Do you have copies of your SSL Certificates, Licensing Data, and Support Documentation? Of course! Can you easily search for all of those files with a single term? Maybe. Is it well-organized, access-controlled, and verified? Maybe not.
Secret Server supports the functionality above by simply building a Secret Template with the proper settings. For example: Instead of using DFS or a SharePoint plug-in to store your documentation and important files, why not leverage Secret Server? You’ve already committed your Admin username and password. By editing a Secret Template, you can easily create a designated file location for each workstation, server, and appliance in your network. Once you’ve created the template, you’ll know precisely where all your documentation is stored. When coupled with adequate Disaster Recovery plans (Microsoft SQL Clusters, Mirroring the database, or a frequent database backup), you’ve added additional layers of protection to your critical technical documents.
Storing documents in Secret Server has distinct advantages beyond access control and redundancy. First, Secret Server admins can require fields to contain data before saving new secrets. While you can’t control the quality of the documents that people might store – but at least you will know that a document was saved. Second, these documents are encrypted in the Secret Server database. Third, the documents can be relayed to a coworker or a third party with a simple http link. (Note the previous blog post about this.)
Secret data saved using the “Hardware – Remote Desktop” Secret Template.
Making a Secret Template may take some thought about what your organization finds useful. However, once you’ve created a template, it’s very easy to edit, copy, and enhance. One potential side benefit of structuring the above information is data in Reports. Using some extra data points like I have in this Template may be of benefit in Secret Server Reports.
Thycotic’s Secret Template Gallery contains the content for the Secret Template I created above. The Template can be found by searching “Hardware Remote Desktop” or by using this direct link. Import this or any template by clicking Administration -> Secret Templates. Paste the XML into the Import Secret Templates text box and click the Import button.
If you think you have a great and useful Secret Template, comment below! We want to hear about it and what makes it useful.
