
It could even open up company devices for malware scams, where data is threatened with deletion unless a fee is paid.Īs such, TeamViewer offers two-factor authentication, block listing, a built-in VPN, and more. We’ll go into more detail on these below. TeamViewer has had its name slightly sullied in the past, through no fault of its own, thanks to scammers using it to access victims' computers. With a free version available and an easy to use system, it has in the past been an easy way for scammers to remotely control computers, usually alongside traditional fraud methods such as confidence tricking. For example, one popular scam is for the fraudster to contact the victim, claiming to be their bank, ISP, or technical help, and convince the person to let them access their computer.

However, it should be noted that here, TeamViewer is in no way complicit, and simply being used as a tool. However, TeamViewer itself has been a victim of a hack. In 2019, it transpired that the company had been breached by Chinese hackers. In order to ensure your device isn't compromised when using TeamViewer, follow our tips below: Run Only When Needed In a statement, it claimed that the attack was quickly identified, and that no data was compromised. To avoid the chance of third parties accessing your device illicitly, only run TeamViewer when you need to use it, and terminate the connection once you have finished. Create Strong PasswordsĪny online system is only as strong as its password, which means that if yours is easily crackable, then you’re putting yourself in danger. Ditch the easy-to-guess passwords, and don’t reuse the same password across multiple sites. If you’ve got a password manager, then use the password generator to come up with a secure one. Read our guide to the best Password Managers of 2021 Two-Factor Authentication If not, read our advice on creating a robust password. TeamViewer allows for two-factor authentication (2FA), a way of ensuring that the person trying to access the account is the person they claim to be. With this system, users need to download a compatible app to their mobile device, such as Google Authenticator. When enabled, TeamViewer will ask the user to verify their identity with the authentication app on a mobile device, before a connection can be made. Update TeamViewerĪs with all software, it’s essential to keep TeamViewer up to date. A product like TeamViewer is a goldmine for scammers, and they're likely to be constantly looking for holes in the software that they can exploit.
