Prevent copying or printing from USB?

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The_Great_Sephiroth · Post by **The_Great_Sephiroth** » Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:16 am

Boss approached me with an idea, and I wasn't sure how to approach it. Permissions on the filesystem level will not work here. He wants to distribute a USB drive with data on it but does NOT want the users to be able to copy the data off of the drive or print it. Not sure how that would work. If it is a PDF or even a JPEG and they can read the file to open it, then can also copy and paste it and the PDF program could print it. Is this possible at all or not worth the trouble? Only curious and speaking theoretically here.

eccerr0r · Post by **eccerr0r** » Mon Dec 13, 2021 6:59 am

Only way to stop it is closed source DRM.

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:03 am

The_Great_Sephiroth,

When someone has physical access they can do what they want.
You can't stop dd being used to make an image of the media and that's a copy.

eccerr0r · Post by **eccerr0r** » Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:35 am

I guess it's still possible with strict DRM you can still copy it, but you're not permitted to decrypt to read or print it; not only these restrictions, it's possible to also remote revoke rights to the medium since the software will phone home once in a while to make sure you still have permission to work with that document. Also could revoke rights to old versions... PHB would LOVE this.

Yes evil. Only works with closed source software as you can always trojan an OSS reader to generate a decrypted version with your key...sort of...

Post by Hu » Mon Dec 13, 2021 6:19 pm

For short documents, there is also the analog hole: open the restricted document in an approved viewer. While it is on screen, hold up a camera phone and take a picture of the monitor. The computer has no idea this has happened, and the user now has a picture (of potentially lower quality) of the document on his/her phone, and can use that picture without any technical restrictions. For long enough documents, this would be impractical (no one wants to duplicate a 200 page technical document this way), but the user could still save a few high value pages.

pingtoo · Post by **pingtoo** » Mon Dec 13, 2021 6:42 pm

If the data on the USB can be encrypted by some unique information on the USB and the presentation of the data is in stereographic with only specialized glass can read it, then it become multiple factors protected data and only all factors are met than it become readable. Printing or copy the sterepgrahic have little meaning.

eccerr0r · Post by **eccerr0r** » Mon Dec 13, 2021 7:09 pm

I've seen some closed source DRM viewers watermark the screen so that if you take photos of it, well, you now get the watermark in your photograph... So you get to do a lot of post processing to do if you want to duplicate it...

szatox · Post by **szatox** » Mon Dec 13, 2021 8:04 pm

The only way to protect information without making it useless that comes to my mind is a public key crypto card: a physical device that transforms whatever data you feed it, in a way depending on information embedded within this device and physically protected by it.
Note: this application allows you to _use_ an information you can't _access_ (because there is no interface for reading it and breaking the container will destroy the information too).

Good luck applying it to any media though. If you can read it, you can copy it.

Post by Hu » Mon Dec 13, 2021 8:25 pm

eccerr0r wrote:I've seen some closed source DRM viewers watermark the screen so that if you take photos of it, well, you now get the watermark in your photograph... So you get to do a lot of post processing to do if you want to duplicate it...

True, but only if you want to duplicate it and share it with people who would notice or react to the watermark. If you just wanted to keep a copy for reference after you supposedly returned all the copies you had, you might not care about the watermark in the image.

The_Great_Sephiroth · Post by **The_Great_Sephiroth** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 7:50 pm

This just reinforced what I told the boss. I assumed it wouldn't be possible without essentially a custom OS, and you could still snap pictures with your phone.

technotorpedo · Post by **technotorpedo** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 9:12 pm

^ Realistically no ... like you said, if they can see it, they can copy it. Have way more questions than anything like answers for you. What the hell kind of data is this, what's the purpose for it etc etc ? Recently watching some Tiktok type vid on Youtube, SUPER hot girl does it but she pointed out something apparently Iphones have now. Person could take a pic of text like as shown on a projector for taking notes in a classroom and the thing can select + copy it.

Going no further with such ramblings. Honestly though ask the NSA or MI6 or something, am sure they could hook you up in no time flat. Sighs ... though then they'd probably have to kill you. So wouldn't really be much help towards completing your (kinda odd)project.

technotorpedo · Post by **technotorpedo** » Fri Dec 24, 2021 4:12 am

The_Great_Sephiroth sigline wrote:
Ever picture systemd as what runs "The Borg"?

Nah that's Chrome and/or Android, they smack Systemd around and take its lunch money. Couldn't pass up this joke opportunity, A LOT of coffee, a little sleep. For real like Systemd ... mostly, in ways anyway though glad the Gentoo crowd is championing OpenRC and helping keep options around too. Really still blows my mind I get access to all this kickarse software. Errrr Borg probably have some kickarse technology too though.