Password Protect 6

Intro

Discontinued. This page is online only as Help for current users.

This Dreamweaver Extension allows you to password protect files (or folders) using client side javascript. For both the Mac and PC.

As you know, most password protection schemes using javascript are notoriously easy to break. (They require pattern matching which can be easily defeated simply by looking at the Page Source in any browser.) Not this one.

What's it do for you?

:: Password Protect a section of your website.

:: Control access to work-in-progress pages for multiple web design clients.

:: Protect the download of files.

And this script is unique: I know of no other that treats your users so kindly.

Another unique feature of this behavior is that when a user enters an incorrect userID or Password, they are not unceremoniously dumped into a 404 "File Not Found" page. 95% of users (depending on their browsers) will never even glimpse a 404 page, instead they are simply informed that they entered incorrect values. In most instances, about 4% of users will see a 404 page momentarily and will then be taken back to the original page. And about 1% of users lose out and are indeed left on the 404 page from which the Back button is their escape. I know of no other script that treats your users so kindly (at least 95-99% of them).

Unlike other javascript password techniques, this one employs not only simple but quite effective protection. This new extension DOES use javascript, but DOES NOT employ pattern matching, so can not easily be broken except by true hackers. Furthermore, disabling javascript will NOT circumvent the protection! And peeking at the Page Source will NOT reveal any passwords! (If you don't believe this, just try looking at the Source of the Demos page.) To be safe though, I'd NOT recommend this technique for truly private stuff (like Credit Card numbers or Social Security data.)

What this behavior is doing is allowing a friendly way for your users to enter a hopefully obscure folder and or file name! It is the obscurity of these names that really determines how safe you are making your files.

Possible Uses

: : You want to have a protected section of a website.: Simply create a hard-to-guess folder and/or file on the website and supply your "members" with the corresponding UserID and/or Password. If you choose to require only a UserID (foldername), you must include a default file, like index.htm, which will open automatically when they enter the proper UserID. See the important cautions below. Then add the Password Protect 6 Behavior to linked text (or an image or imagemap) on a public page for the Members to gain entry to the protected area of the site.
: : You have multiple web design clients with work-in-progress or demo pages.: Set up a hard-to-guess foldername for each client and tell them to enter this as their UserID in the PasswordProtection popup. In their folder you must include a default file, like index.htm, which will open automatically when they enter the UserID. OR you may have them enter both the UserID (folder name) AND a Password (file name) to access some specific file. See the important cautions. Add Password Protect 6 to inconspicuous linked text (or an image or imagemap) on a public page for your clients to gain entry to their protected folder/files or add it to your own website for your clients to access the work-in-progress on your webserver.
: : You wish to protect the download of files, for example a special report.: You can protect your files with UserID and Password. You'll want to make to be sure and make the files names hard to guess so someone who has been given permission to download one file would not have an easy time guessing the names of the others. For example, I make both the UserID AND the Password hard-to-guess, like "3k9rij5rr" for the former and "SpecialReport_hj4ehdfg.pdf" for the latter. Add the Password Protect 6 to a page so authorized users can download the Special Report.

Now a couple of simple demos so you can see what the user will see: Demos.