Wyden Urges Federal Agencies to Replace Public-Facing Legacy VPNs
Summary
Sen. Ron Wyden urged federal agencies to replace public-facing legacy VPNs with modern remote-access tools and zero-trust architecture. He asked CISA, OMB, and NIST to set transition standards and procurement rules.
Key points
- Wyden called for federal agencies to eliminate legacy VPNs accessible from the public internet.
- He urged agencies to adopt modern remote-access technology and zero-trust architecture.
- Wyden cited attacks involving Cisco firewalls, Fortinet gateways, and Ivanti and Check Point VPN appliances.
- He asked CISA to set a binding directive giving agencies two years to remove legacy public-facing remote-access systems.
- He called on NIST to issue zero-trust implementation standards and OMB to prioritize zero-trust spending.
- Wyden also urged OMB, CISA, and the Defense Department to update procurement rules for remote-access products.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Federal cybersecurity policy recommendation
- Impact
- Sen. Ron Wyden urged federal agencies to phase out legacy public-facing VPNs and adopt modern remote-access technology and zero-trust architecture. He called for binding CISA standards, NIST implementation guidance, and OMB procurement rules; the article reports a policy proposal, not an implemented change or a new breach.
People
Vendors
Check PointHe said agencies must stop relying on insecure VPN appliances that have been repeatedly targeted in incidents involving Cisco, Fortinet, Ivanti, and Check Point.CiscoHe said agencies must stop relying on insecure VPN appliances that have been repeatedly targeted in incidents involving Cisco, Fortinet, Ivanti, and Check Point.FortinetHe said agencies must stop relying on insecure VPN appliances that have been repeatedly targeted in incidents involving Cisco, Fortinet, Ivanti, and Check Point.IvantiHe said agencies must stop relying on insecure VPN appliances that have been repeatedly targeted in incidents involving Cisco, Fortinet, Ivanti, and Check Point.