Approving a password release request
Depending on how the Security Policy Administrator configured the policy, a password release request will either require approval by one or more Safeguard for Privileged Passwords users, or be auto-approved. This process ensures the security of account passwords, provides accountability, and provides dual control over the system accounts.
You can revoke a request between the time the requester views it and checks it in.
Any eligible approver can deny a password release request after it has already been approved or auto-approved. Once disallowed, the requester will no longer have access to the password, but they are given another opportunity to request that password again. The requester receives an email notifying them that the request was denied.
Safeguard for Privileged Passwords can be configured to notify you of a password release request that requires your approval. For more information, see Configuring alerts.
(web client) To approve or deny a password release request
If you are an approver, click 
Approvals on the left of the page to manage approvals. On the Approvals page, you can:
- View details: Select the request and the details display on the right of the page.
- Approve one or more request: Select the requests. Then, click
to approve all the selected requests. Optionally, enter a comment.
- Deny one or more request: Select the requests. Then, click
to deny all the selected requests. Optionally, enter a comment.
- Change the columns that display: Click
and select the columns you want to see.
- Search: For more information, see Search box.
(desktop client) To approve or deny a password release request
- From your
Home page, the Approvals widget has these controls:
- Select
(expand down) to open the list of approvals.
- Select
Popout to float the Approvals pane.
You can then select and drag the pane to any location on the console and re-size the window.
- Open the list of approvals and select one of the following view filters. The number indicates how many requests are in that state.
- All: Password release requests in all states.
- Pending: Requests that are waiting for approval.
- Approved: Requests that have been approved, but not yet available to the requester.
- Once you open the list, select the requester's name to see the details of the password release request.
-
Take the following actions on password release requests:
- Pending: Select
to Approve or Deny a password release request. Optionally, enter a comment of up to 255 characters.
- Pending Additional Approvers: Select to Deny a password release request. Optionally, enter a comment of up to 255 characters.
- Approved: Select to Deny or Revoke an approved request.
Reviewing a completed password release request
The Security Policy Administrator can configure an access request policy to require a review of completed password release requests for accounts in the scope of the policy.
You can configure Safeguard for Privileged Passwords to notify you of a password release request that requires your review. For more information, see Configuring alerts.
(web client) To review a completed password release request
Select 
Reviews on the left of the page to manage reviews. On the Reviews page, you can:
- View details: Select the request and the details display on the right of the page.
- Mark one or more request as reviewed: Select the requests. Then, click Mark all the selected requests as reviewed. A comment may be required or, if not required, added.
- Change the columns that display: Click Select columns to display then select the columns you want to see.
- Search: For more information, see Search box.
(desktop client) To review a completed password release request
- From your Home page, the Reviews widget has these controls:
- Click (expand down) to open the list of pending reviews.
- Click Popout to float the Reviews pane.
You can then select and drag the pane to any location on the console and re-size the window.
- Open the list of pending reviews and select an account name to see the details of the password release request.
-
Take the following action on password release requests:
Once the review is complete, it no longer appears on the Reviews pane.
TIP: If one requester checks in the request and another requester wants to use it, the second requester is unable to check out the password until the original request has been reviewed. However, the Security Policy Administrator can Close a request that has not yet been reviewed. This will bypass the reviewer in the workflow and allow the account to be accessed by another requester.
Session request workflow
Authorized users can authorize connections, view active connections, limit access to specific resources, be alerted if connections exceed pre-set time limits, and even terminate connections.
Typically a session request follows the workflow below:
- Request: Users that are designated as an authorized user of an entitlement can request a session for any asset in the scope of that entitlement's policies.
- Approve: Depending on how the Security Policy Administrator configured the policy, a session request will either require approval by one or more Safeguard for Privileged Passwords users, or be auto-approved.
- Review: The Security Policy Administrator can optionally configure an access request policy to require a review of completed requests for assets in the scope of the policy. In addition, if session recording is enabled in the policy, reviewers can audit the workflow transactions and launch the Desktop Player to replay the session as part of the review process.
The following topics explain the entire end-to-end session access process from request to approval to review (and play back if sessions recording is enabled).
About sessions and recordings
One Identity Safeguard for Privileged Passwords proxies all sessions to target resources. Users do not have direct access to resources, therefore, the enterprise is protected against viruses, malware or other dangerous items on the user's system. Safeguard can proxy and record Unix/Linux, Windows, network devices, firewalls, routers and more.
NOTE: PuTTY is used to launch the SSH client for SSH session requests and is included in the install. The desktop client looks for any user-installed PuTTY in the following locations:
- Any reference to putty in the PATH environment variable
- c:/Program Files/Putty
- c:/Program Files(x86)/Putty
- c:/Putty
If PuTTY is not found, the desktop client uses the version of PuTTY that it installed at:
<user-home-dir>/AppData/Local/Safeguard/putty.
If the user later installs PuTTY in any of the locations above, the desktop client uses that version which ensures the user has the latest version of PuTTY.
Important notes
-
Sessions requests are enabled by default. However, if authorized users cannot request sessions, check the Session Requests Enabled setting in the desktop client (Administrative Tools | Settings | Access Request | Enable or Disable Services).
NOTE: You must have Appliance Administrator permissions to manage the service settings.
- All session activity (every packet sent and action that takes place on the screen, including mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes) is recorded and available for play back.
- If Safeguard for Privileged Passwords detects no activity for 10 minutes during a privileged session, the session is terminated.
Settings (desktop client) menu.
Workflow to review the transactions that took place in the selected request.
Review to complete the review process.