Remote IoT Access: Secure SSH & VNC Solutions For 2024

04 May, 2025

Is it possible to securely manage and access Internet of Things (IoT) devices from anywhere in the world? The answer is a resounding yes, and secure shell (SSH) is a key technology enabling this crucial functionality, offering a reliable and robust solution for remote administration and monitoring.

The proliferation of IoT devices is transforming industries, from manufacturing and healthcare to smart homes and urban infrastructure. These devices, often deployed in remote locations or behind firewalls, generate vast amounts of data and require constant monitoring, configuration, and troubleshooting. However, the very nature of their deployment distributed and often physically inaccessible presents significant challenges to traditional device management methods.

Historically, accessing and managing IoT devices deployed in remote sites required on-site visits from technicians, leading to increased complexity and operational costs. Firewalls, while essential for security, further complicate remote access by blocking inbound traffic. Direct access by opening ports in the corporate firewall can be a shortcut, but can lead to security vulnerabilities and open your devices to malicious actors.

A safer and more efficient approach involves leveraging technologies like Secure Shell (SSH) and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to create secure tunnels for remote access. SSH, in particular, provides a secure and reliable method for remote administration, allowing administrators to execute commands, configure settings, and troubleshoot issues securely. The benefits extend beyond mere convenience; with SSH, remote access becomes safe, easy to deploy, and dependable, safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring the integrity of the IoT network.

Heres a look at the key elements and solutions used in this process, and their role in offering a secure, remote access method.

Technology	Description	Benefits
Virtual Private Network (VPN)	A secure, encrypted connection over the internet, often used to create a secure tunnel to access devices behind a firewall or private network.	Provides a secure pathway for accessing devices, encrypting all data transmitted.
Secure Shell (SSH)	A cryptographic network protocol for operating network services securely over an unsecured network. Provides a secure remote terminal to an IoT device.	Enables remote access and management, allowing secure command execution, configuration, and troubleshooting.
Firewalls	Security systems which monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.	Protects devices and networks by blocking unauthorized access.
SocketXP	A cloud-based IoT device management and remote access platform.	Simplifies the management of IoT devices at scale, improving operational efficiency and reducing risks. Provides remote access through SSH.
VNC (Virtual Network Computing)	A protocol for safely accessing the IoT graphical user interface (GUI) or desktop.	Allows for remote visual access and control of the device's interface.

To enhance security, disabling password-based SSH authentication and enabling SSH key-based authentication is crucial. Key-based authentication offers a far more robust security posture than relying on passwords, mitigating the risk of brute-force attacks and unauthorized access.

Remote access to IoT devices is essential across various business settings. In settings where monitoring and real-time data is crucial, the ability to maintain a secure connection is a key to preventing and addressing safety risks. With a secure connection established, device administrators can securely execute commands, configure settings, and troubleshoot issues, which is crucial in saving time, effort, and potential costs.

For professionals working with IoT devices, especially within professional or industrial settings where data security is paramount, the use of VPNs becomes a critical component of a comprehensive security strategy. By using a VPN, you can establish an encrypted connection between your device and the IoT network, shielding data from eavesdropping and unauthorized access. Paired with SSH, VPNs create a layered security approach.

While it may be tempting to simplify remote access, for example by opening ports in your firewall, its best to avoid such methods. By using SSH and a VPN, you will not only gain remote access, but also ensure that port scanners and other internet-based malicious actors cannot easily gain access. Consider using a platform like SocketXP, which combines the benefits of cloud-based IoT device management with secure remote access capabilities.

Consider the advantages of using SSH for remote IoT access.

SSH enables remote access and management of IoT devices, even across different geographic locations.
Device administrators can securely execute commands, configure settings, and troubleshoot issues, saving time and effort.
This prevents unauthorized access and enhances the overall security of IoT devices and networks.

To access your IoT device via SSH, a few steps are required. First, you will need to download and install a software agent, such as the SocketXP IoT agent. This agent acts as a bridge, allowing you to securely access your IoT device via SSH. Once the agent is installed, you can configure your network, and make a secure connection to your network via VPN and then access your IoT device through SSH as if you were on your local network.

In addition to SSH, other options for remote access exist, such as Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), which provides remote visual access, or Virtual Network Computing (VNC). The decision on which remote access method to use depends on the specific requirements of your IoT devices. In cases where a graphical user interface is needed, VNC or RDP may be suitable, but for many scenarios SSH offers a secure, efficient, and reliable solution.

