Controlling who can run an executable

[Cigar]

Paul Rubin wrote:
> Suppose that competitor's program that her employee had illicitly
> brought her wasn't protected, so she was able to run it.  You might
> ask her whether, ethical issues aside, she would be willing to use it
> on a daily basis, given it sounds like people in her industry know
> each other enough that word would probably get back to the competitor,
> and any resulting lawsuit would leave her up a creek.  If she's not
> willing to use her competitor's program under those cirumstances,
> should she really be afraid of her competitor using hers?  Also, if
> all she got from the competitor was an .exe, she'd have no way to
> customize it, and vice versa.

Oh I agree.  (I just thought of something while writing a respond to
this)  What if she DID get the program running and only told me she
couldn't and came up against the same morale, legal and technical
issues that you're pointing out here and decided against using the
program.  I guess maybe part of her doubts that her competition would
look at her program and come to the same m,l,t, conclusions about not
using it if it fell into their hands.

(I'm only guessing at how my client arrived at the decision to protect
her program.  All indicators suggests she is a moral, ethical and kind
hearted person)

> > It's just a collection of names, addresses, phone numbers, birthdays
> > and drivers licences/health cards.  I can think of a few dishonest
> > things that could be done with this but her competition has the
> > basically the same clients.
>
> Well, that sounds pretty confidential to me, but I'll take your word
> for it that the competitors are more interested in the code than the
> data.  I do think she's overestimating the threat.

Again I agree... but I would like to assuage her concerns as much as I
can technically.  It will keep a roof over my head awhile longer.

> > Not by my standards but it is slowly replacing a paper system.  (Police
> > officer shows up and says 'We've just arrested John Smith.  Has he sold
> > you anything in the last 90 days.  The client says 'Just a minute' and
> > reaches for a set of 4" d-ring binders and turns hundreds of pages
> > looking for a Smith name...)  My client is relived that this senario
> > will soon disappear.
>
> Is there something there that you can't do with a few spreadsheet macros?

Are you trying to put me out of a job? :)

> > > What is the competitor going to do with this code even if they get it?
> > Simplify their lives.  See above.
>
> Lawsuits don't simplify anyone's life ;-).

Costly for all.  I do agree.

> > A network exists but the client insists on a standalone PC.
>
> How about two PC's connected by a piece of ethernet cable, but no
> outside network connection.  The server is a laptop or palmtop locked
> in a desk drawer.  A little hole is drilled in the back of the drawer
> for the power and network cables.  The network cable is connected to a
> PC on top of the desk that the employees actually use, running a web
> browser or the like.

That might fly.  I'll have to ask her about that.