NOTE: This feature is available in the Standard, Professional, and Enterprise versions of both Spectra and myStratus Desktop.

There are two ways to choose security settings within the software - by individual user and by security groups. You may decide to use just one or the other, or you may prefer a combination of the two. Each method is described below. At the end of the topic, you'll also find some recommendations for setting up security in Spectra/myStratus.

Activating Security

If you have not activated the security features of the software, go to the Miscellaneous page in Company (Studio) Preferences and select Activate Security Settings. It's up to you to decide if you want to assign varying security levels to users for areas within the software. You will also decide if users will be required to log in using a password.

ATTENTION! Once you activate security, you will be changing how users log into the software. You will no longer see a drop-down with a list of names to choose from. Instead, you will be prompted for your User Initials and Password. Do you remember putting in your user initials when you first started the software? Most people don't! Be sure to verify at least your own user initials. You will not have a password unless you choose to select one and update. The next time you start the software, if you have not set a password, simply enter your User Initials and click Login. However, to really implement security it is advisable to set a password.

Security Groups

Security groups are used to choose security permissions for an entire group of users, instead of for each individual user. Each user can then be assigned to a security group. For a business with several levels of employees, this option makes it much easier to adjust security levels for several employees at once, as well as keeping security consistent for employees in similar roles. We recommend using security groups if possible.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Administrators - Give administrators complete access to all the features of the software, including financial reports, preferences, and security options.

• Employees - Limit this group of users to the day-to-day tasks such as scheduling and client management.

• Supervisors - Supervisors could have security settings similar to employees, but may also have access to some behind the scenes settings, such as employment information.

• Summer Interns - For temporary or seasonal employees, set up very limited access to select features of the software.

1. Go to Maintenance > General (Studio) > Security Groups to open your list of security groups.

   

2. Click New to add a security group or double-click an existing group to modify it. You will see the Security Group Maintenance Detail window pictured below.
   
   

3. Use the Security tab to set up security levels for the individual features in the software. For a more detailed look at all the features that can be controlled with security, refer to the Security Settings topic.

   • First, highlight a feature in the list on the left.

   • Then choose the appropriate security level in the Security Options section on the right.

4. Open the Members tab to add or remove users from the security group.      

   • Add - Highlight a user in the "Available" column on the left and then click the right arrow (>) in the center to move them to the "Selected" column on the right.

   • Remove - Highlight the user on the right and then click the left arrow (<) to move them back to the "Available" column.

   • Add/Remove All - Use the double arrow buttons (<< or >>) to add or remove all users.

5. Click OK when finished.

6. To maintain your security groups, you may also want to:

   • Delete a Security Group - Highlight the group and click Delete on the ribbon.

   • Print the List - Click Print on the ribbon to generate a printed report of your security groups.

   • Export the List to Excel - Click Export to Excel to export an Excel file that you can download.

7. Close the security group list when finished. 
      

Security by User

Another way to set up security in the software is to choose security options for individual employees. This could be done for each employee or, if you're using security groups, you could use the individual method to set up security for an employee that doesn't fit a group.

Follow these steps to set up security for an individual user:

1. Go to Maintenance > General (Studio) > User to open your list of users.
   
       

2. Open the user by double clicking on that user.

3. On the Account tab, change the Security Group selection to "None."

      

4. A Security tab will now be displayed just below the Account tab.

5. On the Security tab, highlight each the software features in the left column and choose the appropriate Security Option at the right. For a more detailed look at all the features that can be controlled with security, see the Security Settings topic.

   

6. Click OK to save your security preferences.

Security Recommendations

Coming soon!