Brute Force Protection in Desktop Security for Windows

What is a brute force attack?

Brute force attacks are when hackers try to get into your computer by guessing your password over and over from a remote location, hoping they'll eventually get it right. With remote access, hackers can use your computer as if it's theirs and access your files and software. To learn more about brute force attacks, see our blog RDP brute force attacks explained.

How Brute Force Protection works

Our Brute Force Protection (BFP) helps keep your Windows devices safe from hackers. It watches over the Remote Desktop Protocol - a feature that lets others access your computer from afar. If it spots someone trying to repeatedly access your computer in a suspicious way, it will block that person's IP address, stopping them from trying to log in from a distance.

When BFP stops a brute force attack, a notification pops up on your Windows screen that says Remote connection blocked. When you receive this notification, you do not need to do anything; you’ve already been protected!

Note: To turn off alerts from BFP, use the Informational pop ups in the Windows notification area setting in our Desktop Security settings on the Windows devices article. Turning off alerts does not fix a possible brute force attack. If you want to investigate the brute force attack on your device, contact support.

Enable Brute Force Protection

We recommend keeping Brute Force Protection enabled to keep yourself protected against brute force attacks. To turn on Brute Force Protection: 

1. Open the Desktop Security app.
2. Click Settings .
3. Click Protection.
4. Toggle on Brute Force Protection.