RDP — a favorite among hackers
RDP, which stands for Remote Desktop Protocol, is a protocol developed by Microsoft to allow users access to a virtual screen, keyboard, and mouse that they can use over a network to control remote computers.
Because of these innate features, RDP has been one of the enterprise world's favorite remote management tools, but also a prime target for hackers for decades.
A Webroot report from March 2017 pins RDP as the
favorite method for delivering ransomware, topping spam campaigns.
Since 2002, Microsoft also issued 20 security updates specifically related to RDP, patching 24 separate CVEs (vulnerabilities).
RDP's popularity in criminal ranks became clear in June 2016 when Kaspersky researchers discovered
xDedic, an online service that was selling access to nearly 70,000 hacked RDP servers.