Configuring Administration Server

This section describes the configuration process and properties of Kaspersky Security Center Administration Server.

Configuring the connection of Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console to Administration Server

To set the connection ports of Administration Server:

1. At the top of the screen, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

2. On the General tab, select the Connection ports section.

The application displays the main connection settings of the selected server.

In earlier versions of Kaspersky Security Center, Administration Console was connected to Administration Server through SSL port TCP 13291, as well as SSL port TCP 13000. Starting from Kaspersky Security Center 10 Service Pack 2, the SSL ports used by the application are strictly separated and misuse of ports is not possible:

• SSL port TCP 13291 can only be used by Administration Console.
• SSL port TCP 13000 can only be used by Network Agent, a secondary Administration Server, and the primary Administration Server in DMZ.
• Port TCP 14000 can be used for connecting Administration Console, distribution points, and secondary Administration Servers, as well as for receiving data from client devices.

Viewing log of connections to the Administration Server

The history of connections and attempts to connect to the Administration Server during its operation can be saved to a log file. The information in the file allows you to track not only connections inside your network infrastructure, but unauthorized attempts to access the server as well.

To log events of connection to the Administration Server:

1. In the main menu, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

2. On the General tab, select the Connection ports section.
3. Enable the Log Administration Server connection events option.

All further events of inbound connections to the Administration Server, authentication results, and SSL errors will be saved to the file %ProgramData%\KasperskyLab\adminkit\logs\sc.syslog.

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Setting the maximum number of events in the event repository

In the Events repository section of the Administration Server properties window, you can edit the settings of events storage in the Administration Server database by limiting the number of event records and record storage term. When you specify the maximum number of events, the application calculates an approximate amount of storage space required for the specified number. You can use this approximate calculation to evaluate whether you have enough free space on the disk to avoid database overflow. The default capacity of the Administration Server database is 400,000 events. The maximum recommended capacity of the database is 45 million events.

If the number of events in the database reaches the maximum value specified by the administrator, the application deletes the oldest events and rewrites them with new ones. When the Administration Server deletes old events, it cannot save new events to the database. During this period of time, information about events that were rejected is written to the Kaspersky Event Log. The new events are queued and then saved to the database after the deletion operation is complete.

To limit the number of events that can be stored in the events repository on the Administration Server:

1. At the top of the screen, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

2. On the General tab, select the Events repository section. Specify the maximum number of events stored in the database.
3. Click the Save button.

Additionally, you can change the settings of any task to save events related to the task progress, or save only task execution results. In doing so, you will reduce the number of events in the database, increase the speed of execution of scenarios associated with analysis of the event table in the database, and lower the risk that critical events will be overwritten by a large number of events.

Connection settings of UEFI protection devices

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A UEFI protection device is a device with Kaspersky Anti-Virus for UEFI integrated at the BIOS level. Integrated protection ensures device security from the moment the system starts, while protection on devices without integrated software begins functioning only after the security application starts. Kaspersky Security Center supports management of these devices.

To modify the connection settings of UEFI protection devices:

1. In the main menu, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

2. On the General tab, select the Additional ports section.
3. Modify the relevant settings:
   • Open port for UEFI protection devices and KasperskyOS devices

     UEFI protection devices can connect to the Administration Server.

   • Port for UEFI protection devices and KasperskyOS devices

     You can change the port number if the Open port for UEFI protection devices and KasperskyOS devices option is enabled. The default port number is 13294.

4. Click the Save button.

The UEFI protection devices can now connect to the Administration Server.

Creating a virtual Administration Server

You can create virtual Administration Servers and add them to administration groups.

To create and add a virtual Administration Server:

1. In the main menu, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.
2. On the page that opens, proceed to the Administration Servers tab.
3. Select the administration group to which you want to add a virtual Administration Server.
   The virtual Administration Server will manage devices from the selected group (including the subgroups).
4. On the menu line, click New virtual Administration Server.
5. On the page that opens, define the properties of the new virtual Administration Server:
   • Name of virtual Administration Server.
   • Administration Server connection address

     You can specify the name or the IP address of your Administration Server.

6. From the list of users, select the virtual Administration Server administrator. If you want, you can edit one of the existing accounts before assigning it the administrator's role, or create a new user account.
7. Click Save.

The new virtual Administration Server is created, added to the administration group and displayed on the Administration Servers tab.

