Users and Roles

You can manage Fortra VM users and roles by selecting Account > Users or Account > 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: Proceed with Caution

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

Configure Users

A variety of user account-related activities can be performed from the User List tab.

Create and Enable a User Account

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

From the Users & Roles menu, under System, select +New user. The Create New User page will open and here you can enter the user's information and select 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).
    2. 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 some or all of the following settings:
    • 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.
    • Preferences: Located on the General tab, you can control the type of notifications the user receives (e.g., when scans start).
    • 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. If you have to resend the invite, select the mail icon next to the user’s name on the User List tab.

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 icon next to their name.
  2. Edit the pertinent information.
  3. Select Save when complete.
  1. From Account > Users, select the user’s name or the edit icon next to their name.
  2. Choose one of the following:
    • Disable: This revokes the user’s access to Fortra VM, but their account remains. (The user is notified of the change via email.)
    • Delete: Removes the user’s account from Fortra VM. (The user is notified of the change via email.)
      3. NOTE: You can re-enable a disabled account by choosing the user name from Users, then selecting Enable.

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 / 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 a drop-down menu will appear.

  2. Click Manage Notifications.

  3. Use toggles to customize notifications received via email and in-app.

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 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 associate the analysts’ accounts with that role. If you make a change to that role, the analysts’ permissions are automatically updated.

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.
  • User: For general users who need to create and run scans, set up asset groups and other common Fortra VM functions.
  • 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: This is for general Fortra VM users.
  1. From the navigation menu, select Account > Roles.
  2. Click on the Roles tab.
  3. Select New role.
  4. On the Create New role page, perform the following actions:
    1. Enter the Role Name and Description.
    2. Enable the User Permissions required for this role.
    3. Select Save. The role is created.
  1. From the navigation menu, select Account > Roles.
  2. Select the applicable user.
  3. From the Role drop-down, choose one of the available roles to assign the user.
  4. Select Save. Your role is assigned to the user.
  1. From the navigation menu, select Account > Roles.
  2. Select the Roles tab to view Available Roles.
  3. Choose the role to change, and update its settings.
  4. Select Save. The new settings apply to users assigned that role.
    5. NOTE: You cannot update the default Account Admin or User roles.
  1. From the navigation menu, select Account > Roles.
  2. From the Roles tab view the Available Roles.
  3. Choose the role to delete, and select Delete.
  4. Select Confirm.
    5. NOTE: Roles with users cannot be deleted until the users have been reassigned new roles.