Password protect screen in RSView Studio

MartB

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I know people use several different methods for password protecting screens in RSView studio, but I would really like to know if anyone has come up with a "very" secure system.
I have a customer who wants some system critical data available to only a couple of people. I know from past experience how easy it is for passwords to become public domain after only a week or two and I'm just interested to hear peoples opinions on the subject.
 
I think that there is a way to tie the RSView password to the Win NT/XP password, but I'm not sure how to do it. Check the documentation. If there is a way to tie the two together then people suddenly won't be so willing to give away their network password because it give everyone access to their own stuff as well.

Aside from that, the keyswitch is the next best way - along with a strongly enforced policy about giving away an unauthorized password.
 
Alaric said:
I think that there is a way to tie the RSView password to the Win NT/XP password, but I'm not sure how to do it. Check the documentation. If there is a way to tie the two together then people suddenly won't be so willing to give away their network password because it give everyone access to their own stuff as well.

Can't do it on this system unfortunately. But I've also used this method before to good effect.
 
RSView ME can use domain authentication on any of its platforms. It's the best way to perform password aging and user password control.

It's just that *you* can't use that because you evidently don't have a domain controller wired up to these terminals.

So you have to use the built-in passwords. They're secure until somebody lets theirs be known, then you have to change them.

So what are you thinking would be more secure ?

I have one customer right now who wants to be able to change user passwords from right on the PanelView Plus itself. I think that approach is actually less secure; in that case, a person needs only the administrative password (not access to the RSView Studio software) to change any or all of the users of the terminal.

What would be your ideal security functionality for an operator terminal ?
 
You're right - we don't have a domain controller wired.
I'm thinking of some kind of software security at the moment (some kind of handshaking with the PLC), although quite what I'm still undecided about at the moment.
I also like the keyswitch idea (which I may incorporate also).
I'm going to have to "timeout" the password protected screens anyway as I can't trust them to "logout".
Other than that I'm still open to suggestions really - I'm not in a rush to get it done - the machine won't be ready to program for 3 weeks so plenty of time to come up with something simple, just need to brainstorm a little more.
🍺
 
I had a project recently where I was wishing that the Logout button could also trigger a Goto Display function. It can't; I tried a couple of macro-based techniques but got nowhere. I don't like the "Remote Display Command" function in RSView ME at all.

So what I did was put a Logout button on top of a Goto Display button.

When a user with security clearance "A" is logged in, the Logout button is visible. Once the secured user has pushed the Logout button, it goes invisible and the Goto Display button becomes visible. Both have just an "X" in them (the goto button is red) and the secured user knows he has to press the "display exit button" twice.

This is just ordinary Visibility animation in RSView ME. There are predefined System string tags that equal the current user name or the current user's security clearance.
 
Our latest machines are coming in with 4 different password "levels".. that way some people have the non-critical passwords to be able to view items, and the people that need to be able to adjust have the critical passwords.....
 
I found a Microsoft Fingerprint Reader at Sam's Warehouse. For $30 I had to try it. It seems to do well at distinguishing between fingerprints. A fingerprint can be set up to auto-enter any password or series of commands, on practically any Windows computer. You can scan and store as many fingerprints as you need, with a storage file for each of your 10 fingers on each computer.

I long for the day when SOMETHING replaces those aggravating passwords. Between home and 2 workplaces, I have scores of different passwords to keep up with, and now most of them have to be changed every 3 months, must have 8 digits, 1 of which must be capital letter, 1 small letter, at least 1 number, no repeating numbers or letters, no numbers in sequence, either up or down, (but don't dare write a password down anywhere), and worst of all, I can't repeat any of the last 10 I have used! Who can remember 10 passwords back? This is a recipe for expansion of the IT Departments - gotta have phone answerers to reset those forgotten passwords.

Could these new password rules (issued by Microsoft) have anything to do with driving sales of the Microsoft Fingerprint Readers?

It seems we are traveling in computer circles. I remember in the 1960's if you wanted to write and run a program, you punched it out on a punchcard machine, then (with supervisory approval) submitted it for compiling. If there were any errors, like missing periods or commas, it got dumped, with only a print-out of cryptic error messages. After a dozen trials, if no errors were found, it went to the Program Review Committee, where it was evaluated for merit. If they thought it had any use, then they would actually load it on the IBM 360 mainframe and run it. If you developed several useful programs, they might even issue you a user password....

Then in the 1980's we were freed from computer slavery by the "Personal Computer". This was great for several years. I could load programs, run programs, and control my computer my way. The Geeks in the Computer Department disappeared. Then some nerd (Al Gore said it was him) invented computer networking, and the Powers That Be said, "Hey, if we are going to tie these personal computers together, we need to bring back the old Computer Department to make sure all our password rules are followed. But this time let's modernize and call it the Information Technology Department."

Guess what? Computer slavery again. Either we have come full circle, or I am just too old to cut the mustard anymore.
 
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