Users and Roles

You can manage Fortra VM users and roles by selecting Account > Users or Roles in the navigation menu.

IMPORTANT: Alert Logic customers manage users and roles within Alert Logic MDR, see Customer Accounts, User Accounts, and User Roles.

Account Management

WARNING: While Fortra VM makes it easy to add users and assign roles, carefully plan who is allowed to access the service because it includes sensitive information about your organization.

Configure Users

You can perform a variety of user account-related activities from the User List tab.

Create and Enable a User Account

NOTE: You can create a user from anywhere in Fortra VM by selecting New on the site header, and then selecting User from the drop-down list.

Select Account > Users or Roles, and then select + New user. On the Create New User page, you can enter the user's information and assign that user a role. A user's name and email address are the only required information to create a new account.

  1. Select Create or Create and send invite (if you want to also send the new user a welcome email). A confirmation appears letting you know the user is created. The user’s status is Pending and not Enabled until they respond to the invitation email.
  2. Once the account is created, select it to configure any of the following settings:
    1. User Permissions - Located on the General tab, Fortra VM has a variety of permissions you can assign the account. For example, you can allow a user to run vulnerability scans but not configure a scanner.
    2. Preferences - Located on the General tab, you can control the type of notifications the user receives (for example, when scans start).
    3. API Tokens.
  1. Select Save.

To access Fortra VM the new user must enable the account by following the steps outlined in the Welcome email sent to them. If you have to resend the invite, select the mail icon next to the user’s name on the User List tab.

Manage user accounts

NOTE: Only a Fortra VM administrator can change, disable, or delete a user account.
  1. From Account > Users, select the user’s name or the Edit button next to their name.
  2. Edit the desired information.
  3. Select Save.
  1. From Account > Users, select the user’s name or the Edit button next to their name.
  2. Choose one of the following:

    1. Disable - Revokes the user’s access to Fortra VM, but their account remains. Selecting this option also notifies the user of the change by way of email.

      NOTE: To re-enable a disabled account, select the user's name from Users, and then select Enable.
    2. Delete - Removes the user’s account from Fortra VM. Selecting this option also notifies the user of the change by way of email.

The User Account includes the following added preferences saved to settings to persist through entire use of Fortra VM:

  • Show Help
  • Show Hidden (Active View)
  • Show Hidden (Scan)
  • Show Acceptable Risk (Active View)
  • Show Acceptable Risk (Scan)
  • Show Extra Info (Active View)
  • Show Extra Info (Scan)
  • Show Fixed by Default

These preferences remedy the use of cached values from switching toggles ON and OFF in each session.

Notification Settings

Fortra VM enables each user to customize settings for managing the receipt of notifications.

Manage Notification Settings

  1. Select the user's name from the top-right header and then select Manage Notifications.

  2. Use the toggles to customize email and in-app notifications.

Configure Roles

Roles Simplify Permission Management

Roles are an efficient way to assign users permissions. Instead of assigning permissions to each individual user, you can create a role, assign it permissions, and then apply the role simultaneously to a group of similar users. For example, if you have three security analysts who need to create scans and scan policies, you can create a "Security Analyst" role with those permissions enabled and then associate the analysts’ accounts with that role. If you make a change to that role, the analysts’ permissions will automatically update.

Roles also help eliminate the risk of accidentally giving a user elevated permissions.

Select the Roles to view, create, and assign roles. Fortra VM has the following default roles:

  • Account admin - For administrators who need full rights to manage their entire Fortra VM environment.
  • Limited User - For users who only need limited access to label, note, report, and scan results administration.
  • Read Only User - For users who only need view access to the Fortra VM environment.
  • Reports User - For users who only need to create and manage reports within the Fortra VM environment.
  • User - For general users who need to create and run scans, set up asset groups, and other common Fortra VM functions.
  1. From the navigation menu, select Account > Roles.
  2. Select + New role.
  3. On the Create New Role page, do the following:
    1. Enter the Role name and Description.
    2. Toggle Share role ON or OFF.
    3. Enable the User Permissions required for this role.
    4. Select Save.
  1. From the navigation menu, select Account > Users.
  2. Select the applicable user.
  3. From the Role list, select a role to assign the user.
  4. Select Save.
  1. From the navigation menu, select Account > Roles.
  2. Select the role to change, and then update its settings.
  3. Select Save.
  1. From the navigation menu, select Account > Roles.
  2. Select the role to delete, and then select Delete.
  3. Select Continue.