Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition for Windows User Guide
Contents Welcome... 3 System Requirements... 3 Installation... 3 Product Activation... 4 Product Deactivation... 4 Managing Licenses... 4 Administrator vs Standard User Account Use... 5 NCM - Network Managers... 5 WiFi Manager... 5 NIC Manager... 6 NCM - Settings... 8 General... 8 WiFi Manager... 9 WiFi Manager General... 10 WiFi Manager Network Whitelist... 10 NIC Manager... 11 About... 11 Support... 11 Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition Page 2
Welcome Thank you for purchasing Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition (NCM). This Windows utility conveniently combines the standard Windows WiFi and Ethernet network management tools into a single customizable interface - perfect for locked down systems such as limited purpose tablets, network secure computers, and Windows embedded environments. IT administrators for entities such as schools, government agencies, and businesses looking to restrict network access on Windows desktop, laptop, and tablet computers and can now lock down these systems while retaining needed end-user flexibility. Companies offering single purpose embedded systems that need a simple WiFi and/or Ethernet network management tool can incorporate Secure Lockdown NCM into their application and eliminate custom development of these features. With Secure Lockdown NCM you can: View and Connect to an Active List of WiFi Networks Lock Down Network Connection Capabilities of Standard User Accounts Save WiFi Profiles for Automatic Connections Restrict Access to Only Secure WiFi Networks Restrict Access to Only Whitelisted WiFi Networks Display the NCM utility via a Hotkey and/or when the Network Connection is Lost Disable Access to all Standard Windows WiFi and Ethernet Tools Create Ethernet Network Settings Profiles Restrict Users to Only Defined Ethernet Network Settings Profiles Customize the NCM Utility User Interface to Only the Tools Needed Disable Access to NCM Utility Settings Ensure the NCM Utility is Always Running System Requirements Below describes the necessary system requirements in order for Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager to run properly: Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8-8.1 Operating System Microsoft.Net 4.0 Framework WiFi and/or Ethernet network interface device Administrator account for installing and configuring Secure Lockdown - NCM Installation Installing Secure Lockdown - NCM is simple and quick. It is the same installation process as required by many standard Windows applications. The only requirement of the installation is that you must be logged in as an administrator of the system. Assuming that you have the proper privileges and that you have downloaded the latest Secure Lockdown installation file from the Intesetsystems.com website, you can begin the installation procedure by double-clicking on the IntesetSecureLockdown_NCMEdition.exe file. Follow the instructions displayed by the installation application. Once the installation is complete, you can launch Secure Lockdown - NCM by selecting Windows Start > All Programs > Inteset > Secure Lockdown NCM Edition. Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition Page 3
Product Activation Secure Lockdown NCM Edition has a full-featured trial period of 30 days whereby you can use it without purchase. This should be ample time to determine if the product fits your needs. Just select the Get Trial button to run the trial. If you wish to activate the product, you should purchase it from the http://www.intesetsystems.com store and obtain a product key which will be emailed to you upon purchase. Upon starting Secure Lockdown - NCM, you will notice the following splash screen that allows you to enter the product key you ve purchased. Paste the product key from the email in the Product Key field, then press the Activate button. The software will be activated and the splash screen will close. Run NCM again, and at this point, it will be running with no splash screen and full functionality. Product Deactivation If you purchase Secure Lockdown, then activate the license on a particular computer and decide later that you want to move the license to another computer, you must deactivate the license on the initial computer first. Do not uninstall the application before deactivating it. You can deactivate a license by going to the Settings > About tab in the Secure Lockdown NCM utility, then press the Deactivate button. Note that the Deactivate button will only be available if the Secure Lockdown license has been activated on the computer. Managing Licenses If you purchase more than one license, you can view the status and manage your licenses on our website. This is useful if you need to: View how many licenses are activated for a particular purchase/order View the Secure Lockdown machine ID s of each activation Determine which computers are activated under which product key Merge a product key (and its associated licenses) into a previous product key Transfer ownership and manageability of a license to another account holder Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition Page 4
To access these features, go to http://www.intesetsystems.com and log into your account. Choose the My Account menu option, then select the Manage Licenses option. Administrator vs Standard User Account Use Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager (NCM) can run under a Windows administrator or standard user account. However, use under a standard user account is much more limited. Essentially, running NCM under an administrative account is typically performed for configuration and setup purposes for a standard user account. While administrative users can configure settings, standard users are relegated to usage of the network management tools, but have no configuration rights. An administrator must set up NCM before a standard user can access the software. Note: If NCM is being used in conjunction with other Secure Lockdown products (ie: Secure Lockdown Chrome Edition), NCM will run under a locked down administrative account. In this case, be sure to disable access to the Settings feature of NCM. How to disable the settings feature is described later in this guide. NCM - Network Managers Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager provides two separate manager interfaces that can provide a substitute to the standard Windows network connection tools: one for WiFi networks (WiFi Manager); the other for Ethernet networks (NIC Manager). The following sections describe the functionality of each. WiFi Manager The WiFi Manager screen allows you to connect to any WiFi network found in the area. NCM will scan the area for WiFi access points found and list them in order of signal strength. You can then select and connect to any network to which you have access credentials. In addition, when you connect to a network, NCM saves the credentials for future use and will use them to automatically connect to the network when it is back in range. Each item in the list of networks displays the network name, connection status, signal strength, and secure status symbol (secure and unsecure). Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition Page 5
