Remote Control Software: The 6 Security Pitfalls You Should Avoid
In a way, remote control software has become the gateway to digital transformation. It offers many game-changing benefits like business continuity, operational efficiency, and workforce productivity. Unfortunately, wherever remote capabilities are deployed – there may be multiple ways of gaining access to confidential data and business information across devices, applications, and systems. Despite these risks, it is important to invest and implement remote software because it’s a must-have element of digital transformation.
The remote control system comprises two agents – a host and a guest.
You, being the host, should have absolute control over whom you choose to invite. However, the only secure method that would help you to avoid any unwanted guests is to ensure that the software has high-end encryption and a strong focus on pending security lags.
Hence, it is all the more important to ensure that your provider offers a secure and efficient remote solution that can overcome key high-risk areas. Let’s look at six of the biggest risk areas before you decide to purchase any remote control software.
#1: Unauthorized Access across Wire
Also called high-jacking, unauthorized access leads to major security access threats. Some of the parameters to help you overcome this challenge are:
· MAC/IP address checks
· Authentication
· Closed user groups
· Call-back
· Controlled user access
· Authorization layer
#2: Alteration & Eavesdropping
It is vital to protect the traffic between the host and guest modules against eavesdropping or unauthorized data alteration. Ensuring message integration and integrity involves the verification of encrypted data and the key exchange of the right encryption keys of transmitted data. Hence, your remote system should have robust encryption features to safeguard transmitted information that can only be accessed by authorized users.
#3: Poor Security Protocols
Setting stringent security protocols is pertinent - especially for host components running on the operating systems. It equips you to provide better governance of the remote asset ecosystem.
#4: Unauthorized Host Change
You should make sure that maintenance access is only possible through a strong password. It is the best way to proactively prevent unauthorized changes to the host configuration.
#5: Adequate Security Options and Alerts
Hosts should have the ability to take control of remote access management. They should be able to disconnect guest users or restart the operating system during instances such as receiving a pre-set number of attempts of invalid login to reduce the total number of attempts in an hour. You should also set up a typical alert or notification when someone tries to access the computer without proper authorization.
#6: Passable Event Logging
The system should provide an extensive document of event logging that documents possible chances of attack. All session activities and attempts to log in should be carefully logged, preferably in one centralized database.
Conclusion
Ensuring that data access is secure and protected from unauthorized users is one of the primary objectives of remote control software. But it’s easier said than done since hackers have new tricks up their sleeves all the time. Some may try to hijack sessions and attempt to takeover an end of an established session. Other expert hackers have easily started to use foot-printing methods like ping sweeps, port scans, and NetBIOS enumeration. These can be quickly utilized to get valued system-level information, which in turn - empowers them to launch even more significant attacks that cause financial and/or reputational damage.
You should remember that any effective remote control software contains specific security features that counteract the processes that are likely to get hacked. Your solution provider should take extra precautions to make sure that these six major risk areas are comprehensively covered.
