Remote Access Best Practices for IT Pros in 2022

Remote access best practices change every year. Managing secure remote access and understanding remote desktop solutions are areas that everyone needs to stay up-to-date on. Since the greatest advances in IT management have come through remote access technologies, it makes sense to focus on these advances.

At one point, monitoring and maintaining an IT infrastructure required significant on-site dedication, including physical access, and tons of driving.

Fortunately, this is greatly changed thanks to remote access software. This allows IT teams to quickly and efficiently manage these tasks off-site.

IT companies, as well as managed services providers (MSPs), depend on remote computer access to easily diagnose and resolve end-user issues, track your network assets, and deploy essential software updates. Your In-house IT teams and managers also depend on remote access best practices to maximize productivity, regardless of the number of locations they manage, anywhere they are.

For most, however, remote access to monitoring systems allows IT managers to support their IT demands all day, every day.

But what exactly does “remote access” mean? Let’s look more closely at all that encompasses remote access solutions.

What Exactly is Remote Access & What Role Does It Play In Your IT Support?

Remote access is a term we use to describe access to a specific computer system at any location through a network connection. For most of us, we recognize this when we have a particularly tough tech problem and contact support to take over our computer to fix it.

Remote desktop solutions like the aforementioned are just a part of what remote access can do. Others might also be familiar with it in file sharing within an organization, but its ultimate use is in IT support.

In addition to remote monitoring and management software, remote access also allows small teams of IT pros to provide service for a much larger number of clients. It allows them to troubleshoot, perform maintenance and system configurations, and even execute patch management far easier than traditional methods.

More Remote Access Support Needed in 2022

More organizations than ever have discovered a need for remote working environments and greater IT support for them. Users, devices, and critical operations are now spread across multiple areas, increasing the demand for remote access. Without proper support, it will be almost impossible for these organizations to operate.

Add to this the fact that many organizations were rushed into using remote solutions for their organizations, and there is a greater risk from outside threats. Security breaches lost data, and network interruptions can cost companies time and money, making it more important than ever to increase security.

Clearly, there is significant demand for using both secure remote access tools and providers who can successfully configure, deploy, and manage them.

Managing Secure Remote Access —

The Top 3 Requirements For Choosing The Right Remote Access Solution

It’s important to realize that not all remote access solutions are identical, despite their shared focus. Just like other types of software, your company’s requirements will change and will differ from the next organization. Here are three of the most important features to consider when identifying the right tool for your company.

1. Dependability

The first recommendation we have for remote access best practices is finding a dependable tool. Keep in mind, remote access is so critical to your modern IT management, it’s almost impossible to function a single day without it. Having reliable remote tools, including your remote access, correlates to the dependability of your overall IT infrastructure.

2. Safety

Before you decide on the right remote access too, security and safety must be considered. After all, we’re talking about software that is specifically designed to give remote access to your organization’s infrastructure. This is a significant security risk. Before you sign on to any remote access tool, be sure to investigate it thoroughly and ensure that it meets security and compliance standards. It should also be clearly documented with plenty of available resources that guarantee a safe deployment and configuration process. You’ll also want to verify it has features that provide easy and clear access to controls.

3. User Functionality

For your team, there is no feature more important than user functionality. Why? Because if your remote access tools aren’t easy to use, they won’t be used. This translates to a significant threat to your organization because team members will search out and use unsupported tools that could lead to security breaches.

Remote Access Best Practices — What Features & Benefits to Leverage

With the right remote access tools, you can easily solve the most pressing issues your organization faces. When you use it properly, remote access can also reduce the need for irrelevant tools, saving your company significant money over the long haul.

So, you may be wondering, what are the most important features of remote access for my organization?

Here are our recommendations for getting the most out of your remote access solutions.

• Multiple Sessions —You’ll want to ensure that your technicians can open up several sessions at the same endpoint.
• Multi-Monitor Support —This gives your techs access to multiple endpoints.
• Connection Security Features —Enhance the defense your business has against snoopers. Remote connections use public and unencrypted internet lines, putting them at greater risk of cyber threats. Therefore, connected security features are a must.
• Collaborative Access —This connects multiple technicians to work seamlessly via a single endpoint with easier communication.
• Privilege Controls —These help you connect with supported devices and manage permissions easily, allowing technicians to easily work on hardware.
• Enhanced Communication Channels —Integrated communication via technicians and end-users is critical, and remote access should offer this feature.
• Live Desktop Viewers —Remote desktop solutions ensure that your Help Desk technicians can see what users see, and more quickly resolve problems.
• File Transfer Utility —This is the easiest way for techs to copy files via remote devices.
• Access & Process Automation —Make it easier for your techs to script repetitive tasks and create bulk solutions for countless endpoints via automation.
• End-Monitor Blackout —This helps technicians fix problems remotely while removing the desktop view from in front of the user during the process.
• Session Logging —Keep you and your team secure with session logging that tracks the actions of your tech on the remote computer.
• Access to and from Mobile Devices —Support techs should easily be able to work in any environment, anytime they like, which means they need access to mobile devices to properly resolve issues for the in-demand remote worker.
• RMM Integrations —Save time and prevent the need for your techs to use multiple tools simultaneously. Any system that is automated to log session time can provide greater support automated billing procedures, improving their security and reliability in the process.

An Important Note About Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

Remote Desktop Protocol has recently become incredibly important, thanks to the massive switch to remote working. RDP is a Windows protocol that enables remote employees to use and see operating systems on their devices at another location. This means they can easily work from home on their own internet connection.

Why is this important? Well, it also allows these remote workers to access sensitive device data anywhere they go in the world. This increases productivity and ensures your organization’s data is fully secure.

RPD is directly built-in Windows, but it has to be configured to be secure. Any organization using unsecured RDP access are wide open to attack vector, which is very common among ransomware groups. This is why we recommend not exposing your RPD to the internet.