Kiosk Mode for Shared Windows Computers.
If your environment already has Windows Kiosk mode-enabled (multiple users for one computer with the same account), then GateKeeper will work in this environment. This is applicable to many enterprise organizations where a certain machine or software that works best with only a single account (same one used by everyone). For example, a computer workstation with access to a portal or software. In a hospital setting or manufacturing facility, there could be a certain machine with only one account available on the workstation. To enable GateKeeper to log on in Kiosk mode (shared computer) on these computers, please follow the instructions below.
Solution:
Using Kiosk Mode Password
If login credentials are specific to a computer (like room1/computerA) and NOT users, you can add them under the Kiosk Mode Password tab. Once enabled, even if a user has multiple credentials saved to their user profile, they will always log in with this particular profile on this computer.
To access the Kiosk Mode Password feature, please follow the steps below:
- Open Google Chrome/Firefox web browser.
- Log in to the GateKeeper Hub.
- Click the Computers tab.
- Select the computer you wish to use in shared mode (Kiosk).
- To add the computer’s credentials, click the Kiosk button for that computer.
- On the side-bar, click on the Kiosk Mode Password tab.
- Click the Edit button and choose the Login Type (Domain or Local Account).
- Fill in the Domain, Username, and Password for the computer, and click the Set Password for Computer button.
- Click the Enable Kiosk Mode button. Done!
How to set the same credential on multiple computers at once.
- Open Google Chrome/Firefox web browser.
- Log in to the GateKeeper Hub.
- Click the Computers tab.
- Select the desired computer using the checkbox.
- Then click the Manage Computers button.
- Click the Kiosk Mode Password tab on the sidebar.
- Click the Set Same Password for All Computers button.
- Choose the Login Type (Domain or Local Account).
- Fill in the Domain, Username, and Password for the computer, and click the Set Password for Computer button.
- Click the Enable Kiosk Mode button. Done!
Why would this feature be useful to me?
Let’s say that there are workstations in the clinic’s examination rooms that are accessed by several people and that need to use the same Windows account. Usually, to accomplish this, the password to the shared account is typically kept very simple so that everyone can remember it (security risk: sharing passwords). In many cases, these shared PCs are always left unlocked, thereby making them non-compliant with several standards.
With Kiosk Mode, you can set a complex password for that shared account, then assign it directly to that PC. This way, the user does not need to know what the login password is, and they are still able to access the shared account even faster using their GateKeeper token. Thus, the security of the shared account is increased without having the users remember and type in complex passwords all the time. Furthermore, certain compliance standards also require the administrators to know who accessed the shared accounts. Since the account is common, Windows logs cannot distinguish between two users who used the shared account. However, since each user is uniquely identified by their GateKeeper token, the GateKeeper logs identifies individuals who accessed the shared account.
How does GateKeeper Kiosk Mode work?
Kiosk mode allows IT admins to set fixed specific login credentials for any computer, regardless of the user. Using the Kiosk Mode for a computer will log on any GateKeeper user to the same Windows account on that computer. This is especially useful where the computer is shared, and everyone is accessing a specific set of applications that are running on that common Windows account. By setting up Kiosk mode for those PCs, GateKeeper not only allows every user to access the same Windows account with their token, but also provides the Hub administrator with a detailed report about who accessed a shared account, which is not possible to generate using Windows logs.
See GateKeeper in Kiosk mode as a shared computer with 2 users, one computer:
For any additional questions or concerns regarding proximity settings, computer locking, credential management, or compliance, please contact GateKeeper Enterprise support using the Support Ticket form on https://gkaccess.com/support/ or email support@gkaccess.com.
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