Final answer:
To remediate security vulnerabilities exposed during the penetration test, the client should implement Multi-Factor Authentication, strengthen password policies, and conduct regular employee security awareness training.
Step-by-step explanation:
After successfully conducting a penetration test and identifying vulnerabilities in the client's security system, the following remediation steps should be strongly recommended to enhance their defense against future phishing attacks and to secure their VPN access:
- Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Introducing MFA adds an additional layer of security by requiring users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a resource, significantly reducing the success rate of future phishing attacks.
- Strengthen Password Policies: Enforcing complex and robust password requirements will mitigate the risks of dictionary attacks. Implementing a policy that requires passwords to contain a mixture of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters, as well as setting a minimum password length, can prevent attackers from easily cracking passwords using common password lists.
- Employee Security Awareness Training: Regularly educating employees about the dangers of phishing and how to recognize malicious attempts can drastically reduce the chances of sensitive information being compromised. Ensuring that the IT department, in particular, understands the importance of not reusing passwords across different services and being able to identify phishing emails is critical.
These steps will collectively contribute to a more secure IT environment for the client and better protect against malicious actors.