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Anonymous
March 8, 2011
Answered

Encrypting Adobe Air Help

  • March 8, 2011
  • 1 reply
  • 2089 views

Two questions:

1. Is there a way to encrypt (password protect) an Adobe Air Help so that a user cannot download and access the Help file outside of the application? The application data files are encrypted, and I need to encrypt the Help file (if possible).

2. Is there a way to remove the Print icon from the Adobe Air Help file?

      This topic has been closed for replies.
      Correct answer Peter Grainge

      Thanks Peter.

      "If you encrypt it, how is the update routine going to unencrypt it for legitimate users"

           We were hoping the RH Adobe Air feature would allow us to encrypt the .air file and also provide an option to unencrypt it during install. But I guess that is not an option.

      All of our users are internal customers, but that will not always be the case. Our servers are internal to both our users as well as to us. But we do not want someone to pull the file down and be able to run it outside of the application. Does that make sense?

      I apologize if my questions were not clearer. Maybe these will help:

      1) Can the help content be protected in a manner that it cannot be used outside of the application?  Password protection would be acceptable.

      2) Can the Air file be updated from a web server over a SSL connection without the user having to enter credentials?  Is this built into the update mechanism?

      3) Are the contents of the Air help file encrypted or protected (for sensitive information)?


      1) Can the help content be protected in a manner that it cannot be used outside of the application?  Password protection would be acceptable.

      No. See the answer to 3.

      2) Can the Air file be updated from a web server over a SSL connection without the user having to enter credentials?  Is this built into the update mechanism?

      The updated .AIR and the XML can be on a web server. I have an update file on my site for demo purposes. If you knew the path and file name, you would be able to download it. I would need to test everything but I don't think the user could find that path from the help or when an auto update runs. You can set up a similar test. So when auto update runs, they get the help but not the source. They do not get the new AIR file.

      3) Are the contents of the Air help file encrypted or protected (for sensitive information)?

      Anyone who has the AIR runtime can install it.

      What is in this help file, the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken?

      Joking apart, once the customer has the help file, they can print every last topic. You want to disable print. OK, I'll have a go and cut and paste. Find a way to disable that and I will take a screen capture. Stop that and I will get my camera out. If there really is something so sensitive that you need to go to these lengths, maybe you should have a word with Charlie's Angels. Being more serious, maybe auto-update doesn't suit your scenario unless your tests confirm the user does not get the path to the update location and you are happy that is sufficient.

      See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

      @petergrainge

      1 reply

      Jeff_Coatsworth
      Community Expert
      Jeff_CoatsworthCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 8, 2011

      1. Which flavour of AIR Help are you using - locally-installed or browser-based? I can't really see the point in encrypting something that's installed local to your workstation. If it's located on a server, then your regular security should protect outsiders from seeing it.

      2. Not as far as I've seen - send in a wish list request.

      A
      Anonymous
      March 8, 2011

      We are installing it locally now. We want to post it to an internal server, so our customer can get automatic help updates.

      However, we don’t want someone to go into the application directory and copy the Help file out (and then use it).

      That is why we want to encrypt it locally too. If we cannot encrypt it locally, that is ok. However, the main concern with the encryption is that we are looking at using a browser-based help on a web server later on down the road. So, we will want to encrypt that file for obvious reasons.

      Where is the "wish list"?

      thanks!

      A
      Anonymous
      March 8, 2011

      If you encrypt it, how is the update routine going to unencrypt it for legitimate users?

      You cannot remove the print button.

      This link is also for the wish list.

      http://www.Adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform&product=38

      See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

      @petergrainge


      Thanks Peter.

      "If you encrypt it, how is the update routine going to unencrypt it for legitimate users"

           We were hoping the RH Adobe Air feature would allow us to encrypt the .air file and also provide an option to unencrypt it during install. But I guess that is not an option.

      All of our users are internal customers, but that will not always be the case. Our servers are internal to both our users as well as to us. But we do not want someone to pull the file down and be able to run it outside of the application. Does that make sense?

      I apologize if my questions were not clearer. Maybe these will help:

      1) Can the help content be protected in a manner that it cannot be used outside of the application?  Password protection would be acceptable.

      2) Can the Air file be updated from a web server over a SSL connection without the user having to enter credentials?  Is this built into the update mechanism?

      3) Are the contents of the Air help file encrypted or protected (for sensitive information)?

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