Advanced Cloud Security Documentation
Index

Effective Security

The Effective Security view shows you the combined result of all security assignments for any user. This is essential for understanding what security is actually applied and troubleshooting issues.

What is Effective Security?

Effective Security is the total set of security features applied to a user from all sources:

  • Direct user assignments
  • Security group memberships
  • Permission set assignments

Accessing Effective Security

  1. Open Advanced Cloud Security from the Tell Me search
  2. Click See Effective Security in the Assign Security column
  3. The Effective Security page opens

Understanding the Page

User Selection

At the top, select the user to analyze:

  1. Use the User lookup to select a user
  2. The page populates with their effective security
  3. Change users to compare different configurations

Security Settings List

The main area shows all effective security settings for the selected user in a flat list:

Column Description
Type The kind of security control: Field, Control, Action, or Filter
What Identifies the specific page, field, control, or table being controlled
Setting The security setting applied (e.g., Hide, Disable, ReadOnly, or a filter expression)

Type Categories

Type What It Shows
Field Field-level security (visibility, enable, editable settings)
Control Page control settings (visibility, enable, editable settings)
Action Action visibility/availability settings
Filter Data access filter expressions applied to tables

The Effective Security page combines all security features assigned to the user (from direct user assignments, security group memberships, and permission set assignments) into a single consolidated view.

Using Effective Security

Verify Assignments

To confirm security is correct:

  1. Select the user
  2. Review all features listed
  3. Verify expected features are present
  4. Check no unexpected features appear

Troubleshoot Issues

When a user reports security problems:

  1. Open Effective Security
  2. Select the user
  3. Look for:
    • Missing expected features
    • Unexpected features
    • Incorrect sources

Compare Users

To compare two users:

  1. Open Effective Security for User A
  2. Note their features
  3. Switch to User B
  4. Compare the lists

Understanding the Entries

Reading the Output

Each row in the Effective Security list represents a single security setting. For example:

Type What Setting
Field Customer Card - "Credit Limit (LCY)" Hide
Action Sales Order - "Post" Disable
Filter Customer - "Country/Region Code" DE&#|;FR

Filtering by Type

You can filter the Type column to focus on specific categories:

  • Filter to Field to see all field-level controls
  • Filter to Action to see all action controls
  • Filter to Filter to see all data access restrictions

Common Analysis Scenarios

Scenario 1: User Can't See Expected Data

  1. Open Effective Security
  2. Look for data filter features
  3. Check the resolved filter values
  4. Verify filter values are correct
  5. Look for overly restrictive filters

Scenario 2: User Sees Too Much Data

  1. Open Effective Security
  2. Verify expected filter features are present
  3. Check all sources for the feature
  4. Verify user filter values restrict appropriately

Scenario 3: Field Should Be Hidden But Isn't

  1. Open Effective Security
  2. Look for feature that hides the field
  3. If missing, check why:
    • Feature not assigned?
    • Wrong user/group/permission set?
  4. If present, verify feature controls the right field

Scenario 4: User Has Unexpected Restrictions

  1. Open Effective Security
  2. Identify the restricting feature
  3. Note the source (user/group/permission set)
  4. Determine if assignment should be removed

Best Practices

Regular Reviews

  • Check effective security during user onboarding
  • Review after role changes
  • Periodic audits (quarterly)

Before Changes

Before modifying security:

  1. Check current effective security
  2. Make the change
  3. Verify new effective security

Documentation

Keep records of:

  • Expected effective security per role
  • Approved exceptions
  • Review dates and findings

User Communication

When users report issues:

  1. Review their effective security
  2. Explain what security they have
  3. Document resolution

Troubleshooting Tips

Feature Not Appearing

If expected feature isn't in effective security:

Check Resolution
Feature assigned? Add assignment
Assignment active? Activate it
Correct user/group/PS? Fix the source
Extension regenerated? Regenerate if feature is new

Unexpected Feature Appearing

If unwanted feature is in effective security:

Check Resolution
Where does it come from? Note the source
Should user have this source? Maybe remove from group
Is this correct for role? Discuss with stakeholders