Remote Access Technologies ( Comptia Objective 4.9)

Question 1

What allows you to view and work on somebody elses desktop computer remotely?

Answer 1

• RDP( Remote Desktop Protocol)
• Share a desktop from a remote location over tcp port 3389.
• Remote Desktop services are available on many windows versions
• Can connect to an entire desktop or just an application.
• Clients are available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Unix, iPhone and others.

Question 2

What is an unsecure console type of remote connection that is not commonly used anymore?

Answer 2

• Telnet - Telecommunication Network which operates over tcp/23.
• Login to devices remotely/ console access( command prompt)
• Unencrypted communication. Not the best choice for production systems.

Question 3

What is the secure alternative to Telnet that is an encrypted console communication?

Answer 3

• SSH( Secure Shell)
• Encrypted console communication over tcp/22.
• Looks and acts the same as Telnet over tcp/23.

Question 4

What Third Party tools exist for Remote Desktop access?

Answer 4

• VNC( Virtual Network Computing). Uses remote Frame Buffer( RFB) protocol.
  Clients are available for many different operating systems, many of which are open source.
• Commercial options exist such as Team Viewer, LogMeIn, etc.
• These provide screen sharing functionality. Allows you to control the desktop as well as File sharing functionality to transfer files between devices.

Question 5

What are some security considerations surrounding Remote Desktop access?

Answer 5

• Microsoft Remote Desktop uses port tcp/3389. If this open port is found by the bad guys there is a risk of a brute force attack where they only need to get a username and password to have full control of your machine.
• Third party remote desktops are also often just secured with a username and password and there’s a lot of username/passwords that get reused.
• Once you’re in you’re in. The desktop is all yours making it easy to jump to other systems, obtain personal information, bank details and make purchases from inside the user’s browser.