Do you need to build a security model for your .NET application including user authentication, authorization based on user roles and permissions? Instead of spending weeks and months to build your security model from scratch, take a look at Visual Guard. It may save you weeks and months of work.
In one of my recent projects, I developed using ASP.NET 2.0 and C#, I needed a user security model in which we wanted to show and hide some functionality and filter data based on user roles. For example, an admin user role will see different tabs, see all the reports, a Manager role user will see a subgroup of tabs, and a Finance user role will see only finance related tabs and so on. To build this security model, it took us almost 8 weeks.
After looking at Visual Guard, I realized we might have saved more than 7 weeks of work and even get more functionality implemented.
What is Visual Guard?
Visual Guard is a Role Based Access Control System that allows you to secure your .NET applications including Windows Forms, Web Forms (ASP.NET) and Web Services. You can use Visual Guard with your existing applications as well as new applications.
Why Visual Guard?
Visual Guard allows you to add security to your existing applications without writing a single line of code. You simply go to Visual Guard Console and declare user roles and permissions and set what functionality of your existing application is available to what roles. Visual Guard takes care of the rest. It changes your application at run-time and adds roles and permissions by adding few lines of code to your new or existing applications.
Let’s say, you have a Web page where you list some products. On this page, you would like to apply security settings where an Admin user role can add, update, delete, and view products, an Editor role can edit and view products, and a Guest user can simply view the products. Now to provide this functionality, you will have to implement user roles and permissions in your application, which will be a time consuming affair. First, you need to assign your users roles and based on roles, you need to control the functionality on the page.
What can Visual Guard do for me?
Existing Active Directory or Database Users? No Problem. Visual Guard allows you to create your user permissions and membership roles from an existing Active Directory or database accounts. If you do not have existing users, you may also create your own users and their permissions.
Supports both Authentication and Authorization. Visual Guard supports both authentication and authorization processes. That means, using Visual Guard, you can specify who is allowed to login to your application and able to do what actions and see what functionality. For example, I can create a login process using Visual Guard and based on the user role and type, I can authorize them to see certain web pages and allow them to do certain actions.
Multiple Applications, Single Security Model? No problem. Using Visual Guard, you can use a single security model on multiple applications. For example, in our Mindcracker Network, we have over 10 websites and couple of Web services. This is perfect example of implementing Visual Guard’s security model.
Filter data based on user permissions. Visual Guard allows you to set field level access for user permissions. So you can simply tell Visual Guard what users have access to what fields in your Web pages. For example, a manager role may want to see all the reports in your system while a finance role will only see accounts receivables and accounts payables.
Restrict Actions based on user permissions. Visual Guard also allows you to restrict user actions based on user permissions. For example, on one page, one user may have access to add, update, and delete data while other user may only see the data.
Reporting and Auditing Reports. Visual Guard allows you to generate reports based on existing roles, permissions, and user accounts. You may also keep track of all actions users have taken through out the application. It is also capable of logging and monitoring all sensitive actions and data that can be used for auditing purposes.
Search. The Search feature of Visual Guard will let you find all data related to a keyword.
Administration Console. The Admin console of Visual Guard allows you to create security roles, permissions, and users and manage them. As a backend, you can attach this console with your existing database or Active Directory data or attach to a new database.
What .NET Versions does Visual Guard Support?
Visual Guard supports .NET Framework 1.1, 2.0, 3.0 and 3.5.
What Applications does Visual Guard Support?
You can use Visual Guard to protect your Windows Forms, Web Forms (ASP.NET), Web Services and .NET component applications.
What Data can I use with Visual Guard?
You can use SQL Server (2000 or later versions) and Oracle (8i or later versions) to store data and use Windows Accounts, Active Directory, database accounts, and Visual Guard accounts to manage user accounts.
Download a Trial Version and Check out Demos
Visual Guard takes less than an hour to install and start using it. Give it a shot and you may find a better security guard for your applications. Try below to download a trial version or check out demos.
http://www.visual-guard.com/