Security Enhancements
Pastel Payroll Version 2015 Update 4
Information about Passwords
The upgrade you are about to install includes important changes that will affect the way you
access and manage access to your financial data. The following changes have been made to
the security in Pastel software products:
1. A password is mandatory and even if you did not make use of a password before, you
must make use of a password when accessing your Pastel data from now onwards.
2. When choosing your new password, you will have the option of making use of Strong
Password Validation.
• Strong Password Validation – a password must be at least 8 characters and include at
least one of each of the following:
• Upper Case
• Lower Case
• Number
• Special Character
Examples of strong passwords:
• P@ssword1
• Pa$$word2
• Passw0rd#
3. If you did make use of passwords prior to this upgrade, you will be prompted to provide
additional information in case you forget your password.
4. In order to generate a password reminder in case you forget your password, you will be
required to choose the following:
• A username
• A security question
• An answer to the security question
Examples of security questions:
• My first pet’s name
• My mother’s maiden name
• My best friend’s name
5. Please also see the Tips & Tricks section at the bottom of this document for some tips on
how to set up and manage your passwords.
Step 1 – Accessing your Pastel data without a password
When accessing your company for the first time after installing Sage Pastel Payroll & HR 2015
Update 4, the following screen will display:
In this case, no password was in use and you will now be required to choose your new
password.
If you feel that applying Strong Password validation is not required, you may remove the option
to Force Strong Passwords (only accessible by the Supervisor user).
Enter the password you have chosen for yourself and confirm that it is correct.
In case you forget your password in future, you will be able to make use of the Forgot
Password feature. Pastel will allow you to reset your password only if you provide the correct
answer to a security question linked to your username.
You therefore need to choose a username along with a security question and answer
Step 2 – Accessing your Pastel data with an existing password
If you did make use of passwords to protect your data prior to this upgrade, you still need to
complete the new security setup. If you are the Supervisor user logging in for the first time
after the upgrade, you must first choose whether or not to apply Strong Password Validation.
Step 3 – Accessing your Pastel data as a non-Supervisor user
If you are not a supervisor and the supervisor has not yet logged into Sage Pastel Payroll &
HR to make a selection on the Force Strong Password option, the Force Strong Password will
be applied by default.
You will be prompted to set up your username and password as indicated below, making use
of a strong password.
Step 4 – Accessing your Pastel data after completing the new
password setup
After completing the new password setup, you may now access your data by entering the
correct password on the Login screen
Step 5 – What if I forget my password?
If you do forget the password you have chosen, you will be able to select the Forgot Password
option.
Once you enter your username, the security question linked to your user profile will display.
If you enter the correct answer to the security question, your password will be displayed.
Step 6 – Changing your password
It is advisable to change your password regularly. To change your current password, you can
select the Change Password option when logging into Sage Pastel Payroll & HR
This screen will allow you to select a new password and also offer you the opportunity to
change your security question.
Tips & Tricks
It is your responsibility as an employer, to ensure that your employees’ information is
protected, along with your company information.
Here are a few tips, which accompanies the new passwords, to assist in making your payroll
information more secure.
- Strong Passwords
Ensure that your password is sufficient in both length and versatility.
- Do not write down your password on a piece of paper.
- Do not use your password as a security question.
- Do not use personal information about yourself that someone who knows you could guess
(e.g. favorite movie, birthday, etc.)
- Use different passwords for different systems.
- Password-protect your backups. This can easily be done in Sage Pastel Payroll by going
to Setup…Company Parameters.
- If you are working on a network, ensure that only the necessary people have access to the
relevant payroll information, backup folders, etc.
- Change your password regularly.
- Do not share your password with anyone.
- If you are a supervisor on Sage Pastel Payroll & HR and you wish to change your selection
on the Force Strong Passwords option, you can do so by going to Setup…Company
Parameters.