Simplifying Custom Templates and Launchers in IBM Security Verify Privilege

Creating custom templates and launchers in IBM Security Verify Privilege (ISVP) is a straightforward and highly flexible process. While the platform already provides a variety of out-of-the-box templates and launchers for common use cases, administrators often need custom configurations to support unique workflows or specialized access paths. ISVP makes it easy to build, customize, and manage these templates without complexity.

In many environments, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) access is one of the most frequently used connection types. ISVP allows you to create custom RDP templates that include advanced features such as credential injection, listing-based selection, and Active Directory authenticated connections. By combining these tools, administrators can deliver a tailored user experience while maintaining secure and centralized credential management.

In this article, I will walk through an example of creating a custom template and custom launcher to support a standard RDP connection using a listing mechanism combined with Active Directory authentication. This approach provides a scalable way to manage multiple servers and ensures that end users can connect securely through ISVP without ever handling privileged credentials directly.

At the end of this post, I will show the full flow for the listing-based AD-authenticated RDP connection. You can follow the visuals that I will add next.

First, in the settings > categorized list area, create the target systems that you want the secret to connect to, using their IP or DNS name, as shown in the screenshot.

Then, go to the Settings > Secret Templates area, select the "Active Directory Account" template, click Duplicate from the top right, and name it "Active Directory Account - List".

Then, go to the "Field" tab, click "Add Field" in the top right corner, and create a field named "List" by selecting the "List type".

Then, go to the "Mapping" tab, edit the Remote Desktop Launcher, enable the Launcher Restriction, then set the Restrict User Input value to Yes, and select "List" in the Allow List option.

Now, when you create a secret by selecting this template, a List box will appear, and you will be able to use the Lists you created earlier here. Then, you can modify the lists in the List Settings area of the secret.