In short, the system in place is designed to:

• Eliminate the wait and hassle by automatically granting Admin privileges specifically for things that have been evaluated and previously approved
• Keep you safe by automatically blocking things that we know would potentially cause you a problem
• Expedite & accelerate instances where you need Admin privileges but no automatic rule has been established.

Once enabled on your system, here’s how it will work:

For Applications or Processes That Have Been Evaluated and Approved:

When an application requiring Administrator privileges is launched the Windows username/password will get filled in automatically and will proceed through that step automatically. Applications/processes will potentially elevate using an Admin account or, depending on the technical need, may also elevate directly with your logged-in account using Admin privileges.

In cases where elevation is done using your user account, you will be prompted with the following screen

This prompt happens only the first time elevation of privileges is approved using your user account on the computer (1 time) and additionally upon elevation after you have changed your Windows password. This caching process helps automate elevations and reduces instances where you are prompted to fill in credentials manually.  

For Applications or Processes That Have Been Evaluated and Denied:

There may be several reasons and circumstances where Administrator privileges will continue to be denied/blocked and monitored. Examples include:

• The software is a virus or malicious in nature
• The software is legitimate but is asking for Admin privileges when it shouldn’t which may indicate malicious activity which would need to be investigated (i.e. Chrome.exe, iexplore.exe, Word.exe, etc.)
• The software or process is something that may require specialized knowledge or interaction by the system admins to be successfully carried out.
• The software or process does not meet an approved upon standard (i.e. version of the software is old or incompatible with another piece of software)

In these cases, a message will appear showing that the application/process has been denied. If you feel this is in error and need further explanation, please email the helpdesk at help@tcitsolutions.com  either referencing the ticket number in the message or if there is no ticket number submitting a screenshot of the message.

For Applications or Processes That Have Not Been Defined Yet:

We have been working hard to tighten up security. Efforts have been made to limit Admin privileges to only circumstances where they are needed so that the bad guys don’t have an opportunity to cause problems and you can continue to work efficiently. To do this we’ve already been monitoring applications and processes that potentially require Admin privileges and making custom rules for all of your systems and although we done lots of work already this will be an ongoing process that we’ll need your help and cooperation with since new applications, updates, or other things arise on a daily basis that need evaluation and permission to do.

When an application or process has neither been approved or denied the Windows prompt for username/password will be automatically dismissed and our Real-Time approval system will be initiated so that a decision and rule can be expedited (usually in less than 60 seconds – start to finish). You will be prompted with a window confirming that you want to proceed, click “Yes”. You then will be given a timer status window while our technicians are notified and examine the requested installation.

If approved notice will be sent directly back to your desktop and you’ll be able to automatically continue with Admin privileges. If we see a problem or issue and can’t allow elevation of the process with Admin privileges for the request, you will be notified, and the request will be documented in our ticketing system so it can be further evaluated by our engineering team.

We will be refining some of the features of how this system is implemented and used here in the coming weeks and will be expanding our library of approved applications for you so that you’ll be able to stay productive and secure. Any feedback and input that you may have is appreciated.

If you’re still getting the Administrator username/password dialog box coming up for installation of applications, please email us at help@tcitsolutions.com so we can get your machine updated with the appropriate software and settings that will allow the new system to work.