The Access That Works Both Ways
Remote desktop software allows viewing and controlling a computer from a different device — accessing a home desktop from a laptop while travelling, helping a family member troubleshoot their computer without being there, or accessing work systems from home. The same technology that provides this convenience creates a security surface: a computer accessible remotely is potentially accessible to anyone who can authenticate to it, including attackers who obtain credentials.
The tools available for remote desktop and screen sharing span a wide range from consumer-friendly (TeamViewer, AnyDesk) to enterprise (Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol, VNC implementations) to peer-to-peer (Tailscale) with different security properties, different performance characteristics, and different appropriate use cases. Choosing the right tool for the specific access scenario produces both better performance and appropriate security rather than defaulting to a single solution for all remote access needs.
Consumer Remote Desktop Tools: TeamViewer and AnyDesk
TeamViewer and AnyDesk are the most widely used consumer remote desktop tools: both provide easy-to-use interfaces where the host generates a one-time code and the connecting device enters it to establish a session, requiring no network configuration or port forwarding. This ease of use makes them appropriate for one-time support scenarios (helping a family member with their computer, receiving IT support remotely) and for casual remote access between known computers.
The security model of both tools depends on TeamViewer and AnyDesk’s cloud infrastructure — all connections route through their servers, which means trusting the infrastructure of a third party with your remote sessions. Both companies have experienced security incidents; TeamViewer had a significant breach in 2024 that affected its corporate network (though not reportedly customer data). For sensitive business use, the dependency on third-party cloud infrastructure and the history of security incidents make these tools less appropriate than alternatives with different architectures.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol: The Enterprise Standard
RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) is Microsoft’s built-in remote desktop capability — any Windows Pro or Enterprise system can be accessed via RDP, and RDP clients are available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. RDP’s security is strong when properly configured: it supports network-level authentication, certificate-based authentication, and TLS encryption. Its security is poor when misconfigured: RDP exposed directly to the internet on default port 3389 without network-level authentication has been one of the most consistently exploited attack surfaces in enterprise security incidents.
The secure RDP configuration that organisations should use: RDP accessible only through a VPN (so internet exposure is eliminated) or only from specific IP addresses via firewall rules, network-level authentication enabled, and MFA required for the accounts that can connect via RDP. Exposing RDP directly to the internet is the misconfiguration that drives RDP-based ransomware entry — the attack surface discussed in the Cyber Security section of Vol. 9.
Tailscale: The Modern Secure Approach
Tailscale is a VPN built on WireGuard that creates a private network connecting all your devices — laptop, desktop, NAS, servers, phone — regardless of where they are. Accessing a home desktop remotely through Tailscale means connecting to its private network address that’s only reachable from other devices on the Tailscale network, eliminating internet exposure entirely. The home desktop running RDP is accessible only from Tailscale-connected devices, providing RDP’s performance without the internet exposure that makes direct RDP dangerous.
Tailscale’s free tier (up to 100 devices, 3 users) is sufficient for individual and family use. Setup requires installing the Tailscale client on each device, logging in with a Google or GitHub account, and immediately seeing all devices on the private network — no network configuration, no firewall rules, no port forwarding. For anyone who accesses home computers remotely or manages a small set of servers, Tailscale’s combination of zero-configuration setup and strong security architecture is the modern recommendation over consumer remote access tools or improperly configured RDP.
Screen Sharing for Collaboration vs. Remote Control
Screen sharing (showing your screen to others without giving them control) is a different use case from remote desktop (accessing a computer as if sitting at it). Screen sharing for meetings and collaboration is covered by every major video conferencing platform — Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, and FaceTime all provide screen sharing as a standard meeting feature. The considerations are primarily about information security (what’s on the screen and in visible notifications when sharing) rather than access security.
Screen sharing tools specifically designed for technical collaboration and coding include Tuple (pair programming tool with low-latency screen sharing and audio), VS Code LiveShare (collaborative coding in the same editor session with each participant using their own cursor), and GitHub Codespaces (shared development environments in the browser). These specialised tools provide lower latency and more collaboration-appropriate interfaces than general video conferencing screen sharing for the specific use case of technical collaboration on code.