Greetings friends and current customers! We’ve just released Version 2.0 of Remote Desktop Canary. This new version offers:
- OCR scanning of RDP login sequence screenshots, so you can be alerted to error conditions after login and/or to slow application startup times;
- the ability to do a RDP connectivity test on a group of servers in Active Directory, or a group of session hosts participating in an RDS collection;
- the ability to bypass login banners on your servers with synthetic input, so you can profile application load times after the login sequence;
- a new helper program called Remote Desktop Canary Kickstarter, that will babysit your Remote Desktop Canary testing session, and automatically restart Remote Desktop Canary in a user session on a VM if the server is rebooted or the testing module is stopped for any reason;
- the ability to suspend workflow testing momentarily when servers are down for patching or maintenance;
- and much more!
We’re also excited to announce the imminent release of our CEO Andy Milford’s new book on Remote Desktop Security! Read on for a signup link below.
In this RDPSoft E-Newsletter:
New Features Available in Remote Desktop Canary v2.0
Andy Milford’s Brand New Book On RDP Security Is Almost Here
Version 2.0 Upgrade, Purchase, and Demo Links
New Features Now Available in Remote Desktop Canary v2.0:
Use OCR Event Detection To Alert To Error Conditions And Slow Application Load Times During Synthetic RDS Logins
Based on your wonderful feedback, we have engineered an OCR event detection engine, that scans screenshots during and after the RDP login sequence. This new engine allows you to define and receive alerts when certain error messages appear on screen, and define and receive alerts if it takes too long for a program to start in a RDP session (e.g. due to profile problems, for instance).
RDP Connectivity Testing On Multiple Computers at Once
Version 2.0 of Remote Desktop Canary now offers a “multi-server testing workflow,” whereby it will quickly check RDP responsiveness on a group of servers in Active Directory, or the servers participating in a RDS collection.
Bypass Windows Server Login Notification Banners
If your organization uses login notification banners to provide an acceptable use policy (AUP) or warning that users must acknowledge before signing on, Remote Desktop Canary can now bypass this easily with synthetic input. As a result, you can now test conditions beyond the login screen using Canary’s new OCR event detection engine.
Keep Remote Desktop Canary Up And Running 24/7 With the New Remote Desktop Canary Kickstarter Applet
Remote Desktop Canary Kickstarter is a companion utility that ships with Remote Desktop Canary v2.0. It “babysits” the actively running Remote Desktop Canary tests – by itself running on a different VM from the VM running Remote Desktop Canary.
As a result, it is able to make sure that Remote Desktop Canary tests stay running at all times, and function properly, even in scenarios like:
1.) When the Remote Desktop Canary system is rebooted, such as for routine maintenance or patch installation
2.) If the Remote Desktop Canary Logon Testing Module stops running for any reason
3.) When an active Remote Desktop connection to the Remote Desktop Canary system is interrupted, resulting in a disconnected session that would prevent synthetic input from properly bypassing login banners
Toggle Workflows In and Out of Maintenance Mode
While Remote Desktop Canary is running continuous synthetic RDS login tests, you can now toggle specific workflows in and out of maintenance mode with a single mouse click. When placed in maintenance mode, Remote Desktop Canary will suspend testing against that RDS collection or group of servers. This prevents alerts from being generated when you take server(s) offline for patching or other maintenance.
Don’t Let Your Remote Desktop Services Environment Get Pwned! Sign Up To Be Notified When Andy Milford’s New Book On Remote Desktop Security Is Released.
Seldom does a week go by these days without a breaking news report on a ransomware attack, the compromise of a large customer database, or theft of trade secrets. What’s the common attack vector that is often used to break into these organizations’ computers? RDP!
Our CEO Andy Milford has been hard at work for over a year, researching and writing a comprehensive book on how to secure your Remote Desktop Services environments. He shows you step-by-step how hackers and Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actors locate your RDP servers and RDS deployments, how they break in, what they do when they break in, and how to defend against their techniques.
His book is now in editing, and its release is imminent. Sign up today to be notified as soon as it is available.
Remote Desktop Canary v2.0 Upgrade, Purchase, and Demo Links
To request a free 14-day trial of Remote Desktop Canary in your environment, click here.