to minimize the risk of an attacker exploiting user view vulnerability. If there is a password or data request, having procedures in place to verify the true identity of the person making the request is also very important. Regularly changing all passwords on a company-wide basis can also help reduce the chance that an attacker will come across a valid login to your network.
Internet usage could also lead to viral attacks. Most websites are safe, but you never know when accessing a site will also download a virus into your system. Not only could it cause tremendous damage, but it could allow an attacker access into your system. A good firewall will help prevent this, as will updated anti-virus software, but minimizing non-business usage of the Internet will also substantially lower the risk of this form of user view vulnerability. Why take the risk of having a page your employee visits be the source of a Trojan horse?
No one wants to think that someone is illicitly accessing their network posing as a legitimate user, but it’s a common method attackers use to get inside. Having up-to-date security protocols that are regularly reviewed and well-implemented, however, can make a huge difference in the amount of the risk to your business.
Daniel Gottilla author
About the author