Automate Desktop

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Automate Desktop is a business automation and/or job scheduling technology that uses a graphical interface to allow users to represent workflow and schedule and automate jobs across machines. There are multiple editions: Automate Desktop, Automate Plus, and Automate Ultimate. This review covers all editions. This technology was sold to Fortra by HelpSystems on 11/02/2022.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v24.1
Decision Date:	01/18/2024 at 02:49:48 UTC
Aliases:	AutoMate BPA Server, Automate Desktop, Fortra Automate
Introduced By:	SCCM
Vendor Name:	FORTRA

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor Desupport Date
7.1.x	05/21/2010	12/01/2010
9.0.0	12/01/2011
9.0.5	05/22/2014
10.0.0	09/22/2014
10.4.2	01/06/2016
11.0.2	12/19/2017
11.1.x	09/01/2018
11.2.x	10/01/2019
11.5.x	03/25/2021
23.1.x	10/09/2023

Current Decision Matrix (01/02/2024)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2023

CY2024

CY2025

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

7.1.x

Unapproved

9.0.0

Unapproved

9.0.5

Unapproved

10.0.0

Unapproved

10.4.2

Unapproved

11.0.2

Unapproved

11.1.x

Unapproved

11.2.x

Unapproved

11.5.x

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 4, 5, 6]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 4, 6, 7]

Divest
[4, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Unapproved

23.1.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Decision Constraints


[1]	Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: HelpSystems Automate will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. At the end of the free trial, the product should be removed, or a full software license purchased to mitigate unwanted application and threat vector on the VA network. The product will need to be tested in a controlled environment and not process any live data. Two solutions can be implemented along with role-based access control: The automation is assigned a PIV card. This treats the bot as a human worker. Care must be taken so that only specific individuals have access to the PIV card and only when the bot will be invoked. An alternative method is to assign only one individual the ability to invoke the robot (which shares its owner’s credentials). The process owner or project manager should engage with appropriate security personnel to assure both PII controls and necessary system access controls are designed into each bot. System owners may need to add an exemption to the underlying security software. Due to potential information security risks, SaaS/PaaS solutions must complete the Veterans- Focused Integration Process Request (VIPR) process where a collaborative effort between Demand Management (DM), Enterprise Program Management Office Information Assurance (EPMO IA), Project Special Forces (PSF), Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and stakeholders determines the SaaS/PaaS category during the Discovery Phase. All SaaS and Non-AWS/Azure (VAEC) PaaS assets are routed to EPMO IA for Analysis and Approval to Operate (ATO) with technical oversight, acquisition, production, and sustainment provided by PSF. Users must ensure that Microsoft .NET Framework is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[2]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[3]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[4]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[5]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[6]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[7]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with both VA Handbook 6500 and VA Directive 6500.

[8]	Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Fortra Automate will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or its successor certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. Per VA Handbook 6500 Appendix D, Department of Veteran Affairs National Rules of Behavior, Section f (3) (page 68. D-10). It states the following: “I will not download software from the Internet, or other public available sources, offered as free trials, shareware, or other unlicensed software to a VA-owned system.” The product will need to be tested in a controlled environment and not process any live data. Two solutions can be implemented along with role-based access control: The automation is assigned a PIV card. This treats the bot as a human worker. Care must be taken so that only specific individuals have access to the PIV card and only when the bot will be invoked. An alternative method is to assign only one individual the ability to invoke the robot (which shares its owner’s credentials). The process owner or project manager should engage with appropriate security personnel to assure both PII controls and necessary system access controls are designed into each bot. System owners may need to add an exemption to the underlying security software. Due to potential information security risks, SaaS/PaaS solutions must complete the Veterans- Focused Integration Process Request (VIPR) process where a collaborative effort between Demand Management (DM), Enterprise Program Management Office Information Assurance (EPMO IA), Digital Transformation Center (DTC), Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and stakeholders determines the SaaS/PaaS category during the Discovery Phase. All SaaS and Non-AWS or Azure (VAEC) PaaS assets are routed to EPMO IA for Analysis and Approval to Operate (ATO) with technical oversight, acquisition, production, and sustainment provided by DTC.

[9]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 23.1.0 is the most current version, released 10/09/2023.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
Other	AutoMate Version History	Website	This is a link to the Version History information for AutoMate products.

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
No components have been identified for this entry.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Application Technology Software Engines	Business Process Management Engines
Systems Management Systems Management Tools	Data Center Automation Software

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

macOS - Approved w/Constraints
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Server - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Microsoft .NET Framework

Comparable Technologies:

No comparable entries have been identified.

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This is a well-documented technology.
At the time of writing, no National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities had been reported and no VA Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) bulletins had been issued for the latest versions of this technology.
This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include providing improvements to specialized tasks related to automate the printing of veteran letters.

Adoption Risks

The vendor offers a free trial that expires in 30 days.
There is a possibility that users of the product may use live data during the free trial. It is against VA policy to process live data on a non-approved software.
RPA software bots have the potential to deal with significant amount of confidential data. Software bots process information from various databases within the organization, log into different accounts using supplied passwords, and gain access to potentially sensitive information about an organization’s operations, processes, and employees.
The use of bots could trigger malware alerts by the underlying antivirus or HIPS software.
The product integrates with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and other cloud applications.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.
The potential of vendor lock exists when utilizing proprietary vendor technology.
The potential exists to store Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and/or VA Sensitive data and proper security standards must be followed in these cases.
The product is not Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 or its successor certified.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable and compatible with several TRM-approved operating platforms and standards.

Inside VA

Budget and Performance

Inside the Media Room

National Observances

Special Events

VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (01/02/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

CONNECT

VA HOME

QUICK LIST

RESOURCES

ADMINISTRATION

VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (01/02/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

EMAIL UPDATES