Security

[Skc]

I am probably asking an advanced question, but no do advanced.

We have made a training website which consists of a number of .asp pages.
These are backed by an ACCESS database which holds personal passwords into
the training website - so if your username and password does not exist, then
you can't use it.

We intend to install the site onto the user's PC, so that the user may run
the training course. This will be via CD. The CD will have to be bought at
a license fee, and we are now stuck with the problem - what if the user
installs it onto 50 PCs instead of 1?

Trying to investigate ways to move around the issue, I tried to devise a
system where the MAC address of the user's PC must match the MAC address I
hardcode into the ACCESS database. This way, if the userinstalls it onto a
PC which is not meant for that PC, then the program (or .asp pages) will not
function (as I will have a customised <% header %> to lookup the MAC on the
PC and the ACCESS database. It seems, however, that the MAC address using
ASP is not available? Is this correct? If not, then I would like to know
how I can obtain an <% ASP %> MAC address.

Furthermore, maybe we are barking up the wrong wall altogether, as there may
be a 3rd party tool that can possibly make the whole thing easier, i.e. by
rolling the whole system into a .zip executable where the password is the MAC
Address of their machine?

Our only worry is that people will install it onto multiple machines just by
buying 1 copy and for them to steal information/text from our .asp pages. Is
there anyway to do the password protection and encrypt the .asp pages from
being read?

Thanks,

Skc

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

The problem using the MAC address is that it is hardware based, and if the hardware is
changed/replaced then a user would be able to run the application.

Unless the MAC address is passed to the server, there no way to grab it.

--
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Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
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