File Security Options

Controlling who can do what with your files

Omniscope files are not only more compact, interactive and visually communicative than other report data files (e.g. spreadsheet files and web tables), they also have many more potential layers of security options to prevent unauthorised access to, and potential re-use of, the data and images within your published and freely-distributed files.

Most file security options are accessed from the File > Save/Export dialog, under the IOK tab, on the far right side under the Security section (with the exception of text field scrambling and random sampling options under the Data > menu, and the 'walled gardens' security perimeter implemented by issuance of special groups of activation keys. 

Open the Save/Export dialog by choosing File > Save as or alternatively File > Export > Export file(s). Some options are also available under File > File security.

Server-based permissioning (Enterprise Editions only 2.6+)

Enterprise Editions can be used to add server-based authorisation/permissioning to files. Essentially, this uses the same login & password system used for web pages to control access to an IOK file. More on implementing this option is available from the KnowledgeBase article on implementing server-based permissioning.

Password protect files

Tick 'password protect' and enter a password to protect the file. If you have already set a password, the Change option will let you change it. Note that if you do not add additional layers of security, anyone with the password can open the file and save a copy with a new password, or none at all. The Enterprise batch reporting option also allows you to set personalised passwords on files so that each file recipient must use a separate individualised password.

Prevent data save/export ("Owner-locked")

This copy-prevention feature prevents even cut-and-paste copying from Omniscope, as well as saving or exporting the data in any way. This is an 'all-or-nothing' setting, designed primarily to prevent recipients of your file from extracting, modifying or plagiarising your data and Omniscope configuration. Only the Owner (i.e. the Omniscope installation that created or last refreshed the file) can be used to disable this setting. The Owner can continue to refresh, edit and save the file even with this setting enabled, but no other installation can. Effectively, a file opened on a different PC with this setting enabled will operate in free Viewer mode only; extracting data and/or saving changes will not be permitted. This setting is only available in licensed installations, and not the free trial. This setting does not protect file B from being overwritten when opening file A, choosing File > Save as and saving over file B. In order to prevent overwrites, you should not only use write protection (see below) but also  operating system-level options such as setting the file as Read only in the Windows Explorer file properties, especially for empty template files stored in a share directory or on the server for refreshing.

Write-protected ("Warning on save")

This option is a safeguard against accidentally saving changes to an important file, like an empty template file. While the option is turned on, you will be warned if you try to save the file or another file with the same name. As with Owner-locking via Prevent data save/export, this option does not protect file B from being overwritten when opening file A, choosing File >Save as and saving over file B with the same name. To prevent this, you should use operating system-level options such as Read only settings in the Windows Explorer file properties. Omniscope's Write-protect option merely warns you if you inadvertently press Ctrl+S while an important file is open.

Time-limited files (Enterprise Editions only)

This option can be used to ensure that stale, un-refreshed copies of files are not used once distributed. Ticking this option displays a settings dialog which enables you to specify the exact date/time the file will expire, whether or not an external Internet time-check will be required (if so, the file will not work offline), an option to specify an "out-of-date please refresh" notice yet still allow access, and the message to display if recipients try to open a completely expired file. 

Note: For time limiting to be enforceable, you must also tick "Prevent data save/export" (see above).

Domain Locking (Enterprise Editions only)

Domain locking is a powerful and effective access-restriction and revenue protection feature. Omniscope .IOK/.IOM files are normally free-standing and easily transferred (by e-mail, posting/downloading from blogs and websites, etc.). Adding domain-locking to an .IOK/.IOM file imposes the restriction that the file must be opened directly from the originating (generally password-protected and secure) website. This option enables organisations to restrict access to current employees/subscribers with valid web credentials, and enables commercial data publishers to ensure that only current subscribers have access to their data, and that potentially stale, unrefreshed copies of files saved locally will not open. More information on Using domain locking.

Note: For domain locking to be enforceable, you must also tick "Prevent data save/export" (see above).

'Walled gardens' (Enterprise Editions only)

The option to designate a group of specific Omniscope installations able to create and share files only within the group is referred to as a 'walled garden'. Omniscope installations which are members of the group are defined by specifically-created activation keys. Files created by installations within 'walled gardens' will open only in other Omniscope installations activated by keys from the same 'walled garden' list. Privileges for each installation can be set individually to Read-only or Read/Write/Create capabilities for 'walled garden' and non-'walled-garden' .IOK/IOM files. Installations can belong to more than one 'walled garden', with different privileges in each 'walled garden'. For more information on implementing Omniscope in high-security settings, please contact us.

Text Scrambling (improved in 2.6)

Introduced in version 2.5 in Data > Scramble, this feature permits specified text column values to be 'scrambled' such that the text values cannot be read. This security feature is initially intended to permit us to assist you with files containing confidential information, but also allows selective scrambling for out-sourcing some aspects of workflow and data quality while maintaining some columns of data, e.g. names on the payroll, credit card numbers, etc. in scrambled format.