With malicious remote access attacks of the rise it is time to check your computer’s RDP configuration and apply restrictions, like turning it off, limiting users,and applying strong passwords.
Remote Mouse is the easiest, most effective way to turn your iOS device into a wireless remote control for your Mac. Although remote access through a local network would be most effective, since the closer you are to the device the quicker the connection, it's also possible from anywhere in the world, providing the network is secure and fast.
Lately, we’ve seen an increase in reports of malware being installed via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). This is the powerful protocol which has been letting you view a Windows desktop “over the wire” on the other side of the globe (or back at your home from the office) for over a decade now. Sadly, while RDP can serve a variety of useful purposes ranging from remote “hands-on” support to configuring and running servers, in the wrong hands it can be a remote control weapon that enables bad actors to zombify your computer and have it do their bidding.
How could this happen? If your computer is “listening” for an RDP signal (typically over port TCP 3389), and it is connected to the Internet, it will respond when a remote user asks it if it’s alive. To the remote user, they will be presented with a login screen to your desktop, often without you noticing (especially if your computer is on and you just happen to be away from it). At this point, your computer will prompt them for a password – usually. If you have a poorly configured RDP setup on your computer though, it may just let them in. If it does, it’s just the beginning of your trouble.
What can RDP intruders do? If you have administrative privileges assigned to the user they login as, they can take your computer for an unfettered spin around the block, ranging from turning it off, rebooting it, installing software (including malware), or just having a look around to find documents of files with your critical personal information in them like banking, accounting, or other information and then spirit them off across the network to their own computers for nefarious purposes.
How do you stop all this? First thing is to know if you have RDP enabled. That’s easy to check from your Control Panel under System > Remote Settings > Remote Desktop (under Windows 7, other operating systems vary).
Notice this test computer has Remote Desktop (RDP) disabled, which is fine for testing purposes, as nobody should be logging in remotely on this box. But if you choose to allow connections, take some time to define who you think should be connecting using the “Select Users” dialog box:
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Notice the user that you are logged in as already has access (blanked out in example). When remote attackers come calling this could pose problems for an unwitting user who is logged in as Administrator. Very likely the bad guys will be looking to gain elevated access, and logging in as Administrator is a quick way to do that. If they can pair that valid User with an easy-to-guess password, they’ve got the keys to your computer’s crown jewels.
Recently, we’ve seen a spike in an RDP-based attacks using the Win32/Filecoder.NAH Trojan (also known as ACCDFISA) which attempts to encrypt files on your computer and extort money to pay the bad guys to unlock them.
Never mind the fact that it’s always a bad idea to send money to scammers in a scheme like this (especially via credit card, which virtually guarantees further fraud), the whole thing could be simply avoided by disabling the service if you don’t need it, and protecting it if you do.
Speaking of protection, aside from not using easily guessed usernames, a strong password would also go a long ways toward protecting the account. If hackers can programmatically “guess” your password because it’s based on a simple word – they will quite quickly. On the other hand, if it’s complex, meaning a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols (the longer the better), their task becomes much more daunting.
If you need to use RDP and are more technically inclined you can change the port on which RDP “listens” for connections (the default port is 3389). Microsoft has an article on how to do this in many versions of Windows. You can also find a range of possible solutions discussed on Stack Overflow.
And on the subject of remote desktop support, stay alert for those “Windows support” people who phone and ask you to install special remote access software to allow them to “fix” your computer. Falling for that scam can end badly. For more on that, take a look at David Harley’s article here.
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Remote access to Mac, anywhere
While many countries are on a lockdown due to COVID-19, remote work is becoming a lifestyle. Remotely accessing a Mac is designed to be easy. Apple has spent a lot of time ensuring anyone can log in to their Macs — both desktop and laptop — from any other Mac device, anywhere. And, besides, there are a variety of third-party apps ready to help with that too.
Still, remotely managing their Mac sounds overly complicated to a lot of people. From how you connect to sharing files or screens to using your Apple device as a remote mouse, we want to demystify the process in the easy-to-follow guide below.
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There are times when you want to access your Mac remotely, and there are many different solutions to remote access your Mac. Best utilities in one pack, give it a go!
How to access your Mac from another location
There're two ways: you can allow remote login to your Mac from another computer, or allow others to access your computer using Remote Desktop (it's available from the App Store).
Allow remote login to your Mac from another computer
For devices using the same macOS, you can allow remote Mac login using a Secure Shell (SSH). This enables Mac remote desktop access using a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).
To set up Remote Login:
- Go to System Preferences > Sharing
- Select Remote Login.
- Choose which users you want to have remote access or the ability to control your Mac.
You can either select All Users, which means any other device on your network, or any Mac you own, can access and connect, or click the plus sign to pick the exact users.
When you want to remotely log in to your Mac from another device, you need to know your username (the name that appears when you login) and your computer's IP address. Write them down and keep them safe, as allowing access to your Mac does make it potentially less secure, especially over cellular or public Wi-Fi networks.
Accessing, controlling, or viewing information on your Mac can be done with a built-in Terminal or any other SSH app using your username and IP address.
Allow others to access your computer using Apple Remote Desktop
With macOS Sierra remote Mac access and control is even easier. To set up it:
- Go to Menu > System Preferences > Sharing
- Select Remote Management - it should appear as a checkbox.
- Now you can select who has remote desktop access. Either select, All Users, which means any other device on your network, or Mac you own, can access and connect, or click the Add button(+), which gives you the ability to select who can have remote access and/or control.
