It’s not your imagination; something is changing in the threat landscape.  

Attackers aren’t just finding new exploits; they’re shifting their entire strategy. They’ve learned that instead of targeting individual users or obscure vulnerabilities, it’s more efficient to go after the very systems that connect organizations to the world: VPNs, proxies, and remote access technologies.   
 
These are the technologies that sit at the heart of nearly every enterprise. They’re the lifeline between employees, applications, and data. And that’s precisely why attackers have zeroed in on them.   
 
Over the past several months, we’ve seen a clear pattern emerge. Critical vulnerabilities in major VPN and connectivity products, such as Cisco ASA, SonicWall, F5, Fortinet, and others, have been exploited by both cybercriminals and state-sponsored groups. These devices and services, once considered secure gateways, are now being leveraged as convenient entry points for attackers.   
 
At the same time, browsers have become the preferred starting point for attacks. The browser is where employees work, where data lives, and where most interactions with external systems occur. Modern attackers know this and are exploiting it. Whether it’s through a phishing email that leads to a malicious website, a drive-by download, or the exploitation of a browser zero-day, the browser is now the battlefield.   
 
This dual focus on connectivity infrastructure and browsers signals something bigger than a new campaign or attack technique. It marks the beginning of what we call an Attacker Revolution.   
 
Why Attackers Are Changing Their Strategy   
 
Attackers have realized that today’s organizations depend on a web of connectivity tools that weren’t designed for the threat environment we now live in. VPNs, proxies, and legacy remote access systems were built to connect users, not to fend off nation-state adversaries or ransomware gangs using AI-generated exploits.   
 
Each VPN concentrator, proxy gateway, and access broker represents a complex system that can contain hundreds of thousands of lines of code and, with it, hundreds of potential vulnerabilities. Once attackers find one flaw, they can often use it to pivot deep into the environment. It’s no surprise these devices are now prime targets.   
 
Meanwhile, the browser has quietly become the most widely used enterprise application in the world. Every SaaS login, every document viewed in the cloud, every customer interaction happens in the browser. As a result, the browser has become the ideal initial access point for attackers seeking to blend in with legitimate activity.   
 
The Question: What Can Security and IT Teams Do?   
 
If attackers are evolving, defenders must evolve faster. The question is how.   
 
Here are three practical steps that organizations can take right now to fight back against this new attacker mindset.   
 
1. Put pressure on your connectivity vendors.  
Start by holding your VPN, proxy, and remote access vendors accountable. Demand stronger security controls, faster patch cycles, and transparent reporting on vulnerabilities. The same level of rigor that organizations demand from application developers should apply to the vendors managing your connectivity stack. If the products that connect your users to your business are riddled with vulnerabilities, it doesn’t matter how good your endpoint protection or SIEM is; you’re still exposed.   
 
2. Investigate new ways to secure the browser.   
If the browser has become the new endpoint, then it needs to be treated like one. Some organizations are exploring enterprise browsers that lock down activity and add security controls. That’s one path.   
 
But there’s an even better approach that lets users continue using the browsers they already know and prefer while still gaining enterprise-grade security. That’s precisely how Conceal approaches the problem. Conceal secures the browser itself by embedding protection directly into it. This means every session, every tab, and every click can be analyzed and protected in real time without forcing users to switch browsers or change the way they work.   
 
3. Eliminate exploitable connectivity products.   
You might be thinking, “We can’t get rid of our VPNs or proxies. We need them to connect users.” But the truth is, that’s no longer the case.   
 
Conceal shows organizations that you can securely connect users without relying on VPNs, proxies, or virtual desktops. Our platform combines secure connectivity and threat protection directly in the browser, delivering zero-trust access and real-time security without routing traffic through distant data centers or layering on complex middlemen.   
 
By eliminating the standalone connectivity stack, Conceal not only reduces risk, but also simplifies infrastructure, lowers costs, and makes it dramatically harder for attackers to exploit the very systems that once connected everything together.   
 
The Road Ahead   
 
Attackers are evolving faster than ever before. They’re exploiting the same tools we depend on, turning convenience and connectivity into entry points. But defenders can’t afford to sit still.   
 
Security and IT teams have a choice: continue patching, stacking, and layering complexity, or rethink how connectivity and security come together. The organizations that will stay ahead are the ones willing to lean forward, challenge the status quo, and take bold steps toward simpler, stronger security architectures.   
 
The attacker revolution is already here. The question is, how will you respond?   
 
See how Conceal is helping organizations get ahead of the next wave of attacks.  

Schedule a Conceal demo today.