REMOTE SUPPORT DECISION GUIDE
The useful distinction is whether a person at the device approves each session—or whether a trusted support team can return to an enrolled machine.
Use attended access for first contact and one-off help. Use unattended access for managed devices and recurring support where durable authorization is already established. Many teams need both.
Choose from the relationship, not convenience
Attended access
A person at the device opens a temporary support tool or link and approves the session. It fits new customers, one-off requests, personally owned devices and situations where standing access would be disproportionate.
Use it when
- The device is not enrolled
- The person should approve this specific request
- The work is one-off
- Standing access should not remain
Attended does not remove the need for a defined scope, correct customer and device identity, or a record of what changed.
Unattended access
An authorized technician can reach an enrolled device without asking the user to start every session. It fits managed devices, recurring support and planned maintenance.
Use it when
- The device is owned or managed by the organization
- An ongoing support relationship is documented
- After-hours investigation or maintenance is expected
- Access can be reviewed and revoked promptly
Durable authority makes enrollment, role boundaries, revocation, audit history and customer expectations especially important.
Neither mode is secure by default
A temporary link can still grant excessive access. An enrolled device can still be operated safely when permissions, scope and records are strong. The useful question is whether the access model matches the relationship—and whether the controls make that relationship visible.
Temporary access is not a substitute for scope. Durable access is not a substitute for governance.
Evaluate the complete support workflow
Walk through a real request from intake to closure. A suitable tool and operating model should answer:
- Who requested the work, and how was that identity connected to the customer and device?
- What may the technician inspect or change?
- Can access be limited, reviewed and revoked?
- What evidence is available before an action is taken?
- How will the technician verify that the action produced the intended result?
- Where are actions, findings, limitations and follow-up recorded?
Screen sharing, command access, monitoring, ticketing and AI-driven support solve different parts of that path. Treating them as interchangeable creates either operational gaps or unnecessary access.
FORGE APPROACH
One support record, two access modes
Forge supports enrolled Windows and Linux devices for ongoing work and attended Rescue links for new requests. It provides structured command and file access rather than screen sharing, and keeps customer, device and case context beside the investigation.
Whisper can carry out investigation and authorized work inside workspace and device permissions. The technician sets intent and scope, then remains responsible for judgment and verification.
A practical default
Start attended when the relationship or scope is new. Enroll only when repeated support, device ownership and operating policy justify durable access.
Ready IT 
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