Remote Support vs. Remote Access: What's the Difference?
Understanding the distinction between attended remote support, unattended remote access, and why MSPs need both — plus PAM and session recording.
MSPs use the terms "remote support" and "remote access" interchangeably, but they serve fundamentally different purposes — and the security implications of each are very different.
Attended Remote Support
Attended support is when a technician connects to an endpoint while the end user is present. The user initiates or approves the session, and both parties can see the same screen. This is your classic "let me take a look at your computer" scenario. It's interactive, collaborative, and the user maintains visibility of everything the tech does.
Unattended Remote Access
Unattended access is when a technician connects to an endpoint without anyone present — typically for server maintenance, after-hours troubleshooting, or deploying updates. An agent installed on the endpoint maintains the connection capability. This is more powerful but also more risky: there's no end user watching what happens.
Why the Distinction Matters: PAM
Privileged Access Management (PAM) becomes critical for unattended access. When a tech can connect to any server at any time without anyone watching, you need controls: session recording (video capture of everything done during the session), just-in-time access (temporary elevated privileges that expire automatically), approval workflows (requiring manager approval for access to sensitive systems), and comprehensive audit trails.
SSH/RDP Jump Gateway
For accessing servers and network devices, a jump gateway provides a controlled entry point. Instead of techs connecting directly to servers via RDP or SSH (with credentials stored who-knows-where), they connect through a centralized gateway that authenticates them, logs the session, and proxies the connection. This gives you a single point of access control and audit for all server access.
What MSPs Need
Every MSP needs both attended and unattended remote capabilities, plus session recording and PAM controls. When these are built into your platform alongside RMM, ticketing, and documentation, sessions are automatically linked to tickets, endpoints, and clients. When they're a separate tool, you lose that context.