Timeout periods in CS Professional Suite applications

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Per the IRS requirements for software, CS Professional Suite applications have a timeout period. These IRS timeout requirements help strengthen security for all tax-related software for professionals.

After 30 minutes of inactivity, CS Professional Suite applications time out and users are required to re-authenticate using their credentials.

Note: When the application times out, access to the application is suspended but the operation of the software is not, so processes such as long print jobs continue during the timeout.

Internal:

Although they are not CS Professional Suite applications, you can specify the maximum number of minutes from 30-180 in GoFileRoom and AdvanceFlow.

Choose Administration > Manage Configurations from the GoFileRoom toolbar > Security tab > Idle Session Timeout Minutes.

GoFileRoom sessions will automatically be terminated after this period has elapsed with no user activity.

If the firm has GoSystem Tax RS integration enabled for any service type, this field will become read only and default to a maximum of 30 minutes.

The definition of Inactivity depends on how you access your CS Professional Suite application(s) -- virtually or on a desktop installation. See the appropriate section below.

Virtual Office CS, Software as a Service (SaaS), Terminal Server, or Citrix

Accessing your CS Professional Suite applications via Virtual Office CS or Software as a Service (SaaS), through an installation on a Terminal Server, or through Citrix, establishes a remote session. The timeout countdown begins the last time a remote session window is accessed. Activity on the local workstation has no effect on the timeout.

For each CS Professional Suite application you have open, any activity within any one of those applications prevents the timeout 'countdown' from starting. This is true whether you access your applications via Virtual Office CS, SaaS, a Terminal Server, or through Citrix.

Examples


In Virtual Office CS - if you are running Fixed Assets CS and UltraTax CS simultaneously and are actively working in only Fixed Assets CS, neither application will time out.


After opening and logging in to UltraTax CS from your NetStaff homepage - switching to another application outside of this environment (such as Adobe Acrobat) starts the countdown timer for UltraTax CS.


Accessing UltraTax CS through a Terminal Server or Citrix - switching to another application outside of these environments (such as Adobe Acrobat) starts the countdown timer for UltraTax CS.

Note: If you are accessing your CS Professional Suite applications through your NetStaff homepage, your NetStaff session will time out separately from your applications. For example, if you are working on a tax return in UltraTax CS for more than 30 minutes and want to print it to FileCabinet CS (which is not currently open), you will need to reauthenticate your NetStaff portal credentials to open FileCabinet CS.

Desktop installations of CS Professional Suite applications

Any activity on the workstation prevents the timeout countdown from starting.

Examples


You are running UltraTax CS and FileCabinet CS simultaneously, and you are actively working in UltraTax CS but not FileCabinet CS. Neither application will time out.


You are running UltraTax CS and FileCabinet CS simultaneously, but you are actively working in a third-party application such as Microsoft Excel. Neither CS Professional Suite application will time out.


You leave your workstation for more than 30 minutes. Both applications will time out, and when you return, you will need to re-authenticate using your credentials.

Note: If you're running multiple applications and have 30 minutes of inactivity, each application times out individually and will require re-authentication. The timeout countdown begins for an application when you open it.

Internal: GoSystem Tax RS users can find additional information by searching application security in the Customer Center.

 

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