Locked out of your 3CX Management Console? This may happen if you forgot your PBX admin password, or if the password was changed by someone without your knowledge. In either case, this short article will guide you on how to retrieve and reset the PBX administrator’s password.

Retrieve PBX Administrator Credentials

Forgot Password link on Management Console login.

To retrieve the PBX administrator's account password, access the Management Console and attempt to login with the correct username until the “Forgot password” link is displayed. Clicking “Forgot password?” sends the credentials to the primary email address specified in “Settings” > “Email” > “Notifications” tab. Keep in mind that these address(es) should be reviewed frequently and kept relevant.

After logging in, change the PBX administrator's password to a complex but mnemonic one to avoid losing access to the Management Console again. To do this go to “Settings” > “Security” > “Admin Credentials”. You can use a personal password manager utility to generate and safely store a strong randomized password.

PBX Security Checkup

Console Restrictions in 3CX security settings.

Without disregarding convenience, safety and security must come first. Mitigate possible risks to your PBX security by enforcing some security measures:

  • Restrict access to your 3CX backups due to the sensitive info they contain. Keep them on a secure and locked-down location, i.e. on an SFTP/FTP/SMB server or even on a properly configured NAS device. The same applies to redundant backup copies created via rsync or created manually, which are stored on another machine.
  • Use a strong password to encrypt your 3CX backups. Safely store this password, as losing it renders your encrypted backup(s) unreadable.
  • Protect your 3CX Management Console by whitelisting only specific public IPs or IP ranges to access it for remote administration.
  • Employ a capable firewall to further protect your network from intrusion or probing. Typically, the weakest link in your chain of hosts can be exploited to attack your most valuable network resources, including your PBX.

The above security measures comprise a good baseline for your PBX security.