Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is Microsoft’s Windows Server platform for delivering full remote desktops and published applications to users over the network. It includes roles and components for session hosting, connection brokering, licensing, and gateway access, making it a central part of many remote administration and application-delivery setups.
RDS matters in cyber security because it often sits on a critical path to servers and internal tools. Attackers target RDS-related services to gain remote access, reuse stolen credentials, brute-force exposed logins, or move laterally after a foothold. Defenders rely on RDS for legitimate administration, but they must harden it with MFA, network restrictions, strong patch management, and logging. If an update or configuration change breaks RDS, teams may lose their easiest management route, so alternate console access and rollback plans are important for availability and incident response.