Bonus Question: Are remote-access solutions (VPN, bastion hosts, zero-trust gateways) secured and monitored?

Why This Matters

Remote access is a high-value target for attackers. Proper configuration, authentication, and monitoring of VPNs and gateways are vital to prevent unauthorized access.

Maturity

0 — Unaware
Uncontrolled remote access; shared credentials.

1 — Ad Hoc
VPN enabled for IT staff without MFA.

2 — Defined
Role-based VPN access and MFA enforced.

3 — Managed
Session logging and geo-blocking implemented.

4 — Integrated
Zero-trust access broker integrated with SIEM.

5 — Optimized
Continuous risk-based authentication with analytics.

How to Level Up

| From → To | Actions | |—|—| | 0 → 1 |Restrict VPN to authorized employees.| | 1 → 2 |Implement MFA and access controls.| | 2 → 3 |Enable detailed logging and session review.| | 3 → 4 |Integrate zero-trust gateway and SIEM.| | 4 → 5 |Adopt adaptive, analytics-driven access controls.|

Enablers

People: IT Security Engineer, SOC Analyst
Process: Access approval, monitoring, audit
Technology: VPN, MFA, ZTNA, SIEM

Evidence

VPN configuration policy
Session logs and review reports
MFA enforcement records

KPIs

Number of remote users with MFA
Session anomaly rate
Time to detect and block unauthorized access

Low-Cost / Open-Source Options (MSME)

Common Pitfalls

Shared admin accounts
VPN left open to all IPs
Logs unmonitored

Compliance Mapping