BeyondTrust Remote Support Tool
Overview
In order to better facilitate technical support of Lumination Learning Labs, our Technical Support team is equipped with a zero-trust by default remote access tool called Beyond Trust. With Beyond Trust remote access, Lumination’s technical support team can better provide on-the-spot support, by either viewing in the case of read-only support or if granted the ability to do so, even remotely operate the device that requires troublshooting whilst on a support call.
Starting a Remote Support Session
To start a remote support session, a Lumination technical support representative will first check that an active remote support agreement is in place for the specific site that is requesting technical support.
Over the phone, they will guide the person requesting technical support to visit the BeyondTrust Cloud support portal https://lumination.beyondtrustcloud.com/ and enter a unique session ID number into the Session Key submission field.
By default, the technical support representative will have READ-ONLY access to the system that the support session is initiated on. A support representative can elevate permissions only in the event that they are explicity granted by the person receiving support.
Requesting elevated permissions
If a technician requires physical control of the remote device, they may request additional permissions to perform remote control, which will trigger a prompt (pictured below) that the person receiving support will need to physically accept.
A webpage will open initiating a download for the BeyondTrust client containing the following instructions.
Stopping a Remote Support Session
To end a session at any time, select the X button and when prompted to end the session confirm by selecting Yes.
An elevated session will instead have a bit STOP SHARING button. As with a read-only session, a remote session can be ended by the person receiving support at any time.
Once a session has ended, you will receive a prompt confirming that the BeyondTrust application has stopped running. The program will uninstall itself automatically and cannot be used again unless a new session is created and explicitly approved by the person receiving support.
A link will open allowing you to generate a transcript of any of the messages typed in the chat window during the support session.
Network and Security Controls
- Eliminate Risky Remote RDP, VNC, VPN, and other Hard-to-Audit Remote Access Pathways: BeyondTrust Remote Support uses outbound-only session traffic using TCP Port 443. BeyondTrust works through firewalls without VPN tunneling, so your perimeter security can remain intact.
- Robust Encryption: All session traffic and data in-transit is encrypted. Enforce the use of SSL for every session connection, and enables encryption of data in transit using TLSv1.2.
FAQs
Who will be accessing my system using Remote Support tools?
Only our team of experienced IT Technicians and Specialists will access your system. All of our employees have current Working With Children Checks, which they are happy to provide on request.
Can Lumination access my system without my knowledge?
No. Lumination will not access your system without clear, agreed approval for each scheduled session.
What steps do I need to take so that you can use Remote Support tools at my school?
Before we begin using remote support tools, we’ll need you to return a copy of the Lumination Support Agreement signed by the Principal at your school site.
Can I withdraw approval for Remote Support tool use at my school if I change my mind?
Yes, you can withdraw approval at any time. Please email [email protected] or submit a support ticket, and we will remove your school from our list of approved sites. We will never access your system without your explicit consent.
Do I need to install anything to allow the team to perform remote support?
No. By default, Lumination’s technical support team provide over-the-phone and email technical support.
Even in the event that a remote support agreement has been signed to allow the use of the remote tool, it does not need to be pre-installed on any devices, and when it is downloaded and run, which is initiated by the person receiving support – the lightweight program does not write to sensitive directories such as C:\Program Files, etc. and will automatically delete itself once the session has ended.