5 Simple Steps to
Protect your Digital Downloads
©2003 Priya Florence Shah
A couple of days ago, I was searching for a popular eBook online.
Now I'm not going to tell you the name of this eBook for reasons
you'll understand in the next few minutes.
Okay, so here I was, opening Google, entering the name of the eBook
- clicking search, and checking through the first few pages of search
results.
-> Forward to Page 5 of Google
I saw a link that looked like a PDF document.
Right click -> open in new window.
There, in full glory, was the eBook I was searching for!
The complete eBook, mind you, not a trial or demo - sitting there
for the world to download.
And this is a product that sells for over $25 online!!
Obviously I'm not going to tell you the name of the eBook because
it would not be fair to the reseller. But it just made me realise
that one of the reasons digital theft is so prevalent is simply
because... its so EASY!
Don't get me wrong. I don't condone theft of any kind - digital
or otherwise.
But would YOU shell out $25 for a product that everyone can 'legally'
download off the 5th page of Google?
Most people would just shrug their shoulders, hit the save button
and thank their lucky stars.
Result: The opposite of $ KA-CHING $ for the sellers
One of the problems with selling digital products online is that
it is so SIMPLE to do. So now everyone and their grandmother wants
to do it.
But most newbies have no idea that it requires only a few simple
steps to ensure a moderate degree of security for your downloads.
So here I've outlined the five most BASIC security steps that anyone
selling digital products online must take.
These will take you only a few minutes to do, and you do not need
any special software or programming knowledge.
1. ZIP THAT FILE
The biggest problem arises when sellers store their downloads as
PDF documents, as in my experience above.
Now you should know that Google, Altavista and many other search
engines can read and list PDF files.
While this may not be a problem for those adding content to their
sites in the form of PDF newsletters and reports, it also means
that you must never store a product you want to SELL as a PDF file
(unless it is in a password-protected folder).
It gets worse. Google also converts your PDF files into HTML documents.
So ordinary browsers not only have access to your PDF file, but
- horror of horrors - they can download your SOURCE FILE as well!!
The next logical step is for them to customize it with their own
links, compile it and sell it or give it away.
Result: The opposite of $ KA-CHING $ for the sellers...AND the
author.
A simple way of keeping your files out of the reach of spiders
is to upload them as a zip file. Search engines cannot look inside
zip files (yet) and list their contents.
2. CREATE AN INDEX.HTML FILE
You MUST have an index.html file in EVERY folder. It acts like
a curtain that keeps your files away from prying eyes. A folder
without an index file is like a house without walls. Everyone can
enter and help themselves to the valuables.
The 'index.htm' file is the default file that opens when you click
on the link here -
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/
If you don't create an index.htm or index.html file, you'd be allowing
everyone to directly access the root directory of the folder where
you store your downloads.
Here is a folder I uploaded to show you what happens when you DON'T
have an index file.
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/test/
As you can see, all the files stored in it are clearly visible
and ready to download.
And yes, feel free to help yourself - I won't accuse you of stealing
:-)
3. SHOW PEEPING TOMS THE EXIT
You can use a simple script to redirect peeping Toms back to your
home page.
Here's the easiest way to do it using what it called a "meta
refresh tag." Add it between the Header tags like this.
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" content="0;URL=http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com">
</head>
Just replace my URL with your own in the example above and paste
it into the head of your document (before your text).
You can see how it works by clicking on the test folder here.
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/redirect/
Now even though you click on the folder URL, you will be sent to
my home page.
4. SPIDER-PROOF YOUR DOWNLOAD PAGES
To prevent search engine spiders from reading and listing the download
pages that link to your eBooks add the tag below in the head of
the document.
This "Robot" tag tells the spider that this page is not
to be spidered or indexed. As a result it should never show up on
a search.
<head>
<META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX, NOFOLLOW">
</head>
5. CHANGE YOUR DOWNLOAD LINKS OFTEN
To prevent unscrupulous people from posting your download links
on forums or message boards, change the folder or file name where
you store them from time to time, even if it means having to change
the download links in your merchant account.
Using these methods will give you a good degree of satisfaction,
knowing that you have taken the most basic steps to protect your
digital valuables - and at absolutely no cost to you.
If you want greater security and more information on plugging the
security loopholes in your website, you should take a look at this
very revealing report by Bogdan Ravaru.
The HTML Security Report
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/secureport/
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