Global remote access use set to rise by a third in 2024

The future use of remote access technology is expected to grow by nearly one-third worldwide in 2024, according to a new report by RealVNC, a company founded by the inventors of VNC. The 2024 Remote Access Predictions Report is based on responses from over 450 organisations, representing over 50 industries, from 62 different countries across the globe.

The report reveals that 31% of organisations predict an increase in their use of remote access technology for 2024, with a mere 3% forecasting a decrease in usage. Alongside this anticipated surge in remote access adoption, the study also indicates a parallel increase in the implementation of security controls, reflecting a widespread effort to counter the ever-present cybersecurity threats associated with this technology.

Among the respondents, 44% are planning to enhance the security of their remote access usage for the current year. This trend is notably more prevalent in the enterprise sector, where 63% of respondents anticipate augmented remote access security. Nevertheless, the improvements in security are less prominent among SMBs, with just 39% predicting improvements in their remote access security measures.

The preferred strategy to achieve this heightened security by organisations worldwide involves an advanced implementation of varying security controls. From the surveyed respondents, increased usage is expected in: Multi-factor identification (from 64% in 2023 to 74% in 2024), session encryption (from 61% to 66%), Single Sign-on or SSO (from 45% to 54%), policy-based access control (from 45% to 52%), Authentication against AD/AAD (from 38% to 44%), session auditing (from 29% to 36%) and least privilege/Zero trust (from 23% to 32%).

ZAs reliance on remote access continues to grow, so does the security risk associated with it. As a result, the report provides two key recommendations for organisations striving to implement the best practice for remote access security. First, is to add at least one additional security control that is currently not in use, emphasising a strong correlation between security expectations in 2024 and the number of additional security controls implemented. Second, it encourages organisations to minimise the use of the RDP as a remote access solution, stating that organisations expecting to be the most secure in 2024 are those that use RDP equivalent or less during the year.

The findings paint a balanced picture of the future of remote access, demonstrating the concurrent growth of usage and security controls. While the risk of system vulnerabilities continues to be a concern, it is notable that advancements in security methods are keeping pace with usage rates, indicating a proactive stance among organisations.