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Block users

The Block Users tab includes settings that enhance account security by preventing unauthorized access attempts. When users exceed a predefined number of invalid identity verifications or self-service action attempts, ADSelfService Plus can automatically block their access—either temporarily or until an administrator intervenes. This minimizes brute-force attacks and strengthens the overall authentication posture across all endpoints protected by ADSelfService Plus.

Limitations

• MFA failures with Duo Security or smart card authentication do not count toward the block threshold because these authenticators implement their own blocking and lockout mechanisms.
• Blocking is enforced only for operations and endpoints protected by ADSelfService Plus; it does not replace or override native account lockout policies configured in your AD domain.

Configure user blocking

1. Log in to ADSelfService Plus with administrative credentials.
2. Navigate to Configuration > Self-Service > Policy configuration.
3. In the policy list, click the Advanced icon for the policy you want to enable user blocking.
4. In the pop-up window, select Block Users.



5. Under Block users who fail identity verification, configure the following settings:
   • Define the threshold

     Use Allow a maximum of X invalid attempts within Y minutes to specify the number of identity verification failures allowed within a specific time window.

   • Define the block limit

     Use Block users for a period of X mins to define how long the user should remain blocked. After the specified time expires, the user is automatically. You can either define a specified a time period in minutes or select Forever to keep the user blocked until an administrator manually unblocks them.

   

6. Click OK to save your changes.

Restrict self-service actions

To further mitigate automated attacks, you can limit how often users perform self-service operations.

1. In the same Advanced settings pop-up, navigate to the Restrict Self-Service Actions section.
2. Configure the following:
   • Allow users to reset passwords only X times within Y days: Set a limit on password resets within a specific number of days. For instance, allowing three resets in seven days prevents users from resetting their password more than three times per week.
   • Allow users to unblock accounts only X times within Y days: Set a limit on account unlocks within a specific number of days. For example, five unlocks in 30 days means users can't unlock their account more than five times per month.
3. Click OK to save your changes.

Audit blocked users

You can review the list of users who have failed identity verification and have been blocked from accessing ADSelfService Plus.

1. In the ADSelfService Plus admin portal, navigate to Reports > Password Self-Service Reports > Blocked Users Report.
2. Select the relevant policy for which you want to view the list of blocked users and specify the period.
3. Click Generate.
4. Review:
   • Currently blocked users
   • Previously blocked users and their block or unblock history
   • Timestamps showing when users were blocked

   Click here to learn more about Blocked Users Report.

Unblock users

To unblock users,

1. Navigate to Reports > Password Self-Service Reports > Blocked Users Report.
2. Choose the policy and click Generate.
3. Select the checkboxes next to the users you want to unblock from the list.
4. Click Unblock, and then click OK to confirm.

Tips

• Set reasonable thresholds for invalid attempts to balance usability and security.
• Periodically review the Blocked Users Report to identify patterns that may indicate targeted attacks.
• Encourage users to enroll in MFA methods and keep their recovery information up-to-date to reduce failed verification attempts.
• Use temporary blocking instead of permanent blocking unless required by security policy.
• Apply separate policies for high-privilege accounts to enforce stricter verification limits.

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