# Getting started with the Application Access Portal

The Application Access Portal provides secure browser-based access to services in the protected network.

The Application Access Portal is an integrated feature of Forcepoint Network Security Platform. It provides remote access to applications and information in the protected network from standard web browsers. End users must authenticate to access the Application Access Portal webpage. You can configure single sign-on (SSO), to allow users to access different services under the same Domain without logging on to each service separately. The Application Access Portal proxies end-user connections to HTTP-based services in the protected network. The end user is never directly connected to the back-end services.

The configuration consists of the following general steps:

1. Define Application Access Service elements to make services available in the Application Access Portal.
2. Add rules to the Application Access Policy to allow access to services using the Application Access Portal.
3. Create an Application Access Portal element to define the settings for connecting to the Application Access Portal and the look and feel of the Application Access Portal.
4. Enable the Application Access Portal for each Security Engine that provides Application Access Portal access.