The benefits of SSH extend beyond convenience. For instance, many IoT devices do not have a graphical user interface (GUI) or are located in remote or inaccessible areas. With SSH, administrators can perform necessary tasks without being physically present, such as remote monitoring and management of devices and the ability to execute commands.

Here's what is commonly used in three scenarios:

Remote monitoring and management of devices.
Securely executing commands and configuring settings.
Troubleshooting device issues, ensuring efficient problem-solving.

To implement remote SSH access successfully, certain prerequisites must be met:

The IoT device should have an SSH server configured and running.
The network must allow SSH traffic (e.g., through VPN or appropriate firewall rules).
The user must have the correct credentials (username/password or SSH key) to log in.

When using SSH, your data is protected by an encrypted SSH tunnel, ensuring all information exchanged between the device and the administrator remains confidential. This prevents unauthorized access and protects against eavesdropping attacks. Using SSH also reduces the risk of security threats such as port scanners or hackers, because they are unable to access the SSH server port on your IoT devices. This is an alternate method for remotely connecting to your IoT devices SSH server, using the socketXP solution.

When working with IoT devices, you can also set up remote access through a web browser. The remoteIoT web SSH client can access IoT devices from anywhere via a standard web browser. This allows for flexibility, so you can use a device from anywhere in the world.

There are many reasons why SSH is a key feature of remote access. Here are a few:

SSH makes it possible to control IoT devices from anywhere in the world.
People can safely log in and control devices from anywhere.
Users don't have to be present.

For debugging and diagnostics of edge computing applications, the need for remote access is becoming increasingly important. With the use of remote terminal access, such as SSH or VNC, you can debug and monitor devices deployed at the edge. With the device proxy, you can establish a connection to the SSH daemon, and the proxy applications will tunnel the traffic between local instances and the IoT hub streaming endpoint.

SSH offers distinct advantages for both monitoring and administration. It simplifies the management of devices at scale, while improving operational efficiency and reducing risks. Also, you can download and install the socketXP IoT agent on your IoT device and use SSH to access your devices. SSH provides a reliable method for remote administration and monitoring. With all this in place, you can have a robust, secure, and easy-to-deploy means of accessing and monitoring your edge devices.

To learn more about SSH and its integration with IoT device management, you can find further information by consulting the resources available.

Establishing a secured connection and having remote terminal access (SSH, telnet or VNC) is a must for deployed IoT edge devices. This also means port scanners or hackers from the internet cannot access your IoT device ssh server port. Since we can rely on the container engine on the remote machine, we can now run VS Code on our amd64 development machine and build images with an arm device. The use of SSH, in conjunction with a VPN, ensures that your data is protected by an encrypted tunnel.

Understanding the underlying components that facilitate this remote access is key. Deviceproxy represents a local proxy for the IoT device. This acts as a client for the local SSH daemon and is responsible for authenticating against an IoT hub, as well as creating a websocket connection to a streaming endpoint. Serviceproxy represents a proxy for service which acts as a server for a local SSH client.

When considering an IoT device such as a Raspberry Pi, you can use tools such as VS Code and use a remote development environment to build images on the device. This allows you to use your preferred development environment while working on the device, and greatly improves productivity.

Feature	Description	Benefit
Remote access via SSH	Enables secure remote access to IoT devices.	Facilitates remote management and troubleshooting without requiring physical presence.
Secure Shell (SSH)	A cryptographic network protocol.	Provides secure and reliable method for remote administration.
VPN	Virtual Private Network	Provides secure pathway for accessing devices, encrypting all data transmitted.
SocketXP	A cloud-based IoT device management platform.	Simplifies management and streamlines IoT device access, increasing device control and enhancing security.
Firewalls	Security systems which monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic.	Protects devices and networks by blocking unauthorized access.
VNC	Virtual Network Computing	Allows for remote visual access and control of the device's interface.
Disabling Password-Based Authentication	By disabling password authentication and using SSH key-based authentication for SSH login.	Improves the IoT devices remote access security.
Remote Monitoring and Alerting	Provides real-time monitoring of IoT device performance.	Enables administrators to monitor the performance and status of devices.

Best IoT Device Remote SSH Example A Comprehensive Guide

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How to Access IoT Devices Remotely with SSH [6 Easy Steps] cloud.lavainfo.my.id

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