Configure text message senders

Mobile Code (SMS) text messages

As an administrator, you can send Mobile Code (SMS) verification messages to your users whenever they enroll or reset their password in Specops Password Reset.

You can customize the text that goes into the body of the message and insert the placeholder for the mobile code that your users must enter, prior to enrollment or resetting their passwords. The template parameters available, depend on the text message service being used. You can configure the template for mobile codes per group policy object, in the Specops Password Policy snap-in, located in the Group Policy Management tool.

Helpdesk text messages

You can configure helpdesk messages, so that a helpdesk user can send a text message to a user containing a code, that the user must read out (for example when verifying their identity over the phone). A helpdesk user can also send a user’s new password, after resetting it, in the form of a text message. The text message template for this is configured in the Specops Password Reset Configuration tool.

Specops Password Reset supports the following text message senders:

  • Twilio: This requires an account at Twilio. Text messages will be sent from Specops Password Reset Server to Twilio over HTTPS.
  • GOV.UK Notify: This applies to UK organizations only and requires a GOV.UK Notify account. Text messages will be sent from Specops Password Reset Server to GOV.UK Notify over HTTPS.
  • E-mail to SMS Gateway: This requires using a third-party provider that accepts email messages and converts those to text messages (SMS). For more information, please see the Third-party SMS service provider section of the Administrator configurations page.

Configure Twilio for sending mobile code text messages (SMS)

You can use Twilio’s text message sender service to send notifications containing verification codes to your users, when they enroll with Specops Password Reset or reset their password.

NOTE
To make use of Twilio’s text message sender, you must set up a Twilio account here: https://twilio.com/

To configure Twilio’s text message sender, follow these steps:

  1. In the Specops Password Reset Configuration tool, click the Text Message Settings tab.
  2. Click Advanced Settings
  3. In the Twilio Settings table, click Edit.
  4. In the Account SID field, enter the account SID. The account SID can be found in the TWilio dashboard.
  5. In the From Number field, enter the number that the text message notification will be sent from. The from number can be found in the Twilio dashboard.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Click Set Auth Token
  8. In the Auth Token field, enter the token you have obtained from Twilio.
  9. Click OK.
  10. Navigate to the Group Policy Management tool, and right-click the relevant Group Policy Object that applies to your users.
  11. From the menu, click Edit.
  12. Expand User Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings and click Specops Password Reset.
  13. Click Configure Settings.
  14. In the Enrollment Options section, click Use Mobile Verification code.
  15. Click the Mobile Verification Code tab.
  16. Click the Text Message Sender drop down and select Twilio.
  17. In the Text Message field, enter the text for the body message notification. For example: “Please enter this verification code:”.
  18. From the Select Placeholder drop down, select the %code% placeholder and it is automatically inserted into the body of the text message. You must insert the %code% placeholder into the text message body.
  19. When you have finished configuring the text message body, click OK.
  20. In the Specops Password Reset Configuration tool, click Select Sender and from the Text Message Sender drop down, select Twilio.
  21. Click OK.
  22. Now your users will receive a text message notification when they enroll with Specops Password Reset or reset their existing password.
  23. To test if the email sender works correctly, you can click the Test Send link and enter a mobile number and code.

Configure GOV.UK Notify for sending mobile code text messages (SMS)

You can use the GOV.UK service to send text message notifications with mobile codes to your users, when they enroll with Specops Password Reset or reset their password.

NOTE
This applies to UK organizations only, and requires an account at https://www.notifications.service.gov.uk/

To configure GOV.UK’s text message sender, follow these steps:

  1. In the Specops Password Reset Configuration tool, click the Text Message Settings tab.
  2. Click Advanced Settings.
  3. In the GOV.UK Notify Settings table, click Edit.
  4. In the Template ID field, enter the template ID. The template ID can be found in the service dashboard for your GOV.UK account.
  5. In the Sender ID field, enter the sender ID. The sender ID can be found in the service dashboard for your GOV.UK account.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Click Set API Key.
  8. In the API key field, enter the API key.
  9. Click OK.
  10. Navigate to the Group Policy Management tool, and right-click the relevant Group Policy Object that applies to your users.
  11. From the menu, click Edit.
  12. Expand User Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings and click Specops Password Policy.
  13. Click Configure Settings.
  14. In the Enrollment Options section, click Use Mobile Verification code.
  15. Click the Mobile Verification Code tab.
  16. Click the Text Message Sender drop down and select the GOV.UK Notify option.
  17. In the Text Message field, enter the text for the body message notification. For example: “Please enter this verification code:”.
  18. From the Select Placeholder drop down, select the %code% placeholder and it is automatically inserted into the body of the text message. You must insert the %code% placeholder into the text message body.
  19. When you have finished configuring the text message body, click OK.
  20. In the Specops Password Reset Configuration tool, click Select Sender and from the Text Message Sender drop down, Select GOV.UK.
  21. Click OK.
  22. Now your users will receive a text message notification when they enroll with Specops Password Reset or reset their existing password.
  23. To test if the email sender works correctly, you can click the Test Send link and enter a mobile number and code.