How To Secure Remote Access To A PC?
Abstract:
This is a question which every computer owner has in mind at some stage. There are many reasons why you might want to secure your PC from hackers or snoopers.
A business could be at risk of industrial espionage if sensitive documents were accessed by an outside source, while parents may worry that their children might stumble across unsuitable material on the internet. Whatever the reason, it’s possible to implement security settings on your PC so that only people who have your approval will be able to access important files and applications on your computer. This guide aims to explain how this can be done and what sort of precautions you should take.
Choosing Security Options:
Before we get started with actually securing remote access, it’s worth considering what your requirements actually are. For example, if you’re thinking about securing remote access to a laptop when it’s being used in public, the requirements are going to be very different from a home computer which is only occasionally connected to the internet.
Watch out following things before Initiating remote access:
1) Password Protect Your Login Credentials
You probably have lots of passwords for various different accounts and programs on your computer. But what happens if you forget one? If your login details aren’t password protected then anyone who comes across your machine could potentially find out what username and password you use to access certain services such as email, online banking or shopping websites. While this might not sound like much danger for many people, an exhaustive knowledge of your user name and password could allow a skilled hacker to access many more of your accounts and gain over-arching control over your life.
2) Disable Unused Services
If there are certain services on your computer which you don’t use or plan to use, it makes sense to turn them off for extra security. These services might be ones like Bluetooth sharing (if you don’t use Bluetooth), or FTP (if you don’t plan on sharing files via FTP). The principle is that if a service isn’t enabled, it can’t be hacked. By default, Windows will often ask when installing new software whether you’d like to enable various different services. If you’re not sure how much use the service is, or whether you might need it at some stage in future, it’s safer to say ‘no’ rather than leave yourself open to security breaches.
3) Set Up A Firewall
A firewall is an important piece of technology which sits between your computer and the internet, checking all incoming and outgoing traffic for suspect activity. If someone tries to access your machine without permission using your login credentials then the firewall will prevent them gaining access to your computer. If you’ve never used a firewall before, don’t worry, they’re easy to set up and there are several free options available which you can download.
4) Don’t Use Admin Rights
If you leave your PC logged in with administrator rights then other computers on the same network will be able to connect to yours without any hindrance at all. Anyone who finds themselves on your machine could access files, install new software or create an unauthorised user account which would give them further control over your system. When using Windows XP it’s common for many programs to try and get administrator rights automatically when they’re installed; if this happens, make sure you disable these functions or run the program as a standard (limited) user.
How to secure Remote of PC:
Now that you know what to watch out for, here are some ways in which you can keep your remote access secure:
1) Change The Default Admin Username And Password:
The very first thing you should do is change the default username and password combination on your PC. For most router-based remote access solutions, the default login details will be admin/admin – much like the user name and password combination used on Windows. By changing this to something else (and ideally using combinations of capital letters, numbers and special characters), you’re making it much more difficult for hackers to gain unauthorised access to your machine. You should also disable any built-in administrator tools such as ‘Remote Assistance’ since these could pose a significant security risk if left running.
2) Create A VPN Connection With Two-Step Verification:
If you’re using software such as LogMeIn or TeamViewer which allows you to remote into your computer from a distance, it’s worth creating a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This is because VPNs create an encrypted connection between two machines. Using this encrypted data means that hackers can only attempt to access the information once they’ve managed to get hold of your user name and password – something which could take considerable time and effort! You can use free services like OpenVPN to set up a VPN connection quickly and easily. To add extra security, consider setting up two-step verification with Google Authenticator which will require you to enter a unique code every time you connect.
3) Use An Encrypted Protocol:
A Virtual Private Network only works when the connection is established, so what you need to do is create an encrypted method of communicating with your machine once you’ve created a link – which means that hackers have one more hoop to jump through. One way in which this can be done is by encrypting data sent across the VPN connection using SSL or TLS encryption. To take advantage of this option, make sure you use services like LogMeIn Hamachi (which uses proprietary ‘cloud networking’ technology to allow computers on different networks to communicate securely). If you’re using TeamViewer then consider setting up a temporary password before connecting; this will create an extra layer of security against intruders.
4) Use A Firewall:
Whether you use a software or hardware firewall, make sure it’s switched on and regularly updated. Microsoft Windows includes a firewall as standard nowadays, which is activated automatically when you install new software. Just make sure that your PC isn’t set to allow incoming connections from other machines on the network before you start creating a secure connection with your router! Using a dedicated program such as Comodo Firewall will provide additional protection – but be careful not to block legitimate programs from accessing the Internet since this could stop your remote access working properly.
5) Create Separate Admin Accounts:
This is one of the most important things you can do in order to keep your remote access safe: create separate accounts for yourself and any other people who might be using your computer. This is because a hacker would only have to guess one user name and password combination before gaining access to vital system resources such as the Event Viewer – so by splitting up admin rights, you’re making it much more difficult for them to do any damage. It’s also worth creating a separate account for online banking that has no administrative privileges since this could prevent hackers from being able to intercept sensitive information even if they manage to decrypt it!
Conclusion:
If you can use a VPN connection, then this is the most secure option. A Virtual Private Network creates an encrypted link between your computer and another machine on the network, meaning that hackers have one more hoop to jump through before they gain access to any sensitive data. However unless there’s security software or hardware in place – such as a firewall or two-step verification measures – it may still be possible for intruders to access sensitive information stored on your computer.
So make sure you follow these top tips if you want to keep yourself safe when using remote access.
