S y s t e m i n t r o d u c t i o n
1/8 FT5000 HANDBOOK
Software security features
Feature
Description
Put the system into secure boot
mode
How to enter secure mode:
Setting and enabling passwords automatically puts the system into secure mode.
If you set a hot-key combination (through the SSU or Setup), you can secure the system
simply by pressing the key combination. This means you do not have to wait for the
inactivity time-out period.
When the system is in secure mode:
The system can boot and run the OS, but mouse and keyboard input is not accepted until
the user password is entered.
At boot time, if a CD is detected in the CD-ROM drive or a diskette in drive A, the system
prompts for a password. When the password is entered, the system boots from CD or
diskette and disables the secure mode.
If you have not yet installed a CD-ROM drive, if there is no CD in the drive or diskette in
drive A, the system boots from drive C and automatically goes into secure mode. All
enabled secure mode features go into effect at boot time.
To leave secure mode:
Enter the correct password(s).
Disable writing to diskette
In secure mode, the system will not boot from or write to a diskette unless a password is
entered. To set these features, see the information given in the ‘Configuration’ chapter.
Disable the power and reset
buttons
If this protection feature is enabled by the SSU, the power and reset buttons are disabled
when in secure mode.
Set a time-out period so that
keyboard and mouse input are
not accepted
Also, screen can be blanked
and writes to diskette can be
inhibited
You can specify and enable an inactivity time-out period of from 1 to 120 minutes. If no
keyboard or mouse action occurs for the specified period, attempted keyboard and mouse
input will not be accepted. To set this feature, see the information given in the
‘Configuration’ chapter.
If video blanking is enabled, the monitor display will go blank until the correct password(s)
is entered. To set this feature, see the information given in the ‘Configuration’ chapter.
Control access to using the
SSU: set administrator
password
To control access to setting or changing the system configuration, set an administrator
password and enable it through Setup or the SSU.
If both the administrator and user passwords are enabled, either can be used to boot the
system or enable the keyboard and/or mouse, but only the administrator password allows
changes to Setup and the SSU.
Once set, passwords can be disabled by setting the password to a null string or by changing
the Clear Password jumper. See the information given in the ‘Configuration’ chapter; or, to
change a jumper, see the information given in the ‘Mainboard’ chapter.
Control access to the system
other than SSU: set user
password
To control access to using the system, set a user password and enable Password on Boot
through Setup or the SSU.
Once set, passwords can be disabled by setting the password to a null string or by changing
the Clear Password jumper. See the information given in the ‘Configuration’ chapter; or, to
change a jumper, see, the information given in the ‘Mainboard’ chapter.
Boot without keyboard
The system can boot with or without a keyboard. Before the system boots during POST,
BIOS automatically detects and tests the keyboard, if present, and displays a message. No
entry exists in the SSU for enabling or disabling a keyboard.
Do not plug in a keyboard while power is applied to the system
.
Specify the boot sequence
The sequence you specify in the ‘Boot device priority submenu’ (see the ‘Configuration’
chapter) determines the boot order. If secure mode is enabled (user password is set), you will
be prompted for a password before the system boots fully. If secure mode is enabled and the
‘Secure mode boot’ option is also enabled, (see ‘Security menu’ in the ‘Configuration’
chapter) the system boots fully but requires a password before accepting any keyboard or
mouse input.