VNC User Guide - RealVNC
VNC User Guide - RealVNC
VNC User Guide - RealVNC
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Chapter 7: Making Connections Secure<br />
Uniquely identifying <strong>VNC</strong> Server<br />
<strong>VNC</strong> Server (Enterprise) and <strong>VNC</strong> Server (Personal) have a uniquely identifying signature:<br />
• Under Windows and Mac OS X, this signature uniquely identifies <strong>VNC</strong> Server among all instances<br />
running on the same host computer.<br />
• Under UNIX/Linux, this signature is shared by instances of <strong>VNC</strong> Server started by the same host<br />
computer user.<br />
Note: <strong>VNC</strong> Server (Free) does not have a unique signature. Upgrade the host computer to <strong>VNC</strong> Server<br />
(Enterprise) or <strong>VNC</strong> Server (Personal) if security is important to you.<br />
The <strong>VNC</strong> Server signature is displayed in the Get Started area of the <strong>VNC</strong> Server dialog. More on this<br />
dialog.<br />
When a user connects from a particular client computer for the first time, this signature is published. The<br />
user is asked to verify that the signature they see matches that of <strong>VNC</strong> Server. See Checking the signature<br />
on page 24 for more information.<br />
A <strong>VNC</strong> Server signature should not change. The next (and all subsequent) times a user connects from the<br />
same client computer, the signature is not published. If the signature changes, it may be because a third<br />
party is interrupting the connection between client and host computers and eavesdropping on<br />
communications – a so-called ‘man-in-the-middle’ attack. If a user sees a message similar to the following:<br />
WARNING: <strong>VNC</strong> Server’s signature has changed since you last connected to it.<br />
Unless there is a good reason for the signature to have changed, you should<br />
not continue connecting.<br />
The new <strong>VNC</strong> Server signature is fa-a5-76-c9-3d-df-ca-1d.<br />
Do you wish to accept the new signature and continue connecting<br />
then it is recommended that they do not connect.<br />
Note: The signature does change if <strong>VNC</strong> Server is re-installed on the host computer.<br />
Protecting privacy<br />
Note: The information in this section applies to <strong>VNC</strong> Server for Windows only.<br />
By default, <strong>VNC</strong> Server promotes shared connections. That is to say, if more than one user is connected, all<br />
users can observe each other’s operations, and if a host computer user is present, then that user can<br />
observe the operations of connected users.<br />
118 <strong>VNC</strong> <strong>User</strong> <strong>Guide</strong>
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