Set Up the App for Webex for Government

To verify that you can use the app on your device or web browser, see the Webex | System Requirements and Support Policy help article.

The Webex app is available for the following platforms, each of which has slightly different considerations for government organizations:

Windows Desktop

Enable FIPS Registry Key (Recommended)


Note

Your organization may require you to run the Webex app in FIPS mode. To do so, set the following registry key to 1 (DWORD value) on user machines:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\FipsAlgorithmPolicy\Enabled

To change this setting, you must have HKLM registry access. Typically, an administrator or user with admin privileges has this access.

Since this is an OS-level setting, we recommend that you evaluate its impact on your other Windows applications before rolling it out across your organization.

If you don’t enable the registry key, note the following:

  • You don't lose any app functionality.

  • We’ll still support your organization.

  • The app still uses FIPS-compatible algorithms and TLS 1.2. However, operating system libraries (such as WinHTTP) don't run in FIPS mode.

Choose a Windows App Deployment Option

To enable the app to connect to the Webex for Government cloud for your users, choose one of the following options, according to your needs:

Option 1: MSI

Do these steps if you prefer deploying the app as an administrator-controlled MSI install.


Note

To perform this action, you must have HLKM registry access. Typically, an administrator or user with admin privileges has this access. The FEDRAMPENABLED setting causes the installer to write to the HLKM area of the registry.

Before you begin

Enable the FIPS registry key, if required.

Procedure
Step 1

Download the installer using the applicable link.
Step 2

To enable usage of the Webex for Government cloud environment, run msiexec with the FEDRAMPENABLED=1 option along with any other options that you need.

Example:
msiexec /i WebexTeams.msi FEDRAMPENABLED=1 ALLUSERS=1

Option 2: FedRampEnabled RegKey

Do this task if you plan to let users download and install the Webex app MSI themselves, but want to ensure that they connect to the Webex for Government cloud.


Note

To perform this action, you must have HLKM registry access. Typically, an administrator or user with admin privileges has this access.

Before you begin

Enable the FIPS registry key, if required.

Procedure
Step 1

Set the following registry key to 1 (DWORD value):

HKLM\Software\Cisco Spark Native\FedRampEnabled
Step 2

If the user has installed and signed in to the Webex app before the registry key was set, have the user sign out and sign back in.

Mac Desktop

To enable the Webex app to connect to the FedRAMP government cloud for your Mac users, choose one of the following options, according to your needs:

Option 1: (Recommended) MDM

This is the recommended mechanism to configure FIPS and FedRAMP modes for MacOS. Deploy an MDM configuration profile that contains the following settings. The exact details for configuring this will depend on your MDM solution.

Procedure

Step 1

Download the DMG installer from the following link.
Step 2

Set the following two Boolean keys to true in preference domain Cisco-Systems.Spark:

FipsEnabled

FedRampEnabled

Example:

Option 2: Defaults Command

If you do not have access to an MDM solution, you can change the default values for FIPS and FedRAMP using the defaults command. The end user can potentially override values set via defaults, so we recommend using MDM if you have the option.

Procedure

Enter the following commands:

defaults write Cisco-Systems.Spark FedRampEnabled -bool true

defaults write Cisco-Systems.Spark FipsEnabled -bool true

Mobile

No special administrator action is required to set up or connect to the Webex for Government cloud from the mobile app, although users must sign in using the method below. To use MDM/MAM or app wrapping options on user mobile devices, see the Webex | Secure Mobile Devices help article.

Procedure

Step 1

Download the Webex app:

Step 2

Start the app, tap Get Started, and then tap Are you a FedRAMP customer?

Example:

This link takes you to the FedRAMP sign-in page, which directs the authentication to the Webex for Government identity service and enables FIPS 140-2 mode.

Step 3

Enter your email address and check I agree to terms and conditions, then click Next to sign in.

The first time you sign in, you are directed to set up a passcode.

Web

No special administrator action is required to connect to the Webex for Government cloud from the web app. The Webex for Government Cloud has a dedicated URL.

Procedure

Step 1

In a web browser, navigate to https://teams-usgov.webex.com/.

Step 2

Sign in with the Webex for Government user account.