Website on CD

Security question

[zaphod827]

I am distributing a website on CD and it's all ready to go except for security.

I've been searching for a way to prevent unauthorized file copying from the CD without affecting the browsers ability to access the information.

I have already taken care of CD to CD copying but right now there is nothing stopping the user from simply copying all of the HTML files over to the hard drive and burning thier own CD...

So here is my question, does anyone know of any way or any commercial software that could be used to protect the contents without screwing up the broswer? Even something as simple as encryping or hiding all the subfolders would work, as long as the broswer can see through it once the proper password is supplied.

I'm not after the diehard hacker here, just something to stop the casual user from just ripping all the stuff out with a couple of clicks since our target audiance tends to be low tech anyways.

Thanks in advance

[DrDoc]

No matter what you do, as long as the files are being viewed using an ordinary browser, there's nothing, I repeat, NOTHING you can do to protect the source code.

They will always be able to view the source, or save the page opened in the browser.

So, unless you create your own browser, there isn't a whole lot you can do. Sorry ..

[meannate]

What exactly are you trying to protect that is so valuable?

-meannate

[EliteWeb]

Make it a Macromedia File, make it some cgi pages where the data within is encoded. Still you can decode it but heh. Thing is you dont get to rely on cool programming stuff since theres no server for it to be served from. so its html on the disc. heheheh

[zaphod827]

I can't really talk about the content of the CD cause of an NDA other than to say it is a series of technical writing documents.

Really all that i want is a way to try and prevent someone from copying the entire web to a harddrive and making thier own copy. I'm not trying to prevent someone who knows what they are doing from ripping the code, just the causal user. By a happy coincidence the menu navigation system somehow prevents right clicking of pages which was a bonus but the CD itself is still vulnerable.

I found a peice of software called HTMLock that looks promising by encrypting the information but i am gonna have to try it before i can be sure.

Any comments on the idea are welcome

[Conard]

Maybe I am missing something, but I have done this using Adobe Acrobat and burned a whole site to cd for a client.
No way to steal images or any content and all of the links can be set up...

[EliteWeb]

You can unlock adobe acrobat documents ;) they even have a web based version of the unlocking tool on one of their webpages. heheh id have to dig it up again. ;)

[brotherhood of LAN]

Along the adobe acrobat lines...

turning your whole page into gif's would surely *iss off the discerning web site thief

[AlbinoRhyno]

The only way I can think of is to make it a Flash file, but even those can get hacked...

[bartek]

>just something to stop the casual user from just ripping all the stuff out with a couple of clicks
since our target audiance tends to be low tech anyways.

Unicode your pages maybe? Will work for some, a joke for others (depending on your definition of low techs)...

[mivox]

As someone pointed out in another thread at some point: If it can be displayed on screen, a desperate soul could always do a bunch of screen captures to get the information on their HD.

However, if all you're doing is trying to prevent Joe Average User from dragging the files off the CD onto his desktop, it may be sufficient to stuff everything but the index page into a directory, and "hide" that directory with a "blank" icon & no name or something really basic like that.

Do you know anyone who can edit Windows icons? I understand they can be a bit of a pain to generate, but a 100% transparent icon should be a bit simpler.

[Purple Martin]

mivox - a directory with no name? How is that possible?

[Woz]

I have done exactly what you are wanting to do Zaphod. I used WebComplier, [webcompiler.com...] , which compiles te complete web into a single file which runs in it's own IE based browser. It then allows you to block text copying, printing, whatever. Also, as it is compiled, it cannot be un-compiled so no one has access to the raw html. Only runs on Windows though and not on Mac. Pricey, but worth it if page security is an issue.

Onya
Woz
Obligatory Disclaimer - no connection, just bought and used the software.

[mivox]

Doh! OK, how 'bout a directory named "." (period)?

Could you do that on a Windows platform? You can on Mac, and with a transparent icon, the folder would appear (to the casual observer) as a single pixel... unlikely to be noticed.

<testing>I can also name a directory " " (space) on my Mac... which would be pretty well invisible with a blank icon on a white background, no?</testing>

[luma]

How about hiding all subdirectories by using the attributes hidden and system?

[luma]

This just in today:

Golem Network News -- 08.05.2002, 09:38
Selbstlaufende HTML-Präsentationen erstellen
Windowsprogramm packt HTML-Seiten zu einer selbstablaufenden Präsentation
[golem.de...]

Seems this software (WebExe) generates one huge EXE file from your HTML and image files. I have not tried this. A demo version can be downloaded for free.

WebExe supports Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000 and XP. It can be ordered and licenced for EUR 39,95 online at
[aw-soft.de...]

[zaphod827]

Wow, i have gotten a lot of great ideas from here. I found a couple of other things that will work on a lower scale but making an executable of the HTML is absolutly perfect for what i want. I'll let you know how it goes

Zap

[zaphod827]

I ended up using Web Compiler. It does everything i wanted and more. Now i have the whole web in a single EXE file that even contains it's own password generator. It can safely be distributed on CD and can only be veiwed by registered users (or people with a lot of time on thier hands to bother cracking the encryption). Also cause of the way it compiles the HTML, people cannot pull information out of it or view the source.

BIg thanks to whoever suggested that little peice of software.