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Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a Microsoft network protocol that lets a computer connect to another computer or server, display its screen, and send back keyboard and mouse input. It can also carry other session data through separate virtual channels. RDP is the protocol—not the client app or the service that hosts the remote desktop.
How RDP works
The remote computer runs the application or desktop session and sends presentation information to the client. The client displays that information and returns the user’s input. During connection setup, the systems negotiate settings and capabilities, including security. RDP is based on and extends the ITU T.120 protocol family, according to Microsoft’s technical overview and its Open Specifications glossary.
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RDP is multichannel: virtual channels can carry different kinds of session information, rather than treating the connection as only a stream of screen images and keystrokes. Microsoft describes the architecture and its negotiation in the Remote Desktop Services functional architecture.
RDP, a client, and Remote Desktop Services are different things
- RDP: The protocol used to communicate during a remote session.
- Remote Desktop client: Software on the local device that connects to a remote computer using RDP. Microsoft’s current connection guidance lists Windows App and the Remote Desktop client as options.
- Remote Desktop Services (RDS): Microsoft’s server-side infrastructure for delivering desktops or applications to users.
These distinctions matter because using an RDP-capable client does not by itself determine where a session runs or how the remote environment is managed. Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Services overview describes several deployment models.
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What RDP is used for
RDP is used to access a full remote desktop or an application hosted on another computer or server. Organizations may use remote sessions to log in to servers, troubleshoot problems, or carry out other administrative work; CISA discusses these uses in its StopRansomware Guide.
RDS deployments can provide different experiences and resource models:
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- Session-based desktops: Multiple users access desktops hosted on a shared server.
- Virtual desktops: Users connect to pooled or personal virtual machines.
- RemoteApp: Users access published applications rather than a full desktop.
The appropriate model depends on the workload, application compatibility, user experience, and organizational management needs; none is universally best.
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RDP transports and port 3389
Microsoft documents both TCP and UDP transports for Remote Desktop Services. Windows Remote Desktop commonly listens for incoming TCP connections on port 3389, and Microsoft’s transport documentation identifies UDP port 3389 as the default incoming port. These are defaults, not guarantees: an administrator can change the configured listening port. See Microsoft’s documentation on the RDP UDP transport and changing the Remote Desktop listening port.
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Security considerations when using RDP
Authenticate before starting the session
Network Level Authentication (NLA) uses Credential Security Support Provider (CredSSP) to authenticate users before the RDP handshake. Microsoft recommends keeping NLA enabled where possible because it helps ensure server resources are committed only to authenticated users. Older clients that do not support NLA may require an exception. Microsoft’s Windows Remote Desktop guidance explains the setting and its compatibility caveat.
Limit network exposure
Enabling Remote Desktop makes the computer accessible on its local network and opens a listening port. Microsoft advises enabling it only on trusted networks; selected users, including administrators, can be permitted to connect. For external RDS access, an RD Gateway can carry RDP traffic over HTTPS. Follow Microsoft’s deployment guidance and your organization’s security policy rather than exposing a remote-access service unnecessarily.
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CISA recommends limiting the use of RDP and other remote desktop services as a risk-reduction measure. That is not a claim that every RDP connection is inherently unsafe; it is a reason to restrict access to what users and systems actually need.
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An RDP file can include connection settings and request access to local resources such as drives, the clipboard, or a camera. Microsoft’s guidance says not to open an unexpected RDP file—even if its email appears legitimate—and to verify it with the sender through a separate channel. It also recommends enabling only the resource redirections needed for the session. Microsoft describes warnings added by the April 2026 security update for the Windows versions covered by its RDP-file security guidance; this behavior should not be assumed to apply to every client or Windows version.
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