Securing Remote Desktops: Overlooked Steps You Must Take

Remote desktops are a convenience people and businesses rely on every day. They make work flexible, let admins troubleshoot from anywhere, and keep teams moving. But convenience is often paid for with risk. Too many guides stop at "turn on a VPN" or "use a strong password" and call it a day. This post walks through the real, often-overlooked steps that actually reduce risk — practical, low-drama actions you can implement now so remote access stops being the weakest link in your security chain.

Real talk: why remote desktops attract attackers

Remote desktop services are high-value targets. An attacker who lands access can move laterally, steal data, deploy ransomware, or pivot into critical systems. Many compromises happen because admins skipped small setup steps or ignored monitoring that would have caught abuse early. That is fixable with attention and the right priorities.

Quick checklist (use this as a baseline)

1. Restrict remote desktop access by IP and networks 2. Place remote desktops behind a VPN or gateway 3. Enforce MFA for every remote session 4. Require modern encryption and disable legacy protocols 5. Harden accounts and remove local admin rights 6. Patch systems promptly and automate updates where possible 7. Log sessions, forward logs to a SIEM, watch for anomalies 8. Isolate remote desktops from sensitive systems 9. Maintain backups and an incident response plan 10. Test and update the plan regularly

1) Don't expose remote desktop ports to the world

One of the most basic mistakes is leaving remote desktop ports open on the internet. Bots and scanning tools constantly probe those ports. Instead:

• Restrict access by IP ranges where possible. If employees use fixed IPs or corporate VPNs, limit connections to those ranges.
• Use a jump host or bastion that sits in a hardened DMZ and requires additional authentication before users can reach internal desktop hosts.
• If you must allow broad access for mobile workers, force connections through a VPN or secure gateway.

For guidance on VPNs and practical reviews that help you choose one, see the Surfshark review and the VPN round-up linked below.

Surfshark VPN review · VPNs to use when using Termux

2) Use Multi-Factor Authentication for every remote session

MFA is the single best improvement after removing public exposure. Passwords get phished, leaked, brute forced. A second factor — an authenticator app, hardware token, or push-based approval — greatly reduces account takeover risk. Make MFA mandatory for all remote desktop logins, including service accounts that are sometimes forgotten.

3) Harden accounts and remove local admin rights

Default admin privileges make a compromise much worse. Apply the principle of least privilege:

• Do not grant local admin unless there is a business need.
• Use separate admin accounts that are only used for administrative tasks and protected with stronger controls (MFA, longer password policies, and access logging).
• Rotate service account credentials and avoid embedding credentials in scripts or scheduled tasks.

4) Patch, patch, patch — and automate what you can

Attackers frequently exploit known vulnerabilities that are already patched. You do not want your remote desktops to be the low-hanging fruit. Establish an automated patch cadence, and use staged rollouts so you can catch problematic updates before they reach all systems.

If you run a small environment, even a weekly patch window reduces a lot of risk. For larger setups, use patch management tools and maintain a clear rollback plan.

5) Disable legacy protocols and force modern encryption

Legacy versions of remote protocols may allow weak ciphers or insecure authentication fallback. Configure your RDP or VNC server to refuse insecure negotiation, require network level authentication, and use modern ciphers. If your remote solution supports it, enforce TLS 1.2 or higher and review cipher suites.

6) Network segmentation — isolate remote desktops

Treat remote desktops like a bridgehead, not a free pass. Put them on segmented networks that limit access to sensitive systems. If an attacker compromises a desktop, segmentation slows or stops lateral movement and reduces blast radius.

Pair segmentation with strict firewall rules and application whitelisting where feasible.

7) Require a secure path — use VPNs or zero trust gateways

A VPN is more than privacy — it provides an access control layer between public networks and internal hosts. For many teams, forcing remote desktop connections through a VPN prevents direct internet exposure. If you can, favor modern zero trust access gateways that provide per-application access, strong authentication, and session logging.

