National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has issued cybersecurity guidelines directing government employees to use only approved virtual private networks (VPNs) when accessing official systems remotely. The advisory highlights the importance of secure remote access practices and warns that exposing government services directly to the internet could increase risks associated with cyberattacks, unauthorised access and data interception. The guidance has been outlined in the National Cybersecurity Handbook 2026 to 27, which provides recommendations for improving cybersecurity practices across government departments, public sector organisations and related institutions. The instructions are aimed at strengthening protection for official digital infrastructure as remote working and online access to government systems continue to become more common.
According to the handbook, government provided VPN services create secure connections for employees who need to access official systems from remote locations. These encrypted connections help protect sensitive information by reducing the possibility of unauthorised access or interception during data transmission. National CERT has advised employees to rely only on VPN services that have been approved by their respective departments and to follow established security procedures while accessing government resources. The guidelines also recommend maintaining strong login credentials and ending remote access sessions immediately after completing official tasks to reduce exposure risks. Employees have further been advised to contact their IT or cybersecurity teams if VPN connections experience instability, repeated disconnections or other technical issues that could affect secure access.
The handbook also outlines several practices that employees should avoid while using remote access services. Government staff have been instructed not to use unauthorised VPN applications or proxy services for official activities, as such tools may introduce security risks and weaken protection mechanisms. The guidelines also advise against disabling antivirus software, firewalls or other endpoint security solutions in an attempt to improve VPN performance. Additional precautions include avoiding unattended VPN sessions on unlocked devices and ensuring that login credentials are not shared with others. These measures are intended to maintain stronger security controls around government systems and prevent situations where attackers could gain access through weak authentication practices or compromised devices.
National CERT has warned that failure to follow secure remote access procedures could increase the possibility of cyber threats targeting government networks. The handbook notes that poor security practices may expose systems to automated brute force attacks, ransomware attempts targeting internal servers and persistent backdoors that could allow long term unauthorised access. The VPN recommendations are part of wider cybersecurity measures being promoted for federal and provincial governments as well as public sector organisations. By encouraging secure connectivity, responsible technology usage and stronger endpoint protection, the guidelines aim to improve overall cyber resilience across government infrastructure. The advisory reinforces the need for employees to follow approved security protocols and work closely with their IT and cybersecurity teams to ensure safe access to official digital resources.
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