<style>p { margin: 0; }span.fr-emoticon.fr-emoticon-img { background-repeat: no-repeat !important; font-size: inherit; height: 1em; width: 1em; min-height: 20px; min-width: 20px; display: inline-block; margin: -0.1em 0.1em 0.1em; line-height: 1; vertical-align: middle; } span.fr-emoticon { font-weight: normal; font-family: "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "NotoColorEmoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Android Emoji", "EmojiSymbols"; display: inline; line-height: 0; } blockquote { border-left: solid 2px #5e35b1; color: #5e35b1; margin-left:0; padding-left:5px;}blockquote blockquote{ border-color: #00bcd4; color: #00bcd4;}blockquote blockquote blockquote{ border-color: #43a047; color: #43a047;} table.grid{ border-collapse: collapse;} table.grid td, table.grid th { border: 1px solid #ddd;} .fr-fic.fr-dib{ display: block; margin: 5px auto;}.fr-fic.fr-dib.fr-fir{ text-align: right; margin: 5px 0 5px auto;}.fr-fic.fr-dib.fr-fil{ text-align: left; margin: 5px auto 5px 0;}</style><p id="isPasted"><strong>In this guide we will cover:</strong></p><p><strong>- Changing a Halo Password</strong></p><p><strong>- Password Auto-Expiry</strong></p><p><strong>- Storing External Passwords in a Custom Field</strong></p><p><strong>- Sending Passwords in a One-Time Secure Message Link</strong></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Related Guides:</strong></p><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://usehalo.com/haloitsm/guides/1229" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How are user passwords stored?</a></li><li style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://usehalo.com/haloitsm/guides/1177" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How long is welcome/password reset e-mail sent from web app valid for?</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>This guide will cover setting Halo passwords, as well as methods to store and send passwords for external programs.</p><p><br></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Changing a Halo Password</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Agents</span></strong></p><p>Agents can change their password from the "Password" field of their "My account" area. </p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjVkNDg5MWIyLTU0M2MtNDhmOS04YTE2LTNjODM2ZjRjYTgwZCJ9.nJPdYuG09Pr5ZK2JvHc0GJuS0VT7m-cSzH2WhK8yNLc" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="717" height="870"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 1. Agent password field.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>If they forget their password when logging in, Agents can click "Forgotten Password?" on the login page, and enter their email address. They will then receive an email with a link to reset their password.</p><p><br></p><p><em><strong>Note: These password reset links will last 1 day by default, but this can be changed in Configuration > Email > General Settings > "Days until welcome and password emails expire".</strong></em></p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6ImUyZDg0YWM4LTVlZTItNDg5OC1iNTIxLTc1ODZiY2YzMWIzNSJ9.DQtdVPs2oIB1EcTZ7vcvrXrc9VMBGXnroKCgHafJX9A" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="416" height="279"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 2. Reset password on Agent portal.<br></span></strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Users</span></strong></p><p>An Agent can manually send a password reset email to the User, such as if they call saying they cannot log into the portal.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6Ijc1YTg1ODlhLWUzY2QtNDhhMy04ZTdlLTFkMTM3OWE5YjBmMSJ9.wXgCDFc-WDSwnSGCJgfEaVHLaa9kPiXVd3peMxK17jg" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="1269" height="142"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 3. Reset password email button.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p id="isPasted">If they forget their password when logging in, Users can click "Forgotten Password?" on the login page, and enter their email address. They will then receive an email with a link to reset their password.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6ImUzZDE1NTgzLWIxMTAtNDk4MS1hNGJiLTlhZTRlNDdhZTIwNCJ9.BcZ-Tc4p-Tpn-I0RJ1QAaIMkJ6EPBCBFVSbLV0CCp44" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="419" height="283"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 4. Reset password on User portal.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Password Auto-Expiry</span></strong></p><p>Passwords can be set to auto-expire after a certain number of days. This is a global setting that applies to both Agents and Users. This can be enabled in Configuration > Users > General Settings, which will then show an option to choose the number of days. Once that number of days have passed since the last password change, the password will no longer work and the Agent/User will be required to reset it via the above methods.