Home
Securing
This section describes security features, including execution control lists, IDs, and TLS.
Domino® server and Notes® user IDs
Domino® uses ID files to identify users and to control access to servers. Every Domino server, Notes® certifier, and Notes user must have an ID.
Notes® ID vault
The ID vault is an optional, server-based database that holds protected copies of Notes® user IDs. An ID vault allows administrators and users to easily manage Notes user IDs. Users are assigned to a vault through policy configuration, and copies of user IDs are uploaded to a vault automatically once the policy has taken effect.
Creating and configuring an ID vault
To make an ID vault operational you must create the vault database on a server, create the vault ID file, specify at least one vault administrator, specify which user organizations trust the vault, assign password reset authority, and use policies to assign user IDs to the vault.
Providing instructions for users who forget their passwords
You can specify instructions to display in the Notes® login window to users (even non-vaulted ones) who forget their passwords.

Securing
This section describes security features, including execution control lists, IDs, and TLS.
- Overview of Domino security
  Setting up security for your organization is a critical task. Your security infrastructure is critical for protecting your organization's IT resources and assets. As an administrator, you need to give careful consideration to your organization's security requirements before you set up any servers or users. Up-front planning pays off later in minimizing the risks of compromised security.
- Server access for Notes® users, Internet users, and Domino® servers
  To control user and server access to other servers, Domino® uses the settings you specify on the Security tab in the Server document as well as the rules of validation and authentication. If a server validates and authenticates the Notes® user, Internet user, or server, and the settings in the Server document allow access, the user or server is allowed access to the server.
- The database access control list
  Every .NSF database has an access control list (ACL) that specifies the level of access that users and servers have to that database. Although the names of access levels are the same for users and servers, those assigned to users determine the tasks that they can perform in a database, while those assigned to servers determine what information within the database the servers can replicate. Only someone with Manager access can create or modify the ACL.
- Domino® server and Notes® user IDs
  Domino® uses ID files to identify users and to control access to servers. Every Domino server, Notes® certifier, and Notes user must have an ID.
  - Certificates
    A certificate is a unique digital signature that identifies a user or server. Server and user IDs contain one or more HCL Notes® certificates. In addition, user IDs may contain one or more Internet certificates that identify users when they use TLS to connect to an Internet server or send a signed S/MIME mail message.
  - Notes clients and two-factor authentication
    HCL Notes client authentication with a Notes ID provides built-in, automatic, two-factor authentication.
  - Password-protection for Notes® and Domino® IDs
    To ensure the security of the Domino® system, password-protect all Notes® and Domino IDs -- certifier, server, and user. When you password-protect an ID, a key that is derived from the password encrypts the data on the ID. Then, when you attempt to access mail, open a server-based database, or examine ID file information, you are prompted to enter a password.
  - The password quality scale
    When creating passwords for user, server, or certifier IDs, you need to understand the criteria by which Domino® measures password strength and security. Domino measures this criteria according to the level assigned on its password quality scale. The scale assigns a minimum level of quality to the password on an ID file. Domino bases the password quality on the number and variety of characters in the password.
  - Verifying user passwords during authentication
    You can enable password verification so that a Notes® user can authenticate with a server only after providing the correct password that is associated with the user ID.
  - Setting up password verification
    You can enable password verification through the use of a security policy settings document, which allows you to enable this feature for multiple users, or you can enable password verification on an individual basis through the Domino® Directory.
  - Custom password policies
    Information protection and data privacy laws include specific requirements for the selection of secure passwords for identity verification. To help users comply with these laws, HCL Domino® includes the ability to implement password restrictions on a policy basis. Administrators can enforce password requirements that will fit almost any set of corporate or government security requirements.
  - Assigning multiple passwords to server and certifier IDs
    To assign multiple passwords to server and certifier IDs, all of the administrators whose passwords will be assigned to the ID must be present. Then, during the procedure of assigning multiple passwords, each administrator completes a series of steps.
  - Using Notes® Shared Login to suppress password prompts
    Notes® Shared Login (NSL) allows users to start Notes without having to provide Notes passwords. Instead, they only need to log in to Microsoft™ Windows™ using their Windows passwords.
  - Using Nomad Shared Login to suppress password prompts
    Starting in HCL Domino 12.0.2, Nomad Shared Login allows users of HCL Nomad for web browsers to authenticate with Domino servers without having to provide Notes® ID file passwords after initial setup. This feature is enabled by default for Nomad deployments starting with Nomad for web browsers 1.0.8.