If you are connected to your primary Administration Server in Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console, and can not connect to a virtual Administration Server that is managed by a secondary Administration Server, you can use one of the following ways:

• Modify the existing Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console installation to add the secondary Server to the list of trusted Administration Servers. Then you will be able to connect to the virtual Administration Server in Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console.
  1. On the device where Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console is installed, run the ksc-web-console-<version number>.<build number>.exe installation file under an account with administrative privileges.
  2. The Setup Wizard will start.
  3. On the first page of the Wizard, select the Upgrade option.
  4. On the Modification type page, select the Edit connection settings option.
  5. On the Trusted Administration Servers page, add the required secondary Administration Server.
  6. On the last page of the Wizard, click Modify to apply the new settings.
  7. After the application reconfiguration successfully completes, click the Finish button.
• Use Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console to connect directly to the secondary Administration Server where the virtual Server was created. Then you will be able to switch to the virtual Administration Server in Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console.
• Use MMC-based Administration Console to connect directly to the virtual Server.

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Creating a hierarchy of Administration Servers: adding a secondary Administration Server

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Adding secondary Administration Server (performed on the future primary Administration Server)

You can add an Administration Server as a secondary Administration Server, thus establishing a "primary/secondary" hierarchy.

To add a secondary Administration Server that is available for connection through Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console:

1. Make sure that port 13000 of the future primary Administration Server is available for receipt of connections from secondary Administration Servers.
2. On the future primary Administration Server, click the settings icon ().
3. On the properties page that opens, select the Administration Servers tab.
4. Select the check box next to the name of th administration group to which you want to add the Administration Server.
5. In the menu line, click Connect secondary Administration Server.

   The Connect secondary Administration Server Wizard starts.

6. On the first page of the Wizard, fill in the following fields:
   • Secondary Administration Server display name

     A name by which the secondary Administration Server will be displayed in the hierarchy. If you want, you can enter the IP address as a name, or you can use a name like, for example, "Secondary Server for group 1".

   • Secondary Administration Server address (optional)

     Specify the IP address or the domain name of the secondary Administration Server.

   • Administration Server SSL port

     Specify the number of the SSL port on the primary Administration Server. The default port number is 13000.

   • Administration Server API port

     Specify the number of the port on the primary Administration Server for receiving connections over OpenAPI. The default port number is 13299.

   • Connect primary Administration Server to secondary Administration Server in DMZ

     Select this option if the secondary Administration Server is in a demilitarized zone (DMZ).

     If this option is selected, the primary Administration Server initiates connection to the secondary Administration Server. Otherwise, the secondary Administration Server initiates connection to the primary Administration Server.

7. Specify the connection settings:
   • Enter the address of the future primary Administration Server.
   • If the future secondary Administration Server uses a proxy server, enter the proxy server address and user credentials to connect to the proxy server.
8. Enter the credentials of the user that has access rights on the future secondary Administration Server.

   Make sure that two-step verification is disabled for the account that you specify. If two-step verification is enabled for this account, then you can create the hierarchy from the future secondary Server only (see instructions below). This is a known issue.

If the connection settings are correct, the connection with the future secondary Server is established and the "primary/secondary" hierarchy is built. If the connection has failed, check the connection settings or specify the certificate of the future secondary Server manually.

The connection may also fail because the future secondary Server is authenticated with a self-signed certificate that was automatically generated by Kaspersky Security Center. As a result, the browser might block downloading the self-signed certificate. If this is the case, you can do one of the following:

• For the future secondary Server, create a certificate that is trusted in your infrastructure and that meets the requirements for custom certificates.
• Add the self-signed certificate of the future secondary Server to the list of trusted browser certificates. We recommend that you use this option only if you cannot create a custom certificate. For the information about adding a certificate to the list of trusted certificates, refer to the documentation of your browser.

After the Wizard finishes, the "primary/secondary" hierarchy is built. Connection between the primary and secondary Administration Servers is established through port 13000. The tasks and policies from the primary Administration Server are received and applied. The secondary Administration Server is displayed on the primary Administration Server, in the administration group to which it was added.

Adding secondary Administration Server (performed on the future secondary Administration Server)

If you could not connect to the future secondary Administration Server (for example, because it was temporarily disconnected or unavailable), you are still able to add a secondary Administration Server.

To add as secondary an Administration Server that is not available for connection through Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console:

1. Send the certificate file of the future primary Administration Server to the system administrator of the office where the future secondary Administration Server is located. (You can, for example, write the file to an external device, such as a flash drive, or send it by email.)

   The certificate file is located on the future primary Administration Server, at %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\KasperskyLab\adminkit\1093\cert\klserver.cer.

