What is RMM software?

by Ahinóam Rodríguez | Last updated Jan 29, 2025 | Remote Control

In this article, we will thoroughly address RMM Software (Remote Monitoring and Management Software) and its essential role for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). We will explain the core functions of RMM, from remote monitoring to efficient management of client devices, highlighting its key advantages such as reducing labor costs and improving productivity. We will analyze the strategic integration of RMM and PSA (Professional Services Automation) to empower MSP workflows and offer a vision of the future, supported by promising statistics. We conclude by highlighting the continued importance of RMM in the technology landscape and encouraging MSPs to consider its implementation to optimize efficiency and success in the delivery of managed services.

What is RMM software?

In the past, all businesses, regardless of size, used on-premise IT infrastructures. When a problem arose, they contacted their service provider and a technical team went to the offices to solve it. However, the landscape changed completely with the development of Cloud technology. The possibility of accessing data and computing resources from anywhere was gradually reducing the dependence on centralized IT infrastructures. The definitive leap occurred with the arrival of remote work and hybrid work. Organizations that go for a flexible working framework have their systems distributed in widely diverse locations, often outside the traditional corporate network.

On the other hand, each department within the company has specific technological needs that are quickly adapting to market changes. Managing all these applications manually would be very complex, expensive and could lead to human errors that put security at risk.

It is clear that to address these challenges new tools had to emerge such as the RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) software that allows companies to maintain effective control of all their IT assets, even in distributed environments.

How does RMM software contribute to the digital transformation of companies?

As we just mentioned, RMM software has become a key piece to ensure the transition to decentralized and dynamic infrastructure environments, without neglecting the essential aspects.

Thanks to this technology, IT professionals can remotely monitor and manage a company’s entire infrastructure monitor the performance of IoT devices connected to the network in real time, identify possible threats or anomalous activities and apply corrective measures.

Although remote management tools emerged in the 1990s, they initially had limited features and were difficult to implement.

The first RMMs offered basic supervision and were installed on each computer individually. The central system then analyzed the data and created reports or alerts on critical events.

Instead, today’s RMM software takes a more holistic approach and enables unified and comprehensive management of the company’s technology infrastructure by retrieving information from the whole IT environment rather than from each device in isolation. In addition, it supports on-premise and cloud installations.

Finally, another key contribution of RMM tools for digitization is to switch from a reactive maintenance model to a preventive maintenance model. Remote access solutions allow technical teams to proactively monitor software processes, operating systems, and network threads, and address potential issues before they become critical situations.

A key tool for MSPs

A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a company that provides management and technology support services to other companies, from server administration, to network configuration, to cloud asset management.

As organizations grow, they store more data, and cyber threats are also on the rise. Many SMEs decide to hire the services of an MSP provider to take charge of their infrastructures, especially if they do not have an internal IT department that optimizes the security and performance of their systems.

MSPs use different technologies to distribute their services and one of the most important is RMM software, which allows them to proactively monitor their customers’ networks and equipment and solve any issues remotely without having to go to the offices in person.

According to data from the Transparency Market Research portal, the market for this type of software has not stopped growing in recent years and this growth is expected to remain constant at least until 2030, driven by the demand for MSPs.

How do RMM tools for remote monitoring work?

RMM tools work thanks to an agent that is installed on the company’s workstations, servers and devices. Once installed, it runs in the background and gathers information about the performance and security of systems.

The RMM agent continuously monitors network activity (CPU usage, memory, disk space, etc.) and if it detects any anomalies, it automatically generates a ticket with detailed information about the problem and sends it to the MSP provider. Tickets are organized in a panel according to their priority and their status can be changed once they have been solved or escalated to a higher level in the most complex cases.

In addition, RMM tools create periodic reports on the overall health of systems. These reports can be analyzed by technical teams to reinforce network stability.

How does RMM software help improve the operational efficiency of MSPs?

RMM software has a number of practical utilities that MSPs can leverage to raise the quality of their services:

• Remote monitoring and management

  It monitors equipment performance in real time and allows to solve problems remotely without having to go physically to the place where the incident took place. This saves time and costs associated with transportation.

  Another advantage of implementing RMM tools is the possibility of hiring the best professionals regardless of their location and covering different time zones offering 24/7 support.

• Full visibility of IT infrastructure

  Thanks to RMM software, technical teams can keep track of all their customers’ IT assets from a single dashboard. For example, they can make an inventory of all devices and cloud services that are active, or check in a single dashboard view the tickets that are open and those that are pending resolution.

