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Remote access software lets you connect to and use a computer, server, or network from another location. It provides a way to access a system over an external network; the broader term remote access describes that connection, not a particular software product.
What is remote access software?
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) defines remote access software as software that enables a user to connect to and access a computer, server, or network remotely. In an organizational setting, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines remote access as access through an external network that the organization does not control, such as the internet.
The distinction is useful: remote access is the ability or arrangement to reach a system from outside its network, while remote access software is one tool that can provide that ability. What a user can do after connecting depends on the software and the permissions granted.
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How is it different from remote administration and RMM?
These terms describe related capabilities, but they are not interchangeable. CISA distinguishes them by the access and management functions they provide:
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| Term | What it does |
|---|---|
| Remote access software | Connects a user to a remote computer, server, or network and provides access to it. |
| Remote administration solution | Provides network and application access along with administrative control of a remote device. |
| Remote monitoring and management (RMM) | Uses an agent installed on an endpoint to monitor its health and status continuously and provide administration functions. |
A product may combine capabilities, but not every remote access tool is an RMM platform. Remote desktop software is one familiar way to interact with a remote computer, but the broader category also includes tools for accessing servers or networks and performing administrative tasks.
What does remote access software do?
Organizations use these tools to maintain and support information technology (IT), operational technology (OT), and industrial control system (ICS) services. Depending on the tool and the access granted, common tasks include:
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- Helping a user troubleshoot a computer or application remotely.
- Overseeing networks and devices or collecting information about device health.
- Setting up and configuring PCs and automating maintenance.
- Recovering systems, managing backups, and applying patches.
Managed service providers, software-as-a-service providers, IT help desks, and network administrators are among the users CISA identifies. A remote connection can make support and recovery possible without someone being physically beside the device.
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Is remote access software safe?
The software category is dual-use: the same remote connection that helps an administrator maintain a system can also provide an access path for an attacker if it is misused or left insufficiently controlled. CISA warned in its June 6, 2023 Guide to Securing Remote Access Software that threat actors increasingly co-opt these tools to access victim systems. A tool’s legitimate purpose does not, by itself, establish that a particular connection or use is authorized.
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For organizations, safeguards should reflect the systems and information involved. NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 recommends defining permitted remote-access types and their configuration and connection requirements, authorizing access before a connection is established, routing connections through authorized and managed access-control points, and authorizing privileged remote commands and access to security-relevant information. That publication concerns protecting controlled unclassified information in nonfederal systems and organizations; it is not a universal checklist for every home user.
CISA’s detection guidance also advises network defenders to establish a baseline of normal activity, learn how approved remote-access software normally behaves, correlate alerts with other suspicious activity, and use endpoint detection and response tools to look for unauthorized software. These measures help distinguish expected support activity from access that merits investigation.
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What are examples of remote access software?
CISA’s 2023 guide names products including AnyDesk, RemotePC, Splashtop, TeamViewer, and Zoho Assist among tools that threat actors may leverage. The names are examples in dated security guidance—not an endorsement, ranking, or current market survey—and product names and availability can change. Their inclusion also does not mean that every use of these products is malicious.
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