What types of Remote Desktop connections should I allow?

To allow another computer to connect to your computer using Remote Desktop Connection, you must allow the connection by choosing the appropriate setting on the Remote tab in System Properties. To open this tab, follow these steps:

1. Open System.

2. In the left pane, click Remote settings . If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

The following information will help you decide which setting to choose:

• Select Don't allow connections to this computer to prevent anyone from connecting to your computer using Remote Desktop or RemoteApp.

• Select Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop to allow people using any version of Remote Desktop or RemoteApp to connect to your computer. This is a good choice if you don't know the version of Remote Desktop Connection that other people are using, but it is less secure than the third option.

• Select Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication to allow people with computers running versions of Remote Desktop or RemoteApp with Network Level Authentication to connect to your computer. This is the most secure choice if you know that the people who will connect to your computer are running Windows on their computers. (In Windows , Remote Desktop uses Network Level Authentication.)

  What is Network Level Authentication?

  Network Level Authentication is an authentication method that completes user authentication before you establish a full Remote Desktop connection and the logon screen appears. This can help protect the remote computer from hackers and malicious software. The advantages of Network Level Authentication are:

  • It requires fewer remote computer resources than earlier versions of Remote Desktop Connection. The remote computer uses a limited number of resources before authenticating the user, rather than starting a full Remote Desktop connection as in earlier versions.

  • It can help provide better security by helping to reduce the risk of denial-of-service attacks. (A denial-of-service attack attempts to limit or prevent access to the Internet.)

  • It uses remote computer authentication, which can help protect users from connecting to remote computers that are set up for malicious purposes.

  To see if your computer is running a version of Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication

  1. Open Remote Desktop Connection.

  2. Click the icon in the upper-left corner of the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, and then click About . Remote Desktop Connection dialog box

  3. In the About Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, look for the phrase "Network Level Authentication supported."