This article shows you how to access the SSProtect :Foundation Client UI.
Introduction
SSProtect is comprised of the :Foundation Client that you install on your host computer, and also KODiAC (Cloud) Services deployed and maintained by your Managed Service Provider.
This article shows you how to get started with the :Foundation Client (SSProtect) UI.
Prerequisites
This article assumes you have downloaded and installed the :Foundation Client as described in the article, Installing the :Foundation Client.
You will need an Account to work along with the general guidance in this article. You can provision a Test Account using the instructions in the article, Provision Test Accounts.
We recommend perusal of this article before continuing with other Walkthroughs.
SSProtect/ :Foundation Client User Interface
SSProtect uses the :Foundation Client for all User Interface activity: The software does not use a traditional website and browser for configuration. Note that this does not preclude, "central configuration" - to the contrary, the UI provides all management facilities you would find using a Console or website.
The :Foundation Client automatically starts when you Log In to Windows. Access the User Interface by navigating to the notification tray near your taskbar's date/ time, then right-click the :Foundation Client icon:
The menu is context specific: SSProtect displays menu items based on the Active Account's features and permissions. The screenshot above shows the context menu when SSProtect does not have an active Login Session.
Choose Refresh Login, which terminates any existing Login Session then displays the Login dialog described below.
Desktop Shortcut
You can also double-click the SSProtect Desktop Shortcut created during installation:
When you double-click the Desktop Shortcut, one of three things will happen:
- If you do not have an active Login Session, SSProtect will display the Login dialog for you to proceed
- If you have an active Login Session and any :Foundation Client dialog is opened, it will be brought into focus
- If you have a Login Session without any open dialogs, you will receive notification with the Account and Conversion (Operating) Mode:
On-Demand Activity
If you attempt to access SSProtect-managed content but have not established a Login Session (or an existing Login Session has reached timeout and expired, explained below), you will be prompted with the Login dialog. After you enter valid credentials, SSProtect will proceed to carry out the associated activity using your Account context.
Login Dialog
The Login dialog, shown here, presents the set of Profiles for locally-configured Accounts that you can use to Log In. It also allows you to carry out Sign-Up and Register operations for new Accounts.
A Profile is an Alias for an Account, allowing you to use a naming convention matching your needs. For more details, refer to the article, Registering a 2nd Profile.
Choose the Profile dropdown and select the Profile/ Account you wish to use, then enter your Password and select Login to proceed. This establishes your Login Session and, if the Login dialog was displayed in response to an Event requiring SSProtect attention, the :Foundation Client will use the new context to carry out the associated activity.
After you Log In, return to the notification panel and right-click the SSProtect icon - notice the context menu has changed from that shown above: You can now see menu items for all activities available to your Account:
This example shows a Privileged User with all SSProtect features enabled, and thus represents the most complete context menu available to any Account. By comparison, a Non-Privileged User Account appears as follows:
If Bulk Conversion has been disabled for the Account, it will not be included in the menu for Unprivileged Users (and will be included but disabled/ gray in the menu for Privileged Users).
Login Session
Your Login Session will remain active for a certain period of time, and during that time you can carry out SSProtect-related activities without re-submitting your Login credentials. You may, however, have to provide 2-Factor Authentication credentials, depending on your Account's configuration. SSProtect MFA is more fully described in the :Access series of articles.
By default, Accounts are configured with a Login Session duration of an hour (or 65 minutes, depending on a variety of factors). If after this timeframe any activity requires SSProtect's attention, you will be prompted to re-enter your credentials before proceeding.*
You can change the Login Session with the Account Config dialog: Navigate to the notification tray, right-click the SSProtect icon, then choose Account Configuration:
Change the Local Login min Session to any value greater than 5 (minutes) and less than 480 (minutes, an 8-hour duration). We do not recommend long durations unless using Hardware 2FA.
* In some cases, you can choose a new Account for the pending activity, and in others you must provide credentials for the previously-active Account to maintain transaction integrity, for example when closing a Managed document. The Login dialog will disable the Profile dropdown in these cases.
Dialog Captions
You may have noticed the details in the Caption of the Account Config dialog, above. Every dialog uses the same format to help you maintain insight over your context:
(License_State) Dialog_Summary Client_Version - Account_Email (Organization)
where...
License State - the specific state of your License, further explained in the article, SSProtect Licensing.
Dialog_Summary - the name of the dialog, providing some sense of the encapsulated controls/ information
Client_Version - the executing version of your :Foundation Client
Account Email - the email address associated with your active Account
Organization - the SSProtect Organization your Account belongs to, when applicable
Getting Help
You may have noticed the notification icon's context menu includes a Help selection:
The Walkthroughs entry takes you to the associated set of Sections for these specific articles, whereas the Knowledge Base item takes you to the main landing page for the greater set of articles. Use the Release Notes for introductory information and, at the end, details specific to the most recent Updates to the system.
Note that every UI dialog includes a Help button that will redirect (after user acknowledgment) to an article specific to the operating context.
Host Debug Logs
:Foundation Client activity is recorded in Host Debug Logs accessible from the Display Logfile context menu item (see above). This selection is available when working in any context, showing the Host Debug Log for the most recently used Account. Execution opens the associated Log in Notepad. The level of detail can be fine-tuned for on-demand troubleshooting. For details, refer to the article, Accessing Host Debug Logs.
Start Menu Shortcuts
When you install SSProtect, the Start Menu is populated with various items inside the Definitive Data Security, Inc. folder, as shown and described below:
- Foundation Client - Without a Login Session, displays the Login dialog else a notification prompt
- Known Issues - Displays the text file summarizing specific shortcomings for various use cases
- License Agreement - Opens a copy of the Software License Agreement presented during Installation
- README - Opens a text file that introduces SSProtect while referring to other helpful resources
- Release Notes - Displays the text file with introductory use information and details for each Update
- Support Online - Opens a web browser displaying the landing page for this Knowledge Base
Additional Resources
You can search this site for more information on various topics, or use this link to submit a specific request. You can also send email directly to support@definisec.com, and our staff will respond to your needs as soon as possible.
In the meantime, don't forget to check out our primary website and Insights columns for information on current trends, security topics, and how our technologies relate.
This article was updated w/ v10.9.4 of the :Foundation Client