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjQ1ODg2NDMxLWU3OWMtNDA1Yy04MDA5LTVkODkwNDhjODQyMyJ9.e3tA35BSeRM_6-WdEsaissdxAC6c2-W_jaKSIPcmzHw" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="533" height="133"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 5. Password expiry options.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Storing External Passwords in a Custom Field</span></strong></p><p>Custom tables allow you to store protected passwords for your customers, users and agents for different applications and services. This is a useful way of keeping track of your clients' important details while keeping them secure in Halo's encrypted database.</p><p><br></p><p>A Custom Field can be created under the Configuration > Custom Objects > Custom Tables screen for password storage.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjM4YTUzOWZjLWRlMjUtNGU1Ny1hM2MxLTRlMjIxNzYwYzVjMiJ9.gs54-jELvMFpI4gtqRdV7x1ZAk01tdLtscVeIYecKXY" width="896" style="width: 896px; height: 146.344px;" height="146.344" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 6. Password custom table.</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> In order to be linked to the customer tab, the "Linked Entity" for the table will need to be set as "Area".</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjEyZTMxYzg5LTM1NGYtNGVlMC1iZTEwLTc5MGZiMTZjMTc0YiJ9.UPTzs5oVu5mEXFJz9VVAhyUyQ-gr5SFESkjReadN6uk" width="350" style="width: 350px; height: 477.476px;" height="477.476" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 7. Custom table linked to the "Area" entity. </span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>Under the Field List you can assign the custom fields for each section of the password storage table. Below is the recommended set of fields, stating the type of password, associated user and the password itself.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6ImViODY2Y2FlLWRiODgtNGQyZi1iMmQxLTQ3MTcxZWRhN2NjYyJ9.0yLp6Zgm7F5dJOf5oWj6wLlFZNBCRi09y-PxgPCi7Wo" width="886" style="width: 886px; height: 282.985px;" height="282.985" class="fr-fic fr-dii"> </p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 8. Fields on the table.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>It is important to create the password field with the "Input Type" set as Password (as below). This will encrypt the data and also audit any access to the password. </p><p><br></p><p>You can also amend the Visibility Restrictions, so the password field will only appear for selected customers.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjY5YWQxMGI5LWEwMmItNGNmZi05NmIyLWU3ZDAyODZhMmRmZCJ9.YHQ9Iv9c-EBOSFXwUPGbixtcIljrfI5p4BZBygNisak" style="width: 716px;" width="716" height="658" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><br></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 9. Password input type.</span></strong></p><p id="isPasted"><br></p><p>The last step is to create a new Custom Field and link the Custom Table to the Custom Field. Go to Custom Fields as shown below and ensure the "Entity" is set to Customer then click "New".</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjA5ZDY1ZjdlLTY1MzktNDZhZC1iNzhkLTljYzhiMTg4YzdkMSJ9.W2fiCFQPrgNV7L9hbSIx039q_Vv95QlKGfX6RJJDsUk" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="1204" height="586"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 10. Customer entity.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>When creating the new Custom Field ensure that you select the "Type of Field" as Table and the "Link to Table" is the Custom Table we created previously.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6ImU3NzAxN2JjLTAxYTgtNDBmZi04ZWViLTRhYWUwMWI2YzI2OCJ9.4yRjFDy0X-91aP7xmZvfqFmMj3L-LfcNurm5tvyNmKM" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="833" height="871"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 11. Linking the table.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>This is what is used for the customer password storage tab (shown below), where a custom table has been created with the fields outlined above. This table can be edited through the client screen to assign and store passwords for specific users. Stored passwords are hidden by default, but can be viewed by selecting the eye icon next to the password.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6ImU0MGIzMjU2LTY5YjUtNDI0ZS1hNGNkLTk3NTJhMTY4ZWM3MiJ9.LM5wOhZk5sT3_B9_iPbQ4Da34N0ezj6POrUwQQ1MG5M" style="width: 906px; height: 266.319px;" width="906" height="266.319" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 12. Table on a customer.