# Security in FactoryTalk View Machine Edition

With the addition of FactoryTalk and RSAssetSecurity (now FactoryTalk Security) in RSView Studio Machine Edition v4.00, the way security is set up and applied changed.

## As it was

In 3.20 and earlier versions of View Studio Machine Edition, security controlled access to the displays in an application. Displays were assigned one of 16 security codes (A - P) or the asterisk (*). Users were also assigned security codes. Users whose account codes matched the codes assigned to the displays were allowed access to those displays, and were able to make changes to the displays at design time and at run time. User accounts applied only to the application in which they were created.

## As it is

FactoryTalk Security is a part of FactoryTalk Directory, which is installed with the FactoryTalk Services Platform. This means that security applies not only to the FactoryTalk View Machine Edition application, but to any other FactoryTalk-enabled software running on the same computer.

Instead of dealing with access to parts of the system, FactoryTalk Security is concerned first with authenticating users' identities, and then with verifying their authorization to perform specific actions within the system.

During Machine Edition installation, a FactoryTalk Security Windows-Linked group called Authenticated Users is added to the FactoryTalk Directory. This group permits any users who can log into Windows to be authenticated in the FactoryTalk Directory. By default, the desktop Windows user will be logged in when FactoryTalk View Studio opens, so FactoryTalk View Studio will not prompt a user to log on to FactoryTalk.

To limit access to the application or parts of the application, you must set up user accounts and passwords.

Users can still create applications that include run-time security when running on ME Station. However, authenticated users are not supported on PanelView Plus 7, PanelView Plus 6, PanelView Plus, PanelView Plus Compact, or PanelView Plus CE platforms. For that reason, applications that test satisfactorily on Windows 7 SP1, Windows 10, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2016 operating systems may perform differently after being downloaded to the PanelView Plus 7, PanelView Plus 6, PanelView Plus, PanelView Plus Compact, or PanelView Plus CE terminals.

Once users are added to FactoryTalk Security, run-time security within FactoryTalk View Machine Edition uses the same 16 security codes in the same way as previous versions of View Studio.

## See also

ME Runtime 4.00 and later tab

Add users or groups to FactoryTalk Security

About security for ME Runtime 3.20 and earlier accounts

Set up ME Runtime 4.00 and later user and group accounts

Keywords: security