Reader password security

If you're using reader accounts in any of your knowledge bases, you'll need to set up your Reader Password Security. This helps to determine:

  • Whether readers will administer their own passwords or if one of your admins will manage them
  • How many failed password attempts are allowed
  • Whether authors can log in as readers
  • If readers can only access your knowledge base from a specific list of IP addresses

These settings are account-wide across all of your knowledge bases, though you have some options to override them in individual knowledge bases.

To review and set up these settings:

  1. Go to Account > Readers. The Readers page opens to the Readers tab.
  2. Open the Settings tab.
  3. Use the Reader Password Security section to adjust any settings you need. Options include:
    1. Password Management: Choose whether you want your knowledge base admins to manage reader passwords or have readers manage their own. Self-administered passwords are the default password management option. We recommend self-administered passwords because few people have time to deal with forgotten password issues. This is an account-wide setting but can be overwritten on individual knowledge bases for accounts with multiple knowledge bases under Security and access > Security settings. Refer to What's the difference between admin managed and self-administered reader passwords? for more information.

      Related settings
      If you're using self-administered passwords, you'll also want to review the Self-Administered Reader Options, the Reader Welcome Email, and the Reader Password Reset email settings.

    2. Password Attempts: By default, reader accounts are locked for 20 minutes following 3 unsuccessful attempts. If you'd like to allow unlimited password attempts, check the box to Allow unlimited password attempts.
    3. Author Logins: Choose whether to allow KnowledgeOwl authors to log in as readers (recommended, on by default).
    4. Restricted IP Protection: If your readers should all be on a VPN or on a specific range of IP addresses, add a comma-separated list of IP addresses here to enforce that restriction in addition to the Default access options in Security and access > Security settings.
    5. Case insensitive Logins: If using admin managed passwords, choose whether or not you want the usernames to be case-sensitive.
  4. Be sure to Save your changes.