Distant Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a tremendous expertise developed by Microsoft that permits you to entry and management one other laptop over a community. It is like having your workplace laptop with you wherever you go. For companies, this implies IT employees can handle programs remotely, and staff can make money working from home or anyplace, making RDP a real game-changer in immediately’s work setting.
However this is the catch: as a result of RDP is accessible over the web, it is also a first-rate goal for unethical hackers. If somebody features unauthorized entry, they might probably take over your system. That is why it is so necessary to safe RDP correctly.
Why IT Groups Rely on RDP, Regardless of the Dangers
Greater than 50 p.c of Kaseya’s small and medium-sized companies (SMBs) and Managed Service Suppliers (MSPs) prospects use RDP for each day operations as a result of its effectivity and suppleness:
- Reduces Prices and Downtime – IT groups can resolve technical points remotely, eliminating journey bills and delays.
- Helps Enterprise Continuity – Workers and directors can securely entry firm programs from any location.
- Allows Scalable IT Administration – MSPs can oversee a number of shopper networks from a single interface.
Regardless of its advantages, RDP’s widespread use makes it a horny assault vector, requiring fixed vigilance to safe correctly.
New Considerations: The Rise of Port 1098 Scans
Usually, RDP communicates over port 3389. Nonetheless, current safety reviews – like one from the Shadowserver Basis in December 2024 – have highlighted a worrying development. Hackers at the moment are scanning port 1098, an alternate route that many aren’t as conversant in, to seek out weak RDP programs.
To place this into perspective, honeypot sensors have noticed as much as 740,000 completely different IP addresses scanning for RDP providers day-after-day, with a big variety of these scans coming from a single nation. Attackers use these scans to find programs that could be misconfigured, weak, or unprotected, after which they will attempt to pressure their manner in by guessing passwords or exploiting different weaknesses.
For companies, particularly SMBs and MSPs, this implies the next threat of great points like knowledge breaches, ransomware infections, or surprising downtime.
Maintaining Up with Safety Patches
Microsoft is conscious of those dangers and recurrently releases updates to repair safety vulnerabilities. In December 2024, for instance, Microsoft addressed 9 main vulnerabilities associated to Home windows Distant Desktop Companies. These fixes focused a spread of points recognized by safety consultants, making certain that recognized weaknesses could not be simply exploited.
Then, in January’s replace, two extra crucial vulnerabilities (labeled CVE-2025-21309 and CVE-2025-21297) had been patched. Each of those vulnerabilities, if left unaddressed, may enable attackers to remotely execute dangerous code on a system with out the necessity for passwords.
How Kaseya’s vPenTest Proactively Helps Safe RDP & Extra
RDP uncovered to the web is extra typically a misconfiguration than an supposed configuration. Within the final 28,729 exterior community pentests we have now carried out, we had been capable of finding 368 cases of RDP uncovered to the general public web. On inner networks we have now discovered 490 cases of Bluekeep.
For organizations in search of a proactive technique to guard their exterior and inner networks, instruments like vPenTest are invaluable. vPenTest provides:
- Automated Community Pentesting: The platform will carry out each exterior and inner community pentests. IT Professionals at the moment are in a position to carry out the identical assaults as an attacker in opposition to the networks they handle to proactively shield them and check safety controls.
- Multi-Tenant: The platform is goal constructed for the multi-functional IT Group juggling a number of duties. IT Professionals are in a position to handle all pentest engagements for a number of corporations inside the platform.
- Detailed Reporting and Dashboard: vPenTest will generate a set of reviews together with an Government Abstract and a really detailed Technical Report. The platform additionally has a dashboard for every evaluation so IT Professionals can shortly evaluation findings, suggestions and affected programs.
For the primary time in tech historical past, IT Professionals at the moment are in a position to execute an actual community pentest in opposition to the organizations they handle at scale and on a extra frequent foundation.
How Datto EDR Helps Safe RDP
For organizations in search of an additional layer of safety, instruments like Datto Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) are invaluable. Datto EDR provides:
- Actual-Time Menace Detection: It screens RDP site visitors for uncommon conduct—like surprising entry makes an attempt or unusual port utilization—and raises alerts if one thing appears off.
- Automated Responses: When suspicious exercise is detected, the system can routinely block or isolate the risk, stopping potential breaches of their tracks.
- Detailed Reporting: Complete logs and reviews assist directors perceive what occurred throughout an incident, to allow them to strengthen their defenses for the long run.
Which means with Datto EDR, companies can take pleasure in the advantages of RDP whereas holding their programs safer from trendy threats.
Sensible Tricks to Lock Down RDP
Listed here are some simple suggestions to assist safe your RDP setup:
- Well timed Patching: At all times set up updates as quickly as they’re obtainable. Distributors often launch patches to handle new vulnerabilities.
- Restrict Publicity: Prohibit RDP entry to trusted personnel solely and think about altering the default port (3389) to one thing much less predictable.
- Use Multi-Issue Authentication: Including further steps for verification (like MFA and Community Degree Authentication) makes it a lot more durable for attackers to achieve entry.
- Implement Sturdy Passwords: Be sure that passwords are complicated and meet a minimal size requirement to assist thwart brute-force assaults.
By taking these steps, you may considerably cut back the chance of your RDP providers turning into an entry level for cyberattacks.
RDP Is not Going Away—However Safety Must Enhance
RDP is a vital software that has reworked how companies function, enabling distant work and environment friendly system administration. Nonetheless, as with all highly effective software, it comes with its personal set of dangers. With attackers now exploring new avenues like port 1098 and constantly discovering methods to take advantage of vulnerabilities, it is essential to remain on prime of safety updates and finest practices.
By holding your programs patched, limiting entry, utilizing multi-factor authentication, and using superior safety options like Datto EDR, you may benefit from the flexibility of RDP with out compromising your group’s safety.
Keep secure and keep up to date!
