In short: Secure remote access software lets staff connect to office PCs, remote desktop servers and internal systems from home or on the move without a traditional VPN or open firewall ports. Connections are brokered through the cloud with MFA and access policies. Products such as TruGrid SecureRDP and Zero Networks Connect are licensed per user.
What is secure remote access?
Many organisations still need staff to reach something in the office: a desktop running specialist software, a remote desktop server, or a legacy application that will never move to the cloud. The quick fixes, exposing Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to the internet or giving everyone a VPN, are both risky. Exposed RDP is one of the most common ways ransomware gangs get in, and a VPN typically gives a connected device broad access to the network.
Secure remote access software takes a zero trust approach:
- No open inbound ports: connections are brokered through the vendor's cloud, so nothing is exposed for attackers to find
- MFA on every connection and checks on who can reach what
- Per-user access to specific PCs or servers rather than the whole network
- Simple user experience, often a small app or browser access
Examples include TruGrid SecureRDP, which moves authentication for remote desktop to the cloud with built-in MFA, and Zero Networks Connect, which provides VPN-like access with no open ports, segmented by user.
This is a common situation for smaller organisations, accountants, design studios and others whose specialist software runs on a desktop in the office. Secure remote access lets those staff keep working from home without the cost and complexity of moving the application to the cloud, and without leaving remote desktop exposed for attackers to find.
Secure remote access: vendors and products we supply
- Acronis RMM: Patching, monitoring, scripting and remote access, billed monthly.
- Google: Google Workspace editions, Cloud Identity, Cameyo and Google Cloud on one account.
- Google Cameyo: Stream Windows apps to the browser without full virtual desktops.
- Keeper Security: Zero-knowledge business password manager and KeeperPAM privileged access, licensed per user.
- Keeper Security Connection Manager: Self-hosted, browser-based RDP, SSH and VNC access with session recording.
- Keeper Security KeeperPAM: Privileged sessions, rotation, recording and discovery, licensed per admin user.
- Keeper Security Remote Browser Isolation: Isolated, recorded access to web apps from the vault, with no VPN.
- TruGrid: Zero trust remote desktop access and BitLocker management for Windows.
- TruGrid SecureRDP: Zero trust RDP to PCs, RDS and virtual desktops with MFA and no open ports.
- Zero Networks Connect remote access: MFA-gated remote access with no open ports, for staff and suppliers.
What to look for
- No exposed services on your firewall
- Built-in or integrated MFA, ideally with your existing identity provider
- Granular access: which users can reach which machines
- Performance for graphics-heavy or line-of-business applications
- Audit logs of who connected, when and to what
- Support for remote desktop servers as well as individual PCs
- Session controls such as clipboard, printing and file transfer settings, so you can limit what can leave the office PC
- Easy onboarding for new users and quick removal of leavers
How remote access is licensed
Secure remote access tools are usually licensed per user, sometimes with limits on the number of PCs or servers each user can reach, or with server connections licensed separately. Broader zero trust access products may be priced per user in tiers. Monthly and annual terms are both common.
Check whether licences are tied to named users or can be reassigned freely, which matters if staff change often or contractors need short-term access. Some products also charge separately for each office PC or server that users connect to.
How to choose
- List what people need to reach remotely: specific PCs, remote desktop servers or applications.
- Close any RDP ports exposed to the internet as a priority.
- Decide between a focused remote desktop tool and broader ZTNA.
- Check MFA integration and the user experience on home devices.
- Review who has remote access every few months and remove anyone who no longer needs it.
For identity and MFA, see Cisco Duo, and for the wider picture see ZTNA on our Cloud Security site.
How we help
We supply remote access licences on your account, set up access policies and MFA, and help you close exposed ports safely. Contact us for a quote.
How Forever Systems supplies your software licences
Forever Systems Ltd supplies business software subscriptions to UK organisations from one account, with one monthly invoice and a UK team who know the products.
- The right edition first time: we check what you need before you buy, so you are not paying for features you will never use
- Monthly or annual terms where the vendor offers them, and help timing renewals and commitments
- Licence changes handled for you: add or remove users, upgrade editions and true-up without starting a new contract
- Deployment and support from engineers who run these products every day, not just a reseller account
- Consolidated billing and renewal reminders so nothing lapses unexpectedly
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations of all sizes.
Need a licence quote or a second opinion on your renewal?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Is it safe to open RDP to the internet?
No. Internet-exposed RDP is frequently attacked and is a common route for ransomware. Use a secure remote access tool, ZTNA or a properly secured gateway with MFA instead.
Do I still need a VPN?
Not necessarily. Secure remote access and ZTNA tools give users access to specific machines and apps without a VPN, which reduces risk and is often simpler for users.
Does remote access software include MFA?
Most secure remote access products include MFA or integrate with your existing MFA and identity provider.