Which of the following would MOST likely make a Windows workstation on a corporate network vulnerable to remote exploitation?

Enabling Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) creates a direct and powerful vector for remote exploitation. RDP allows for full, interactive remote control of a workstation's graphical user interface. It is one of the most frequently targeted services by malicious actors for initial access, lateral movement, and ransomware deployment. Attackers can exploit known vulnerabilities in the RDP service (e.g., BlueKeep - CVE-2019-0708), or they can perform brute-force or credential-stuffing attacks against the exposed login interface. Because it provides such a high level of access, enabling RDP is considered a significant and immediate security risk if not properly secured with strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and network-level access controls.

A. Disabling Windows Updates: This is a serious security misconfiguration that prevents patching of known vulnerabilities, but the exploitation depends on a specific, unpatched vulnerability existing and being targeted.
B. Disabling Windows Firewall: This is extremely risky as it exposes all listening services, but the likelihood of exploitation depends on a vulnerable service being active. RDP itself is a high-risk service.
C. Enabling Remote Registry: This allows remote modification of the system registry, which is a risk, but it does not provide the direct interactive control that RDP does, making it a less likely primary vector for exploitation.

1. Microsoft Corporation. (2021). Security guidance for the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). Microsoft Docs. This document outlines the inherent risks of RDP, stating, "Because RDP provides full remote control of a computer, it is a valuable target for attackers." It details attack methods including exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities and brute-forcing credentials.

2. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). (2020, March 13). Alert (AA20-073A): Enterprise VPN Security. CISA.gov. In this alert, CISA explicitly warns that "malicious actors may use RDP to move laterally within a network." It highlights RDP as a primary tool for attackers once initial access is gained, underscoring its role in exploitation.

3. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2016). Special Publication 800-46 Revision 2: Guide to Enterprise Telework, Remote Access, and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Security. Section 3.2.2, "Full Remote Control." This guide discusses the security implications of remote control solutions like RDP, noting they "give a remote user full control over a remote host," which presents significant security risks that must be mitigated through strong authentication and encryption.