# Is remote desktop (RDP) exposed to the internet dangerous?

Yes. Remote desktop (RDP) open to the internet is scanned constantly and attacked with stolen and guessed passwords, and an exposed remote-access service is a common way into small companies. Close it, or put it behind a VPN or a remote-desktop gateway with multi-factor authentication, and allow only named accounts to use it. Check what you actually expose with an external port scan of your own public IP addresses, and repeat it after every firewall or router change, because forwarded ports tend to outlive the project they were opened for. Inside the network, NetSenX flags unusual RDP sessions between hosts as lateral movement, and repeated login attempts against monitored hosts, on every plan. It does not scan your public addresses, so the external check stays your job.

FAQ: [Remote work and exposed services](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/remote) · https://netsenx.com/en/faq/is-rdp-exposed-to-the-internet-dangerous

## Read next

- https://netsenx.com/en/is-someone-inside-your-network
- https://netsenx.com/en/encrypted-traffic-analysis

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