Remote connection to protected computers from corporate antivirus

Integration of corporate anti-virus with remote management tools is quite convenient and useful, especially for those companies that do not have full-fledged integrated RMM-solutions, and for some reason, free individual utilities are not enough. Consider the example of the new Panda Remote Control.

Eliminating security incidents and technical faults in computer systems often require the presence of an IT professional and distracting employees from work. When the company does not have the appropriate tools, it often leads to a slower response to security problems, as well as reduced productivity.
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In this case, there are various solutions using special remote access utilities: from free individual tools like TeamViewer to complex RMM solutions like Panda Systems Management, about which we published a series of articles . However, free solutions for someone may not be enough, and complex solutions are not cheap. In this case, you can save if your corporate antivirus is integrated with remote management tools.
As an example of such a solution, we can give the Panda Remote Control module for corporate antivirus solutions Panda Endpoint Protection [Plus] and Panda Adaptive Defense 360 . Despite the fact that Panda solutions have been integrated with remote access tools (TeamViewer, LogMe In, VNC) for many years, however, the new module allows you to remotely connect to protected computers directly in the corporate antivirus management console without using third-party software.

What is Panda Remote Control

Panda Remote Control is a remote access tool developed by Panda Security and integrated into the web-based management console for corporate antivirus solutions Endpoint Protection, Endpoint Protection Plus and Adaptive Defense 360.

Panda Remote Control allows administrators to:

• Remotely take the required action to resolve security incidents
• Provide a remote support tool to resolve computer incidents.

The first version of this module supports only Windows systems so far:

• Windows XP SP3 and higher (Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10)
• Windows XP (64-bit) SP2 and higher
• Windows Server 2003 SP2 and higher
• Windows 2003 (64-bit) SP2 and higher

Panda Remote Control contains the following features:

• Remote Desktop
• Remote command line
• Process Monitor: remotely manage active processes
• Service Monitor: remote control of running services
• Bidirectional file transfer

All of these features are accessible from the Panda Enterprise Antivirus Solutions web console.
Panda Remote Control is currently available only in English.

Module installation and updates

Panda Remote Control is installed automatically and imperceptibly immediately after the remote control option is activated in the corresponding security profile. At the same time, the computer must have a protection and agent version 7.70 or higher so that Panda Remote Control can be installed on it.

The module is also updated automatically in accordance with the update settings of the protection engine installed for this security profile.

Module settings

The Panda Remote Control module has its own control settings among the security profile settings in the web management console.



To be able to remotely connect to computers that are protected within a specific security profile, you must enable the Enable remote control option. When you turn on this module, all computers in the profile will start downloading and installing Panda Remote Control immediately after they receive the new settings.

Here you can adjust the level of privacy. If necessary, you can allow PC users to set their own privacy level by enabling the corresponding option. If this option is enabled, then end users will be able to adjust the privacy level that applies to the remote control module. The settings configured in the web management console for this profile will be blocked and will not be applied. In order to locally configure privacy options for this module, end-users need to right-click on the Panda icon in the system tray (more on this later).

If the administrator does not delegate the ability to configure privacy options to end users, then he sets them himself for all PCs within this profile.

The following privacy options are available:

Remote Desktop:

• Always ask permission
• Just notify
• Allow access without notice.

Troubleshooting steps:

• Always ask permission
• Just notify
• Allow access without notice.

The Troubleshooting Actions option provides privacy options for the following features:

• Remote command line
• Process Monitor: remotely manage active processes
• Service Monitor: remote control of running services
• File Transfer

Access to remote management features from the web management console

The remote control module can be accessed from two pages in the Panda web centralized management console for corporate antivirus solutions:
• Computers section
• Computer Details page

From the Computers section

Earlier, before the appearance of the Panda Remote Control module, in the Computers section a green check mark was displayed for those computers on which third-party remote access utilities were installed (LogMeIn, TeamViewer or VNC), since Panda solutions allow integration with these utilities.



Now, if there is a remote control module, a new remote control icon is displayed in the Remote Access column in the web management console:



This icon might look like this:

- module is enabled

- the module is off

When you click on this icon, you can select the appropriate action.

From the Computer Information page

Similarly, the Computer Details page now contains an icon for accessing Panda Remote Control.



Click the Connect button and select the desired action.


If Panda Remote Control is disabled, this button will be inactive (gray).


Remote Desktop

When this function is selected, you can remotely connect to the desktop of the required computer both in the passive mode (monitoring) and in the active mode to perform the required actions.



Here you can go to the task manager or go to the menu that appears when you press the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys, take a screenshot, switch to full-screen mode.

Command line

If you select this option, you can open a command prompt on this computer.



Process monitor

Selecting this option opens a list of processes, for each of which standard information is available: user, name, processor resource consumption, and memory consumption. If necessary, you can stop the desired process.



Service Monitor

Selecting this option opens a list of computer services, for each of which a name, description and status are indicated. Here you can stop or start the required service.



File transfer

When this option is selected, a file manager is available that allows you to transfer files from a remote computer (download or download).



Local Privacy Settings

After Panda Remote Control has been installed on the computer, and if the Allow PC user to set privacy level option was enabled on the centralized web console, then the Panda icon on the end user's computer will provide access to the following options:

Remote Desktop:

• Ask for remote access permission
• Notify about remote connection
• Allow remote access without notification.

Troubleshooting steps:

• Ask permission for action
• Notify on actions
• Allow actions without notification.



Popup windows

In addition, depending on the configured privacy options, the following pop-up messages may appear:

• Messages asking for rights to establish a remote desktop connection:



• Messages informing about the beginning of a remote control session:



Panda Remote Control Use Rights

Only users with access rights Full Control and Security Administrator can use Panda Remote Control. And only users with security administrator privileges will be able to connect to those computers to which they have rights. Users with monitoring rights will not be able to use Panda Remote Control.

Service Provider Rights

If information security management is outsourced in your company and the service provider manages this product, then you can grant it the rights to use the remote management module.

To do this, go to the Settings section in the web management console to allow the service provider to use the remote access feature. In addition, you should also allow the service provider to access the web management console.



Panda Support Rights

Go to the Parameters section to enable the Panda support service to use the remote access feature. This option has been modified to allow separate access control by the service provider, as well as by Panda Security. In addition, you can also allow Panda support to access your web-based management console.

Conclusion

The Panda Remote Control module is useful in cases when it is necessary to perform remote actions on a required computer. These can be different cases: security incidents, malfunctions, software installation or configuration, the launch of required processes or services, etc. Well, we should not forget that the remote connection can also be used to monitor and control the work of employees, when you can connect to the employee's PC and check what he does during working hours.

Remote connection does not require separate software: the module is integrated into the Panda corporate antivirus, and therefore everything is done centrally and remotely via a single management console. Which is quite convenient and simple.

Demo Console Adaptive Defense 360 ​​+ Remote Control

To familiarize yourself with the management console, just a regular browser (Chrome or Firefox is recommended) and some free time are sufficient.

Console: demologin.pandasecurity.com
login: DRUSSIAN_FEDERATION_C18@panda.com
Password: DRUSSIAN # 123

Trial licenses Adaptive Defense 360

You can register free full-featured licenses for 1 month:
www.pandasecurity.com/russia/intelligence-platform/solutions.htm