Remote access apps are great for controlling your PC when you're not sitting directly in front of it. However, remote access apps are often prime targets for hackers, but you can stop their attempts by making a few security tweaks.

1 Enable Two-Factor Authentication for Remote Access Apps

Powerful modern computers can crack a seven-letter password in mere seconds. Using a password tool to create strong passphrases increases this time exponentially, making it resistant to a brute force attack.

Unfortunately, having a strong password isn't enough anymore, as attackers often compromise your credentials through other means.

Convincing phishing emails Exploit weaknesses in the app's password security design (VNC and Windows RDP were notorious for this in the past) Break into servers to steal logins stored on company databases

There's one easy way to ensure you're not at the mercy of simple password authentication: two-factor authentication (2FA). Many remote access solutions like TeamViewer make it easy to enable 2FA, which can send an email or message to your mobile device to check if you logged in. A second verification method makes it much more difficult to break in than with a password alone.

2 Update Remote Desktop Software Regularly

Of course, a password won't stop attackers if the software itself is vulnerable to exploits. That's why it's so important to install security updates for your remote software regularly.

Things move fast in the tech world, and if your apps haven't been updated for over a year, you're asking for trouble. If you're still rocking NoMachine version 8.02 when version 8.14 is already out, a hacker will try any vulnerability listed in the old patch notes.

Enable auto-updates for peace of mind, but if that's not possible, put it on your to-do list as something to check regularly. It's that important.

3 Limit Remote Access via Whitelisting

But why give bad actors the opportunity to pick the lock when you can remove the door entirely? Many remote access apps allow you to limit who can connect in the first place.

You might think that no one would target your humble little PC if you're not a celebrity or a tech giant. However, attackers regularly use port scanning on entire IP blocks to look for easy marks. If you have a remote server exposed to the wider internet, it's not secure via obscurity.

Thankfully, you can use IP address whitelisting to vet who's come knocking. Remote control apps like AnyDesk let you set which devices you trust, while other remote access apps like Splashtop let you specify which IP addresses you want to recognize.

If whitelisting via IP address, take precautions so you don't accidentally lock yourself out.

Your client device may have a dynamic IP address that changes without warning. Suddenly, it's not on the whitelist anymore, and you've blocked yourself. Here are some ways to make sure you can edit the whitelist when needed:

Specify a broader subnet range to account for the locations you normally access from, like your home or office using a handy subnet calculator Have physical access to the remote computer Have web access to the provider's portal (e.g., logmein.com) 4 Connect to a VPN Before Using Remote Control

If you're using a public Wi-Fi access point -- or any network that's not yours -- to connect to a remote desktop, your activity isn't safe. That's because your traffic is piped through someone else's hardware.

One solution is to connect to a VPN before starting a remote session. A VPN provides end-to-end encryption and protects you from eavesdropping. We recommend choosing one from our list of the best VPN services.

For those of you self-hosting a remote access server -- for example, RealVNC, Windows RDP, or Chrome Remote Desktop -- there's a fancier solution. This method lets you take advantage of a VPN's superior security standards to block outsiders.

Here's the gist of how to set it up:

Restrict your remote access software only to accept connections from your home network (or the network you're using) and refuse everybody else. On your home network, set up your own VPN with WireGuard, Tailscale, or the service built into your router. When you want remote access, tunnel into your home network by connecting to your VPN. Now, you should be able to connect to your remote PC as if coming from the local network.

The downside of using a VPN is that it typically slows down the stream and requires work to set up. But it's the gold standard for remote access into corporate and university networks for a reason.

By the way, you're not limited to just one technique. Combining multiple security steps above, your remote PC becomes a fort surrounded by concentric moats.