Macro Recorder

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:	Macro Recorder iallows users to record the actions of the mouse, keyboard input and program window changes for infinite playback. Users can automate any activity in Windows and MacOS applications. Macro Recorder can capture right and left clicks or cursor movements, time delays, and key presses. This technology can also help customize the speed, mouse path and number of repetitions. Macro Recorder is the succesor of Mouse Recorder.
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 been assessed by the Section 508 Office and found non-conformant. 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. Please see reference tab for more information concerning product versions.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v23.2
Decision Date:	02/02/2023 at 18:46:43 UTC
Aliases:	Mouse Recorder Premium; MRP; Macro Recorder
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Bartels Media GmbH

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 End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
1.x	12/31/2015
2.x	08/04/2020

Current Decision Matrix (01/19/2023)

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

CY2022

CY2023

CY2024

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

1.x

Unapproved

2.x

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 4, 6, 7]

Divest
[4, 8, 9, 10]

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	Mouse System owners need to stay informed about Mouse Recorder Premium and its component development activities to ensure updates and patches are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, system owners need to constantly monitor the various resources within the Mouse Recorder Premium and its component development project to identify the most up-to-date information and solutions to mitigate or remediate vulnerabilities. Enforce role-based access control (R-BAC) through Active Directory for the creation of different accounts based on organizational roles. For example, system administrators can manage and monitor the servers without being allowed access to ongoing security incident investigation. When establishing a password for the Mouse Recorder Premium, ensure that all VA password requirements are met with regard to length and complexity. VA Handbook 6500 Control IA-5: Authenticator Management sets a standard of at least 8 non-blank characters. They must contain characters from three (3) of the following four (4) categories: (English upper case characters, English lower case characters, Base-10 digits, Non-alphanumeric special characters) Six of the characters must not occur more than once in the password. It is a requirement that VA sensitive data be properly protected in accordance with VA Handbook 6500, Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), and Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2. In compliance with relevant VA policy, this technology must not be used to record and/or replay system or user authentication information such as a password or PIN.

[2]	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.

[3]	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.

[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]	When using Mouse Recorder Premium to process, store and transmit VA sensitive information, it must be installed on specifically FIPS-compliant servers configured to use FIPS-compliant algorithms for encryption. If it is not technically possible to employ FIPS 140-2 encryption, then the Mouse Recorder Premium server must be on a separate enclave and segregated from the rest of the enterprise network. Mouse System owners need to stay informed about Mouse Recorder Premium and its component development activities to ensure updates and patches are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, system owners need to constantly monitor the various resources within the Mouse Recorder Premium and its component development project to identify the most up-to-date information and solutions to mitigate or remediate vulnerabilities. Enforce role-based access control (R-BAC) through Active Directory for the creation of different accounts based on organizational roles. For example, system administrators can manage and monitor the servers without being allowed access to ongoing security incident investigation. When establishing a password for the Mouse Recorder Premium, ensure that all VA password requirements are met with regard to length and complexity. VA Handbook 6500 Control IA-5: Authenticator Management sets a standard of at least 8 non-blank characters. They must contain characters from three (3) of the following four (4) categories: o English upper case characters o English lower case characters o Base-10 digits o Non-alphanumeric special characters

[6]	Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: When using Macro Recorder to process, store and transmit VA sensitive information, it should be installed on specifically FIPS-compliant servers configured to use FIPS-compliant algorithms for encryption. If it is not technically possible to employ FIPS 140-2 encryption, then the Macro Recorder server should be on a separate enclave and segregated from the rest of the enterprise network. System owners need to stay informed about Macro Recorder and its component development activities to ensure updates and patches are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, system owners need to constantly monitor the various resources within the Macro Recorder and its component development project to identify the most up-to-date information and solutions to mitigate or remediate vulnerabilities. Enforce role-based access control (R-BAC) through Active Directory for the creation of different accounts based on organizational roles. For example, system administrators can manage and monitor the servers without being allowed access to ongoing security incident investigation. When establishing a password for the Macro Recorder, ensure that all VA password requirements are met with regard to length and complexity. VA Handbook 6500 Control IA-5: Authenticator Management sets a standard of at least 14 non-blank characters.

[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 ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[8]	Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: When using Macro Recorder to process, store and transmit VA sensitive information, it should be installed on specifically FIPS-compliant servers configured to use FIPS-compliant algorithms for encryption. If it is not technically possible to employ FIPS 140-2 encryption, then the Macro Recorder server should be on a separate enclave and segregated from the rest of the enterprise network. System owners need to stay informed about Macro Recorder and its component development activities to ensure updates and patches are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, system owners need to constantly monitor the various resources within the Macro Recorder and its component development project to identify the most up-to-date information and solutions to mitigate or remediate vulnerabilities. Enforce role-based access control (R-BAC) through Active Directory for the creation of different accounts based on organizational roles. For example, system administrators can manage and monitor the servers without being allowed access to ongoing security incident investigation. When establishing a password for the Macro Recorder, ensure that all VA password requirements are met with regard to length and complexity. VA Handbook 6500 Control IA-5: Authenticator Management sets a standard of at least 14 non-blank characters. This technology involves the use Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections and proper security precautions must be taken when used.

[9]	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.

[10]	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.

[11]	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.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 2.0.82 is the most current version and released 12/06/2022.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description

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
Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Productivity Software	Miscellaneous Productivity Tools and Utilities

Open Source

This entry is available as an open source technology.

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

macOS - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

No runtime dependencies have been identified.

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

No companion technologies/standards have been identified.

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

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.
There is no licensing fee associated with this technology.

Adoption Risks

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.
This technology is available as freeware. As such this technology may be without clearly defined support options which may result in suboptimal enterprise level support.
Macro Recorder is not Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140- 2 certified. Depending on use cases, Macro Recorder can be implemented by teams within the VA to collaborate on numerous tasks or projects:
- Create streamlined presentations and tutorial videos.
- Perform advanced configuration steps and provide the recorded file for remote execution.
- Perform system maintenance tasks.
- Auto-login to online accounts.
- Auto-click websites or programs.
- Auto-fill forms to generate reports (for example, incident response, software development, medical research), where there is likelihood of processing VA sensitive information
When utilizing a freeware or open source software, there is limited support for patch maintenance and product updates. The community of developers that contributes to open source projects is not obligated to provide software updates, resulting in outdated software and the potential for zero-day vulnerabilities.
PhraseExpress recorder is one of the features for the Macro Recorder that can be accessible by multiple users to perform various tasks. Overlapping duties and lack of access control potentially could result in misuse of authority and unauthorized access of VA sensitive information.
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.
System scans indicate that this technology is no longer in use within the VA network.
This technology involves the use Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections and proper security precautions must be taken when used.
The PhraseExpress Windows version integrates with the free macro program Macro Recorder to provide a complete automation solution and can password-protect phrase files to keep them secure on the Internet, but there is no indication of password complexity. VA has stringent requirements for password complexity that must be met.
Macro Recorder is currently Unapproved status in VA Technical Reference Model.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-approved operating systems.

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VA Technical Reference Model v 23.11

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (01/19/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

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

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VA Technical Reference Model v 23.11

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (01/19/2023)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

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

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