If you are using a VPN or VNC viewer and want to access your Mac remotely, you will need to setup a password first. It is also possible to use iOS devices, such as an iPhone and iPad, through Apple Remote Desktop, available from the App Store.
How to stay on the same page with Screens
Collaboration has become of utmost importance to today's workplaces. And with more and more people working remotely, being on the same screen (ahem, page) is a must.
Screens allows you to work remotely with any computer regardless of your location. Whether you are on a business trip or traveling, stay confident knowing you can access any file on your home computer at any time.
This robust screen sharing tool for Mac supports:
- Multiple displays
- Drag-and-drop file sharing
- Hiding your remote screen while accessing it
- Accessing other computers (e.g. colleague's) as a guest
- Alternative shortcuts (useful when connecting Mac to PC)
- Custom actions in case of disconnection
To start using Screens, get the app from Setapp and configure the following:
- Remote login and remote management (as per the guide above)
- Install Screens Connect helper app and create a Screens ID on every machine you'd like to connect to in the future
- Use your Screens ID in the Screens app and it will automatically determine which of your computers are available for connection
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Share files between devices
Today we have plenty of ways to send and share files. But ask someone to send something, and you are likely to get it through email. Due to the ubiquitousness of email, it's still the default method for file sharing, despite its obvious flaws and constraints.
Fortunately, there are much better ways:
Native macOS File Sharing
Few people know that their Mac has native file sharing functionality built in. To use this feature, activate it in the Sharing pane of System Preferences by checking File Sharing. If you only want to share specific folders, add them to the Shared Folders list. If you only want specific users to access the folder, add them to its Users list. Otherwise, everyone will be able to access it.
AirDrop
Although not the most reliable solution, AirDrop works fine for occasional sharing a file between Apple devices. In the Finder, choose Go and then AirDrop on both the sending and receiving Mac. As soon as you see the receiver's user icon, drag the desired file onto it to send.
Read more about how to use AirDrop
Dropshare
If you don't want to send files Mac-to-Mac directly but rather through a cloud storage, there is no easier way than Dropshare. The app works with numerous cloud providers, from Dropbox to Google Drive, and saves your files for sharing by simply dragging them onto its menu bar icon.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
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The most technical but also the most robust way to share files from your mac is to use FTP, which you could do either through Terminal or an FTP Client, the latter being much more user friendly.
There are a few popular FTP clients one could choose from. The robust file managing app ForkLift covers most of the FTP functionality but takes it to the next level and could be a viable replacement for the Finder altogether with its quick search, instant previews, and file comparison.
DCommander is another full-featured file transfer app for Mac that combines speed and reliability, able to handle thousands of files, schedule backups, and even automate transfers.
At last, when it comes to sharing the same files on different devices, an app like ChronoSync Express becomes invaluable.
ChronoSync Express is powerful tool for sharing and transferring files from Mac to Mac, or any another Apple device. With a feature called Synchronizer Document, you can select which files need to be automatically synchronized and shared between devices, just like that:
- Create a new synchronizer document for each folder synchronization you'd like to perform
- Name the synchronization
- Change the Operation to Synchronize Bidirectional
- Select folders to sync on the left and right
- Test with a Trial Sync
Do you need to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)?
Whether you are working on your Mac directly, logging into your Mac remotely, or sharing access with someone else, security should be on top of your mind.
As a rule of thumb, you should always use a VPN when connected to a public Wi-Fi network, as someone could log in and see the information you send just as easily as you do.
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And with remote access — even in the View Only mode — someone can see every file and document on your Mac, except those that are password protected. Unfortunately, if you leave passwords in a visible document, you expose yourself to immense risks.
A secure VPN client for Mac like Shimo is well worth using to stop unwanted eyes from lurking around, especially if you are sharing sensitive files, financial records or customer data.
However, for extra peace of mind and security, consider firing up your VPN automatically on all networks you are not 100% sure about to keep your emails, bank accounts and personal documents safe.
To share your Mac with someone else, download a remote Virtual Network Computing (VNC) app like Jump Desktop. With full remote access and Mac remote control, the other person — or yourself connecting to another Mac — can have the same level of control as the person using that device. Except for Admin level access, since it's password protected.
Starting with Jump Desktop is easy: either yourself (gaining access) or the person you are giving a remote view or control access to your Mac, needs to add details of the device and the password.
Secure your access with VPN
Get a VPN client for Mac to avoid privacy infringement while connecting remotely. It's secure and free to try.
Once permission is granted at the other end, remote Mac screen sharing or control (whereby you can use the iOS device as a remote mouse) becomes possible.
How to use your iOS device as a remote mouse
If your remote work starts on a patio hammock somewhere in east Asia, you should note that Apple iOS devices, such as an iPhone or iPad, can be used to control a Mac remotely, much like a mouse can control a desktop or laptop. Apps that make this possible work on VNC.
Remote Mouse is the easiest, most effective way to turn your iOS device into a wireless remote control for your Mac.
Although remote access through a local network would be most effective, since the closer you are to the device the quicker the connection, it's also possible from anywhere in the world, providing the network is secure and fast enough.
Setting up and granting access to the iOS device is the same process as when someone wants to access using a Mac. Except you need to give them a password. And make sure it is different from your primary Mac or iOS (App Store) one.
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So working together or checking on your devices can be done from anywhere in the world and there are lots of ways to do that, from sharing screens and files to having complete access to a system set up far away. Setapp equips you with all the apps needed to remotely access any device you need and elevate your work to the global level.