As a Company Manager, you can configure session management security settings for your Blue Border users, including your idle security settings and time limits.

Session Management Settings Overview

The following session management security settings are available in Blue Border:

Each setting can be configured at the company level and at the group level.

Native Windows or Mac session expires after idling

When the Native Windows or Mac session expires after idling setting is enabled, Blue Border will close all work apps and shut down after the user is idle for the number of minutes specified. They'll need to restart Blue Border and relaunch their work apps to get back to work.

Lock OS when idle

When the Lock OS when idle setting is enabled, Blue Border will send an OS-level lock command when the user is idle for the number of minutes specified. Their work apps will stay open, and they'll be able to get right back to work after unlocking their device without restarting Blue Border or relaunching their work apps.

Reauthentication when idle

When the Reauthentication when idle setting is enabled, users will be prompted to reauthenticate when they return from being idle for the number of minutes specified. Their work apps will stay open, and if they reauthenticate within the defined Grace period, they'll be able to get right back to work without restarting Blue Border or relaunching their work apps.

When the user returns from being idle, they will see a "Verify your identity" notification with company branding.

They will have the number of minutes specified in the Grace period to verify their identity. They will be able to see and interact with their device until the grace period runs out. The notification is persistent — it cannot be moved or dismissed. 

• If the user clicks Verify within the defined grace period, the Blue Border sign-in screen opens, and the user needs to authenticate. They must complete any multifactor authentication that your company has configured as if they were completing a normal sign-in.
• If there are less than 5 minutes left in the grace period, the notification will be outlined in red as a warning to the user.
• If the grace period countdown hits zero before the user reauthenticates, the user is signed out and all of their Blue Border apps are closed.
• The goal with this setting is to require users to reauthentication in order to continue accessing their work instead of just signing them out automatically. Therefore, during the defined grace period, if the user is idle for more than 2 minutes, the device goes offline, or the device locks, the grace period pauses. The grace period resumes again when the device is unlocked, online, and user activity is detected. 

Recommendations to Consider When Configuring Session Management Settings

Consider the recommendations below when determining how you want to configure the session management policies.

• Balance security and user experience: We recommend that most customers use the "Lock OS when idle" and "Reauthentication when idle" settings while keeping "Native Windows or Mac session expires after idling" disabled. This combination balances usability and security by allowing users to continue working once they verify their identity instead of restarting their session from scratch. 
• Layer 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).
• Use higher-security settings when needed: If a higher level of security is required for specific users, groups, or the entire company, combine all three session management settings to add an additional layer of security. For example, you could combine "Lock OS when idle" with a very short timeout (e.g., 5 minutes), "Reauthentication when idle" with a medium timeout (e.g., 30 minutes), and “Native Windows or Mac session expires after idling” with a longer timeout (e.g., 2 hours). This may be needed if users deal with very sensitive data, work in public locations, or frequently share devices.

Update Session Management Settings for the Company

To update your company's session management settings:

1. Navigate to the Admin Portal.
   • In your browser, go to https://login.venn.com/ and sign in if prompted. Then, click Open Admin Portal.
   • From the desktop app, click the Open web app icon. Then, click Company Admin in the top right.

2. Click View all settings.

   

3. Click Company.

   

4. Click Security options in the left menu.

   

5. Click Edit at the bottom of the page.

   

6. Adjust the settings to meet your organization's needs. See the table above for definitions, defaults, and maximums for each setting.
   • Native Windows or Mac session expires after idling: Check the box to enable or uncheck the box to disable this setting. If enabled, set how many minutes of inactivity triggers Blue Border to sign out when the user returns.
   • Lock OS when idle: Set how many minutes of inactivity trigger a device lock.
   • Reauthentication when idle: Set how many minutes of inactivity triggers a prompt to reauthenticate when the user returns.

7. Click Save changes to apply the changes.

   

Update Session Management Settings for a Group

As a Company Manager, you can customize session management settings by user group. If you would like to customize session management settings for a group of users, first create a new user group if needed and make sure the correct users are in the group.

To update the session management settings for a group:

1. Navigate to the Admin Portal.
   • In your browser, go to https://login.venn.com/ and sign in if prompted. Then, click Open Admin Portal.
   • From the desktop app, click the Open web app icon. Then, click Company Admin in the top right.

2. Click View all settings.

   

3. Click Groups.

   

4. Click a group name in the group list.

   

5. Click Security options in the left menu.

   

6. Click Edit at the bottom of the page.

   

7. Adjust the settings to meet your organization's needs. See the table above for definitions, defaults, and maximums for each setting.
   • Native Windows or Mac session expires after idling: Check the box to enable or uncheck the box to disable this setting. If enabled, set how many minutes of inactivity triggers Blue Border to sign out when the user returns.
   • Lock OS when idle: Set how many minutes of inactivity trigger a device lock.
   • Reauthentication when idle: Set how many minutes of inactivity triggers a prompt to reauthenticate when the user returns.

8. Click Save changes to apply the changes.

   

View a User's Session Management Settings

To view a user's session management settings:

1. Navigate to the Admin Portal.
   • In your browser, go to https://login.venn.com/ and sign in if prompted. Then, click Open Admin Portal.
   • From the desktop app, click the Open web app icon. Then, click Company Admin in the top right.

2. Click View all settings.

   

3. Click Users.

   

4. Click a username in the user list.

   

5. Click Security options in the menu at left and view the user's session management settings.

   

Track Session Management Events in the Activity Log

In addition to the Signed in and Signed out events under Account Access, there are corresponding events for session management settings under Session Security in the Activity Log in Company Admin.

Follow the steps in this article to view and export user activity.