See these posts for VPN selection and best practices:

Surfshark VPN review · VPNs to use when using Termux

8) Monitor sessions and centralize logs

Visibility is the most neglected part of remote desktop security. If you do not log connections and inspect them, you cannot detect a stealthy attacker. Forward remote desktop logs to a central log collector or SIEM and monitor for:

• Login attempts from unusual geographies or IPs
• Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by success
• Logins outside normal business hours
• Unusual commands or software execution after a remote session

If you lack a full SIEM, even a simple centralized logging server with alerting for basic triggers is far better than nothing. For more on incident response planning and when to call help, see the incident response and security company roundups linked below.

Best cyber incident response companies · Internet security companies

9) Keep backups and an incident response plan ready

If a remote desktop is used to deploy ransomware or steal data, fast recovery matters. Maintain offline, immutable backups for critical systems, and test restores regularly. Don’t assume a single backup is enough — validate it can be restored quickly and completely.

Pair backups with a written incident response playbook. If you serve small businesses, check the guides covering cyber security planning and network security for small teams so you can build a straightforward, effective plan.

Cyber security plan for small business · Network security tips for small business

10) Train users and run phishing-resistant checks

Remote desktops are often the final step after credential compromise. User awareness matters. Train employees to spot phishing and social engineering that could give attackers that first credential. Run realistic tests against your team and fix gaps you find. For a deeper read on phishing risks and how attacks have become personal, read the phishing piece and the guided awareness material linked below.

How attackers leverage personal info · Understanding spear phishing

11) Test your defenses — red team, blue team, and tabletop

Controls look good on paper. They only prove themselves under test. Schedule regular red-team style exercises or automated scans to verify your access controls. Follow these up with tabletop incident response exercises to ensure your team can execute the plan under pressure.

12) Use modern alternatives and reduce attack surface

Where possible, prefer systems that provide per-application remote access (screen sharing for a single app) instead of full desktop sessions. Use cloud-hosted desktops with integrated access controls and monitoring when they meet your needs. The fewer services exposed, the smaller your attack surface.

13) Keep a defensive playbook for third-party and legacy access

Contractors and legacy systems often need remote access. Treat those as special cases: grant time-limited access, log every session, and isolate their endpoints. Remove access immediately when the contract ends. If legacy devices lack secure authentication, plan migrations or use gateway solutions that add modern controls.

14) When things go wrong: act fast and smart

If you detect unauthorized access, isolate the host, preserve logs, and follow an incident response checklist. Don’t reboot systems unless your playbook says to, and engage your incident response partners or trusted vendors when the situation exceeds internal capability. The earlier you respond, the less damage you’ll sustain. See guidance on choosing incident responders and when to engage external help.

Best cyber incident response companies

Putting it together: a simple prioritized plan

1. Remove direct internet exposure — force VPN or gateway.
2. Enable MFA for all remote accounts.
3. Harden accounts and remove unnecessary admin rights.
4. Automate patching and update encryption settings.
5. Centralize logs and add basic alerting for suspicious sessions.
6. Segment remote desktops and limit lateral access.
7. Test backups and your incident response plan annually or after major changes.

Resources and further reading

If you want to dig deeper into related topics or build a stronger defensive posture, these posts cover VPNs, incident response, and practical cybersecurity plans for small teams:

• Surfshark VPN review
• VPNs to use when using Termux
• Best cyber incident response companies
• Cyber security plan for small business
• Network security tips for small business
• What is cyber threat intelligence
• Why phishing matters to remote access
• Quick Termux projects for learning defensive tooling

Final word

Securing remote desktops is not glamorous, but it is critical. The difference between an ignored checklist item and a complete posture can be the difference between a near miss and a crisis. Focus on reducing exposure, enforcing strong authentication, hardening accounts, and getting visibility. Start with small wins — VPN + MFA + logging — then build the rest. If you want, I can turn this into a printable checklist or a step-by-step configuration guide for Windows or Linux remote access. Tell me which platform you want first and I will draft it in the same tone.