Home
Securing
This section describes security features, including execution control lists, IDs, and TLS.
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.
Setting up the Administration Process for database ACLs
To use the Administration Process to update and manage names in an ACL and in Readers and Authors fields, assign an administration server to the database. Use this method to specify an administration server for multiple databases.

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.
  - Default ACL entries
    The default access control list includes a set of default entries.
  - Acceptable entries in the ACL
    Refer to this topic for details on any entry you make in an Access Control List (ACL).
  - Configuring a database ACL
    Plan the database access for the application before adding users, groups, or servers to a database ACL. After you add a name to the ACL, assign an access level to the name. Although assigning a user type is optional, it provides an additional level of security. Add access level privileges and roles if the application requires them.
  - Access levels in the ACL
    Access levels assigned to users in a database ACL control which tasks users can perform in the database. Access level privileges enhance or restrict the access level assigned to each name in the ACL. For each user, group, or server listed in the ACL, you select the basic access level and user type. To further refine the access, you select a series of access privileges. If the application designer created roles, assign them to the appropriate users, groups, or servers.
  - Access level privileges in the ACL
    After you assign an access level to each user, group, and server, you can select or deselect privileges within an access level.
  - User types in the ACL
    A user type identifies whether a name in the ACL is for a person, server, or group. When you assign a user type to a name, you specify the type of ID required for accessing the database with that name. The user types are Person, Server, Mixed Group, Person Group, Server Group, and Unspecified. The -Default- group in the ACL is always assigned Unspecified as the user type. If you have added Anonymous to the ACL, then it should have a user type of Unspecified.
  - Roles in the ACL
    A database designer can assign special access to database design elements and database functions by creating roles. A role defines a set of users and/or servers. They are similar to groups that you can set up in the Domino® Directory. However, unlike groups, roles are specific to the database in which they are created.
  - Managing database ACLs
    As a Domino® administrator, you can use any of these methods to manage database ACLs.
  - Using the Administration Process to update ACLs
    To maintain maximum database security, you must be vigilant about keeping the ACL up to date. You can use the server administration process to do this. The Administration Process is a server program that automatically renames or deletes groups, servers, users, personal views, personal folders, and private agents, and then updates the Domino® Directory and any database ACLs that have named the server running the Administration Process as their administration server. This program also updates the Readers and Authors fields for all documents in a database.
  - Setting up the Administration Process for database ACLs
    To use the Administration Process to update and manage names in an ACL and in Readers and Authors fields, assign an administration server to the database. Use this method to specify an administration server for multiple databases.
  - Editing entries in multiple ACLs
    As a Domino® Administrator, you can make changes to entries that exist in multiple database ACLs. To edit entries in a database ACL, you must have Manager access to that ACL.
  - Viewing all database ACLs on a server
    You can view all the database ACLs on a server by user name, access level, or by database.
  - Using the ACL log
    You can display a log of all changes made to a database ACL. Each entry in the list shows when the change occurred, who made the change, and what changed. The log stores only 20 lines of changes, not the complete history.
  - Enforcing a consistent access control list
    You can ensure that an ACL remains identical on all database replicas on servers, as well as on all local replicas that users make on workstations or laptops.
  - Updating Readers and Authors fields
    By default, the Administration Process examines all documents in a database to find and update Readers and Authors fields and to update personal folders and views and private agents. When the Administration Process performs a "Rename person" or a "Delete person" request, it edits or removes the name in all Readers and Authors fields and in personal folders and views, and in private agents. To update Readers and Authors fields in only selected documents, you create a special view in the database and then update that view.
  - Setting up database access for Internet users
    When you set up database access, you must make special provisions for Internet users. See the related topics for more information.
  - Preventing users from accessing forms and views in a Web application
    If you design a database application that users will access with a browser, you may want to restrict browser users from using URL commands that would open forms and views in your application. For example, you can design your application so that a servlet that uses forms or views will only use the forms and views using URL commands. With the Don't allow URL open property set, it will be impossible for browser users to manipulate these application components using Domino® URL commands.
  - Maximum Internet name-and-password access
    Users who have Internet or intranet browser access to a database cannot be identified by Notes® in the same way Notes users are identified. Use the Maximum Internet name & password access setting to control the maximum type of access that Internet or intranet browser users have to a database. The list contains the standard access levels for Notes users.
  - Requiring an TLS connection to a database
    Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a security protocol that provides communications privacy and authentication for Domino® server tasks that operate over TCP/IP. You can require users to access a database using a secure TLS connection. You can also choose to require an TLS connection to a single database or to all databases on a server.
- 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.
- 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.
- Web-based authentication
  Define and set up authentication methods for web users, for example through basic password authentication, passkeys, time-based one-time password, or single sign-on.
- Using Domino as an OIDC provider
  The Domino HTTP task can act as an OIDC identity provider. This feature allows administrators to leverage their existing Domino HTTP authentication experience -- including passkeys, TOTP, custom domcfg login forms, and external identity providers -- to authenticate end users with applications, servers, and services that support OIDC.
- 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.

Setting up the Administration Process for database ACLs

To use the Administration Process to update and manage names in an ACL and in Readers and Authors fields, assign an administration server to the database. Use this method to specify an administration server for multiple databases.

Procedure

Make sure that you have Manager access in the database ACL.
From the Domino® Administrator Server pane, select the server that stores the databases.
Click Files, and select the databases from the Domino® data directory to which you want to assign an administration server.
Click Tools > Database > Manage ACL.
Click Advanced.
Select Modify Administration Server setting.
Select Server, select an administration server from the list, and then click OK.

Results

When Notes® users create databases, they can specify the administration server for their databases on the Advanced panel of the database ACL. The database ACL list will automatically be updated when the Administration Process is run on the specified administration server.