Latest revision as of 15:49, 4 February 2010

This describes how to distribute protected data.

Important Note

This method is inherently insecure since the user and password are not encrypted, and the "tunnel" of data is not encrypted. It provides a basic level of security.

!!! MAKE SURE THE FILES THEMSELVES ARE ENCRYPTED if you need additional security !!!

Assumptions:

1. You can create password protected zip files
2. You can connect to homer and use the linux shell
3. You can connect to homer for file transfers
4. You can log in to homer as the lab user
5. You have the htaccess script in your executable path (or you are able to write the `.htaccess' file manually)

Explanation

htaccess control allows simple password-protection of a web directory. It requires two readable files to be present, `.htaccess' (which controls access) and `.htpasswd' (which contains usernames and passwords). See this example of a `.htaccess' file and this example of a `.htpasswd' file. The presence of these files controls access to the folder they are in, as well as to sub-folders (unless other access restrictions exist at sub-folder levels).

Steps:

1. Put your data in a password-protected zip file.
2. Open an ssh session to homer with both the shell (ssh) and the file transfer application (sftp).
3. Using the shell, the following text shows an interactive session to create the folder and to password-protect the folder.

   Note this shows the shell prompt. Comments start with a # sign, and actual commands are bold

   
   

   # change directory into the web root

   ufl@ovid21 ~

   528 % cd public_html/

   
   

   # make a new folder

   ufl@ovid21 ~/public_html

   529 % mkdir parcel_point

   
   

   # move to the new folder

   ufl@ovid21 ~/public_html

   530 % cd parcel_point/

   
   

   # create the password file. the file name is `.htpasswd' with a user `foo' and the password `bar'

   ufl@ovid21 ~/public_html/parcel_point

   531 % htpasswd -bc .htpasswd foo bar

   Adding password for user foo

   
   

   Note: if you are adding a password to an existing .htpasswd file, omit the `-c' flag, e.g.,

   ufl@ovid21 ~/public_html/parcel_point

   531 % htpasswd -b .htpasswd foo bar

   
   

   Note: alternatively you can write the .htaccess file manually, see this example.

   # create the htaccess (control file), assuming you have Phil's htaccess script in your executable path

   ufl@ovid21 ~/public_html/parcel_point

   532 % htaccess

   created .htaccess

   
   

4. Copy the encrypted zip file to the folder you created (in this example, public_html/parcel_point/parcels.zip, which translates to the URL http://depts.washington.edu/ufl/parcel_point/)
5. Telephone the person you want to have access to your data.
   1. Give them the URL, the username and password for access control, and the password for the zip file.

      They will see this type of interface, in which to type the user name and password:

      
      

      
      

      After they enter the correct authentication information they will have access to the web page.

      
      

      
      

   2. Instruct them to let you know when they have downloaded and successfully unzipped the zip file.
6. After they have obtained the data, delete the zip file and/or folder.