• Automating repetitive tasks

  RMM tools create automated workflows for routine tasks such as: installing/ uninstalling software, transferring files, running scripts, managing patches and updates, or backing up. This reduces the workload of IT teams and minimizes the risk of human error.

• Increased security

  RMM agents send alerts in real time if a critical event takes place. That way, network administrators can very quickly identify security threats or problems that affect computer performance.

  Proactive monitoring is critical for MSP providers to ensure a stable and secure IT environment for their customers. In addition, it reduces the costs associated with equipment repair and data recovery.

• Reduce downtime

  The installation of new programs, updates and corrective measures runs in the background without interfering with user activity. This makes compliance with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) easier by solving problems as soon as possible without any prolonged service interruptions.

What aspects should MSPs consider when choosing RMM software?

It is important to choose a stable, safe and easily scalable solution that meets customer needs. In addition, the chosen RMM software is ideally integrated easily with other tools for more efficient and complete management.

Let’s look at some basic requirements!

• Easy implementation

  RMM tools should be intuitive to reduce commissioning time and costs.

• Flexibility

  As companies grow, so does their IT infrastructure. For MSPs, a higher volume of customers means increased monitoring capacity. That’s why it’s important to choose a tool that’s flexible and scalable. That way, it will be possible to add new devices and users without technical limitations.

• Stability

  It verifies that RMM software is stable. Some solutions provide remote access through third-party software and this can affect connection performance as each tool has its own features and data transfer speed. Therefore, it is best to select a platform that offers integrated remote access to optimize responsiveness and avoid interruptions.

• Device compatibility

  The tool should be prepared to monitor the activity of a wide variety of devices and computer systems that support SNMP protocols. This includes, but is not limited to, servers, routers, switches, printers, IP cameras, etc.

• Seamless integration with PSA tools

  The integration of RMM and PSA improves the workflow of MSPs.

  PSA tools automate and manage tasks related to the provision of professional services such as invoicing, ticket management, time registration, etc.

  For example, issues detected during remote monitoring can automatically generate tickets in the PSA system for technicians to review the device’s incident history and keep track.

  Time spent applying corrective action can also be automatically recorded by PSAs, allowing for more accurate billing.

• Security

  Make sure that the RMM software you plan to purchase is properly licensed and meets security standards. It should provide features such as data encryption, multi-factor authentication, system access via VPN, or blocking inactive accounts.

• Support

  Finally, before deciding on an RMM solution, check that the vendor offers good post-implementation support. Check the references and opinions of other customers to know the quality of the service and make sure that you are making a good investment.

Conclusion

SMBs are increasingly digitized and rely on a wide variety of software to run their day-to-day operations. As enterprises migrate their infrastructures to the cloud, MSP providers need remote access solutions to end-to-end management of their customers’ assets.

There are different RMM tools that allow you to monitor the performance of your systems in real time and perform support and maintenance actions. One of the most complete ones is Pandora FMS Command Center, a specific version of the Pandora FMS platform for monitoring MSP and which has been designed to work in IT environments with a high volume of devices. It is a secure and scalable solution that helps managed service providers reduce workload and expand their customer base.

In addition, it has a specific training plan for IT teams to get the most out of all the advanced features of the software.

Many companies that work with Pandora FMS Command Center have already managed to reduce their operating costs between 40% and 70% thanks to task automation and reduced incidents.

It’s time to increase your business productivity and offer your customers exceptional service. Contact our sales team to request a quote or answer your questions about our tool.

Unraveling the Dangers of Phishing: From Basics to Effective Prevention

by Ahinóam Rodríguez | Last updated Feb 13, 2025 | Remote Control

Surely you may have at one time or another received an email warning of an outstanding invoice, a parcel shipment that you did not expect or a warning from the bank about suspicious activity in your account. These messages usually adopt an alarming tone and provide you with a link to a website that you must visit right away to verify your personal information or to complete payment information. Caution! This is a “phishing” attempt, one of the most popular scam methods on the Internet!

What is phishing?

Phishing is a form of cyberattack that uses technology and social engineering to breach user security.

The term comes from the word “fishing”, since cybercriminals employ bait tactics waiting for users to “bite” or fall into the trap. They usually aim to get hold of financial information, payment service passwords (such as PayPal), or login credentials.

Actually, phishing is nothing new. The first cases of this type of fraud date back to the mid-1990s, when a group of fraudsters posed as employees of the AOL company to steal confidential customer data. Already in the 2000s, attacks began to specialize, focusing mainly on the banking sector.

