With working from home becoming the norm, we are often asked which remote access solution we recommend. The two that comes up a lot are Logmein and VPN. In this post, I’ll discuss pros and cons of each.

VPN

Short version: DON’T use VPN

Unless properly configured by a security professional, VPN can lead to dangerous security exposure. A famous example is the Colonial Pipeline hack, which resulted in panicked gas shortages due to one leaked VPN password:
https://www.reuters.com/business/colonial-pipeline-ceo-tells-senate-cyber-defenses-were-compromised-ahead-hack-2021-06-08/

To make matters worse, VPN is often installed on staffs’ home computers that are not monitored to prevent malware and improper use.

Think of it this way. Your office network is a surgical room that’s kept obsessively clean and only scrubbed users are allowed in. VPN is like someone cut a door in the wall and now anyone from the street can get in with a secret knock.  What could go wrong?

LogMeIn

Short version: Try AnyDesk instead

LogMeIn is a popular brand of remote desktop service that merged with GoToMyPC, another popular brand that goes way back to the early days of the Internet. Like many old brands in tech, consolidation just meant prices went up ($44/mo) and innovation went down.

TeamViewer is another perennial favorite due to its free tier, but they recently started cracking down on “commercial” use, limiting connection to only 5 minutes if they detect work use. It’s even more expensive at $50.90/mo.

Enter AnyDesk. https://anydesk.com/

AnyDesk is the newest kid on the block, created by former TeamViewer engineers. Like many new tech offerings, it has a free tier which is meant to bring in new subscribers with the hope of raising prices later. For what it’s worth, AnyDesk is an excellent product and you can take advantage of its newness while it lasts. 

AnyDesk is free for non-commercial use (wink wink) but honestly for $9.90/mo., it’s among the cheapest options out there. No great software would survive without paying customers, so do the nerds a solid and subscribe. https://anydesk.com/en/company

Interested in my perspective about automating in Azure? Read my first post on the matter here.