If you mouse over a network, a tip will pop up that will display other relevant information such as the authorization and encryption type of the network. If a network has a saved credentials, you can delete them by right-clicking on the network name, then select Delete saved network credentials. To connect to a network, select the network from the list, the press the Connect button. If the network already has saved credentials, the Overwrite credentials option will be available. You can overwrite the login credentials with new ones by choosing this checkbox. If the network needs a username and/or password to connect, you will be prompted to enter that information to proceed. If the correct login and/or password is entered, NCM will connect you to the network. Note: Some WiFi networks require an additional login via a web browser. In this case, you ll need to open the web browser and enter those credentials to gain full access to the Internet. NIC Manager The NIC Manager screen allows you configure and apply the basic properties of Ethernet network connections. In addition, you can save profiles of configurations and define proxy server settings if needed. Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition Page 6
Profile If your system is mobile and you have differing Ethernet network configurations per location, the Profile feature can make applying known settings simple. This is particularly useful if you need to assign static IP vs DHCP addresses. To create a new profile of the current settings, enter a name for the profile in the Profile dropdown list, then select the Save button. To select an already defined profile, select the profile from the list, then choose the Apply button if you want to apply those profile settings. Delete profile To delete a saved profile, choose the profile from the Profile list, then press the Delete (X) button. Save profile To save the current settings to the selected profile (or new profile name), press the Save button. NIC Select the network interface card (NIC) from the NIC list to display its defined IP settings. Obtain an IP address automatically (DHCP) If your network supports DHCP and you wish the system to connect to via dynamically assigned IP address, select this radio button. If selected, the following IP address fields will not be editable. Use the following static IP address Select this radio button if you need to connect to the network with a statically assigned IP address. If selected, you will need to configure the following IP address fields. IP address Enter the IP address you wish to assign the network interface card. Subnet mask Enter the subnet mask you wish to assign the network interface card. Default gateway Enter the default gateway server IP address you wish to assign the network interface card. Preferred DNS - Enter the Preferred DNS server IP address you wish to assign the network interface card. Alternate DNS Enter the Alternate DNS server IP address you wish to assign the network interface card. Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition Page 7
User proxy server If the network uses a proxy server to provide access to the Internet, select this option. Bypass local If the proxy server is not used to access sites on the defined local network (in the Proxy server IP address field), select this option. Proxy server IP address Enter the Proxy server IP address used as the gateway to provide Internet access. Proxy server IP address port If the proxy server uses a port other than port 80, enter the port number in this field. Apply Press the Apply button to apply the current settings to the selected NIC. NCM - Settings The true power of the Network Connection Manager and what sets it apart from the standard Windows network tools, is its ability to be customized. These customizations are critical to IT managers wishing to control and limit system network connection usage. They are defined within the Network Connection Manager Settings screens and include General, WiFi Manager, and NIC Manager options. The following sections describe each of these areas in detail. General The General section contains settings that apply to the entire application including the application s window behavior and password setup. Keep running on When enabled, this setting will launch NCM when the user selected in the adjacent Windows account dropdown list logs into their account. In addition, if the user under that account attempts to close the application, NCM will restart immediately. The user will be able to minimize and restore the application. In addition, if NCM is terminated by the user or for some other reason, it will start up again. The Keep running on feature is frequently used in combination with the Hide on close and Settings > WiFi Manager > Suppress Windows WiFi tools NCM features. Enable this option, then choose the account to keep NCM running on from the adjacent Windows account list (typically a standard user account). Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition Page 8