  - Using Notes Shared Login to secure server ID files
    Starting with HCL Domino 12.0.1, you can secure the server ID files of Domino servers on Windows using the Notes Shared Login (NSL) functionality.
  - Notes® ID vault
    The ID vault is an optional, server-based database that holds protected copies of Notes® user IDs. An ID vault allows administrators and users to easily manage Notes user IDs. Users are assigned to a vault through policy configuration, and copies of user IDs are uploaded to a vault automatically once the policy has taken effect.
    - How an ID vault works
      This topic describes common vault operations.
    - ID vault security
      An ID vault provides several layers of security.
    - Planning an ID vault deployment
      The topics in this section provide information to help you plan an ID vault deployment.
    - ID vault FAQs
      Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the ID vault.
    - Creating and configuring an ID vault
      To make an ID vault operational you must create the vault database on a server, create the vault ID file, specify at least one vault administrator, specify which user organizations trust the vault, assign password reset authority, and use policies to assign user IDs to the vault.
      - Creating an ID vault
        The ID Vault tool enables you to perform all of the steps necessary to make a vault operational. However you can choose to perform some of the required steps at a later time using another tool.
      - Specifying the organizations that trust an ID vault
        You add or remove Vault Trust Certificates, from the Configuration tab of the Domino® Administrator.
      - Assigning password reset authority
        Password reset authority authorizes people or applications to reset passwords and to specify ID download counts.
      - Assigning users to a vault
        Only IDs with a parent certifier that has issued a Vault Trust Certificate can be uploaded to an ID vault. To upload IDs to a vault, you specify the vault name in the ID Vault tab of a Security Settings document that is added to a policy document.
      - Enabling programs that store IDs in databases to use a vault
        You can enable Notes® API programs that can store Notes IDs in databases to use an ID vault. Doing this allows the users of such programs to take advantage of the ID management features that an ID vault provides.
      - Adding or removing ID vault servers
        After you create an ID vault on one server, you can replicate it to other servers in the HCL Domino® domain for better availability. You use the ID Vaults > Manage tool to add or remove vault replicas or to specify a different vault primary server. Always use this tool to manage vault replicas rather than traditional database replication tools.
      - Adding or removing vault administrators
        Vault administrators can add and remove other vault administrators, add and remove vault replicas, delete IDs from a vault, mark IDs inactive, restore inactive IDs, and delete a vault. When you create a vault, you must specify at least one vault administrator. However, specifying more than one vault administrator is recommended for administrative backup.
      - Providing instructions for users who forget their passwords
        You can specify instructions to display in the Notes® login window to users (even non-vaulted ones) who forget their passwords.
      - Specifying whether to require users to change passwords that have been reset
        Use the Security Settings document to control whether users are required to change their passwords after they have been reset.
      - Requiring authorization for ID downloads
        To help thwart unauthorized downloads of Notes client ID files from a vault, require authorization for ID downloads.
      - Changing the password on the vault ID file
        Use the ID Vaults > Manage tool to change the password on a vault ID file.
      - Creating or editing ID vault policy settings documents manually
        You use policy settings to assign IDs to an ID vault and to specify a few other optional ID vault settings. You can specify policy settings using the ID Vaults > Create or ID Vaults > Manage tools, or you can create or edit these policy settings manually as described in this topic.
    - Deleting an ID vault
      You can delete an ID vault. Before doing that you must delete all replicas except the one on the vault primary server.
    - Viewing user IDs in a vault
      After users have been assigned to a vault through a policy, the next time they start Notes® after the policy has taken effect, their IDs are uploaded to the vault. Note that there may be a delay before policy changes take effect.
    - Maintaining ID file synchronization
      When passwords on Notes® client IDs become different from the passwords on the IDs in the ID vault, synchronization of ID information between clients and the ID vault stops. You can enable automatic restarting of synchronization when the passwords get out of sync. You can use the Query Vault console command or the Domino Administrator to monitor and manage ID synchronization.
    - Managing the user IDs in an ID vault
      You can reset the password of an ID stored in a vault, specify the number of ID downloads a user is allowed, extract an ID from a vault for auditing purposes, delete an ID from a vault, or mark an ID in a vault as inactive.
    - Troubleshooting an ID vault configuration
      There are two ways to troubleshoot problems with an ID vault, do either or both of the following:
    - ID vault notes.ini settings
      The following notes.ini settings pertain to the ID vault.
  - ID recovery
    Use of the ID vault for ID recovery is strongly recommended. However, the ID recovery feature described in this topic is still supported.
  - Public key security
