Connection credentials is a pretty wide term in IT sphere but in the context of NSPM it aims to achieve unified username and password management, so as to facilitate direct association and reference when adding devices to the platform, eliminating the repetitive work of filling in usernames and passwords. At the same time, when the password of the corresponding device is changed, the corresponding credentials are modified to automatically trigger cascading updates, thereby realizing batch modification of password information of devices added to the platform.
This might seem like pretty obvious feature but you will be suprised with the amount of software’s that neglect it. I don’t want to point them amount cause I don’t want to deal with their PR in my notifications but if you spent enough time in Network Security you know who I am talking about.
What problems can connection credentials solve?
Credential template management and template reference mechanism
When a new device is managed, the account and password can be automatically filled in by associating a predefined credential template (rather than directly entering the credentials). Multi-template management is supported:
2. Centralized credential synchronization, single-point modification, global effectiveness:
After modifying the username/password in the credential template, the system automatically triggers a cascading update, and the connection credentials of all associated devices are synchronized in real time without the need to operate each device one by one.
3. Encryption and access control
Passwords in credential templates are encrypted, and only administrators can create/modify templates.
How to set up Connection Credentials?
Setting up connection credentials should simple, fast and effective. Usually the proccess is pretty similar across network security solutions so we will use from SkyCloud’s iNet intelligent operation and maintenance management platform as an setup example:
Step 1: Create connection credentials:
Config — Device — Credential — New
Step 2: Fill in the form with your credentials
The fields include: Credential Name, Type, Username, Password, and Description.
Connection Credentials usage
When adding a device, directly associate the existing connection credentials in Credentials
View and modify Connection Credentials
The credential passwords hosted on the platform are encrypted and only administrators have the authority to view and edit password information.
To edit the connection credentials, you need to enter the password of the administrator account before you can edit it.
Config — Device — Credential — Edit
Conclusion
By centralizing username and password management into secure, reusable templates, organizations can eliminate the tedious and error-prone task of manually entering credentials for each new device. More significantly, the ability to perform a single-point modification that cascades across all associated devices transforms network-wide password updates from a monumental undertaking into a simple, manageable task. This dramatically enhances both operational efficiency and the ability to scale network management securely.
This centralized control, fortified by encryption and strict administrator-only access, is a reason why it should be considered mandatory component of any modern NSPM solution and if that solution lacks it, then its not worth your time.
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