Ever since the pandemic, many businesses have either partly or entirely moved to remote working operations. A system of work that does not seem to want to go away now that Coronavirus has. Naturally, this dynamic shift in how work is done in different jobs, in turn, has necessitated a discussion about the most secure remote access solutions.While remote access has always been a helpful business tool across different industries, it has now become a vital component. So, this discussion has also gained much more importance in the last three years.
With that said, there are many different remote access options available, and the choice may become confusing if you are not well-versed in the field. There are different protocols, the possibility of using a VPN, different remote access clients, and many more components that you may not know about that will either make or break a business if chosen wrongly and out of place. With that said, I will go over some basic remote access concepts and their definitions in this article before moving on to name the top three most secure remote access solutions that I can think of.
Table of Contents
What is RDP?
Since we can’t really discuss remote access without mentioning RDP, let’s make a quick detour to learn what RDP actually is. RDP is an acronym that stands for Remote Access Protocol. This protocol was developed and released by Microsoft for Windows all the way back in the 1990s. It is a cross-platform, encrypted protocol that allows you to easily connect from one local computer to another remote computer and control it as if it was in your own hands. Throughout the years, RDP has received many updates and improvements from Microsoft and has become one of the most secure and primary means of remote access establishment.
By default, RDP runs on the standard transmission port of 22. There are many different remote access clients that also use RDP and port 22 in order to make the remote connection happen. RDP’s popularity has also led to the creation of third-party open-source derivatives such as Xrdp, which is an enhanced version of the protocol. Do you want an RDP remote access server of your own for business or personal use? Cloudzy allows you to buy RDP online for much cheaper than average and with excellent server quality and diverse payment options!
Should I Use a VPN for Remote Access?
VPNs or virtual private networks are other tools that can be used in order to achieve remote access. The main advantage of using a VPN is the fact that your connection will be wholly secure, encrypted, and use a masked IP address. However, the downside of it is the fact that compared to RDP or other commonly used remote access such as SSH, you need to allocate a lot more time to set up the server and establish the remote access connection. So, all in all, you may use a VPN for remote access, but it is recommended that you only do so when fully prioritizing security.
Which is More Secure: VPN or RDP?
Speaking of security, which is a major point of contention, Is VPN really superior to RDP when it comes to the matter? Let’s do a quick review. Both RDP and VPNs come with encryption technology for your data. This means that even if your ISP or a malicious online party manages to breach the network and use your data, all they would see would be encrypted lines that cannot be deciphered even by the most high-tech means. So while they both provide a really decent base level-security, this is also where similarities end.
Generally speaking, a VPN is built first and foremost for security, and its other use cases, such as remote access and bypassing internet restrictions, are secondary. Therefore, VPNs are almost universally considered a more secure tool than RDP connections. Still, as I said before, they are fundamentally different tools with different primary use cases. So, unless you want to go overkill with security during remote access sessions, I don’t really recommend using a VPN for your daily remote access use.
What Is the Best Remote Desktop Software?
Now that we have more or less established the definitions and the differences between VPN and RDP, let’s get into the important matter of listing the top three remote access software that will best serve you or your business.
Chrome Remote Desktop
While many people may be shocked to see Chrome Remote Desktop in this list, I personally believe that it does everything it advertises perfectly fine, and its rather lackluster reputation is more a result of overblown expectations rather than the performance of the program itself. Chrome remote desktop, which is accessible in both an extension form and a standalone version, allows you to immediately establish a remote access session between any two computers with Chrome installed on them. While it does lack features such as chat, multi-sessions, etc., it is important to remember that CRD is made for quick and accessible sessions with basic tasks, and it more than delivers on these promises.
AnyDesk
AnyDesk is by far one of the oldest and most recognizable names in the remote access industry. AnyDesk is available for almost all major platforms, such as Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, etc. It is famed for its incredibly beginner-friendly connection process and user interface, as well as its high-quality adoption of the TLS 1.2 remote access protocol, which facilitates an easy and low-latency connection. AnyDesk is a great alternative for Chrome Remote Desktop in cases where you need more features like multi-session and multi-screen support, chat, and file transfer. AnyDesk is a real jack of all trades.
RemotePC
If somehow AnyDesk did not fulfill all the needs you may have with a remote access client, or if it simply was not to your taste, then RemotePC will surely take care of your remote access needs. RemotePC offers all the features that you would want from a remote access program, including multi-to-multi-screen remote access, remote reboot, file transfer, full platform support, web access, top-notch security, session recording, cloud backup, and much, much more. All of these features also come extremely cheap, for only $18 per year!
Conclusion
Remote access was a fringe technology a few years ago, but now it has come to characterize a large part of many people’s work. While many businesses take care of the technicalities of remote access for their workers, you can always do better by learning more yourself and creating your own remote access opportunities!