2. Prompt the system administrator in charge of the future secondary Administration Server to do the following:
   1. Click the settings icon ().
   2. On the properties page that opens, proceed to the Hierarchy of Administration Servers section of the General tab.
   3. Select the This Administration Server is secondary in the hierarchy option.
   4. In the Primary Administration Server address field, enter the network name of the future primary Administration Server.
   5. Select the previously saved file with the certificate of the future primary Administration Server by clicking Browse.
   6. If necessary, select the Connect primary Administration Server to secondary Administration Server in DMZ check box.
   7. If the connection to the future secondary Administration Server is performed through a proxy server, select the Use proxy server option and specify the connection settings.
   8. Click Save.

The "primary/secondary" hierarchy is built. The primary Administration Server starts receiving connection from the secondary Administration Server using port 13000. The tasks and policies from the primary Administration Server are received and applied. The secondary Administration Server is displayed on the primary Administration Server, in the administration group where it was added.

Viewing the list of secondary Administration Servers

To view the list of the secondary (including virtual) Administration Servers:

In the main menu, click the name of the Administration Server, which is next to the settings icon ().

The drop-down list of the secondary (including virtual) Administration Servers is displayed.

You can proceed to any of these Administration Servers by clicking its name.

The administration groups are shown, too, but they are grayed and not available for management in this menu.

If you are connected to your primary Administration Server in Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console, and can not connect to a virtual Administration Server that is managed by a secondary Administration Server, you can use one of the following ways:

• Modify the existing Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console installation to add the secondary Server to the list of trusted Administration Servers. Then you will be able to connect to the virtual Administration Server in Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console.
  1. On the device where Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console is installed, run the ksc-web-console-<version number>.<build number>.exe installation file under an account with administrative privileges.
  2. The Setup Wizard will start.
  3. On the first page of the Wizard, select the Upgrade option.
  4. On the Modification type page, select the Edit connection settings option.
  5. On the Trusted Administration Servers page, add the required secondary Administration Server.
  6. On the last page of the Wizard, click Modify to apply the new settings.
  7. After the application reconfiguration successfully completes, click the Finish button.
• Use Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console to connect directly to the secondary Administration Server where the virtual Server was created. Then you will be able to switch to the virtual Administration Server in Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console.
• Use MMC-based Administration Console to connect directly to the virtual Server.

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Deleting a hierarchy of Administration Servers

If you no longer want to have a hierarchy of Administration Servers, you can disconnect them from this hierarchy.

To delete a hierarchy of Administration Servers:

1. At the top of the screen, click the settings icon () next to the name of the primary Administration Server.
2. On the page that opens, proceed to the Administration Servers tab.
3. In the administration group from which you want to delete the secondary Administration Server, select the secondary Administration Server.
4. On the menu line, click Delete.
5. In the window that opens, click OK to confirm that you want to delete the secondary Administration Server.

The former primary Administration Server and the former secondary Administration Server are now independent of each other. The hierarchy no longer exists.

Configuring the interface

You can configure the Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console interface to display and hide sections and interface elements, depending on the features being used.

To configure the Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console interface in accordance with the currently used set of features:

1. In the main menu, click the account menu.
2. In the drop-down menu, select Interface options.
3. In the Interface options window that opens, enable or disable the required options.
4. Click Save.

After that, the console displays sections in the main menu in accordance with enabled options. For example, if you enable Show EDR alerts, the MONITORING & REPORTING → ALERTS section appears in the main menu.

Enabling account protection from unauthorized modification

You can enable an additional option to protect a user account from unauthorized modification. If this option is enabled, modifying user account settings requires authorization of the user with the rights for modification.

To enable or disable account protection from unauthorized modification:

1. In the main menu, go to USERS & ROLES → USERS.
2. Click the name of the internal user account for which you want to specify account protection from unauthorized modification.
3. In the user settings window that opens, select the Account protection tab.
4. On the Account protection tab, select the Request authentication to check the permission to modify user accounts option, if you want to request credentials every time when account settings are changed or modified. Otherwise, select the Allow users to modify this account without additional authentication option.
5. Click the Save button.

Account protection from unauthorized modification is enabled for a user account.

Two-step verification

This section describes how you can use two-step verification to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console.

Scenario: Configuring two-step verification for all users

This scenario describes how to enable two-step verification for all users and how to exclude user accounts from two-step verification. If you did not enable two-step verification for your account before you enable it for other users, the application opens the window for enabling two-step verification for your account, first. This scenario also describes how to enable two-step verification for your own account.

If you enabled two-step verification for your account, you may proceed to the stage of enabling of two-step verification for all users.

Prerequisites

Before you start:

• Make sure that your user account has the Modify object ACLs right of the General features: User permissions functional area for modifying security settings for other users' accounts.
• Make sure that the other users of Administration Server install an authenticator application on their devices.

