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The Significant Risks of the Remote Desktop

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Are you one of the millions of Americans who are now working from home? Or have you been working from home for awhile? Either way, it is likely that you are using some type of remote desktop protocol. If you are, there are some things that you should be aware of.

None of us believe that we will be hacked, but we have seen over and over again that it is possible. Even the biggest companies out there have been hacked, and a small company is even more at risk of this. Add the use of a program called Remote Desktop offered by Microsoft or Google Chrome or many other third-party remote access programs, and you need to be aware of some things.

Essentially, Remote Desktop allows you to access a computer remotely. It might be in your home or your office, and you can give access to others who are also working remotely in the form of a “remote assistance scam”. However, when you give access, or have this access, your network may be wide open for hackers. There have been thousands and thousands of cases where people have become victims of various remote desktop/remote assistance scams, and if a hack is successful, it can destroy a small business, wreck a persons bank account or lead to identity theft.

What is Remote Desktop?

Remote Desktop is a very common software, and if you work on a computer with Windows, you probably have this program, and you don’t even know it. Though it’s a great tool, it is not as secure as it should be.

Criminals are well-aware of this, of course, and they have worked to create a number of tools for hacking into the software. When they get access to networks, the hackers can also access company info and steal things like login information. Once they have this information, the hackers can buy and sell them so other hackers can use them. Once they are in, they have access to anything and everything on the network.

You are at Risk

It is estimated that there are more than 3 million businesses out there that have access to Remote Desktop. Most of these are small businesses, and many of them manage their own IT services. If you own a small business and you have an IT department, you fall into this category. Additionally, hackers know that these companies are weaker, and they target businesses like this…and any company that has Remote Desktop is also a target.

What You Can Do About It

At this point, you are probably wondering what you can do to protect your company or yourself from hackers who like to use Remote Desktop to access networks. Here are some tips:

  • If you don’t use Remote Desktop, you should remove it from your computer.
  • Make sure that when there is a Windows Update, that you update it as soon as you possibly can. It’s possible that this update could have a security patch that is imperative for keeping hackers out.
  • Ensure that your wireless connections are encrypted, and also password protected.
  • If you want to keep Remote Desktop, you can, but choose to only use it on a computer that is running on a VPN, or virtual private network.
  • Use a firewall, too, so you can restrict access.
  • Another thing you can do is set up two-factor authentication.
  • Beware of any pop ups or phone calls that lead to someone requesting remote access to our device.
  • Understand that none of this is fool proof. The only way to totally protect yourself from hacks via Remote Desktop is to totally delete the program.

ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon author, CEO of CreditParent.com, the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity and Personal Protection security awareness training program.

Covid-19 Remote Desktop Has Significant Risks

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Are you newly working from home? Or are you an old pro? Either way, it is likely you are using some form of remote desktop protocol. Those of us who have been working home as our primary means of earning a living, know these tools very well and are accustomed to eliminating the various distractions in our home environment in order to get the job done. There are some precautions to be aware of.

None of us think that we are going to get hacked, even though we have seen time and time again that it is very possible. Even the largest companies in existence have been hacked, and small businesses are even more at risk. You can add even more to this risk if you use a software called Remote Desktop.

Basically, Remote Desktop allows you to access computers remotely in your home or office and give network access to employees who are working remotely. However, when you give or have this access, you are opening up your network to hackers. Thousands of companies and individuals have fallen victim to this, and just one successful hack can be devastating to a small business.

Remote Desktop: What is It?

Remote Desktop, or RDP, is a very common software. In fact, if you have Microsoft Windows, you probably have this software and don’t even realize it. Though it is a very powerful tool for businesses, it is also not very secure.

Criminals know this, of course, and they have created a huge variety of tools to hack into this software. When they get access to the network, criminals can access company information and then take things like log-ins and passwords. Once they have this, they can buy and sell them so that other criminals can use them to access your network. Once they are in, they can do almost anything.

Are You at Risk?

There are estimates that there are over three million companies that theoretically have access to Remote Desktop. Most of them are small businesses and many manage their own IT services in house. If you are a small business and you have an in-house IT department, you could definitely fit into this category. What’s more is that hackers tend to target these businesses, too. Any company that has RDP access enabled is a target of hackers.

What Can You Do About It?

Hopefully at this point you are wondering what you can do to protect your business from hackers who like to access networks through RDP.

  • If you aren’t using remote desktop, then the first thing you should do is to remove Remote Desktop from your network.
  • Make sure to update your operating systems critical security patches which will inevitably update any software around remote desktop protocol.
  • Update all software that could allow remote desktop to be vulnerable
  • Make sure your wireless connections are encrypted which generally means password-protected.
  • If you have a good reason for keeping it, you can also choose to restrict access by setting up a virtual private network, or VPN.
  • Additionally, you can create a firewall to restrict its access
  • Setting up multi-factor authentication is also a good idea if you want to keep this software.
  • Just be aware that none of these solutions are fool proof except totally deleting the software.

ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon author, CEO of CreditParent.com, the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity Protection security awareness training program.

Cool Tools To Access Files Remotely

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Whether you’re a road warrior or simply own multiple PCs and want access to all your data from anywhere, here are a few easy ways to do it, and one not so easy option.

All of these options are secure, as long as you don’t leave a remote PC logged into your account, or log in from a PC that is already infected with spyware or a virus. I only log in from trusted PCs like my own laptop.

LogMeIn gives you remote access to your PC or Mac from any other computer with an Internet connection, for free. Just install LogMeIn on the computer you want to access, and then log into your account from any other computer. You’ll be able to see your desktop and use all your applications, as if you were sitting right in front of your home computer, even if you’re across town, across the country, or across the world. LogMeIn Pro², a paid upgrade, adds additional features like file transfers and remote printing.

Orb is a free program that essentially turns your PC into a server. Once you’ve downloaded and installed Orb, you can use any Internet-connected device with a streaming media player (mobile phone, PDA, laptop) to log into mycast.orb.com and access all your digital media, anywhere, anytime. Orb is also compatible with the Wii, PS3, and Xbox, so you can enjoy your media on your television screen as well! While Orb is heavily focused on delivering digital media, it works with documents as well.

If you’re a Mac guy, then you’re all about Me.com. For $99 a year, Me.com gives you easy access to your most important stuff, including email, contacts, calendars, photos, and files, from one place on the web. And since any changes you make on Me.com are stored in the cloud, you can see them on all your other devices, too.

Mocha Remote Desktop is a free application that provides complete, secure access to all the files and programs on your work PC from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, as long as your work computer is running Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista, or Windows 7.

Remote Desktop is built into the Microsoft Windows operating system. Not all versions of Windows have Remote Desktop functionality, though. Windows Professional and Ultimate editions generally include Remote Desktop by default. This is the cleanest example of real-time remote access technology, giving you the feeling that you’re sitting in front of your home PC’s desktop, from anywhere.

Setting up Remote Desktop is another story.

It’s easiest to do it from within your own internal network. If you want to use Remote Desktop from anywhere else in the world, you’ll need to configure your router and set up port forwarding, preferably with a Dynamic DNS account.

Personally, I like Remote Desktop best, but it takes serious time and effort to get it working the way you want.

Robert Siciliano, personal security expert contributor to Just Ask Gemalto, discusses yet another data breach on Fox News. (Disclosures)