    Every Notes® user ID and Domino® server ID has a unique public key for the Notes certificate. The public key is stored in an ID file and in the Person or Server document for that ID in the Domino Directory. Notes and Domino use the public key to authenticate users and servers, verify digital signatures, and encrypt messages and databases. A Notes user ID can also have a unique public key for an Internet certificate.
  - User and server key rollover
    Key rollover is the process used to update the set of Notes® public and private keys that is stored in user and server ID files. Periodically, this set of keys may need to be replaced -- as a precaution against undetected compromise of the private key; as a remedy to recover from a known compromise of the private key; or to increase security by updating to a larger key.
  - Certificate authority key rollover
    HCL Domino® administrators can assign a new set of public and private keys to a Domino certificate authority (CA). These keys are used to certify the keys of OUs, servers, and users in that organization. The process of assigning news keys is known as key rollover.
  - Using cross-certificates to access servers and send secure S/MIME messages
    Domino® uses both Notes® and Internet cross-certificates. Notes cross-certificates allow users in different hierarchically-certified organizations to access servers and to receive signed mail messages. Internet cross-certificates allow users to receive signed mail messages and send encrypted mail messages.
  - Adding cross-certificates to the Domino® Directory or Contacts
    You can use several methods to obtain an HCL Notes® or Internet cross-certificate.
- The execution control list
  You use an execution control list (ECL) to configure workstation data security. An ECL protects user workstations against active content from unknown or suspect sources, and can be configured to limit the action of any active content that does run on workstations.
- Domino® server-based certification authority
  You can set up a Domino® certifier that uses the CA process server task to manage and process certificate requests. The CA process runs as a process on Domino servers that are used to issue certificates. When you set up a Notes® or Internet certifier, you link it to the CA process on the server in order to take advantage of CA process activities. Only one instance of the CA process can run on a server; however, the process can be linked to multiple certifiers.
- TLS security
  Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a security protocol that provides communications privacy and authentication for Domino® server tasks that operate over TCP/IP.
- TLS and S/MIME for clients
  Clients can use a Domino® certificate authority (CA) application or a third-party CA to obtain certificates for secure TLS and S/MIME communication.
- Encryption
  Encryption protects data from unauthorized access.
- Name-and-password authentication for Internet/intranet clients
  Name-and-password authentication, also known as basic password authentication, uses a basic challenge/response protocol to ask users for their names and passwords and then verifies the accuracy of the passwords by checking them against a secure hash of the password stored in Person documents in the Domino® Directory.
- Time-based one-time password (TOTP) authentication
  When users log on to a Domino Web server, you can require that they provide time-based one-time passwords in addition to their user names and passwords.
- Multi-server session-based authentication (single sign-on)
  Multi-server session-based authentication, also known as single sign-on (SSO), allows Web users to log in once to a Domino® or WebSphere® server, and then access any other Domino or WebSphere servers in the same DNS domain that are enabled for single sign-on (SSO) without having to log in again.
- Using Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) to configure federated-identity authentication
  Federated identity is a means of achieving single sign-on, providing user convenience and helping to reduce administrative cost. In Domino® and Notes®, federated identity for user authentication uses the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) standard from OASIS.
- Using OpenID Connect (OIDC) to configure federated-identity authentication
  Federated identity is a means of achieving single sign-on, providing user convenience and helping to reduce administrative cost. One way that client applications can authenticate users is by using an OpenID Connect (OIDC) provider.
- Using a credential store to store credentials
  A Domino® server can use a credential store application as a secure artifact repository. Examples of secure artifacts include authentication credentials and security keys.
- History of supported key sizes in Notes and Domino
  Understand the RSA key sizes supported by Notes® and Domino® from past releases to the current release.

Providing instructions for users who forget their passwords

You can specify instructions to display in the Notes® login window to users (even non-vaulted ones) who forget their passwords.

About this task

The instructions can be eight lines in length and can include blank lines for better readability. To provide a button that users can click to open a Web page, add the following HTML markup after the last line of the text instructions:

<A HREF="url">button text</A>

where url is the Web site URL and button text is the button label. For example:

<A HREF="http://www.renovations.com/passwordreset">Open Web page</A>

Use any of the following methods to provide forgotten password instructions:

Use the Create > ID Vaults tool and specify the instructions as part of configuring a policy.
Use the Manage > ID Vaults tool and specify the instructions as part of creating or editing vault policy settings manually (see the related information).
Edit the Forgotten password help text field in the ID Vault tab of a Security Settings document used by a user policy.