Users & Account Security
Users & Account Security
PrivateLAN supports multiple user accounts per company, each with their own permissions. This page explains how to manage users and how PrivateLAN protects your accounts.
User list
The user list shows all accounts for your company, including their name, username, level, two-factor authentication status, enabled status, expiration date, and last activity. The list can be filtered and sorted by any of these columns.
The number of users you can add is limited by your license.
Adding or editing a user
When you create or edit a user, you configure:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The display name of the user |
| Username | The unique login name |
| Used for password recovery and email verification | |
| Enabled | Whether the account can be used to log in |
| Expire | Optional date after which the account can no longer log in |
| Level | The user's privilege level — higher levels have more permissions |
| Password | Set when creating a user or changing an existing password |
| Roles | Fine-grained permissions for this user (see below) |
Roles
In addition to a privilege level, a user can be granted specific roles:
- users-own — manage your own user account
- users-other — manage other users' accounts
- users-support — allow PrivateLAN support to access the system locally
- users-mfa — enforce two-factor authentication for all users
- users-verify-email — enforce email verification for all users
- users-force-logout — force all other users to log in again
With the SOC license option there are three more:
- soc-view — open the SOC live view and its alarm history
- soc-acknowledge — acknowledge, comment on, mute and close alarms
- soc-settings — change the SOC settings and the offline alarm per device group
A user with soc-view but without dashboard lands on the SOC live view after logging in and never sees the menu: the account for a control-room screen. Give every screen its own account — a second login with the same account logs the first one out.
Global security settings
Administrators with the appropriate roles can enable:
- Force two-factor authentication — every user must set up 2FA before using the system
- Force email verification — every user must verify their email address
- PrivateLAN support access — temporarily allow PrivateLAN support staff local access for troubleshooting
Administrators with the users-force-logout role can also perform:
- Logout all users — immediately ends every other user's session, signing them out so they must log in again on their next visit. Your own session is not affected. Use this after a suspected compromise or when access needs to be revoked right away, rather than waiting for sessions to expire on their own.
Logging in
Log in with your username and password. If two-factor authentication is enabled for your account (or required for all users), you will be asked for a 6-digit code from your authenticator app, or one of your backup codes.
Two-factor authentication (2FA)
PrivateLAN supports TOTP-based two-factor authentication, compatible with apps such as Google Authenticator, Aegis, and FreeOTP.
To set up 2FA:
- Open the two-factor authentication setup page and start the setup
- Scan the QR code with your authenticator app, or enter the secret key manually
- Enter the 6-digit code shown in your app to confirm
Once enabled, PrivateLAN generates 8 single-use backup codes — store these somewhere safe. You can use a backup code to log in or to disable 2FA if you lose access to your authenticator app. An administrator can also reset your 2FA if you are locked out.
Forgotten password
If you forget your password, use the Forgot password link on the login page. You will receive an email with a reset link, valid for one hour and usable only once. For security reasons, no information is revealed about whether the email address exists in the system.
Email verification
When you create an account or change your email address, PrivateLAN sends a 6-character verification code to that address. The code is valid for 15 minutes and can be resent up to 3 times.
