Your welcome
I don't know of any other way it could be done. Even when my provider accessed my computer I had to give/put something on my computer.
But I guess hackers do it somehow now that I think about it.
I just don't know.
There are multiple ways that people's PCs can be remotely accessed.
Just to be clear, this sort of remote access is very different than an existing Virus residing on a person's PC and the Virus software itself unleashes its "payload" to start causing all kinds of bad actions on a person's PC. Actions like automatically bringing up multiple Internet Browser windows and accessing *advertiser censored* sites. And even copying data from a *advertiser censored* site and downloading pictures (from known sites) onto a persons PC. That sort of thing is all done by a virus someone has gotten on the PC. The Virus software is also obtained in different ways. Ways like a user mistakenly clicking on a bad internet link, clicking on an email attachment, installing an infected screen saver, etc etc.
Remote access is quite different. Remote access that people are most familiar with is when they contact TECH HELP and the PC technician asks if they can help fix their PC remotely. They typically will ask the user to type something in "START" box in lower left corner. The new windows may be different now. But most of us have used this sort of tech service and have watched the technician move the cursor on their own PC screen while we just sit back in awe that some guy from another country is now trying to fix our PC.
That is 1 WAY. There are mutliple ways that a persons PC can be accessed remotely.
Another easy example is our automatic Windows Updates where we get a pop-up saying that Windows needs to update our software. We allow it because we think it is safe and needed. That sort of remote access is done externally by windows software and windows databases (not a person), but still the same concept. Something externally is coming onto our PC. In this case, it is data and software being installed onto our PC.
Most all of these types of remote access do require Administrative (us) rights to be granted to access our "drives" or our PC. Like our C-drive.
Now, here is the kicker. We usually get default settings when we buy a PC. Most of these default settings would typically prevent remote access to our PC and its drives without us granting permission. Which is usually why we would get a pop-up or warning of some sort if something is about to happen.
However, once a setting is changed to "SHARE" or "ALLOW", then unless it is changed back, we could be vulnerable. Some Viruses also change these settings themselves.
If our PC is not setup to require a password to be keyed whenever Administrator rights type settings are changed, we are vulnerable. For example, years ago, a lot of us either didnt know or dont like to setup our PC's to require these sorts of passwords to be keyed each time we turn on our PC because it is a hassle to do it and we just didnt know about it. Nowadays, we are getting better at setting up our PCs to be password-protected upon startup and also some of us know how to change our administrator settings to require a password to be keyed whenever an administrator type setting is changed. We get a popup asking for password whenever we need to change a setting. Its a hassle, but it helps prevent this sort of remote access.
The bottom line is remote access can be done without our knowledge if our settings are setup to "ALLOW" or "SHARE" to our drives and PC. And most of us don't know where the settings are or even how to do something like that.
The GOOD NEWS though is most good Anti-virus software does this sort of thing for us and they protect us when they can. Which is why whenever we get a pop-up OR message OR warning from our Anti-virus software or Windows itself. Read that message carefully and DONT do anything until you know it is ok to proceed.
Hope this helps.