What code signing means
A code signature is a seal on a program. It tells Windows two things: who published it, checked by a certificate authority before the certificate was issued, and that the file hasn't been changed since it was signed. If anyone altered a signed file, the seal would no longer match and Windows would say so.
For RemoteAccessApp, that means:
- A verified publisher. Where Windows used to say Unknown publisher, it now names RUST GAMES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, the Australian company behind RemoteAccessApp.
- The installer and the apps are signed, so the Agent and the Console on your PC carry the same publisher.
- Updates were already signed. Installed apps already check every update against RemoteAccessApp's own signature before installing it. They update themselves to the signed version, with nothing for you to do.
Why Windows may still warn you for a while
Windows SmartScreen looks at two things: whether a program is signed, and how many people have downloaded it safely. A new signature starts with no download history, and that reputation builds up as people install the app over the coming weeks. Until it has, some people will still see the blue box. The difference is that it now names us as the publisher.
If Windows says it protected your PC
- Make sure you downloaded the installer yourself from the download page at remoteaccessapp.com.
- Click More info.
- Check that the publisher is RUST GAMES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, then click Run anyway.
If the publisher is missing or different, or the file came from anywhere else, don't run it.
You can also check a downloaded installer before you run it: right-click it, choose Properties, and open the Digital Signatures tab. Our help article on the "Windows protected your PC" warning has the same steps.
Why it matters for remote access in particular
Remote access software is exactly what scammers ask people to install, often from look-alike websites. A signed installer from remoteaccessapp.com, with our company's name on it, gives you one more way to be sure you've got the real thing. It doesn't replace the rules that matter most, though: download only from our website, and never install anything because a stranger asked you to. Our post on how to spot a remote access scam covers the warning signs.
Signing also changes nothing about consent. The PC still asks Allow remote access? unless unattended access was switched on at that PC, and a banner with an End button shows during every session.
What's next
We're also working on a Microsoft Store listing, so you'll be able to install RemoteAccessApp from the Store too. Until then, the download page is the place to get it. On Linux, the download page offers the packages from RemoteAccessApp's signed release, as before, and on a Mac you use the website in your browser.