Secure remote desktops in the browser — no VPN, no hardware

// the challenge

The client needed to give a distributed team secure desktops without shipping and managing physical machines or standing up a traditional VPN.

// our approach

• Ran containerized remote-desktop workloads on Kubernetes, so a workspace is just a pod that can be created and destroyed on demand.
• Exposed each session through the browser with noVNC, removing the need for any native client or VPN software on the user's device.
• Put Cloudflare Zero Trust in front for authentication, device-posture checks, and per-user access policy — access is granted per identity.
• Automated provisioning and teardown so idle workspaces don't sit around costing money.
• Persistent storage so users can save files and keep their workspace state between sessions.

// the outcome

The team now opens a secure desktop from any browser, authenticated through Zero Trust with no VPN and no company-issued hardware. Access is centrally controlled per person, workspaces scale up and down with demand on Kubernetes, and there's no fleet of physical machines to manage.