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hello i have an educational software that should be installed on different PCs across the enterprise. my program is using a 5000 text, xml, html files as source of it's content. i don't want my source to be tampered with, copied or used illegally. what i intend to do is to encrypt my source seperately and then put the encrypted files in a folder inside of my app so later my app can read and decrypt each file that is requested by user. the app will be installed and used anywhere. but the problem is that to secure and store the encryption key inside my application i have to use a key container while as far as i remember(correct me if i'm wrong) they're machine based and can't be used on different machines while i need my key to be fixed for all the installed copies on any PC. i know a lot of softwares using such a architecture but i don't know how do they do that.

any idea?

jason
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If you put the key on every PC (and you have to if you want them to be able to run your software) then everyone will have it and the encryption is pointless.

but the problem is that to secure and store the encryption key inside my application

Yeah, you can encrypt that key with another key and then turtles all the way down... What you are trying to do is impossible. Don't waste your time. You will gain no security whatsoever and the only thing you will do is waste cycles and annoy users making their computers slower.

Zed
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  • ok! i know that and that's why i asked. that is the problem! so for example there is a dictionary named babylon and it's have this files named glossaries which contains the actual source. each of this files are encrypted and reformatted. so how is the app like babylon manages(store or whatever) it's key to decrypte the glossaries???? and yet it's one of the hardest softwares to hack into and also it's glossaries are available to use for everyone. i can name a lot of softwares like that! that's what i want to do with my source. so what should i do ? – jason Feb 22 '11 at 07:56
  • Can you post a link to this "one of the hardest softwares to hack" that you are talking about? – Zed Feb 22 '11 at 08:32
  • Because if you are talking about the translation software by Babylon Ltd. then I wonder why do I get *millions* of hits when i google for babylon crack - and by the way, before you annoy your users like babylon did, google for babylon spyware and ask yourself if you really want to go that route. – Zed Feb 22 '11 at 08:48
  • yes that babylon! can you hack it's glossaries(not the lisence)??? not only in google but nowhere else you can find the solution since they're using some special stuff. the only program that can read the babylon glossary is named "glossary reader" and is created by babylon Ltd itself(it can only read and create new ones though). as for me "no" i don't want to do exactly what babylon did and i just mentioned that to make a point. so maybe i should say "how can i secure my source? what method should i use?" NOTE: babylon glossary is a file that stores the words and their translation. – jason Feb 22 '11 at 10:10
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    Considering that you get *hundreds of thousands* hits searching for babylon glossary torrents you have to admit that something isn't working here. Seriously, if you really think that you are going to invent the first working copy protection in history then I hope you have fun fighting windmills. It has never worked and it never will, just like perpetual motion. You just have to realize that making bits harder to copy is like making water that's less wet. – Zed Feb 22 '11 at 11:16
  • well, that's not my call. my clients want his source as a close source not open source! and if i don't deliver someone else will. as far as i remember i wasn't looking for "unhackable" source. i just need to know how to secure my source instead of leaving it to be used illegally by anyone! – jason Feb 22 '11 at 11:47