Over the years, scams have become more sophisticated and, despite advances in cybersecurity, phenomena such as the rise of teleworking or the fraudulent use of AI have contributed to the rise of new ways of phishing.

Phishing as a source of concern

Anyone can become a victim of phishing. Even though cybersecurity systems are getting more powerful by the day, scammers have also honed their skills and organized themselves into small teams, specializing in social engineering tactics.

Companies often become the preferred target of these cybercriminals who try to steal your sensitive data or trick intermediary charges into making unauthorized transfers. A fairly common example of phishing is vendor invoice fraud, in which fraudsters impersonate trusted business partners to request payment for an outstanding invoice.

Even more disturbing are cases like the one we saw at the beginning of 2020 in the magazine Forbes in which a Japanese company was the victim of an elaborate scam in which the generative AI was used to clone the voice of a manager and authorize a transfer of 35 million dollars.

Audio cloning, audiovisual deep fakes and, in general, the use of the latest technology for criminal purposes pose a great threat and, at the same time, a challenge for cybersecurity companies.

Risks associated to phishing attacks

Financial losses have an immediate impact, but there are other long-term consequences that phishing victims can experience:

• Reputational damage: Data breaches can erode customer trust, causing permanent damage to the company’s reputation.
• Service outage: A cyberattack can cripple the company’s computer systems, especially if it involves ransomware. It all starts by downloading a malicious file included in the phishing messages. Once in the system, it encrypts critical files and blocks access to business-critical information.
• Fines and penalties: Violation of data protection regulations (such as GDPR) may result in sanctions by authorities.

It is important to be prepared to deal with these threats using robust cybersecurity solutions and internal employee awareness programs as the main weapons to prevent phishing attacks.

Relevant statistics and data

Email fraud already accounts for 27% of economic losses for cybersecurity breaches and is responsible for 90% of data breaches, according to the report Cybersecurity Threat Trends 2021 (CISCO). This is mainly because phishing campaigns have become massive and scammers use hundreds of emails to reach more people.

Key elements in a phishing attack

Luckily, phishing messages are usually quite clumsy and recipients quickly realize that they are facing a scam, but sometimes they are so customized that they cast doubt on whether they are legitimate or not.

To gain the trust of their victims, fraudsters impersonate institutions, banks or companies that offer their services over the Internet.

Most of these fraudulent emails consist of:

1. An unknown sender, with generic email extensions (Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) or names that resemble those of official companies, but with strange words that we cannot identify.
2. A generic greeting (“Dear customer”, “Dear friend”) since cybercriminals generally do not know the identity of the recipient.
3. An urgent request for our personal information (ID, credit card number) under the pretext of solving an issue.
4. An external link that leads to a fraudulent website with the same logo, design and colors of the brand they intend to impersonate. On this landing page you will be prompted to update your details to continue. Here is where information is stolen.
5. There is also the possibility that the email contains an attachment infected with malicious software (malware, ransomware). If you download it, it will compromise the security of the system.

It is important to be cautious and learn to recognize these phishing signals to minimize risks.

Types of phishing

There are currently over 10,000 forms of phishing (as reported by Wikipedia). These are some of the best known embodiments.

Traditional phishing

It is the most common form of email fraud. It is based on the random issuance of emails impersonating the identity of a trusted company or institution. Messages include links to fraudulent websites or infected files.

Spear phishing

While traditional phishing is a random scam, spear phishing targets a specific person, usually an influential position within the company. To earn their trust, cybercriminals conduct extensive research on the Internet, collecting personal data from social networks such as LinkedIn, where they check information such as age, location or position within the company.

Whaling

In whaling, the target is important people within the company or executive positions (CEO, CFO, etc.). Scammers investigate their prey for weeks and send highly personalized emails, related to critical business issues.

Smishing

Fraudulent messages are sent via text messages (SMS) or WhatsApp. For example, we received a notice from our bank reporting an unauthorized purchase with our card with a link to change the PIN and login details. If YOU do, we will have fallen into the trap.

Vishing

It comes from the union of “voice” and “phishing”. In this case, the scam is done by phone call. A typical example is technical service fraud where scammers call to report a computer failure that doesn’t actually exist and convince us to install a Trojan that will steal your data.

Angler Phishing

It is a new tactic that consists of creating fake profiles on social networks with the name of prestigious institutions and companies. The goal is to steal sensitive data from other users.

How to detect Phishing attacks?

Recognizing a phishing message is not always easy, but there are some indications that may make us suspect that the request is unusual.

