Copy Protection

[Cameron]

I'm currently attempting to find a way to prevent those accessing my document
from copying/extracting information from it (as in text). However, I have not
been able to find a way to lock it up well enough that someone clever
couldn't find a way around.

I'm using Word 2007. However, I need to be able to save it for use in 2003
(but not any lower versions). I'm afraid I don't have permissions to install
Information Rights Management.

Thus far, I have found a relatively good method. After finishing the
document, I Protect the Document with the "Fill in Forms Only" option. There
aren't any forms, but using this option prevents users from even selecting
text. This is nice because the user can't edit the document in any way, and
they cannot remove the protection without the valid password.

However, bypassing this is as simple as going to Save As and choosing Web
Page as the type. By opening it in a web browser, it's a simple copy and
paste. Although most people aren't smart enough to think of this, it's still
possible and only takes a few seconds.

Does anyone have a suggestion for actually fully protecting the document?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

I'm afraid that using IRM is the only effective technique, and even with
IRM, one could still do a screen shot and send it through OCR and
effectively copy the text. (Note: to use IRM in Word 2007, you'd need to
have the enterprise or ultimate version; lower versions don't even offer
IRM.)

If they'd-have-to-resort-to-OCR protection is sufficient, then an option
would be to convert your text into a graphic. That would at least make 'em
have to work at it.

 

[Cameron]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm the only one with Office 2007, as I had an administrator install it on
my work laptop. I have Enterprise, so I guess I could ask them to install it.
However, everyone else has (I think) Office 2003 Student, so would they be
able to open the documents if they were protected with IRM?

 

[CyberTaz]

With all due respect to Herb, (who so much as says so himself) even IRM will
not solve your dilemma. It's primarily for large-scale restricted access to
& direct changing of files:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA101029181033.aspx

IRM can't prevent the following:
Content from being erased, stolen, or captured and transmitted by malicious
programs such as Trojan horses, keystroke loggers, and certain types of
spyware
Content from being lost or corrupted because of the actions of computer
viruses
Restricted content from being hand-copied or retyped from a display on a
recipient's screen
A recipient from taking a digital photograph of the restricted content
displayed on a screen
Restricted content from being copied by using third-party screen-capture
programs

In fact, *nothing* will accomplish what you are asking for I'm afraid. If
you put it out there, they have it - it's just that simple You may want
to look into using the new .xps format (which requires a special add-in &
has a viewer available for free distribution), but even that has the same
limitations. Have a look at:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA100649931033.aspx

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

I agree completely.

I really don't care for IRM and similar schemes because they create the
illusion of document security. You don't need to worry about folks who are
honest/honorable to begin with, and the ones who aren't have plenty of tools
at hand to defeat whatever methods you might want to employ.

Document security reminds me of something Ann Landers or Dear Abby once said
in a column... words to the effect "Yes, two people *can* keep a secret...
if one of them is dead." Translated into document security-ese, "Yes, you
can prevent people from copying your document. Don't give it to anybody."

 

[Cameron]

I'm perfectly aware that there's nothing I can do to stop someone from taking
a screenshot or copying it manually -- how can you possibly expect it to
prevent that?

However, if someone was to copy it, I was trying to make a bit more
difficult than copy and paste. And although saving it in a different file
format requires one to be intuitive, it's still incredibly easy.

 

[Graham Mayor]

As others have said, you are wasting your time - if you are going to let
people see your document, then it is their's to do with as they wish. Even
if you prevent copying within the application, there are plenty of utilities
that will OCR what's on screen. Abbyy Finereader for example has a
screenshot reader that will read anything on screen and convert it to a
document.

It's the old dilemma again - Laws are made for the law abiding. The others
take no notice!

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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