We’ve all been there. You’re having a problem with your computer, so you call for support. The responding technician offers to fix the problem by remotely accessing your system. Sounds easy, efficient and affordable. Many folks, however, have an uneasy feeling whenever granting remote access, especially when the person accessing their machine is thousands of miles away. What, then, should you be aware of when allowing remote access to your systems?

First, we should understand that remote access is used by most support organizations. Software and hardware vendors, as well as third-party businesses, most often prefer remote access. The vast majority of support and maintenance for PCs and Macs can be provided remotely. Remote access is one of the most useful applications enabled by the ubiquity of high-speed internet. It is unavoidable.

That doesn’t mean you should just roll over and allow anyone to access your system. Before allowing access, you should ask what software will be used. There are a handful of well-known remote-access packages, including TeamViewer, LogMeIn, GoToMyPC, VNC and others. A quick Google search of the name of the package will let you know whether it’s commonly used. Be wary of custom software, but some vendors have their own package that works best for their software.

Get an understanding of how the remote-access software works. You need to understand how and when your system can be accessed. Is there a password that is controlled by you? Can your machine be accessed when you’re not there? Ideally, you should be able to prevent remote access unless explicitly granted.

Does the remote-access software have to be installed on your machine? Some remote-access packages are one-and-done, meaning they are good for only one session and leave nothing behind. Others are installed like any other program. Find out how to uninstall the remote-access software if you so choose.

Finally, ask whether there is a way to see if anyone remotely accesses your machine. Most packages provide a log of when someone got in and out of your system.

Any competent technician ought to be able to answer these questions quite easily. Once you have worked with a particular organization, you should not have to ask these questions again. A simple “Has anything changed since last time?” will suffice.

Of course, the degree to which you should be concerned correlates to the amount of trust that has been built with the person or organization to whom you are granting access.

John Agsalud is an IT expert with more than 25 years of information technology experience. Reach him at jagsalud@live.com.