Connections Online - Security Upgrade

Connections Online Security Upgrade

Introduction

This upgrade to the Connections Online application was designed to give organizations more flexibility to choose who has access to what information. Access to different parts of the application can now be given to specific employees or groups of employees. This access can be set at four levels:

  1. No Access - This user or group cannot access the given area.
  2. Reader - This user or group has the ability to read the given area.
  3. Author - This user or group has the ability to add and edit items in the given area.
  4. Coordinator - This user or group has the ability to grant/restrict access to the given area by using the Security Settings window. Ability to add, edit and delete.

Note: Administrators have access to all areas of the application regardless of security settings.

Security Areas

The following table lists the items in Connections Online that are affected by this security upgrade along with their default security settings:
Item Default Settings
Organization Connection Default - Reader
Organization Editors - Author
Organization Connection Report Default - Reader
Organization Editors - Author
Focus Report Default - Reader
Organization Editors - Author
Organization Dialogs Default - Reader
Organization Editors - Author
Organization Dialog Agenda Report Default - Reader
Organization Editors - Author
Organization Tree Report Default - Reader
Organization Editors - Author
Business Priorities (from an Organization Connection) Default - Reader
Owner - Reader
Team Member - Reader
Team Leader - Author
Organization Editors - Author
Critical Measures Default - Reader
Critical Measure Owners - Reader
Organization Editors - Author
Team Connection Default - Reader
Owner - Reader
Team Member - Reader
Team Leader - Author
Team Connection Report Default - Reader
Owner - Reader
Team Member - Reader
Team Leader - Author
Team Dialogs Default - Reader
Owner - Reader
Team Member - Reader
Team Leader - Author
Team Dialog Agenda Report Default - Reader
Owner - Reader
Team Member - Reader
Team Leader - Author
Business Priority Team Authority Matrix Report Default - Reader
Individual Conneciton Default - Reader
Given Individual - Reader
Individual Connection Report Default - Reader
Given Individual - Reader
Individual Authority Matix Report Default - Reader
Given Individual - Reader
Individual Dialog Default - No Access
Given Individual - Author
Individual Dialog Agenda Report Default - No Access
Given Individual - Author
The "View Another Individual" Option Default - Reader
The "View Another Natural Team" Option Default - Reader
Natural Team Projects Module Default - Reader
Natural Team Member - Reader
Natural Team Leader - Reader
Natural Team Projects Report Default - Reader
Natural Team Member - Reader
Natural Team Leader - Reader
Natural Team Resource Utilization Report Default - Reader
Natural Team Member - Reader
Natural Team Leader - Reader

How to Set Access

The Security Settings window is the only security window most users will see. It is available from most areas of the application by a Security Settings link (, , or ). When a user is an Administrator or has Coordinator access to an area (a specific Organization Connection, for example), they can use this window to give employees and security groups specific access for that area. Users that have Reader or Author access to this area are just be able to see this window in a read-only mode. The following two screens show the difference between what Administrators/Coordinators see and what everyone else sees.
Security Settings for Administrators and Coordinators Security Settings for Readers and Authors

This window shows the type and name of the item (in this case, Organization Connection and ABC Financial Institution), followed by a list of security settings for the item. This list shows three types of security settings:

  1. Group Group Settings - These settings give security access to entire groups of individuals at one time. These security groups are created from the Admin Tab.
  2. Individual Individual Settings - These settings give security access to specific individuals.
  3. Default Default Settings - These settings allow security to be set for special-cases like Business Priority Team Members and Leaders, the Given Individual for Individual Connections, Critical Measure Owners, etc. These settings can be changed but cannot be deleted.

Pressing Add will bring up the New Access Level dialog. This dialog is used to select the security group or employee to add to the Security Settings window and to select the access level for the selected group or individual. Only individuals and security groups that are already in the application will be shown here. New individuals and groups can be added to Connections Online from the Admin tab.
New Access Level
Pressing Edit will bring up the Change Access Level dialog. This dialog is used to change the access level for the selected group or individual.
Change Access Level

Administration Features

  1. Default Security Settings - This window is used to set the default security settings for new areas or areas that do not have specific settings yet. For example, this will allow Administrators to set up Connections Online to give everyone read-only (Reader) access to all new Organization Connections.
    Default Security Settings
  2. Security Groups - This window is used to list the current security groups in the system. It will be available from the Admin Tab.
    Security Groups
  3. Edit Security Group - This is the edit window for the security groups. It will be available when the user is adding or editing a security group from the previous screen.
    Edit Security Group
  4. Edit Employee Security - This window lists all security groups that include this employee as a member. It will be available from the Edit Employee window. The Edit Employee window will have a Security button on it that opens this window instead of the current Security checkboxes (Administrator, Organization Editor, etc.)
    Edit Employee Security