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Thread: Basic Password Software

  1. #1
    Platinum Member sterne.law@gmail.com's Avatar
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    Basic Password Software

    I am busy doing some training videos. I want to limit copying. I must presume that a disk can have a simple password screen before allowing access to the video files. Then I need it to change the password every 3 months. I in turn can email the users the new password. I have in mind that the password is the same for everyone. Of course they can still forward the password to each other.
    I am not too worried about copying, but want to charge a monthly fee, hence my desire to have a method to cut off.
    Also the password issue will be a useful feature to have, so that a trial period can be offered.
    I was wondering if this piece of software is easily available at not too great an expense. Also any other basic ideas to protect my self would be appreciated.

    The second piece of software is a test and mark feature. So a person enters the answers, multiple choice, and a mark is calculated whereafter a certificate saying sorry or well done is printed.
    Anthony Sterne

    www.acumenholdings.co.za
    DISCLAIMER The above is merely a comment in discussion form and an open public arena. It does not constitute a legal opinion or professional advice in any manner or form.

  2. #2
    Diamond Member tec0's Avatar
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    got this for you

    http://www.mvoyager.com/

    hope it helps
    peace is a state of mind
    Disclaimer: everything written by me can be considered as fictional.

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    sterne.law@gmail.com (14-Feb-10)

  4. #3
    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    What you're looking to do lies slap bang in the middle of several genres of software.
    Encryption; This will add protection to a file to stop unauthorised access, a password is generally required. Encryption possibilities come with programs like WinRar where it will convert the files into a single compressed archive and you can add a security password.

    DRM, digital rights management, is a system that allows for a certain number of views or viewing over a determined length of time before files are locked. Reactivation can be by password or license key.

    Disk copy protection. Is a system that physically prevents the contents of a disk being copied or duplicated. This can be in the form of software such as dummy files that don't correspond to the file allocation table on the disk or can be hardware where the physical disk is jiggerypokeried with weak sector insertion to prevent ripping and burning. This is sometimes called passive protection.

    Software licensing systems. These are systems that determine what users have what access according to the keycode they are given.

    Note; disk security and DRM is protection only effective until the person with the disk finds a teenager to help him out, then it's game over I'm afraid..

    Here's a 101 tutorial on adding making a copy proof disk.

    You can always add a low level rootkit or trojan to the disk but this doesn't always go down too well with the users. Example

    If the files aren't too big then maybe consider going thin client with everything on a website. This will make access control a lot easier.

    Here's a DRM option but it might be cost prohibitive.

  5. Thank given for this post:

    sterne.law@gmail.com (14-Feb-10), tec0 (13-Feb-10)

  6. #4
    Email problem daveob's Avatar
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    Another option might be to have a custom video player created and even renaming the video files with a different extension. Then you can binary join another file, like an intro video file, to the start of the training video. The intro file has an 'end of file' marker, so even if a user goes into the explorer window for your CD and copies and renames the file back to a video file, it will only play in a conventional media player until the first 'end of file' marker, which is at the end of the intro video.

    Since you know the size of the intro file ( in bytes ) you can have your custom video player start playing from position 'x' in the file, which is directly after the first 'end of file' marker.

    It's not absolutely fool proof, but is would make it a lot more difficult for the average user to crack.

    Also, your custom player could control expiry of licenses, based on the PC's internal date, and to avoid a user keeping his PC on the same date, also track the number of times it has been used since the last renewal of the license.
    Watching the ships passing by.

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    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    Are there custom player systems 'off the shelf' or are you suggesting proprietary software. If the latter it will be expensive.

    There's many media players freely available for free that can identify a media file by it's bit structure and will ignore headers, and even the file extension itself.

    VLC media player will not only play just about anything with its native codec set, it will also offer to reauthor the file to a compliant format recognisable to other media players.

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    Platinum Member sterne.law@gmail.com's Avatar
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    look, most people using the video will not be very technologically advanced (although they will probably have kids) i know that no matter what there ill be copying, there is always a way. I just want to make it a bit more difficult thna running copy off.
    Anthony Sterne

    www.acumenholdings.co.za
    DISCLAIMER The above is merely a comment in discussion form and an open public arena. It does not constitute a legal opinion or professional advice in any manner or form.

  9. #7
    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    If you don't like the web hosted option then I would just cut your losses and go with the copy proof disk method above.

  10. #8
    Platinum Member sterne.law@gmail.com's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AndyD View Post
    If you don't like the web hosted option then I would just cut your losses and go with the copy proof disk method above.
    By web hosting do you refer to, the equivalent of a online, like a webinar?
    Can this be done with a password controlled login? This is a good option for my home study market.
    Only thing is what would the cost be, as it is video and it is maybe 4/5 hours?
    Anthony Sterne

    www.acumenholdings.co.za
    DISCLAIMER The above is merely a comment in discussion form and an open public arena. It does not constitute a legal opinion or professional advice in any manner or form.

  11. #9
    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    That's what I was thinking of. You can force login to access the site or even just certain material on the site. The cost I'm afraid I'm clueless about, at this point I would hand you across to one of the website/hosting gurus which I know are around TFSA.

    It would probably help if you could give more details about the video content. How long is the video, I know you mentioned 4-5 hrs but is that one long video or is it multiple short clips? If it is one long one it might be better to split it up if you can. what file type is it, what file size is it, what resolution/quality is it? Would it work as a YouTube type setup? I don't mean on youtube itself but a similar setup on your own site. :-)
    Last edited by AndyD; 15-Feb-10 at 04:15 PM.

  12. #10
    Platinum Member sterne.law@gmail.com's Avatar
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    The total play time will be about 4-5 hours.
    In all probability 5 modules of about an hour each.
    It is possible for me to film/edit the modules with subsections.
    The original idea is that the company would play the dvd on computer for teh trainees, without a facilitator. The video handles the facilitation by having the material, then every ten minutes or so the trainee reverts to the workbook. During this time the video runs, but without any action as such. After a set time, the training continues.
    My business module is that the busines owner pays a monthly fee to use the video and obtains the work books from me(obviously nothing stops them copying the workbook) i do not want to sell the video straight as this market segement would balk at paying even R500 and the videos would be worth R2-3000, also obviously it saves me from selling all the time and I get an annuity style income. There are many franchises so hence the need for protection.
    There is no contract, so owner can quit when they want. Hence the idea of a cut off. If I have a changing password, if they do make copies, this makes itslightly more difficult.
    ALternatively, I could structure it that they pay per usage. This could be done with the live feed idea, if not too expensive.
    The second part of the plan is to allow people to self train themselves and then have a better chance of gaining an interview or even a position. This segment I can either make a video that simply wipes out after say 2 weeks (one vicious virus???) or use the online idea. The drawback with the online idea is access to facility but i guess one cant have it all ones own way.
    It is therefore possible to have small clips. ut lets presume the person needs to use an internet cafe, then they are there for at least a half hour due to the minimum time rule.
    The other curve ball in the mix, is the ability for the dvd to play on computer and via dvd player. The dvd player version will not be able to be password driven, so that leaves the copying or self destruct idea. Perhaps I should make the video with a one or two month self destruct. It does mean I need to send a new dvd every two months, but I anyway need to get the workbooks to the client so it is not such a big deal and the cost is minimal.

    I hope this helps to perhaps figure out a workable solution., Many thanks
    Last edited by sterne.law@gmail.com; 15-Feb-10 at 06:53 PM. Reason: Extra thought
    Anthony Sterne

    www.acumenholdings.co.za
    DISCLAIMER The above is merely a comment in discussion form and an open public arena. It does not constitute a legal opinion or professional advice in any manner or form.

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