BlogManaged IT
Remote support done securely
By David Otieno, Senior ICT Consultant 1 min read
Remote tools speed up support, and attackers use them too. Use approved tools, user consent, strong authentication and logging.
Remote support lets engineers fix problems in minutes without travelling. The same capability is a favourite tool of fraudsters who call pretending to be "IT support".
Use one approved tool
Standardise on a single, managed remote support tool. Block or remove other remote access software that users may have installed.
Require consent
For attended sessions, the user should approve each connection and see what the engineer is doing.
Protect engineer accounts
Support staff accounts need strong passwords and multi-factor authentication — they can reach every computer.
Log sessions
Record who connected to which device, when, and for how long. Some tools can record the session itself for sensitive systems.
Teach users the rule
Tell staff clearly: our support will never call you out of the blue and ask you to install software. Any such call should be reported.
Unattended access
Servers and kiosks may need unattended access. Restrict it to named engineers and review it regularly.
See our managed IT services.
About the author
David Otieno
Senior ICT Consultant
David Otieno writes about cybersecurity, physical security systems, power resilience and running IT reliably day to day.