You should only configure Remote Desktop servers to allow connections without NLA if you use Remote Desktop clients on other platforms that don't support it. It is best to leave this in place, as NLA provides an extra level of authentication before a connection is established. Windows 10, Windows Server 2012 R2/2016/2019 also provide Network Level Authentication (NLA) by default. Visit our page for more information on the campus VPN service. As an alternative to support off-campus connectivity, you can use the campus VPN software to get a campus IP address and add the campus VPN network address pool to your RDP firewall exception rule. Using an RDP Gateway is highly recommended for restricting RDP access to desktops and servers (see discussion below). Use firewalls (both software and hardware where available) to restrict access to remote desktop listening ports (default is TCP 3389). Older versions may not support high encryption and may have other security flaws. If you are using Remote Desktop clients on other platforms, make sure they are still supported and that you have the latest versions.

Make sure you are running the latest versions of both the client and server software by enabling and auditing automatic Microsoft Updates. One advantage of using Remote Desktop rather than 3rd party remote admin tools is that components are updated automatically with the latest security fixes in the standard Microsoft patch cycle. This approach utilizes the Remote Desktop host itself, in conjunction with YubiKey and RSA as examples. Other unsupported by campus options available would be a simple mechanism for controlling authentication via two-factor certificate based smartcards. This topic is beyond the scope of this article, but RD Gateways can be configured to integrate with the Campus instance of DUO.

Use Two-factor authenticationĭepartments should consider using a two-factor authentication approach. Refer to the campus password complexity guidelines for tips. Strong passwords on any accounts with access to Remote Desktop should be considered a required step before enabling Remote Desktop.

Microsoft remote manager