Topic Passwords and Security in Web Publisher

 Applies_To askSam Web Publisher

    Version 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, 6.x

Last_Update April 6, 2006

Question

How can I password protect askSam files which are published using the askSam Web Publisher?

Answer

Use the security facilities provided by your Web server and your operating system.

Resolution

Restricting access to askSam files on the Web can best be accomplished through your Operating System (Windows NT, Win95, etc..),  via your Web server software, or through a combination of the two.

On the askSam Web server, we currently run MS Internet Information System, which when combined with Windows NT, offers an enormous amount of control as to who can access Web pages. NT can allow you to restrict access to an askSam database or to an entire directory on a user by user basis. When a user attempts to access a file or directory, a prompt appears asking for user name and password.

For an example see: www.askSam.com/test/

It brings up the dialog... since I don't know a valid user name or password, I can't tell you how to get further. But this security was set using NT permissions.

Some Web server software such as Wildcat 5 WIN Server by Mustang Software or WebSite from O'Reilly & Associates allow the Sysop to assign access rights to files and directories on the Web server. This is often easier and more flexible than the security available through Windows NT.

NOTE: The password protection & encryption found within askSam will protect your

files when they are accessed via the askSam program. These protections do

not apply when the same files are accessed on the Internet via the Web Publisher.