The Bottom Line
- Hides your page content from web novices
- Doesn't prevent your page content being stolen
- Stops your page displaying in all browsers
- Money for nothing
Description
- Bypassed in two seconds with a "View Source" bookmarklet
- Thirty seconds by using "File", "Save As" in Netscape 7.
- Several minutes using the DOM Inspector in Mozilla or Firefox.
Guide Review - Web Page Encryption Software
Web page encryption software "encrypts" the content of your page and incorporates a Javascript routine that will convert that content back into readable HTML etc. in the web browser. Unfortunately, since a web browser needs to be able to decrypt the page in order to be able to display it, a web browser is all that the would be thieves need to use in order to be able to decrypt your content.
An encrypted web page requires a Javascript enabled browser in order for the page to be viewed and, depending on which Javascript version the decryption method requires, the page may not even display in all Javascript enabled browsers. Also since they interfere with the functionality of the browser in the mistaken belief that they are protecting the page source they will drive a lot of your potential visitors away from your site.
In most cases the encryption method can be bypassed in about two seconds and even the most effective products I have seen can be bypassed in under 30 seconds. I have only seen one web page that would require the use of a third method of decrypting the source that would take several minutes to carry out.
