VNC User Guide - RealVNC

Chapter 7: Making Connections Secure
Windows
Under Windows, system authentication is selected using the Windows password option in the
Authentication dropdown of the VNC Server - Options dialog. More on this dialog.
By default, to connect to VNC Server:
• In Service Mode, a user must supply the credentials of a member of the Administrators group.
• In User Mode, a user must supply the credentials of the currently logged on host computer user (that is,
the user starting VNC Server).
You can add different users or groups to the authentication list if you do not want to publish the credentials of
members of the Administrators group. For more information, see Managing users and groups in the
authentication list on page 102.
Note that the credentials supplied by a user in order to connect to VNC Server determine the VNC
permissions granted to that user. VNC permissions control which RealVNC remote control features the user
is allowed to use. By default, a Full set of VNC permissions is granted. For more information on what this
means, and how to revoke VNC permissions in order to restrict access to RealVNC remote control features,
see Restricting features for particular connected users on page 114.
Once connected, a user has the same privileges (that is, access rights) on the host computer as the
currently logged on host computer user. This need not be a user with administrative privileges even if the
credentials of one were supplied in order to connect to VNC Server. The opposite also holds true: a
connected user has administrative privileges on the host computer if such a user is currently logged on.
Note that if VNC Server is running in Service Mode and no host computer user is logged on, the connected
user must log on to Windows in order to continue.
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