It was only a handful of years ago that managed service providers (MSPs) relied on traditional on-site IT support to address their clients’ needs. While this tactic worked when only about 17% of employees worked from home, the growing predominance of flexible work schedules and remote work made on-site IT support less efficient. Secure remote access resolves this challenge.
When issues arise, secure remote access solutions give MSPs remote access to client systems so they can provide support from anywhere and resolve issues faster.
What is a secure remote access solution?
A secure remote access solution consists of software and tools that enable authorized personnel to safely access computer systems from another device at any time and from anywhere. Secure remote access tools allow technicians to connect to and control computers, servers, and applications on another device remotely as if they were sitting in front of it.
Why is secure remote access important?
Response and resolution times are some of the most critical support metrics organizations consider when shopping for the best MSPs for their business. Remote access software allows MSP technical staff to access their client’s network and systems to diagnose and resolve end-user issues, deploy critical software updates, ensure cybersecurity, and monitor network assets and resources without being on site.
While remote access offers convenience, it also comes with significant security risks. Employees working from home may access company resources using an unsecured device or Internet connection, leaving organizations vulnerable to cyberattacks. That makes implementing secure remote access crucial, as it enhances compliance with various standards and helps organizations meet audit and compliance requirements by securely managing access to critical IT infrastructure. Secure remote access is necessary to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of company resources.
Zero trust network access protects a broad attack surface
Generally, the large number of devices, web applications, and network nodes accessing an enterprise system opens up numerous possibilities for cybersecurity threats.
When employees get remote access to company resources, the attack surface expands beyond the on-site network infrastructure, as employees often connect to the corporate network from various locations and devices. Unprotected remote access gives malicious actors more entry points or attack vectors for potential cyberattacks, thus increasing the risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security incidents.
Secure remote access helps mitigate these risks by ensuring that only authorized individuals and devices can access company resources, thereby enhancing network security. You may hear this referred to as zero trust network access (ZTNA), which means users or machines shouldn’t be automatically trusted. Zero trust network access goes by the motto “never trust, always verify”; it verifies a user’s identity and privileges as well as a device’s identity and security to ensure secure remote access.
Enforces strong remote access solutions for applications
Who has access to what applications and data is a critical aspect of a network access control strategy. Organizations without a standard security policy often give employees more access than they need, creating a heightened risk of unauthorized access to the company’s resources.
Enforcing strong authentication and authorization protocols such as role-based access control (RBAC), multi-factor authentication (MFA), least privilege, granular access controls, or attribute-based access control (ABAC) to prove the identity of users and applications and control their access privileges lessens the risk of unauthorized access to enterprise systems.
Balances convenience with protection
Secure remote access solutions are designed to balance convenience and protection as they ensure business continuity after an attack, disaster, or downtime. By securing remote connections, secure remote access lets MSPs monitor client systems for any potential security threats, apply patches and updates at scale, and provide secure remote support without needing a technician to be physically on-site.
Secure remote access enhances monitoring systems, as it allows MSPs to monitor different parameters and get alerted when a system failure or a breach occur and mitigate them quickly, reducing the MTTR (mean time to repair/recovery) in the case of downtime.
What are the main solutions for secure remote access?
Remote access solutions let MSPs, tech admins, technicians, or other authorized users remotely access and manage devices or systems from anywhere. Network access control (NAC) is essential in securing network access for both BYOD devices and organizational systems. The following are the top-rated remote access solutions.
VPN
Virtual private networks (VPNs) are the most frequently used remote access solutions. A virtual private network allows remote employees to securely access and use applications and data hosted in enterprise data centers. VPNs provide encrypted tunnels for data transmission over the Internet, guaranteeing that the connection between the remote device and the corporate network is secure. Some of the leading virtual private network protocols are as follows.
SSL VPN
A secured socket layer (SSL) VPN creates a secure connection between web browsers through authentication and encryption. This VPN primarily runs on the browser and allows employees to access organization resources outside the corporate office.
IPSec VPN
An Internet protocol security (IPSec) VPN creates an encrypted tunnel over the Internet. Unlike an SSL VPN, an IPSec VPN requires dedicated software that encrypts the network packet at the sender end and decrypts it at the receiver, securing the connection against external attacks.
RDP
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a Microsoft client-server technology that enables IT administrators to connect to a remote computer and control it via the Internet, providing secure remote access. This solution comes in handy when admins or MSPs need to perform certain operations, such as accessing files, troubleshooting, running applications, and providing technical support.
In remote work, a central server can be created where the organization’s data and application are hosted; then employees can access this data remotely using RDP.
SSH
Secure Shell (SSH) is a cryptographic network protocol used to gain remote access securely. Privileged access management (PAM) is crucial in this context to secure, manage, and monitor access to privileged accounts and resources. Administrators commonly use it for secure remote access work like managing and monitoring devices from anywhere in the world. SSH establishes a secure connection over an unsecured network and allows for data transfer, automated processes, command execution, and remote access to private network systems. The standard method of establishing SSH protocol is password authentication and SSH Key, which helps protect data transfer over the unsecured network.
VNC
Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is a cross-platform screen-sharing system that allows tech admins to access and control another computer’s desktop remotely. A secure remote access service is crucial for ensuring compliance with industry standards and enhancing cybersecurity strategies. VNC gives users remote access to control the graphical desktop of a computer. It works by transmitting keyboard and mouse input from one computer to another over a network, and it’s commonly used for technical support, collaboration, and remote administration.
VDI
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is a desktop virtualization technology that allows users to access a virtual desktop hosted on a server or data center. Zero trust network access (ZTNA) is crucial in this context, as it ensures secure remote access by requiring verification before granting users access to private applications. In a VDI setup, the desktop operating system runs on a centralized server, and users connect to their virtual desktops remotely through a connection broker, which is a software-based gateway that serves as a go-between for the user and the server.
Simplify secure remote access with Syncro
Syncro, a comprehensive professional services automation (PSA) and remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform for MSPs, simplifies remote access with its integration with Splashtop – a secure remote access solution and IT support company.
Syncro allows admins and MSPs to securely access their client devices with a single click, making remote troubleshooting and support more efficient. It provides real-time alerts to notify you immediately of any issues on client devices, allowing you to respond and resolve them quickly before they escalate.
Syncro includes all the tools you need to run your MSP business efficiently, including:
- A remote registry editor
- Remote event viewer
- Remote file system browser
- Remote service and task manager
- Remote terminal
- And remote PowerShell sessions.
You can take Syncro for a spin by signing up for a free trial — no credit card required.
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