7 Remote Desktop Risks in the UK and How to Avoid Them

7 Common Remote Desktop Security Risks and How to Resolve Them

1. Ransomware Attacks

In a ransomware attack, cybercriminals gain access and then block or encrypt key business files and data. Holding your business data under their control, they demand a ransom amount (usually in cryptocurrency) to decrypt and unlock it.

How to Avoid This Risk

• Invest in tools that successfully defend you against ransomware attacks.
• Restrict RDS access to only those in the organisation who need it.
• Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions. 

2. DoS and DDoS Attacks

DoS and DDoS are among the most disruptive attacks performed by attackers, usually for financial gain. They can target the SSH server of a remote desktop, disrupting operations, if there is no load balancer to handle incoming network traffic requests.

Another way to strike is by exploiting CVE-2025-8671 and causing excessive server resource consumption, resetting the stream between the client and server.

How to Avoid This Risk

• Incorporate DoS and DDoS measures to lower the chances of this remote desktop security risk.

Fortunately, with BlackBox Hosting, DDoS protection is built in, keeping your business safe and secure from threats.

3. Permission Vulnerabilities

Threat actors can get unauthorised remote access to any device or system by finding security errors in the software. They use code execution to gain permission by getting unauthorised remote access.

Recently, Microsoft flagged a new vulnerability, CVE-2025-48817, where an attacker used relative path traversal to execute code over the network. They can inject sequences to manipulate file paths and access files and directories outside their scope.

How to Avoid This Risk

• Install secure software and keep updating security patches.

4. Brute Force Attack

During a brute force attack, cybercriminals systematically try multiple combinations of login credentials or encryption keys to gain unauthorised access. Attackers use a combination of trial-and-error processes and computing power to execute different types of brute force attacks, such as credential stuffing, dictionary attacks, password spraying, and rainbow table attacks.

Suspicious actors are known to exploit open port 22 on Windows and predict and break common and weak passwords by teams.

How to Avoid This Risk

• Keep a strong, harder-to-guess password.
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) to verify user identity before allowing access.

5. Lack of Monitoring

Threat actors are continuously exploiting remote connections to enter your systems, deploy malware, and carry out malicious activities. You offer a safe path for attackers to exploit the RDP connections without continuous monitoring and alerts.

How to Avoid This Risk

• Ensure your RDS provider has enabled continuous monitoring and alerts.
• Implement quick response mechanisms when threats are detected to control the spread.

We offer this by default as a part of our managed Remote Desktop Services. Contact us today to learn more about how we incorporate continuous monitoring services and alerts to mitigate this remote desktop risk.

6. Credential Harvesting

Another remote desktop security concern is credential harvesting. Cybercriminals can exploit broken RDS connections to access your company’s sensitive data and information. They also target third-party apps or storage software that collect data to gain access to your systems and steal data.

How to Avoid This Risk

• Enable logic access to only those authorised.
• Conduct routine security audits to plug loopholes.

7. Phishing

Attackers prepare malicious RDP files and use social engineering tactics to gain unauthorised access. These files have the potential to bypass internal security systems.

Reported earlier this year, the Rogue RDP campaign used signed RDP files to target European government and military organisations.

How to Avoid This Risk

• Partner with a secure RDP host with robust security measures and continuous monitoring.

Weak sign-in credentials, password sharing, outdated software, exposed RDP ports, and control access are other common remote desktop security concerns for UK businesses. 

Watch this video to learn more about our stringent security controls.