In most cases, the mode of operation of software and services is set to work with specific settings, and users do not have the flexibility to control it. There is usually a configuration view or file for managing basic settings, but it's usually not possible to change the behavior of the software significantly.
The same pattern was applied in Susan, where some basic rules of software behavior were written in and the user did not have the opportunity to significantly influence the operation of the software. This includes managing data synchronization, data storage, and more.
Financial data out from the cloud
The security policies of different companies may differ significantly from each other, and it is certainly specified how the company's financial data may be maintained and handled. There is only one choice for cloud solutions - you need to trust your service provider. The way in which the service provider actually uses the data, how it is stored, and who has access to the data is unknown.
Susan gives you the opportunity to set your own data storage rules. If data is synced to the Susan cloud by default, it is now possible to disable data synchronization completely. Financial data is handled only by you, and the opportunity for someone outside the organization to access the data disappears completely.
Applying the settings
As of Susan's version 0.5.40, it is possible to give Susan instructions on how to process and back up data. To implement, follow these steps:
- Open a location on your Windows computer: C:/%programdata%/ (on Mac /Library/Application Support/)
- If the location does not have a directory Susan, create the directory to that location
- Create a .env file (without any extension) into the Susan directory with the following contents:
DISABLE_SYNC=1 - Start Susan and no data will be synced
Additional options
Of course, stopping the synchronization places the burden of backing up the data on the company itself, and for organizations with multiple Susan users, you can configure the following in the same .env file:
Database location
DATABASE_LOCATION=D:\Susan\
License location
LICENSE_LOCATION=D:\Susan\
These parameters let you define where Susan writes and stores data. For example, you can specify a shared disk, a separately secured, or encrypted media (flash drive, external disk, etc) on your organization's network. There are many options and apply them to suit your company's needs.
Summary
The "hidden" features described are certainly not all that a company may need. As we plan for the next versions, we will carefully consider implementing additional settings to enable Susan to work with the critical needs of your business. However, these basic features ensure the main thing - where your data is stored.
Consider applying the setting when:
- Third-party access to financial data must be minimized as a result of the company's or organization's security policy
- The work is organized in an intranet
- Use of external media for additional security (encrypted and/or removable media)
Be sure to back up your data, as your data is only in your possession.