Question TeamViewer - How Secure?

RhoXS

Senior member
Aug 14, 2010
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My wife and I alternate between two homes. It would be convenient to access my W11 desktop from my MacBook Air M4 when not at the desktop home. I would mostly want to access files on the desktop to print at the remote location but sometimes it would be convenient to do more. Team Viewer almost certainly has the functionality I need but I need to know how secure it is. Assuming I use very strong passwords, does TeamViewer increase my vulnerability with respect to the privacy of the contents of either my desktop or laptop? If it does create more risk, how can that risk be mitigated?
 
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In2Photos

Platinum Member
Mar 21, 2007
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I can't speak for the Apple integration but we use Team Viewer in a commercial setting and find it to be rather secure. One thing to keep in mind is that Team Viewer for personal use is free but if you use it for any extended period of time or rather frequently there is a good chance they will flag you as a commercial user and limit your access. You might have to contact their support team to correct it.
 

Charlie98

Diamond Member
Nov 6, 2011
6,298
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Some years ago, someone hacked my TeamViewer account, and accessed my PC. I abandoned it after that.
 

RhoXS

Senior member
Aug 14, 2010
210
16
81
Thanks for the responses above. I apologize for taking so long to respond but a number of life associated events diverted my attention fully away from this topic.

Is there any application for the Mac that is generally acknowledged to be safe if both a strong password and two-factor authorization is used?

Speaking of two factor authorization, is that done through say Teamviewer's/Microsoft's/etc. servers as I have no telephone line where the remote PC is located?
 

RhoXS

Senior member
Aug 14, 2010
210
16
81
I did not want to start a new thread so I added some more thoughts here with respect to my original question above.

I have need to access a Windows PC from a remote location using an Apple MacBook Air M4. I do not yet know enough about this to ask any specific questions but I need some thoughts to begin to focus on what software to consider or not consider. My goal at this early point is very much 1) on security and 2) getting a Mac to play well with the remote Windows machine. Most, if not all, of my remote tasks on the PC will be working with Microsoft Word/Excel and Paperport (PDF file organizer etc.). I will also want to print either locally or remotely Word/Excel/PDF files. Again security is of paramount importance.

With respect to security, I have seen conflicting opinions on Teamviewer. I initially thought of Teamviewer because about 14 years ago I briefly used it but that was PC to PC and the security landscape is very different now.

I have done some preliminary research and "Microsoft Remote Desktop" for the Apple machine frequently appears. I would appreciate some independent opinions regarding this approach. I am also certainly open to thoughts about other software products.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
100,982
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I did not want to start a new thread so I added some more thoughts here with respect to my original question above.

I have need to access a Windows PC from a remote location using an Apple MacBook Air M4. I do not yet know enough about this to ask any specific questions but I need some thoughts to begin to focus on what software to consider or not consider. My goal at this early point is very much 1) on security and 2) getting a Mac to play well with the remote Windows machine. Most, if not all, of my remote tasks on the PC will be working with Microsoft Word/Excel and Paperport (PDF file organizer etc.). I will also want to print either locally or remotely Word/Excel/PDF files. Again security is of paramount importance.

With respect to security, I have seen conflicting opinions on Teamviewer. I initially thought of Teamviewer because about 14 years ago I briefly used it but that was PC to PC and the security landscape is very different now.

I have done some preliminary research and "Microsoft Remote Desktop" for the Apple machine frequently appears. I would appreciate some independent opinions regarding this approach. I am also certainly open to thoughts about other software products.
What you are trying to do is to bridge two different LAN through WAN. Typically you need VPN to connect both sites. That is why I suggested Tailscale. You can use RDP to control your home PC once you bridge the two LAN.
 
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