The software offers multiple layers of security thus allowing you maximum flexibility when assigning which users have access to information.

System Configuration

Access profiles and User IDs are set up using the System Configuration program.

Access Profiles Access profiles are created to assign rights to the various software systems, programs and functions. A predefined access profile called "Manager" is automatically created and cannot be modified or deleted. Any user who is assigned to the Manager access profile has all rights to everything.
User ID User IDs are created for each person who will have access to the software. When defining each User ID, you will also assign one or more access profiles to which they belong.
Password Passwords are optional and are assigned to User IDs.

This system is extremely easy to maintain. Instead of defining an access profile and specifying who belongs to the access profile, you add each User ID and specify which access profiles the user belongs to. Whenever there is employee turnover, there is no need to redefine access profiles. When an employee leaves the firm, just mark the user as inactive. When a new employee is hired, just add the User ID and assign the desired access profile(s) to the new employee.

Tabs3 Billing

Tabs3 Billing has additional security measures available at the client level and timekeeper level.

Secure Clients

Clients can be set up as secure clients thereby allowing you to specify exactly which User IDs have access to each secure client. Any user who is a member of the Manager access profile has access to all secure clients. Only managers can designate a client as a secure client and specify which users or groups will have access to a secure client.

A client can be configured as a secure client by selecting the Secure Client check box on the Address tab in the Client Information window. When this check box is selected, the Users button can be used to open the Secure User Lookup window, allowing you to select which users or groups have access to the client.

If a user does not have access to a secure client, the client does not appear on any reports that the user runs. Neither can the user add or access records that are associated with the client (i.e., have a key type of Client ID). SnapShot information for secure clients will only be shown for users who have access rights to the secure client.

When a client is designated as secure, the client's contact information is stored in the Client Information window. Additionally, because there is no link to a Contact record, secure clients are allowed a single address, four phone numbers, and one email address. Contact information is not stored in a Contact record for secure clients because contacts cannot be made secure, thus information stored in the Contact Information window is viewable by all users with browse rights to Contacts.

Note: Keep in mind that clients who are designated as secure clients will not be included in the Client Lookup window, SnapShot information, or in any reports or tasks unless the User ID being used has manager rights or has been assigned access to the secure client.

PracticeMaster and Trust Integration Note: Secure Client information is mirrored between PracticeMaster and Tabs3 Billing. Clients marked as secure are also secure in Trust. This means that trust account information for clients designated as secure clients in Tabs3 Billing or PracticeMaster cannot be accessed in Trust unless the user is a manager or is given access rights to the client in Tabs3 Billing or PracticeMaster.

Timekeeper You can set up a User ID so the user has access to a particular timekeeper's transactions but does not have access to other timekeeper's transactions. This is useful in situations where you have an employee who is responsible for a particular timekeeper but you want to restrict the employee from accessing any work performed by other timekeepers in the firm. Tabs3 Billing timekeepers can be assigned to a User ID by selecting the Assign Tabs3/PracticeMaster Timekeepers check box in System Configuration.

Note: This function is not recommended for users who need to run financial reports and billing tasks for the entire firm as many results will be limited to only those users' assigned timekeepers. Additionally, many reports access data that is not stored by working timekeeper, so this function should not be used as a means of limiting a user's report results. For example, a user with rights to print the Client Ledger Report will be able to generate a report for the entire firm regardless of which timekeepers they are assigned to.
See also: Reports & Tasks Affected

Examples

Access rights are combined into subgroups, with each subgroup containing individual access rights. Examples of subgroups include Client Information; Fee, Cost, Payment & Client Funds Transactions; Statement Preparation; etc. For example, the "Client Information" subgroup includes the following access rights:

Browse Client, Add Client, Change Client, Delete Client

Browse Client Notes, Edit Client Notes

Browse Fee Compensation Rules, Edit Fee Compensation Rules

Browse Contact, Add Contact, Change Contact, Delete Contact

 

When creating each access profile, you assign whether or not the access profile is allowed access to each individual access right. Therefore, you define whether the access profile can browse clients, whether or not the access profile can add clients, whether or not the access profile can change clients, etc. The Allow and Disallow buttons can be used to quickly change rights for individual functions, groups of functions or functions for the entire system.

As examples, you could create access profiles specifically for:

 

A complete list of access rights can be seen by printing a Detail Access Profile List in System Configuration or by referring to Knowledge Base Article R11818, "Access Rights."

See also:

Knowledge Base Article R11459 - Ethical Walls in Tabs3 Software
  Knowledge Base Article R11818 - Access Rights