Software publishers and creative users alike recognise risks to their Intellectual Property (IP). While software publishers can use secure licensing solutions like iLok Licensing, for many of these creative users, any leak of their content will significantly impact their business’s viability.
A common solution to protect content is to adopt an “air-gapped” architecture, where a machine, internal network, or even an entire building is completely disconnected from any internet connection. This architecture by its very nature prohibits cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, presenting a challenge for Software Publishers who rely on cloud-connected licensing to manage their IP.
When deploying software into air-gapped environments, there are two categories of users to consider:
A good licensing solution allows end users to access their software without compromising the IP security expected by the software publisher.
The vast majority of today’s Software Entitlement Management and Cloud Licensing solutions are ill-suited to IP-conscious end users. These tools can and do allow large corporations to have their license entitlement kept within the guidelines of the respective licenses, but their need for a constant (or even periodic) internet connection is fundamentally incompatible with air-gapped environments. Software publishers need to consider whether this limits their addressable market.
Application software is often used in an air-gapped environment, connected to nothing but a secure internal network, on which a team’s work can be shared and archived prior to breaking cover, perhaps as 3D Printed components or a new Streaming TV series. In this scenario, how does the application software’s publisher ensure it is used according to license agreements?
One option is using a Cloud License (SaaS) service provider’s on-premise license server inside the air-gapped network, but this often entails significant IT integration challenges, making it suitable only for large corporations. And who wants to set up a new server just so their team can use a new software package?
The licensor then typically sets a limit (e.g. 50) on the number of licenses the server can allow, usually using a “license file”. In case that server goes down, they will traditionally provide a second “backup” server, making everyone happy—especially the Corporate User, who now has access to 100 legitimate licenses for the price of 50…
Alternatively, a licensing solution with a hardware authentication component, which doesn’t rely on an always-on internet connection and cloud authentication, is a solution a number of our security-conscious users are happy to adopt.
Download the iLok Licensing product brochure to learn more about how PACE's software licensing platform protects your IP and allows you to maximize your value.
Let's explore PACE’s alternative to bending a cloud SaaS product into an on-prem solution.
PACE Anti-Piracy offers the iLok USB as an industry-proven solution for air-gapped environments. This tool provides software publishers with reassurance that end users can only run their software in the presence of a trusted iLok containing their software license.
Every iLok USB can store many licenses. The software publisher’s usage rules are securely held on the iLok and cannot be circumvented or overused, but authorized users can make use of the licenses as required upon request from their administrator.
Once a license has been deposited onto an iLok USB, there is no need for an external internet connection. The protected software application or plugin communicates with the iLok USB and is authorized to run. As the iLok USB is an active security device, this is a highly secure operation.
Sharable licenses (often called multi-seat or network licenses) provide flexibility in licensing and simplify license management, especially for users with large numbers of licenses for the same product in institutional settings. Inventory control and ease of deployment across large networked facilities are key features requested by the administrators of large numbers of iLok accounts.
For teams that prefer not to have USB keys for each user, PACE offers network options via iLok Server.
iLok License Server (ILS) permits an administrator to set up their own shareable license server in the air-gapped network and allow multiple client computers to use licenses that the administrator is sharing. An iLok USB is plugged into this server. The licenses are not held on the server itself, but on the iLok USB—the server merely allows licenses to be shared with the correct users.
The server is as simple to set up as a desktop application and access is over the regular network, simplifying the process and avoiding the need for additional costly servers. An authorized individual can then manage the licenses and users' access to them, allowing multiple client computers to use licenses held on a single iLok USB. This model is so much easier than integrating a pre-configured server from a vendor into your network, that we have many hundreds of instances running in educational environments, set up by teachers themselves.
PACE also supports multi-seat sharable licenses to help users easily manage licenses for multiple copies of the application software across their air-gapped network. Setting up the server and the connection from client computers to the server is simple, with no additional network configuration required. Passwords can optionally be set to limit who can use the sharable licenses. From large facilities with hundreds of licenses and seats, to smaller facilities using just a few individual licenses, sharing licenses over a network is simplified and remains secure. Real-time statistics on license usage are provided, and the statistical data, protected by a password, can be accessed remotely.
To use iLok License Server, a user can contact the publisher offering the shareable license in order to obtain the necessary ILS license.
PACE’s unique Zero-Downtime (ZDT) technology, available as an optional purchase for the iLok USB, can be used to guarantee continuous access to licenses. This combination ensures that the end user’s team can continue to create without interruption, while reassuring the software publisher that their IP is protected.
PACE Anti-Piracy through decades of experience understands the critical importance of protecting IP in a rapidly evolving landscape, while ensuring innovative licensing solutions deliver for the end user and publisher alike. iLok USB and iLok Server are proven, practical, secure solutions to the IP protection conundrum of air-gapped environments, protecting both publishers and users creativity.To find out more about PACE’s solutions, reach out to our team.
