Sometimes workers who use computer systems to do their work need help in using the applications available to them. Many companies use a helpdesk team to assist these personnel and it is helpful if the helpdesk user is able to observe and, possibly, enter data into the session of the user being helped. Permissions to access another user’s session must be carefully controlled and activities must be logged.

The System Detective advisory function may be used to facilitate assistance of a user by another user. Identifiers are granted to the users involved permitting the use of this functionality and specifying the specifics. An identifier granted to the user providing the assistance specifies the permitted uses and the identifier of the user who will receive the assistance. Security events are recorded in the System Detective security database and the sessions of both users are recorded to provide a complete audit trail.

For example, a hospital helpdesk agent may be granted an identifier allowing the user to assist and enter information into the session of users granted an identifier for nurses. A nurse might need assistance in filling in patient information in a form displayed by the computer application used by nurses. The nurse would call the helpdesk and explain the issue to the helpdesk agent and the helpdesk agent would use the System Detective advise function to view the nurse’s terminal information and enter the proper information into the nurse’s session. System Detective would provide a complete audit trail.