How safe is it? The inherent technology of the remote connection
itself is safe. There's no chance that a cyber-roving cracker is going
to overtake your expert's live connection to your computer. But if a
cracker gets the invitation from the beginning of the process, you're
in trouble.
Fortunately, Remote Assistance has several built-in security features
that help protect you, but they're only as effective as you make them.
The password option is a good start, and it's a better start if you
don't consider it as an option but a necessity. And although the
password step might seem like an inconvenience, it's a small trade-off
for the assurance that someone other than your expert won't
obtain-and then use-the invitation.
Once you create the password, you have several options for relaying it
to your other party, including e-mail, a phone call, or in person.
Obviously, the safest of these is delivering the password in person
because if a cracker can intercept an e-mailed invitation, the same
cracker can likely intercept an e-mailed password. Likewise, leaving a
voice mail with the password isn't nearly as safe as conveying it in
person. Remember, you're supplying total access to your computer, so
take the time to do it safely.
Another security measure included in Remote Assistance is the
expiration option. Like the password option, it's always a good idea to
use this feature, as it gives your expert a certain window of time to
accept and use the invitation. Make it a personal policy to create
short expiration periods; an hour is ideal. You certainly don't want an
invitation lingering in cyberspace that's set to expire days from now.
Finally, Remote Assistance wisely uses message prompts throughout the
invitation and connection process. The premise here is that no action
can be taken on your computer without your consent. But this isn't
foolproof, either; if you're away from your computer, anyone with
physical access to your computer can accept an invitation, send an
invitation, or simply hack into your computer from there. Never
underestimate the cunning of computer criminals.
As technologies grow more complex, criminal activities grow with them,
often silently, and it's up to you to take the proper measures to avoid
any compromise to your computer. If you regularly use Remote
Assistance, keep a close eye on pending invitations (under Invitation
Status) for suspect activity. Ensure that any invitations in this
section are indeed invitations that you sent.