Note: If using NCM with another Secure Lockdown product such as Secure Lockdown Chrome Edition, enable the Keep running on feature and select the Windows administrator user account under which the other Secure Lockdown product will be running. Start hidden If enabled, when NCM launches, the application will launch in the background and will not display a tray icon. To reveal NCM, press the defined Show upon hotkey key sequence or the screen will display automatically if the Show upon no Internet access option is enabled and the system loses its connection. Hide on close If enabled, when NCM is closed, using the top right corner Close button, the application will be sent to the background instead of completely closing. Show upon detecting no Internet access If enabled, when NCM is minimized or running in the background, it will automatically be revealed if the WiFi internet connection is lost. Show upon hotkey When NCM is minimized or running the background, it will be revealed upon pressing the defined hotkey key sequence (ie: Ctrl+F9). Choose the hotkey key combination from the adjacent key dropdown lists. The default hotkey is the F9 function key. Require Settings screen password When enabled, the user will be presented with a password dialog upon pressing the Settings button found in the top right corner of the main NCM screen (gears icon). Set password Press the Set password button to enter a new Settings access password or change an existing one. The following dialog will appear. Enter the password (any length or character type), then enter a matching confirmation password. To clear the Settings password (no password), clear both the Password and Confirm password fields and press OK. Hide Settings button If enable, this option will remove the Settings button that displays on the top right corner of the main NCM screen (gears icon). This is useful in cases where you do not want users to have access to settings. Typically this feature is used in combination with the Require Settings password option and when NCM is being used under a Standard User account. Note: The Settings button is still accessible (you can click on it), it s just not visible. WiFi Manager The WiFi Manager section contains settings that apply to the WiFi Manager portion of NCM including general and network whitelist settings. Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition Page 9
WiFi Manager General The General section contains various options pertaining to the WiFi Manager feature of NCM. Hide WiFi Manager If enabled, this option will remove the WiFi Manager screen from the application. When the application is displayed, the WiFi Manager will not be available. This feature is useful if there is no intention of using WiFi management. Show upon WiFi connection status change If enabled, this option will display the NCM screen if it is minimized or running in the background when a WiFi connection is lost or a connection is made. This could be useful on a tablet where access to a keyboard is limited. Suppress Windows WiFi tools The Windows operating system provides a few ways to connect and disconnect from WiFi networks via the use of command line and graphical tools. If enabled, this option will prevent users from accessing those tools. It is recommended that this option be selected when running NCM under a Standard User account. Do not allow access to unsecured networks If enabled, this option will not allow a connection to a network that is not secured. Non-secured networks display a red shield to the right of the WiFi network name in the Wifi Manager network list. WiFi Manager Network Whitelist The Network Whitelist section contains features regarding WiFi network whitelisting. Enable network (SSID) whitelist NCM has the ability to block access to unapproved WiFi networks. It does this through its whitelist feature. If a network ID is not found in the list of approved networks (whitelist), a connection to that network will not be allowed. If enabled, this option will allow only Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition Page 10
networks defined in the Network Whitelist to be accessible for connection within the WiFi Manager network list. All other networks will be grayed out and inaccessible. Network Whitelist Within the Network Whitelist list, you can enter a series of network IDs and their associated access keys. Network ID Enter the WiFi Network ID (SSID) of the network you wish to allow access. The ID must be entered precisely. Whitelist scanning is case sensitive. Access Key Press the Access Key Generation button (to the right of the Access Key field) to generate an access key that is unique to the specified Network ID. Populating this optional field makes it more difficult for a user to spoof the intended whitelisted WiFi network with an unintended network. Note: The access key can only be generated if the Network ID is found in the scanned list of WiFi networks. NIC Manager The NIC Manager section contains settings that apply to the NIC Manager portion of NCM. Hide NIC Manager If enabled, this option will remove the NIC Manager screen from the application. When the application is displayed, the NIC Manager will not be available. This feature is useful if there is no intention of using NIC management. Disable profile selection if enabled, the Profile dropdown list will be disabled and users will not have access to the feature. Disable NIC edits If enabled, a user can view all NIC entries, but cannot modify them. About Under the About section, you can get information regarding the version and build number of Secure Lockdown as well as the machine ID of the computer. This is important information for Inteset Systems technical support should they ask for it. Note that the machine ID can be highlighted and copied to the clipboard (ctrl+c) for easy pasting into emails. You can also easily access the Inteset support forum for quick answers to common questions and response from the community and Inteset s support team. Deactivate License If you purchase Secure Lockdown and activate the license on a computer, and decide later that you want to move the license to another computer, you must deactivate the license on the initial computer first. Do not uninstall the application before deactivating it. You can deactivate a license by pressing the Deactivate button. Note that the Deactivate button will be enabled if the Secure Lockdown license has been activated on the computer. Support Support for Secure Lockdown v2 is available through the http://www.intesetsystems.com Forum pages. Here, you can ask questions to the community and to Inteset technicians. If the question is directed toward an Inteset technician, you can expect a response in 24 hours or less. Secure Lockdown Network Connection Manager Edition Page 11