Here at Venn, we strive to keep work secure without slowing you down. Users told us having to restart Blue Border and their work apps every time they were automatically signed out was slowing them down, so we’re introducing new session management options so you can choose the option that best balances security and user experience for your organization.

What's Changing

New Session Management Options

Currently, Blue Border offers two session management options:

Session expires after idling (Webapp & Native Windows or Mac): Signs users out after inactivity (default: 600 minutes).
Session lifespan: Signs users out after a set time, even if actively working (default: Disabled).

Soon, we’ll be adding two additional session management options:

Lock OS when idle: Lock the device after inactivity. Users unlock to continue working—no app restart needed.
Reauthentication when idle: Prompt users to reauthenticate within a defined grace period after inactivity. Apps stay open—no restart needed.

Improved Idle Timeout Experience

Currently, all customers have “Session expires after idling” enabled, which requires that users automatically be signed out after idling for a defined period (default = 600 minutes). When we release our new session management options, we recommend that most customers switch to the new “Reauthentication when idle” option, which instead requires that users just need to verify their identity after being idle, for the same time period. This enables an improved idle timeout experience for end users while still enforcing security.

Watch this video to see the difference:

When we roll out our new session management options, we are offering to automatically switch customers to the improved idle timeout experience. Should you wish to keep your settings as they are or make further adjustments, please contact your Venn CSM.

Recommendations

Consider the recommendations below when determining how to leverage Venn’s session management options:

Balance security and user experience: As long as it aligns with your security needs, we recommend that most customers switch from “Session expires after idling” (currently enabled for all customers) to the new “Reauthentication when idle” option. Instead of automatically being signed out, users will just need to verify their identity after being idle. This enables an improved idle timeout experience for end users while still enforcing security.
Add layered security: Combine "Lock OS when idle" with a shorter timeout (e.g., 30 minutes) and "Reauthentication when idle" with a longer timeout (e.g., 8 hours).
Avoid disabling all settings: If you want minimal disruption, use "Lock OS when idle" instead of disabling all session management options.
High-security users: Apply "Session expires after idling" to specific user groups with greater security needs (configurable at the group level).

Availability

We’re currently estimating that these new options will be available sometime in March. Your Customer Success Manager will reach out with details about updating your account settings.