What is a secure way to access a PC remotely?

Question

I have been recently on the task of securing a connection to a home PC from a remote tablet to access it as a remote desktop. The tablet will be connecting from various IP addresses.

Where my concerns lie is in the security of this setup. For something as simplistic as possible, would securing RDP through network level authentication and encryption, as well as creating a new user account with limited capability and a strong password on the host dedicated for this connection be suitable? I imagine changing the default port would also be necessary.

The other scenario I was considering was potentially creating a VPN server which then acts as an entrance into the RDP. Where I become concerned with this setup is in the security and reliability of PPTP.

As someone who is newer to networking and cybersecurity and wants to expand my knowledge within the topic, what do I do? What would the best option/setup be?

Answer 1

While the question is asked from an off-topic perspective for this forum, the contents of it are obviously relevant for many small - and not-so-small - businesses.

My rule of thumb: Never present old Microsoft protocols directly to the Internet. Even "fixed" versions tend to turn out to have serious flaws over time.

If you need to RDP to a Windows machine, set up a VPN server in front of it, or present RDP via something like Microsoft Remote Desktop Gateway or Apache Guacamole.

Avoid PPTP for a VPN. Use IPSec/ikev2 if you know what you're doing, or OpenVPN if you want something with a lower learning threshold.