April 1, 2025 – West Houston, TX
Impress IT Solutions is warning businesses throughout West Houston about a large-scale, coordinated cyber reconnaissance campaign targeting network security gateways—including Palo Alto Networks’ GlobalProtect VPN portals.
“We’re seeing elevated scanning activity from nearly 24,000 unique IP addresses trying to access remote firewall portals,” said a network security engineer at Impress IT Solutions. “This is the kind of coordinated probing that typically precedes a wave of real attacks.”
🌐 What’s Going On?
According to cybersecurity intelligence, a surge in login scan activity began on March 17, 2025, peaking with 23,958 unique IP addresses attempting to log in to GlobalProtect VPN portals, commonly used for secure remote access to corporate networks.
Though only a smaller subset of IPs has been labeled outright malicious, the volume and targeting suggest an organized effort to identify:
- Exposed or misconfigured VPNs
- Outdated firewall firmware
- Weak or default login credentials
“It’s not just noise,” said Impress IT. “This kind of scanning is often a dry run for exploitation of known vulnerabilities.”
📍 Where’s It Coming From?
The IP addresses were primarily located in the United States and Canada, followed by other regions including Finland, the Netherlands, and Russia. The most heavily targeted systems are in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Russia, and Singapore.
Impress IT notes that even businesses in West Houston using Palo Alto, SonicWall, or other edge firewalls should take this seriously.
🧠 What Could Happen Next?
Security analysts say campaigns like this often precede the discovery or release of new vulnerabilities in affected technologies. Attackers scan networks first, then launch targeted exploits once new attack paths are revealed—often 2 to 4 weeks later.
That’s why proactive patching, VPN hardening, and anomaly detection are critical now more than ever.
🛡️ How Impress IT Solutions Keeps You Secure
Impress IT Solutions provides firewall management, VPN security, and proactive threat monitoring for West Houston businesses of all sizes. Here’s what they’re doing to protect clients from threats like this one:
- 🔐 Harden VPN login portals with 2FA and custom access policies
- ✅ Audit firewall configurations to close unnecessary ports and prevent unauthorized access
- 🔁 Keep PAN-OS and other firewall OS versions up to date
- 🔎 Monitor login activity and block malicious IPs in real time
- 🚨 Alert you to early warning signs of exploitation or data exfiltration
- 📊 Run vulnerability scans to detect and patch exposed edge devices
“If your firewall or remote access tool is internet-facing and unpatched, you’re on the radar,” says Impress IT. “But with the right defenses, you’re also in control.”
🧰 What West Houston Businesses Should Do Right Now
- ✅ Check if you’re using GlobalProtect, SonicWall, or similar VPN gateways
- 🔄 Ensure firmware and OS versions are up to date
- 🔐 Enable MFA for all remote logins
- 🔍 Review logs for unusual login patterns or geographic anomalies
- ☎️ Call Impress IT Solutions for a network security assessment
📣 Final Word from Impress IT Solutions
Cyber attackers don’t discriminate based on company size—they scan everything. Whether you’re running a construction company, manufacturing operation, or professional office, if you’re online, you’re in the mix.
📍 Impress IT Solutions, based in West Houston, helps local businesses stay ahead of advanced threats with tailored, responsive, and proactive IT security solutions.
📞 Contact us today to secure your firewalls and remote access tools before the next wave hits.
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