Protecting our Unattended CD/DVD

[Incroyable HULK]

Here is the big question; How can we protect our long-developped-addictive-TimeSaver Wonder?

In my organisation, I distribute my unattended CDs to a lot of Technician and others. It's not that I don't want to share the knowledge with other but I've put so much effort and devotion to finally get a near-perfect Unattended CD; I don't want somebody to get it the easy way... beside, the fun reside in the development

Along the way, It became a Multi-Boot CD with other tools and legally speaking, a lot of licences are present on our CD.

So I decided to try some experimentation about HIDDING the content of my CDs. The Idea came after I created a Boot Rescue Media with Acronis Disk Director Suite v9.0. I noticed that the CD was working perfectly and I was unable to see the content of it under Windows and DOS, unable to see the content of the extracted ISO with WinISO and UltraISO...

I've already posted on the subject in the Multi-Boot CD/DVD Forum HERE but I didn't get any good answer...

So here is what I did so far:

1- Use the Windows Hidden Folder attribute for the whole CD. I Just let my Post- Install exe available at the root to launch manually (I know, this is a stupid "protection" but you'll be surprised how most average people don't even know!)

2- After my ISO file is created, I use UltraISO to HIDE the content of it BUT I must leave alone WIN51, WIN51IP and WIN51IP.SP2 otherwise Windows Setup will ask to insert proper media in drive during install. (This "protection" is better because you have to extract the ISO, then open with WinISO or UltraISO to unhide. Not easy for the average person!)

I'M OPEN TO SUGGESTION! I'd like to further improve.

I know that there is no perfect protection and this is not the goal of my topic. All I want, is to maintain compatibility while making it difficult for everyone to steal the content of my CDs.

[Incroyable HULK]

Forgot to mention this but I use EasyBoot for the MultiBoot part of my CD and there is a Password Protection on it.

[Incroyable HULK]

I'm still brainstorming on this one and I got another idea.

Since I am using the "optimise" option, I can duplicate my I386 folder, remove my Winnt.sif file and then leave it visible (not using the hide option in UltraISO) so when somebody is looking at the content of the my CDs, he'll see the "normal" content of a XP CD without the $OEM$ folder.

I think this way, somebody looking at the content of the CD will not be suspicious about the fact there is Hidden stuff on it...

[Astalavista]

what can i hide and what can't i hide using ultra ISO?

[Alanoll]

http://www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware/cdrom/cd_utils_3.shtml

[Incroyable HULK]

You can hide everything in UltraISO EXCEPT the signature files at the root of your cd:

WIN51

WIN51IP

WIN51IP.SP2

Of course if you install your program from %CDROM% you should leave CD.txt as well.

Edited July 30, 2005 by Incroyable HULK

[Astalavista]

so ok i hid my software folder, i hid my drivers, i hid my system32

i hid my winnt.sif is that ok?

sure?

[Incroyable HULK]

Yes, it should be ok, I suggest you run a test in WMware or Virtual PC. For my part I always hide root folders, I remember hiding some sub-folder in my early test and it worked well too.

[Astalavista]

i can't seem to hide winnt.sif, i can only hide folders using ultra iso.

any hints how to hid a single folder?

[Incroyable HULK]

Oh yeah that's true, you cannot hide files... only folders.

What I suggest may sound strange but you can duplicate and rename your I386 folder, delete the WINNT.SIF in it, Optimise your ISO and then hide your original I386 folder...

Otherwise you'll have to use the hidden attribute for your file wich is a really thin protection...

[BritishBulldog]

Isnt this a bit stupid, I mean in your first post you say you distribute your CD/DVD out to technicians

In my organisation, I distribute my unattended CDs to a lot of Technician and others.

and then you have CD protection aimed at others??

(I know, this is a stupid "protection" but you'll be surprised how most average people don't even know!)

There is no 100% way of protecting your CD/DVD. Making an ISO and changing the hidden files to unhidden with UltraIso is no big feat I could do it with my eyes closed. anyone who knows what they are after, ie your Unattended CD, will know what to do.

If you have licenses that people shouldnt have then dont give them the CD/DVD. That is our compny's policy.

[Incroyable HULK]

That's true there is no full proof protection but my idea is still better than nothing.

Often our technician carry the CD around, forget them so it is exposed to other... and also I must confess, I have 2 of them being small "hackers" always downloading/uploading stuff on FTP, private servers, etc.

The other thing is I have invested so many hours in my projects I don't want them to modify it, get it the easy way, etc. I'll be happy to help them if they want to build their own CD anyway...

Also (I'm still confesing) I have some "low competency" technician if you know what I mean. I want the CD to be "id*** proof" so they only get access to the content I want them to.

[^_^]

I always put my commands and winnt.sif on a floppy

so if somebody does get the actual CD, they won't get the batch files or any serial numbers, since that's on my floppy

[Incroyable HULK]

Not a bad idea... if you are the only one manipulating it

EDIT: most of our laptop doesn't even have a floppy drive!

I can ensure you my team would forget that floppy in some machine... and it would be a lot easier for them to get the stuff on it!

[^_^]

well, the other good thing is, then the serial can be modified according to consumer needs, without burning a new CD/DVD

as well as customise the installation such as what software to install

I.E. some workstations won't have license for Office, others don't need Nero, while they probably all can use Adobe reader

but anyway, this was about security of a disk.

I would suggest only giving a valuble software disk to trustworthy persons

If people abuse their priviledge, take it away