AWS WorkSpace and Google Chrome

AWS WorkSpace is a cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution that allows users to access their desktop applications and data from any device with internet access.

There are considerations for third-party cookies and policy settings when using Amazon WorkSpace and AIQ.

Enabling Third-party Cookies

AIQ requires third-party cookies are enabled in the web browser being used for testing. Enabling third-party cookies is vital for AIQ tests because it allows the web browser to store and retrieve cookies from domains other than the one being visited. This is important because many websites rely on third-party cookies for tracking, advertising, and authentication purposes. Without the ability to access these cookies, AIQ tests may not be able to accurately simulate user behavior on the website being tested.

For example, suppose you are testing a website that uses a third-party authentication provider to log users in. If third-party cookies are not enabled, the browser will not be able to store the authentication cookie from the provider, and the login process may fail. Similarly, if a website relies on third-party tracking cookies to track user behavior, a test that does not enable third-party cookies may not accurately simulate user behavior and may produce incorrect results.

Here are some specific details why third-party cookies need to be enabled on the browsers that are used to record test scenarios for AIQ:

• Simulate user behavior: Cookies are used to store user-specific information, such as login credentials or session IDs.

• Preserve the session state: which means that users can return to the application later and continue where they left off. By allowing cookies, we can simulate this behavior and ensure that the application behaves correctly during test execution.

• Testing different user scenarios: Cookies can be used to simulate different user scenarios, such as testing the application as a new user or a returning user. With the cookies enabled we can simulate different user scenarios and test different parts of the application under different conditions.

• For performance: they can be used to speed up the test execution by avoiding the need to repeat certain steps, such as logging in, during each test run.

Chrome Policies

Using Amazon WorkSpaces supports the use of Google Chrome as a web browser, and there are several policies that can be enforced on Google Chrome.

Here are some of the policies that can be applied to Google Chrome in Amazon WorkSpaces:

• Block access to the Chrome Web Store: This policy prevents users from accessing the Chrome Web Store, which contains extensions, themes, and other apps for Google Chrome. This can be useful in environments where IT administrators want to control what extensions and apps are installed on users' devices.

• Disable auto-updates: This policy disables automatic updates for Google Chrome, which can be useful in environments where IT administrators want to control the version of Chrome that users are using.

• Block pop-ups: This policy blocks pop-up windows in Google Chrome, which can be useful in environments where IT administrators want to prevent users from accessing certain websites or ads.

• Block unsafe downloads: This policy prevents users from downloading files that Google Chrome has flagged as potentially unsafe. This can be useful in environments where IT administrators want to prevent users from downloading malware or other harmful files.

• Enable Safe Browsing: This policy enables Google Chrome's Safe Browsing feature, which helps protect users from phishing attacks and malware.

Inspecting Chrome Policies

If you want to verify the current policies applied to the browser installed on the workspace, there are two methods to export the polies so they can be shared or studied.

Exporting Chrome Polies to a Text File

1. Open a new tab in the Chrome browser.

2. In the address bar, type "chrome://policy" and press Enter.

3. You should now see a list of policies that are currently applied to the Chrome browser. These policies will include both user and system policies that have been configured by your IT administrator.

4. To copy the policies, you can simply select the text on the page and copy it to your clipboard using the Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac) keyboard shortcut.

5. Once you have copied the policies to your clipboard, you can paste them into a text editor or other application for further analysis or sharing with your IT administrator.

Exporting Chrome Policies to a JSON File

To save Chrome policies to a JSON file in Amazon WorkSpaces, you can follow these steps:

1. Log in to the AWS Management Console and navigate to the Amazon WorkSpaces console.

2. Select the WorkSpaces directory that has the Chrome policies you want to export.

3. Click the Group Policy tab, and then click the name of the group policy that contains the Chrome policies you want to export.

4. Click on Edit button next to the "Chrome Policies" section.

5. In the Chrome policies editor, click Download button at the top of the editor window.

6. Choose a location on your computer where you want to save the JSON file, and then click Save.

7. The Chrome policies will be saved to a JSON file that you can use to import the policies into another Amazon WorkSpaces directory or share with other IT administrators.