Encryption for SW files

Does anyone have any experience with encrypting CAD (especially SolidWorks)
files? Any suggestions?
It looks more and more like I'm in the process of getting stiffed (about
$5000) for the first time in 5 plus years of business. I've had a couple
other experiences where it took 6-9 months to get paid (in bits and pieces).
This seems like an ideal way to protect yourself. A friend has
Encryption Plus CD-ROM v4.
http://www.guardianedge.com/products/Encryption_Anywhere/CD-DVD.html
My one complaint is that upon insertion of the CD, an encryption/decryption
engine starts up and the user is prompted for a password. This happens every
time he re-inserts the CD and tries to access his files.
I'd like something a little less obvious that would expire after, say,
60 days and THEN the user would require a password. OR, the files just
expire...end of story. You want your files back? Well, I want my money. I'd
rather not question a client's integrity so openly in the beginning if it's
not necessary. Court is an option but $3000 is the limit for Small Claims
Court and by the time you finished with all that aggravation, you'd be lucky
if you didn't end up owing money.

Disillusioned in Detroit,
Mike Schick

 

http://www.pinionsoftware.com/TRM.php

I didn't read to far but this may work. You are on the right track
with File security now you just need to find the right software to do
what you want.

KMaren

 

I understand the pain, but you have to chalk it up to the price of
doing business. Applying encryption to files provided to a new
customer would not be sending a signal of trust. It's your decision,
but if I had a contractor do that I wouldn't be inclined to trust them
very far.

As far as the client that isn't paying, send them a letter with a
fixed deadline for payment and then file a claim in small claims court
for the maximum if they don't. It will cost them more that $5000 in
legal expenses to deal with it. Failing that, turn it over to a
collection agency. They will charge you 25-50% to collect, but it's
better than nothing.

Hopefully, this client will have the need for your services again.
Then you can collect your debt.

Good luck.
===========================================================================
Chris

 

It may not be right for your circumstances but Acrobat now has a server
function whereby you need internet access to open a pdf file, as it has to
fetch a license from your server - there are a number of options as to how
long the license lasts, and what happens when it expires.
I suppose it's a bit like DRM on Windows Media player, but for pdf's - and
it's more flexible.

John H

 

Thanks everyone. You've given me some things to consider.

Mike Schick

 

you might try true crypt too

It won't "expire" on it's own, but you could set up a scheduled task /
cron job to unmount the drive, which would require the password to
remount.

 

Assuming the part can be opened within SW, wouldn't "file-save as"
essentially kill any protection. Might any protection have to be part of
the SW core to be sucessful?

 

Principal 1: Get customers
Principal 2: Get the product out for them
Principal 3: Get paid.

Rule 1: Pick your customers. Check their references.
Rule 2: Until unless a customer has established good paying habits get
50% on startup.
Rule 3: If a customer has no estabilished credit history it's COD.

Maxim: Actions speak louder than words.

If you are encrypting for anything but confidentiality then you
probably shouldn't have them for a customer.

 

You're in the wrong line of work. You should be selling this wisdom on cable
TV. )

Mike S

 

We have trusted most of our client and have had few problems over the
last 16 years. The few problems that we have had were not totally
unexpected and we took the work anyway because the economy was so
horrid. Companies that have over 10 employees have almost always been
good. The one man shops tend to be pretty risky. It has been a
general policy that "inventors" must pay 100% retainers up front and
when the money is gone the work stops until more money is paid. This
is not to say the inventors are generally bad but it is common for them
to have much bigger ideas then check books.

The other biggest defense against flaky clients is to invoice on a
weekly basis. And not to continue work until the previous week is paid
for. This has a tremendous advantage for the client because they
always have a fairly good idea of where their costs are on the project.
It is very easy for smaller clients to get carried away with ideas and
work without realizing that they are way beyond their own budgets. At
face value it may sound harsh not to continue work until you get paid,
but if explained properly, the client will understand that this is as
much for their benefit as it is yours. And if they refuse to accept
this then there is a high probability that they arn't worth working
with anyway.

There are legal means but if one does a fair job "managing" their
clients the losses should never be much more then about $5k. However,
if a client is just being total flakes probably the best course of
action is to get a good collection agency. They will hastle the client
way more then the money that they are stealing from you.

The bottom line is that you need to be a good judge of character and if
you do want to verify if a client may be potentially good or bad, a
good credit agency has the ability to check if there have been any
other problems.

Hope this helps,

Ed

 

Thanks Ed! I'm coming around to the "no encryption point" of view. I've
followed TOP'S rules by and large...I guess that's why this is my first
experience with not getting paid. I won't bore you with all the details but
I took a flyer on a "friend" of 10 years. In fact, I ran this very shop for
this guy's in-laws before he came back to run it after I left. I worked my
butt off building their CNC dept. into something to be proud of and I built
a pretty fair CAD Dept. from nothing. I was extremely well compensated for
this but I just had the itch to strike out on my own. Had I known how little
effort he put forth in maintaining what I had left him, I probably would
have turned around and run.

Mike Schick

 

Mike,

This guy used up all the good will you built up with the shop and his
in-laws over the years, he should be ashamed of himself. There seems to
be no middle ground with it comes to the SOB (son of boss) or the
Son-In-Law getting involved in the family business, either works out
great or horrible.

Tom