Domain 4 of 4 · Chapter 2 of 3

Safety & Communication

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Included in this chapter:

  • Personal safety and fire response
  • ESD: ground yourself, except near high voltage
  • Environmental controls: power, climate, and disposal
  • Professionalism and communicating with customers
  • Incident response and the chain of custody
  • Licensing, EULA, and regulated data
  • Remote access technologies and their security
  • How the exam frames safety and operations questions

Remote-access tools: what each gives you and its main risk

AspectRDPSSHVPNQuick Assist / MSRA
What you getFull graphical control of a Windows desktopEncrypted command-line session to a hostA tunnel onto the whole private networkAttended screen-share with the user present
Default portTCP 3389TCP 22443 (SSL) or UDP 500/4500 (IPsec)Microsoft cloud service, no inbound port
Best forAdmin controlling a remote Windows PCManaging servers and network gearReaching internal resources from outsideHelping a user who is at the machine
Main riskPort 3389 exposed to the internet is a top ransomware entry pointWeak keys or password auth on an exposed port 22Weak authentication widens the whole network's exposureSocial-engineering the user into granting access

Decision tree

What do you need to reach?VPNthe whole private networkWhole networkOne machineUser present, just needs helpon their own screen?Quick Assist / MSRAattended screen-shareYes, attendedNo, unattendedGraphical desktop orcommand line?RDP: graphical Windowsport 3389, run over a VPNSSH: command lineport 22, encryptedGraphicalCommand lineAlways: encrypt the session and require multi-factor authentication.Never expose RDP port 3389 straight to the internet; put it behind the VPN.
Cheat sheet

Cheat sheet

  • Static too small to feel still destroys components
  • Never wear an anti-static wrist strap near a CRT or power supply
  • Power off and unplug before servicing, and pull the battery
  • Use a Class C extinguisher on live electrical fires, never water
  • Protect the person: lift with your legs, remove jewelry, wear goggles and a mask
  • A UPS rides out outages; a surge protector only stops overvoltage
  • Know the power anomalies: sag, brownout, spike, surge, blackout
  • The SDS tells you how to handle and dispose of a substance
  • Recycle batteries, toner, and CRTs per local regulation, never the trash
  • Keep humidity mid-range: too dry invites ESD, too humid invites corrosion
  • Actively listen without interrupting, then restate to confirm
  • With an upset customer, do not argue, dismiss, or get defensive
  • Use plain language and avoid jargon, acronyms, and slang
  • Set and meet expectations, offer options, and follow up
  • Be on time, and contact the customer if you will be late
  • Avoid distractions while working with a customer
  • Keep customer materials confidential and off social media
  • On prohibited content, preserve and report; do not investigate
  • Maintain a documented chain of custody for evidence
  • Software runs under a license and its EULA, enforced by DRM
  • PII, PHI, PCI DSS, and GDPR each govern specific regulated data
  • RDP gives graphical Windows control on TCP port 3389
  • SSH gives an encrypted CLI on port 22; Telnet (23) is clear text
  • A VPN gives encrypted network-level access, not single-machine control
  • Quick Assist (replacing MSRA) is attended, consent-based screen-share
  • Secure every remote tool with MFA, patching, and least privilege

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References

  1. CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202) Certification Exam Objectives (V15, Document Version 3.0)
  2. NIST SP 800-86: Guide to Integrating Forensic Techniques into Incident Response Whitepaper
  3. NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2: Computer Security Incident Handling Guide Whitepaper
  4. NIST SP 800-122: Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of PII Whitepaper
  5. PCI Security Standards Council (PCI DSS) Whitepaper
  6. GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679) Whitepaper
  7. Enable Remote Desktop on your PC (RDP)
  8. RFC 4253: The Secure Shell (SSH) Transport Layer Protocol Whitepaper
  9. Use Quick Assist to help users