Remote Access Security
Vendor and staff remote access is convenient, and also one of the most common intrusion paths.
Multi-factor authentication for any remote access into the control network significantly reduces the risk from a stolen or guessed password alone.
Vendor remote access accounts should be enabled only when actively needed for a specific support task, then disabled again, rather than left active indefinitely.
A logged record of every remote access session (who, when, what was changed) provides the audit trail needed to investigate an incident or unauthorized change after the fact.
Default vendor-supplied passwords on PLCs, HMIs, and network equipment are a well-documented, easily preventable vulnerability that should be changed as a standard commissioning step, not an afterthought.
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