Built-In User Groups

Geo SCADA Expert has a single built-in User Group named 'Everyone'. Every user account that is created is automatically associated with the 'Everyone' User Group, as is the Guest user that can provide access without logging on (see Built-In User Accounts). On new installations the Everyone User Group is inactive and is not assigned any security permissions. We recommend that you leave the 'Everyone' User Group inactive unless it is genuinely required.

If you need to use the 'Everyone' User Group on your system, you will have to activate it (by adding it to the Security window). You MUST then immediately configure it to only have the minimum appropriate permissions and access that are required. The permissions and access will automatically be inherited by all user accounts on the system, including the Guest user. For example, if the Read permission is allocated to the ‘Everyone’ User Group, this permission will be available to every user account on the system, including the Guest user (which does not require a logon).

To allow your system users access to items and features, you should create ‘configured’ User Groups and user accounts. You can then apply the required permissions to groups of users or individual user accounts as required. This provides greater flexibility and control over the functionality and features to which individual users, or groups of users, have access.

NOTICE

Security threat

On systems on which the User Group is enabled, all User Accounts on the system automatically inherit the security permissions that are assigned to the 'Everyone' User Group, including the Guest user (which does not require a logon). Each user's security permissions comprise: Everyone permissions + User Group permissions + User Account permissions. To help avoid providing all users with unintended access to features and functionality that should be restricted, use configured User Groups rather than the 'Everyone' User Group. If the 'Everyone' User Group has to be used, it MUST be assigned the minimum permissions required, with access restricted where possible to just the relevant parts of the database. (On new installations, the built-in 'Everyone' User Group is inactive and is not assigned any security permissions by default.)
Failure to follow these instructions can result in equipment damage and a breach in system security.

Disclaimer

Geo SCADA Expert 2022