How Much Should You Protect?

by Amar Mehta

The votes are in and everyone agrees to the fact...

I knew no one was really willing, just because someone has developed that doesn't mean that we have to use it!

All the experts finally agreed on the fact that one shouldn't get overwhelmed using HTML Code Encryptors.

In recent times there has been a spurt in the HTML Code Encryption softwares, you will find plenty of sites on the web claiming to be the BEST HTML Code Encryption software with the most advanced encryption technology. And most of them offer you features like complete code encryption, which makes your page undecipherable if someone views the source and allows you to disable Print, Print Screen etc.

Why People Use HTML Encryptors:

- To prevent search engines from picking up some of pages, specifically thank you pages for downloads and pages for subscribers/members only.

- To encrypt would be one's search contact pages where you keep your email addresses to prevent email strippers from getting to them.

- Another area where encryption may come in could be people with art sites where they want to prevent the art graphics to be copied.

All these are GREAT features and the person who has put up the software must have worked really hard to achieve these features, but the question is do we really need these features like:

- Disable Printing - Completely encrypted page - etc...

The reason why I have written only 2 factors above and for others it is etc... is because, these two are of prime concern.

In fact you should allow your surfers/ prospective customers to consume more. You must have seen "Print This Page" button becoming ubiquitous. So, I really don't know what are we achieving by disabling print?

Also, by encrypting the code of complete page, we will be not allowing Search engines to find relevant keywords and thus lower search engine rankings?

And last but not the least, I have Win 95 system at home (I know I live in ancient era :) it crashes Internet Explorer when I even visit the sites which are using some of the advanced and very popular HTML Encryptors (I won't like to name them, for obvious reasons) because they take control of OS for disabling copy, print, print screen etc. functions.

Simple Solutions To Problems Mentioned Above:

- You can prevent search engines from picking up certain pages by creating a robots.txt file and uploading it to the root directory of your site. Performing a search on Google for a "robots.txt tutorial" should turn up a lot of good sites on this subject. Creating a robots.txt file is easy, and it doesn't cost a dime.

- Put e-mails on your site or other places for display as "amar at onlineprotection.com" or don't put your primary address for display.

- For Art sites encryption may not be of great help as newbies also with some knowledge know that they can go to Temporary Internet Files to get images. In those cases, keeping small thumbnails or using watermarked image on the site should help.

HTML encryption tools do serve a useful purpose, but if someone has a strong will to steal another person's content, they can find a way. People can use screen capture programs to take images from a site if the right mouse button is disabled, etc. None of this is morally or legally right; I am just asserting a point that none of those tools can offer 100% protection.

HTML Encryptors interfere with the user's experience and rightly upset some users who can't right click or print. Unlike what some people try to make you believe there are more reasons to use right click than just trying to steal your product.

The Other Side:

The other side is of the opinion that their primary emphasis online is money-generating programs. Affiliate, MLM, Team Advertising, Webmaster Tools and the like. That being the case they WANT people who join them to be able to steal (use) their work. They even go so far as to offer to set the whole thing up for them with their referral codes embedded at no charge!

Around 98% of Internet users have JavaScript enabled. The other 2% might not be a concern to you; but if you receive 1,000,000 unique visitors per year, 20,000 of those people might not be able to access your site if it is HTML encrypted.

That being the case why pray tell them should they be encrypting anything?

Bottom line:

You have to do a cost-benefit analysis to determine if HTML encryption tools are a good option for your business. I, personally, will not use them for encrypting my complete page or disabling Print Screen or Printing of Page, but that does not mean that they are bad or ineffective products.

In my opinion there are better ways to provide the same functionality while providing better security and not interfering with your visitor. For protecting people from stealing your intellectual property (content or images) you do have Legal protection statements/ packages, which if violated you can easily sue the person doing the act. This will also ensure better user experience on your site!

Amar Mehta is Online Business Protection Expert and Editor of Online Protection Update, a weekly newsletter that keeps you updated with latest tools and techniques for protecting your online business. Learn how you can be ripped off online & how to protect. ===> http://www.OnlineProtectionSuite.com/ecourse.html

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