Administrator Properties - General

What can I do here?

Configure and manage administrators, authentication methods and permissions.

Configuring Administrator Properties

• Enter a unique name for the administrator - The user name property is required and case sensitive.
• Select an authentication method:
  • Undefined users are not authenticated and access is always denied or authentication is based on a certificate (as defined in the Admin Certificates tab).
  • SecurID users are challenged to enter the number displayed on the Security Dynamics SecurID card. There are no scheme-specific parameters for the SecurID authentication scheme. The Security Gateway acts as an ACE/Agent 5.0.
  • Check Point Password means that users are challenged to enter the internal Check Point password on the gateway, defined here.
    • Enter and confirm the password in the specified fields.
  • OS Password users are challenged to enter their Operating System password for the Security Management Server.
  • RADIUS users are challenged for the response, as defined by the RADIUS server.
    • Select a Radius server from the list.
  • TACACS passwords are forwarded to the TACACS server to determine whether access is allowed.
    • Select a TACACS server from the list.

    Note - For RADIUS AND TACACS authentication. If you generate a user certificate with a non-Check Point Certificate Authority, enter the Common Name (CN) component of the Distinguished Name (DN). For example, if the DN is: [CN = James, O = My Organization, C = My Country], enter James as the user name. If you use Common Names as user names, they must contain exactly one string with no spaces.

• Assign a permissions profile - When you configure an administrator, you must assign a permissions profile. A permissions profile is a predefined set of permissions that you assign to individual administrators. Complex, granular permissions for many administrators can be configured in one profile.

  To create a new permissions profile, click New.

• Set an expiration date - Assign an expiration date for each administrator or configure the account never to expire. After account expiration, the administrator cannot log in to SmartConsole (or SmartConsole clients such as SmartEvent).

  Note: Account expiration has no effect on the OS administrator account. System administrators on the OS are different from administrators defined in SmartConsole for the Security Management Server.

Configuring Check Point Password Authentication for Administrators

These instructions show how to configure Check Point Password authentication for administrators.

To configure a Check Point password for a SmartConsole administrator:

1. Go to Manage & Settings > Permissions & Administrators > Administrators.
2. Click New.
3. The New Administrator window opens.
4. Give the administrator a name.
5. In Authentication method, select Check Point Password.
6. Click Set New Password, type the Password, and Confirm it.
7. Assign a Permission Profile.
8. Click OK.
9. Click Publish.

Configuring OS Password Authentication for Administrators

These instructions show how to configure OS Password Authentication for administrators.

To configure an OS password for a SmartConsole administrator:

1. Go to Manage & Settings > Permissions & Administrators > Administrators.
2. Click New.
3. The New Administrator window opens.
4. Give the administrator a name.
5. In Authentication method, select OS Password.
6. Assign a Permission Profile.
7. Click OK.
8. Click Publish.

Configuring a RADIUS Server for Administrators

These instructions show how to configure a RADIUS server for SmartConsole administrators. To learn how to configure a RADIUS server, refer to the vendor documentation.

To configure a RADIUS Server for a SmartConsole administrator:

1. In SmartConsole, click Objects > More Object Types > Server > More > New RADIUS.
2. Configure the RADIUS Server Properties:
   1. Give the server a Name. It can be any name.
   2. Click New and create a New Host with the IP address of the RADIUS server.
   3. Click OK.
   4. Make sure that this host shows in the Host field of the Radius Server Properties window.
   5. In the Shared Secret field, type the secret key that you defined previously on the RADIUS server.
   6. Click OK.
   7. Click Publish.
3. Add a new administrator:
   1. Go to Manage & Settings > Permissions & Administrators > Administrators.
   2. Click New.

      The New Administrator window opens.

   3. Give the administrator the name that is defined on the RADIUS server.
   4. Assign a Permission Profile.
   5. In Authentication method, select RADIUS.
   6. Select the RADIUS Server defined earlier.
   7. Click OK.
4. Click Publish.

Configuring a SecurID Server for Administrators

These instructions show how to configure a SecurID server for SmartConsole administrators. To learn how to configure a SecurID server, refer to the vendor documentation.

To configure the Security Management Server for SecurID:

1. Connect to the Security Management Server.
2. Copy the sdconf.rec file to the /var/ace/ folder

   If the folder does not exist, create the folder.

3. Give the sdconf.rec file full permissions. Run:

   chmod 777 sdconf.rec

To configure a SecurID Server for a SmartConsole administrator:

1. In SmartConsole, click Objects > More Object Types > Server > More > New SecurID.
2. Configure the SecurID Properties:
   1. Give the server a Name. It can be any name.
   2. Click Browse and select the sdconf.rec file. This must be a copy of the file that is on the Security Management Server.
   3. Click OK.
3. Add a new administrator:
   1. Go to Manage & Settings > Permissions & Administrators > Administrators.
   2. Click New.

      The New Administrator window opens.

   3. Give the administrator a name.
   4. Assign a Permission Profile.
   5. In Authentication method, select SecurID.
4. In the SmartConsole Menu, click Install Database.

Configuring a TACACS Server for Administrators

These instructions show how to configure a TACACS server for SmartConsole administrators. To learn how to configure a TACACS server, refer to the vendor documentation.

To configure a TACACS Server for a SmartConsole administrator:

1. In SmartConsole, click Objects > More Object Types > Server > More > New TACACS.
2. Configure the TACACS Server Properties:
   1. Give the server a Name. It can be any name.
   2. Click New and create a New Host with the IP address of the TACACS server.
   3. Click OK.
   4. Make sure that this host shows in the Host field of the TACACS Server Properties window.
   5. In the Shared Secret field, type the secret key that you defined previously on the TACACS server.
   6. Click OK.
   7. Click Publish.
3. Add a new administrator:
   1. Go to Manage & Settings > Permissions & Administrators > Administrators.
   2. Click New.