• Alarmist tone: They often convey urgency and urge the user to act immediately. Cybercriminals use emotions such as fear or curiosity and use intimidation tactics to make us act irrationally.
• Grammatical errors: Many phishing messages contain spelling and grammatical errors as they were written by non-native speakers. Anyway, nowadays many scammers use tools like Chat GPT to correct their texts, so we must be wary even of messages without spelling mistakes.
• Suspicious links or unsolicited attachments: Does the sender ask you to click on a link? Does it include alleged unpaid bills or fines that you can’t identify? This is most likely a cyberattack.

How to prevent a Phishing attack?

• Do not open messages from unknown senders.
• Do not provide your personal information through a link in an email.
• Don’t download suspicious attachments.
• Hover over the link and check if the url starts with https. This indicates that the site has a safe certificate.

If despite these precautions you fell into the trap and provided your data, change the passwords of the affected accounts as soon as possible and report the scam to the local police. You may also contact the Internet User Security Office of INCIBE (National Institute of Security) to investigate the fraud.

Protecting your organization from phishing

IBM assures in its report Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021 that it can take an average of 213 days for a company to warn that it was the victim of a phishing attack. During this time, cybercriminals will access all kinds of confidential information: database passwords, trade secrets, access credentials to the corporate network… That is why it is important to be prepared and work proactively to stop the threat of phishing.

Some preventive measures:

Employee Awareness

Make cybersecurity part of your company’s organizational culture and create campaigns to warn your employees of the risks of Internet scams. A good measure is to implement a phishing simulation software to train them and teach them to differentiate an authentic email from a fraudulent one.

Implementing email security solutions

The first line of defense against a phishing attack is the anti-spam filter built into email. Make sure it’s up to date with the latest versions and security patches. You may also configure email authentication policies as Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) to reduce the risk of phishing.

Endpoint monitoring and protection

Endpoints are the end devices (computers, tablets, smartphones) connected to the network. EDR solutions have been designed to monitor and detect the presence of malware on these endpoints.

Unlike antiviruses that work with previously identified patterns, EDR solutions are more advanced since they give automated and real-time responses to contain the attack. They use technologies such as AI and machine learning capable of detecting anomalous behaviors, such as the execution of malicious scripts.

Endpoint protection is a basic cybersecurity measure, but should be combined with other solutions such as network traffic monitoring or safe remote access solutions such as Pandora RC.

How does Pandora RC help improve remote access security?

More and more companies are adopting policies of teleworking or hybrid work. It is a reality that poses new challenges in terms of cybersecurity. Remote workers operate in less secure environments than those under the supervision of IT teams.

Tools like Pandora RC help monitor your systems by offering remote support and quick assistance if a phishing attack is suspected.

Other ways Pandora RC can help prevent cyberattacks:

• It generates 100% local passwords avoiding vulnerabilities in centralized systems.
• Remote connections must be pre-approved.
• It uses dual authentication access policies. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access, as users have to validate their identity in two steps.
• It is a flexible and scalable solution. In addition, it is available as a SaaS or On-Premise solution for companies that want to have more control over their infrastructures.

Other tips to prevent phishing attacks in the business environment

As phishing techniques become more sophisticated, the need for protection is increasing. Therefore, it is not a bad idea to keep in mind some basic tips:

• Try to stay up to date on new scams, follow the news in the media, and read tech blogs like Pandora FMS blog.
• Use strong passwords on your accounts that include a combination of numbers, letters, and special characters. Never choose personal data such as date of birth, cities or pet names for your passwords; phishers could guess this information by checking your social media.
• Use a multi-factor authentication (MFA) system to add an extra layer of security to your connections. That way, if a hacker gets your login credentials, they would still need to know the code sent to your mobile to access your accounts.
• Installing a firewall is critical to blocking unauthorized access to sensitive information. Make sure it’s properly configured and only allows safe transactions.
• Keep your browser and operating system up to date as cybercriminals often take advantage of vulnerabilities in outdated systems.
• Prevents access to sensitive information over public Wi-Fi networks. Many of these networks lack encryption protocols and transmitted data could be intercepted. Turn off the option to automatically connect to open Wi-Fi networks on your mobile.
• Make automatic backups of company data to be able to recover information in the event of an attack. We recommend them to be immutable backups (they cannot be deleted or modified). This ensures that copies are protected and can be restored even if a ransomware attack takes place.

Conclusion

As we mentioned at the beginning, phishing has existed since the beginning of the Internet and will probably evolve and we will learn about new forms of this form of cyberattack. Although we must be vigilant in the face of these threats, slowing technological development is not the solution. The key is to adopt cybersecurity measures and educate users to minimize risks and create a safe working environment.