Stages

Enabling two-step verification for all users proceeds in stages:

1. Installing an authenticator application on a device

   You can install Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or any other authenticator application that supports the Time-based One-time Password algorithm.

2. Synchronizing the authenticator application time with the time of the device on which Administration Server is installed

   Ensure that the time set in the authenticator application is synchronized with the time of Administration Server.

3. Enabling two-step verification for your account and receiving the secret key for your account

   How-to instructions:

   • For MMC-based Administration Console: Enabling two-step verification for your own account
   • For Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console: Enabling two-step verification for your own account

   After you enable two-step verification for your account, you can enable two-step verification for all users.

4. Enabling two-step verification for all users

   Users with two-step verification enabled must use it to log in to Administration Server.

   How-to instructions:

   • For MMC-based Administration Console: Enabling two-step verification for all users
   • For Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console: Enabling two-step verification for all users
5. Editing the name of a security code issuer

   If you have several Administration Servers with similar names, you may have to change the security code issuer names for better recognition of different Administration Servers.

   How-to instructions:

   • For MMC-based Administration Console: Editing the name of a security code issuer
   • For Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console: Editing the name of a security code issuer
6. Excluding user accounts for which you do not need to enable two-step verification

   If required, you can exclude users from two-step verification. Users with excluded accounts do not have to use two-step verification to log in to Administration Server.

   How-to instructions:

   • For MMC-based Administration Console: Excluding accounts from two-step verification
   • For Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console: Excluding accounts from two-step verification

Results

Upon completion of this scenario:

• Two-step verification is enabled for your account.
• Two-step verification is enabled for all user accounts of the Administration Server, except for user accounts that were excluded.

About two-step verification

Kaspersky Security Center provides two-step verification for users of Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console. When two-step verification is enabled for your own account, every time you log in to Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console, you enter your user name, password, and an additional single-use security code. If you use domain authentication for your account, you only have to enter an additional single-use security code. To receive a single-use security code, you must have an authenticator application on your computer or your mobile device.

A security code has an identifier referred to as issuer name. The security code issuer name is used as an identifier of the Administration Server in the authenticator application. You can change the name of the security code issuer name. The security code issuer name has a default value that is the same as the name of the Administration Server. The issuer name is used as an identifier of the Administration Server in the authenticator application. If you change the security code issuer name, you must issue a new secret key and pass it to the authenticator application. A security code is single-use and valid for up to 90 seconds (the exact time may vary).

Any user for whom two-step verification is enabled can reissue his or her own secret key. When a user authenticates with the reissued secret key and uses it for logging in, Administration Server saves the new secret key for the user account. If the user enters the new secret key incorrectly, Administration Server does not save the new secret key and leaves the current secret key valid for the further authentication.

Any authentication software that supports the Time-based One-time Password algorithm (TOTP) can be used as an authenticator application, for example, Google Authenticator. In order to generate the security code, you must synchronize the time set in the authenticator application with the time set for Administration Server.

An authenticator application generates the security code as follows:

1. Administration Server generates a special secret key and QR code.
2. You pass the generated secret key or QR code to the authenticator application.
3. The authenticator application generates a single-use security code that you pass to the authentication window of Administration Server.

We highly recommend that you install an authenticator application on more than one device. Save the secret key (or QR code) and keep it in a safe place. This will help you to restore access to Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console in case you lose access to your mobile device.

To secure the usage of Kaspersky Security Center, you can enable two-step verification for your own account and enable two-step verification for all users.

You can exclude accounts from two-step verification. This can be necessary for service accounts that cannot receive a security code for authentication.

Two-step verification works according to the following rules:

• Only a user account that has the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area can enable two-step verification for all users.
• Only a user that enabled two-step verification for his or her own account can enable the option of two-step verification for all users.
• Only a user that enabled two-step verification for his or her own account can exclude other user accounts from the list of two-step verification enabled for all users.
• A user can enable two-step verification only for his or her own account.
• A user account that has the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area and is logged in to Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console by using two-step verification can disable two-step verification: for any other user only if two-step verification for all users is disabled, for a user excluded from the list of two-step verification that is enabled for all users.
• Any user that logged in to Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console by using two-step verification can reissue his or her own secret key.
• You can enable the two-step verification for all users option for the Administration Server you are currently working with. If you enable this option on the Administration Server, you also enable this option for the user accounts of its virtual Administration Servers and do not enable two-step verification for the user accounts of the secondary Administration Servers.

If two-step verification is enabled for a user account on Kaspersky Security Center Administration Server version 13 or later, the user will not be able to log in to the Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console versions 12, 12.1 or 12.2.

Enabling two-step verification for your own account

You can enable two-step verification only for your own account.

