Strategy to Verify Python Program is POST'ing to a web server.

[Terry Reedy]

On 6/18/2011 7:34 AM, mzagursk at gmail.com wrote:
> Hello Folks,
>
> I am wondering what your strategies are for ensuring that data
> transmitted to a website via a python program is indeed from that
> program, and not from someone submitting POST data using some other
> means.  I find it likely that there is no solution, in which case what
> is the best solution for sending data to a remote server from a python
> program and ensuring that it is from that program?
>
> For example, if I create a website that tracks some sort of
> statistical information and don't ensure that my program is the one
> that is uploading it, the statistics can be thrown off by people
> entering false POST data onto the data upload page.  Any remedy?

You have not specified all the parameters of the problem. Are there a 
limited number of copies of your program or are they distrubuted freely? 
What about multiple votes from one program?

Corporate proxy votes (which are a legally important type of statistical 
information) work as follows. Each shareholder is mailed or emailed a 
'control number'. Attend stockholder meeting in person, mail proxy vote, 
or login with any browser with control number. Repeat votes by the same 
control id supercede previous vote. There should be a 'thank you for 
voting' response for each vote. I suspect IP addr. is recorded with vote 
too. I have not heard of specific problems with electronic proxy voting.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy