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Gainsight Inc.

Privacy & Security

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This article describes admin steps to manage support access, setting session timeouts, controlling email visibility, and securing access through IP restrictions.

This article describes admin steps to manage support access, setting session timeouts, controlling email visibility, and securing access through IP restrictions.

Overview

The Privacy & Security space in Staircase AI centralizes all data privacy, access-related configurations and session settings. Using this, admins can manage data privacy settings, control session timeouts, manage support access, and restrict platform access to specific IP addresses.

To access Privacy & Security, navigate to Settings > Configuration > Privacy & Security. 

Privacy and Security page in configuration settings.

The Privacy & Security page has the following options:

Click on each option to explore more. 

Grant Support Access to your Organization

Support Access Controls allow admins to manage when Gainsight team members (for example, customer success, support, or services) can access their organization's Staircase instance for best practices audits or troubleshooting. This feature addresses security and compliance needs of enterprise customers and regulated industries.

Key Benefits

  • Control exactly when and for how long Gainsight teams have access.
  • Improve auditability and compliance by replacing open-ended access with time-limited permissions.
  • Reduce security risk through precise control of access scope and duration.

Note: Support access is active by default. To remove access, administrators must manually select the Revoke Access option.

Example Business Use Case

Enterprise customers, especially in regulated industries such as finance or healthcare, can use Support Access Controls to meet compliance and security requirements. Admins can grant temporary access to Staircase support teams as needed, ensuring external access is both controlled and auditable. This minimizes risk and supports regulatory standards without compromising support responsiveness.

Revoke Access

To revoke access:  

  1. Navigate to Settings > Configurations > Privacy & Security.
  2. From the Grant support access to your organization section, click Revoke access. The Revoke support access dialog box appears.

    Grant support access to your organization section with Revoke access.
     
  3. Click Revoke access to confirm.

    Revoke support access dialog box.

Grant Access

To grant access: 

  1. Navigate to Settings > Configurations > Privacy & Security.
  2. From the duration period dropdown menu, select the required duration:
    • One day
    • Three days
    • One week
    • Two weeks
    • One month
    • Two months
    • Three months
    • Six months
    • Until revoked (default setting)
  3. Click Save.

Edit Access

To edit access:  

  1. Navigate to Settings > Configurations > Privacy & Security.
  2. From the Grant support access to your organization section, click Edit access duration.

    Grant support access to your organization section with Edit access
     
  3. Select a duration from the dropdown. 
    Note: To exit without changing the duration, click the Cancel icon (X).
  4. Click Save.

IP Access Control

The IP Access Control option allows admins to restrict access to Staircase AI based on specific, predefined IP addresses. This adds an extra layer of security by ensuring only  users connecting from trusted networks can log in. When you enable this feature, your current IP address is automatically added to the list by default to ensure you are not locked out of Staircase AI after clicking Save.

Example: If a user attempts to access Staircase AI from an unlisted IP address, for example, while traveling or working remotely, they won't be able to log in. 
Note: Avoid enabling this setting if your users frequently work remotely, travel, or do not connect through a VPN. 
This feature is recommended for healthcare, financial services, enterprises with security compliance requirements and is not recommended for remote-first teams without a VPN infrastructure.

Prerequisites

Before enabling IP Access Control, ensure the following: 

  • Obtain static IPs: Request a list of static IP addresses from your IT team. Include all relevant office locations, VPN endpoints, and cloud infrastructure. Do not use residential or dynamic IPs.
  • Verify your current IP address: Confirm you are connecting from an allowed IP before enabling restrictions. You can check your IP at [whatismyipaddress.com](https://www.whatismyipaddress.com).
  • Assign a backup admin: Ensure at least two admins are listed under allowed IPs to avoid being locked out.
  • Schedule configuration carefully: Perform this setup during business hours when support and IT teams are available. Avoid enabling IP Access Control on Friday evenings or holidays to prevent downtime or access issues.

Configure IP Access Control

To configure IP Access Control:

  1. In Privacy & Security, click Add IP Address or CIDR to add a new IP address. 

    Add IP Address or CIDR to add a new IP address.
     
  2. Enter an IP address or CIDR.
  3. (Optional) To add multiple IP addresses, click Add IP Address or CIDR. 
  4. Click Save IPs to activate IP restrictions.

    Click Save IPs to activate IP restrictions.

IMPORTANT: If your IP address or your team’s IP addresses are not added, access may be blocked. For example: If a Customer Success Manager (CSM) enables IP Access Control without including their own IP, they and their team will lose access until an admin updates the list.

Troubleshoot IP Access Control Issues

  • Access Denied: Connect to your VPN or office network. 
  • Still Can’t Access?: Verify that your IP address matches the one listed (no typos). Check your current IP at [whatismyipaddress.com](https://www.whatismyipaddress.com).
  • Locked Out: Email [support@staircase.ai](mailto:support@staircase.ai) with the subject line ‘URGENT: IP Access Control Lockout’, and include your organization name, admin email, and current IP address.

Warning: Never remove all IPs while IP Access Control is enabled, as this blocks all users, including admins from logging in.

Idle Session Timeout

Use the Idle session timeout setting on the Privacy & Settings page to define how long a user session can remain inactive before automatic logout. When the specified time limit is reached, Staircase AI automatically ends the session. This feature helps protect user accounts by minimizing the risk of unauthorized access from unattended sessions.

Are Email Bodies Visible to Other Users?

Are email bodies visible to other users? checkbox is available at the bottom of the Privacy & Security page. Use this setting to control whether email content is visible to users other than the original recipients. By default, team members can view only the communications in which they are included as a To or CC recipient. Managers and Admins can view all communications.

  • Enabled: All users with access to Staircase AI can view all communications, regardless of their role or participation in the conversation. 
    Note: Selecting the checkbox prioritizes transparency over privacy and is considered the recommended best practice for Staircase AI.
  • Deactivated: Only the original recipients can view the email content.