      The New Administrator window opens.

   3. Give the administrator the name that is defined on the TACACS server.
   4. Assign a Permission Profile.
   5. In Authentication method, select TACACS.
   6. Select the TACACS Server defined earlier.
   7. Click OK.
4. Click Publish.

Creating and Changing an Administrator Account

To successfully manage security for a large network, we recommend that you first set up your administrative team, and delegate tasks.

We recommend that you create administrator accounts in SmartConsole, with the procedure below or with the First Time Configuration Wizard.

If you create it through the SmartConsole, you can choose one of these authentication methods:

• Check Point Password
  Check Point password is a static password that is configured in SmartConsole. For administrators, the password is stored in the local database on the Security Management Server. For users, it is stored on the local database on the Security Gateway. No additional software is required.
• OS Password
  OS Password is stored on the operating system of the computer on which the Security Gateway (for users) or Security Management Server (for administrators) is installed. You can also use passwords that are stored in a Windows domain. No additional software is required.
• RADIUS
  Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) is an external authentication method that provides security and scalability by separating the authentication function from the access server.

  Using RADIUS, the Security Gateway forwards authentication requests by remote users to the RADIUS server. For administrators, the Security Management Server forwards the authentication requests. The RADIUS server, which stores user account information, does the authentication.

  The RADIUS protocol uses UDP to communicate with the gateway or the Security Management Server.

  RADIUS servers and RADIUS server group objects are defined in SmartConsole.

• SecurID
  SecurID requires users to both possess a token authenticator and to supply a PIN or password. Token authenticators generate one-time passwords that are synchronized to an RSA ACE/server and may come in the form of hardware or software. Hardware tokens are key-ring or credit card-sized devices, while software tokens reside on the PC or device from which the user wants to authenticate. All tokens generate a random, one-time use access code that changes approximately every minute. When a user attempts to authenticate to a protected resource, the one-time use code must be validated by the ACE/server.

  Using SecurID, the Security Gateway forwards authentication requests by remote users to the ACE/server. For administrators, it is the Security Management Server that forwards the requests. ACE manages the database of RSA users and their assigned hard or soft tokens. The gateway or the Security Management Server act as an ACE/Agent 5.0 and direct all access requests to the RSA ACE/server for authentication. For additional information on agent configuration, refer to ACE/server documentation.

  There are no specific parameters required for the SecurID authentication method.

• TACACS
  Terminal Access Controller Access Control System (TACACS) provides access control for routers, network access servers and other networked devices through one or more centralized servers.

  TACACS is an external authentication method that provides verification services. Using TACACS, the Security Gateway forwards authentication requests by remote users to the TACACS server. For administrators, it is the Security Management Server that forwards the requests. The TACACS server, which stores user account information, authenticates users. The system supports physical card key devices or token cards and Kerberos secret key authentication. TACACS encrypts the user name, password, authentication services and accounting information of all authentication requests to ensure secure communication.

To create an administrator account using SmartConsole:

1. Click Manage & Settings > Permissions and Administrators.

   The Administrators pane shows by default.

2. Click New Administrator.

   The New Administrators window opens.

3. Enter a unique name for the administrator account.

   Note - This parameter is case-sensitive.

4. Set the Authentication Method, or create a certificate, or the two of them.

   Note - If you do not do this, the administrator will not be able to log in to SmartConsole.

   To define an Authentication Method:

   In the Authentication Method section, select a method and follow the instructions in Configuring Authentication Methods for Administrators.

   To create a Certificate - If you want to use a certificate to log in:

   In the Certificate Information section, click Create, and follow the instructions in Configuring Certificates for Administrators.

5. Select a Permissions profile for this administrator, or create a new one.
6. Set the account Expiration date:
   • For a permanent administrator - select Never
   • For a temporary administrator - select an Expire At date from the calendar

   The default expiration date shows, as defined in the Default Expiration Settings. After the expiration date, the account is no longer authorized to access network resources and applications.

7. Optional: Configure Additional Info - Contact Details, Email and Phone Number of the administrator.
8. Click OK.

To change an existing administrator account:

1. Click Manage & Settings > Permissions and Administrators.
2. Double-click an administrator account.

   The Administrators properties window opens.

Creating an administrator with cpconfig

We do not recommend creating an administrator with cpconfig, the Check Point Configuration Tool. Use it only if there is no access to SmartConsole or the Gaia Portal. If you use cpconfig to create an administrator:

• You must restart Check Point Services to activate the administrator.
• It does not show the other administrators
• Check Point Password is automatically configured as the authentication method.

Configuring Default Expiration for Administrators

If you want to use the same expiration settings for multiple accounts, you can set the default expiration for administrator accounts. You can also choose to show notifications about the approaching expiration date at the time when an administrator logs into SmartConsole or one of the SmartConsole clients. The remaining number of days, during which the account will be alive, shows in the status bar.

To configure the default expiration settings:

1. Click Manage & Settings > Permissions and Administrators > Advanced.
2. Click Advanced.
3. In the Default Expiration Date section, select a setting:
   • Never expires
   • Expire at - Select the expiration date from the calendar control
   • Expire after - Enter the number of days, months, or years (from the day the account is made) before administrator accounts expire
4. In the Expiration notifications section, select Show 'about to expire' indication in administrators view and select the number of days in advance to show the message about the approaching expiration date.
5. Click Publish.