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Technical Specification of Password storage:</span></strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Custom fields that are setup as Password type are stored in the database with AES 256-bit encryption.</li><li>Each password has a separate unique key. </li><li>Each key is encrypted with an X.509 certificate.</li><li>The certificates are stored separately to the database.</li><li>Decrypted passwords are never saved into the database or any logging.</li><li>Connections to HaloPSA are only able to be made using SSL encryption.</li><li>On-Prem (not hosted by Halo) customers can specify the thumbprint of their own certificate.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Sending Passwords in a One-Time Secure Message Link</span></strong></p><p>One-time secure messaging can be enabled, which can be useful for sending sensitive information such as passwords to your users via the portal.</p><p><br></p><p>In Configuration > Tickets > General Settings > Ticket Details section, enable secure message links. Another option will then show underneath to set an attempt link if using a passphrase in addition to the link. If set to "0", this will be disabled.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjY2MzUyOGNlLTVhODktNDQ0ZC1hNDBjLWNkZmEyNGFkMzIwMCJ9.Tx-jYckDJa8EqUslMH_5_-Kae6SjTExxVAu0--K9sFI" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="618" height="135"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 13. Enabling one-time secure message links.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>Within a ticket, agents can go to the "..." in the top right corner, and select "Create One-Time Secure Message Link". </p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjQ3MWEwNzRmLTZmMzAtNGZmOC05NWE0LWVmZDE0NWQ3ZmNhNSJ9.YttyLEWJgzON0pw3MW13RXalbxOcov-WCbSGr4Z2Pt0" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="316" height="327"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 14. Message link action.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>A popup will show to enter the secure content and choose if you wish to use a passphrase, as well as selecting an expiration time of either 1 day, 7 days or 30 days. If a passphrase is used, the user will have to enter this to view the secure message content once they click on the link. This passphrase will follow the attempt limit set in <strong>Fig 13</strong>. </p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjczZWZjMWM4LTcyMzctNDY4OC1hOTA4LTU5OTI1MGFhZTljNyJ9.hjIBkDXdynqqXvXcy8srZj8bJ-IQkBeJvtySgPDFMJ8" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="704" height="441"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 15. Creating the link.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>Upon clicking "Save", the link will appear. Make sure to copy this before saving.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjE4MDcwNjJlLWVkOWYtNGU1NC04ZWNmLTZiM2M4ODNhYjM2OSJ9.4PnqtCJGzYN2SV8HCLWGlft_RTH--tD5QTsggoCYWaA" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="705" height="321"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 16. Copying the link.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>This link can then be sent to your users in your preferred way. Upon clicking onto it, the user will be directed to the portal.</p><p><br></p><p>If a passphrase was set, they must enter it here. In the example below, the user got this wrong on the first attempt and have 1 attempt remaining as per the 2 attempt limit set in <strong>Fig 13</strong>.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6ImU4NGIzYmM3LTRiZDAtNDc3NS1iN2Q1LTBmOTNlZmU5NGYwNSJ9.YU_DM2ekPoU_nqwIqEIgHX-tiS8F5ylTWSkv3hKVhA4" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="814" height="220"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 17. Entering the passphrase.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>Once the passphrase is entered, the secure message is visible. The user can then copy it if needed, as they can only see this message once.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6ImJiYzc0N2Q4LWY2MjItNGMyOS05MWRjLTdlZDE5YTk5N2M2YiJ9.jN2IJu4_a15P-NVeungcR7I0ifgxjyOKnnsAnLVqCz4" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="1112" height="71"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 18. Viewing the secure message.</span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>If the user attempts to view the message again either via the link or by refreshing, they will be blocked from doing so.</p><p><br></p><p><img src="https://halo.haloservicedesk.com/api/attachment/image?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjJhNzQ1ODkxLTcyMGQtNGVkMi04ZDE0LWZkZjM5YjdlMWJlYiJ9.ITFZ3HzujhMzAyl_Z5nv8O3HeSMQHGcnESVxUncmv1k" class="fr-fic fr-fil fr-dib" width="560" height="285"></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fig 19. Error when trying to view the message again.</span></strong></p><p><br></p>
