Are Remote Desktop Support Services Right for Your Business?

Working from home, or even from hundreds of miles away, can be a big transition for some teams. Especially after the introduction of COVID, figuring out the best way to go remote has been critical for many types of businesses. But it can be simple with the help of remote desktop support. It’s convenient, fast, and secure. Both you and your employees should feel confident about accessing the contents of your work computer from anywhere else in the world. Keep reading as we explain the IT solutions that remote desktop support services provider to give you peace of mind.

How Does Remote Desktop Work?

Rendered to access a specific device from another device, remote desktop support delivers access to network resources, files, and applications. All you need is a connection to the internet. Whether it be desktop, mobile, or virtual machine, this access is as if you were working on the local system, making the exchange of data run smoother. Remote desktop software captures your mouse and keyboard inputs, then sends them to the host machine. No additional hardware is needed to link the user to the server, but you may require additional software if your tasks have heavy use of graphics.

Quick Tip: Don’t trust just any stranger to access your computer remotely! Only your trusted IT service provider and internal IT employees should manage this important service.

The rise of technology and globalization has resulted in the perfect environment for cyberattacks to occur. Cybercrime is a major concern for any business, so you need to be proactive with detection and mitigation. With remote desktop support services, you can streamline cybersecurity processes by safeguarding your network. This solution will also adhere to compliance standards, such as with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), to protect your customers and business at large.

Benefits of Using Remote Desktop Support Services

There are two primary issues that remote desktop support solves—remotely accessing files on a local network and eliminating problems with bandwidth. With file access, the IT team is capable of making all corporate applications available. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities are reduced because the data never leaves the corporate confines. With bandwidth, issues are restricted to the user interface. This means that, if an employee is working from home, they don’t have to send the data back to corporate servers.

With remote desktop support services, IT teams can more easily apply fixes for hardware and software issues on another device. It’s a more flexible way to work and provides employees with on-demand IT service. You simply have to contact your managed IT services provider, who will have network techs available 24/7. Having access to professionals, regardless of if they are in-house or outsourced, will inevitably increase your productivity. When you are not having to troubleshoot your computer issues, you can stay focused on your primary job roles.

What About Remote Desktop Environments?

Microsoft Windows offers Remote Desktop Service (RDS), which is a platform for building virtualization solutions. It lets users remote in to another computer or into their employer’s network. Within the virtualization environments, you have the flexibility to deploy applications that your users need in a secure way. With desktops, your users get the full experience. This is ideal for those that rely on computers as their main workstations. Alternately, RemoteApps are ideal for managing key applications to make them appear local. Then, users can customize for their own desktops. With RDS, you can easily leverage the Windows Server to drive your users’ daily workloads.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDIs) come with their own benefits and disadvantages. With VPNs, in particular, users can connect to a private office network from their desktop through the internet. To do this, they implement an encrypted tunnel that enables the machine to run as if it was in the office. It is a familiar technology to many in-house IT teams. However, because they rely on the client, you are limited with the devices you can use a VPN on. Remote desktop services are a great solution when it comes to performance, maintenance, and cost. That being said, the service you should use depends entirely on your business’s budget and needs.

As businesses continue to send their employees to work outside of the office, they need to find secure ways to share their files. This is a benefit of setting up the remote desktop environment for clients. With regard to security, performance, and monitoring, businesses of all sizes benefit from having remote desktop support services.

Cybersecurity Tips for the Holidays: From Remote Desktop Support Services to Employee Training

 

For most, the holidays are about giving. However, for the Grinches of the digital world (better known as malicious hackers), the holiday season is the perfect opportunity to steal valuable data from consumers and businesses. Small companies are especially susceptible to cyberattacks, as they tend to lack the funds and staff required for a speedy recovery. Because resources are so limited, small businesses should make cybersecurity a priority this season. Below are some tips on how to protect your network and data, including implementing remote desktop support services, educating your employees about best practices, and more.

Understand Your Industry’s Level of Vulnerability

It is true that every industry has the potential to be targeted by hackers, but some sectors are especially prone to cyberattacks. These include retail, financial, manufacturing, and automotive industries, as they tend to process large sums of money and a lot of private data. To make matters worse in terms of vulnerability, these sectors typically use interconnected devices and automated processes that serve as big targets for scammers. Assessing your level of risk is the first step in preventing breaches and other cybersecurity issues. 

Implement Remote Desktop Support Services

The biggest problem with most small businesses regarding online security is that they do not have any policies or processes in place that actively work to prevent or mitigate cyberattacks. Around the holidays, a lot of employees are working from various locations (vacation destinations, hometowns, etc.), making it even more crucial for companies to implement comprehensive remote desktop support services. These services should be aimed at maintaining a secure network and helping your remote workforce solve any tech issues promptly, regardless of their physical location.

Teach Your Employees About Cybersecurity

Implementing any kind of cybersecurity policy is essentially useless if your employees aren’t properly trained about risk awareness and best practices when working online. Keeping your employees adequately informed about the latest threats and how to recognize and report suspicious activity could be the difference between a secure IT system and a major data breach. 

Familiarize Yourself with Popular Scam Tactics

Hackers will try anything to get valuable data or money from small businesses. This includes everything from phishing tactics to overpayment scams and more. Beware of calls from unknown persons, sketchy websites, pop-ups, and suspicious emails. A cyberattack is the last thing you want and is sure to suck all of the cheer out of this holiday season. 

Use Secure Wi-Fi Networks

Because the majority of companies require a Wi-Fi connection for operations, keeping your IT system safe by hiding your network, making it password protected, using strong passwords, and updating login credentials are all great ways to ward off malicious hackers. If you have guests that might need to connect to your Wi-Fi, it may be wise to set up a private network for employees only and offer a separate guest network for clients to use. 

Make Duplicate Copies of Important Data

Regularly backing up important data through the cloud is great way to prevent any lost data should a mishap (like a natural disaster, data breach, etc.) occur. The holidays are not a time when you want to be scrambling to retrieve lost data should a cyberattack occur, so having duplicate copies of business-critical information is vital. 

Install & Update Antivirus Software

You should always ensure that every device you use for your small business is protected by antivirus, antimalware, and antispyware software. While installing antivirus software is a great first step in keeping your network safe, you must keep in mind that regularly updating your software is just as important. Outdated software can have gaps in security, making you a prime target for hackers and scammers.

Invest in a Virtual Private Network

A virtual private network (VPN) enables mobile devices to connect to other secure networks via the internet and transmit data back and forth safely. This is especially helpful for employees working on the go from their smartphones this busy holiday season. Setting up a VPN is a fairly simple process and can work wonders in terms of cybersecurity, so investing in this type of technology is well worth it. 

By following the above tips, you can rest easy knowing that your small business will remain protected and profitable this season. However, it’s not always as simple as it seems when it comes to keeping your network safe all on your own, especially for smaller companies. If you need assistance supporting a remote workforce, implementing extra security measures, or monitoring your IT system in general, contact us at TXSG today. We are happy to lend a hand and fight off those mean ole cyber grinches with our BrightStar Managed IT Services (designed for both remote and in-office applications) and our BrightCloud Private Cloud Hosting services. Let us handle your pesky tech issues so that you can focus on serving your clients and spreading holiday cheer this Winter.