Before you enable two-step verification for your account, ensure that an authenticator application is installed on your mobile device. Ensure that the time set in the authenticator application is synchronized with the time set of the device on which Administration Server is installed.

To enable two-step verification for a user account:

1. In the main menu, go to USERS & ROLES → USERS.
2. Click the name of your account.
3. In the user settings window that opens, select the Account protection tab.
4. On the Account protection tab:
   1. Select the Request user name, password, and security code (two-step verification) option.
   2. In the two-step verification window that opens, enter the secret key in the authenticator application or scan the QR code and receive one-time security code.

      You can specify the secret key into the authenticator application manually or scan the QR code by your mobile device.

   3. In the two-step verification window, specify the security code generated by the authenticator application, and then click the Check and apply button.
5. Click the Save button.

Two-step verification is enabled for your account.

Enabling two-step verification for all users

You can enable two-step verification for all users of Administration Server if your account has the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area and if you are authenticated by using two-step verification. If you did not enable two-step verification for your account before enabling it for all users, the application opens the window for enabling two-step verification for your own account.

To enable two-step verification for all users:

1. In the main menu, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

2. On the Authentication security tab of the properties window, switch the toggle button of the two-step verification for all users option to the enabled position.

Two-step verification is enabled for all users. From now on, users of the Administration Server, including the users that were added after enabling two-step verification for all users, have to configure two-step verification for their accounts, except for users that are excluded from two-step verification.

Disabling two-step verification for a user account

You can disable two-step verification for your own account, as well as for an account of any other user.

You can disable two-step verification of another user's account if your account has the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area.

To disable two-step verification for a user account:

1. In the main menu, go to USERS & ROLES → USERS.
2. Click the name of the internal user account for whom you want to disable two-step verification. This may be your own account or an account of any other user.
3. In the user settings window that opens, select the Account protection tab.
4. On the Account protection tab, select the Request only user name and password option if you want to disable two-step verification for a user account.
5. Click the Save button.

Two-step verification is disabled for the user account.

Disabling two-step verification for all users

You can disable two-step verification for all users if two-step verification is enabled for your account and your account has the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area. If two-step verification is not enabled for your account, you must enable two-step verification for your account before disabling it for all users.

To disable two-step verification for all users:

1. In the main menu, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

2. On the Authentication security tab of the properties window, switch the toggle button of the two-step verification for all users option to disabled position.
3. Enter the credentials of your account in the authentication window.

Two-step verification is disabled for all users.

Excluding accounts from two-step verification

You can exclude user accounts from two-step verification if you have the Modify object ACLs right in the General features: User permissions functional area.

If a user account is excluded from the list of two-step verification for all users, this user does not have to use two-step verification.

Excluding accounts from two-step verification can be necessary for service accounts that cannot pass the security code during authentication.

If you want to exclude some user accounts from two-step verification:

1. You must perform Active Directory polling in order to refresh the list of Administration Server users, if you want to exclude Active Directory accounts.
2. In the main menu, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

3. On the Authentication security tab of the properties window, in the two-step verification exclusions table click the Add button.
4. In the window that opens:
   1. Select the user accounts that you want to exclude.
   2. Click the OK button.

The selected user accounts are excluded from two-step verification.

Generating a new secret key

You can generate a new secret key for a two-step verification for your account only if you are authorized by using two-step verification.

To generate a new secret key for a user account:

1. In the main menu, go to USERS & ROLES → USERS.
2. Click the name of the user account for whom you want to generate a new secret key for two-step verification.
3. In the user settings window that opens, select the Account protection tab.
4. In the Account protection tab, click the Generate a new secret key link.
5. In the two-step verification window that opens, specify a new security key generated by the authenticator application.
6. Click the Check and apply button.

A new secret key is generated for the user.

If you lose your mobile device, you can install an authenticator application on another mobile device and generate a new secret key to restore access to Kaspersky Security Center 13.1 Web Console.

Editing the name of a security code issuer

You can have several identifiers (they are called issuers) for different Administration Servers. You can change the name of a security code issuer in case, for example, if the Administration Server already uses a similar name of security code issuer for another Administration Server. By default, the name of a security code issuer is the same as the name of the Administration Server.

After you change the security code issuer name you have to reissue a new secret key and pass it to the authenticator application.

To specify a new name of security code issuer:

1. In the main menu, click the settings icon () next to the name of the required Administration Server.

   The Administration Server properties window opens.

2. In the user settings window that opens, select the Account protection tab.
3. On the Account protection tab, click the Edit link.

   The Edit Security code issuer section opens.

4. Specify a new security code issuer name.
5. Click the OK button.

A new security code issuer name is specified for the Administration Server.