Security concerns growing over remote access services

Two thirds of UK network managers are seriously concerned about the level of security in their remote access devices, according to a recent study.

A poll of about 7,700 UK IT departments by network intelligence company Rhetorik revealed that one in three respondents had suffered RAS-related security breaches within the past year.

Despite these concerns, the number of UK sites that allow dial-up access to their Lans increased from about 40 per cent in 1998 to 53 per cent last year.

Rhetorik MD Richard Foskett said the figures show there is a trade-off between security and ease of access that many companies are prepared to tolerate.

He added that dial-up modems are still the most popular RAS system, with around 53 per cent of companies opting for the analog technology. However. he added that as ISDN costs fall, the popularity of digital RAS servers will grow. "RAS servers minimise cable clutter and devices with 8 modules will allow you to connect an analogue modem and an ISDN module," he said.

Deri Jones, managing director of security tester NTA Monitor, advised network mangers to stick with analog or ISDN dial up RAS systems, rather than tunnelling traffic across the internet.