CrypKey News is a newsletter for customers of CrypKey (Canada) Inc. This newsletter contains important information about CrypKey protection and the security of your software. Please review the following information and print this newsletter for your files. Welcome Company News Product News Feature Article Technical Support News Subscription Status Talk To Us Privacy

Welcome
Welcome to the latest edition of CrypKey News, the newsletter exclusively for customers of CrypKey (Canada) Inc.

CrypKey News is issued monthly to keep you up-to-date on the latest CrypKey product and company news and information.

If you wish to opt out of this newsletter, please send a blank email to optout@crypkey.com. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@crypkey.com.

CrypKey Summer Specials

Summer is nearly gone…and fall is fast approaching. You still have time to take advantage of CrypKey's Summer Specials.

Purchase your Annual Support Subscription and get the next level of support for free. Get a free USBKey with a support purchase…or with the purchase of CrypKey Instant or CrypKey SDK. Please mention this offer when ordering.

For details, see our special offers or call 1-403-258-6274.

New USBKey Permits Easy Movement of Licenses

Flash Drive Solution Increases Options for Developers And Users

CrypKey now offers USBKey , a 32MB to 2GB USB flash drive licensing solution for developers and end-users that allows licenses to be moved from one computer to another with greater ease and also permits entire applications to be stored on the device.

The size of a car key, the USBKey is a simple and economical way to protect software licenses. It appeals to developers and end-users who prefer to use tangible, as opposed to software-based copy protection solutions.

USBKey comes loaded with a Site Key Generator, which allows the user the advantage of being able to transfer a license from one computer to another.

Until now, the prevailing hardware-based license protection method has been the "dongle", which holds only authorization codes to unlock the software. In contrast, the new USBKey can hold the entire software application and the license to authorize it. It has a maximum 2GB storage capacity, compared to a dongle, which typically has a storage capacity of only 128K.

USBKey is less expensive than dongles, and is touted for its durability due to a lack of moving parts and hence, less susceptibility to damage--with a failure rate of 1,000,000 hours. This new solution can be used in a hybrid format whereby both USBKey and CrypKey Instant or CrypKey SDK are used to protect a software application. CrypKey can check for the presence of either a CrypKey license or a USBKey license.

USBKey is most beneficial to users who need to move their license from one computer to another on a regular basis, users who travel frequently, users who work both at the office and at home who need the flexibility to transfer licenses easily, those who are concerned about leaving a license on a computer for security reasons, users who prefer an old-fashioned tangible solution, users who require a back-up license, and developers with high-priced software applications as well as those who wish to deliver software and licenses in a "ready-to-run" format.

For more details, see our USBKey product page.

What Developers Want: Independent Study

CrypKey recently commissioned an independent study that details what developers look for in software license management products. The results of this research explain the reasons why some software security products are more susceptible to unauthorized users than others.

As a result of this study, which will soon be available on the CrypKey website, we have compiled a list of key points to consider to ensure your software protection will fully protect your application:

1. Encryption vs wrapping. Ensure your software copy protection not only wraps protection around your program but also encrypts your software to make it more difficult for unauthorized users to access.
2. Encryption in memory. Many protection solutions do little or nothing to protect your application while it runs in memory. Software without this type of protection makes a very simple target for unauthorized users.
3. Debugger detection. While debuggers are increasingly efficient, unauthorized users are also making better use of them. While most solutions have the ability to tell if a debugger is in use and stop a program from working, it is often too late in the process to have the desired effect. To be effective, a software protection solution must restrict an application from launching when a debugger is running. Find out how your solution detects the presence of debuggers.
4. Registry entries. Beware of products that tie their security solely to simply registry entries. Registry entries are tools that make it simple for unauthorized users to find files and change the contents to disable the protection. The most sophisticated products use the unique serial number of the hard drive tied to the software security solution.
5. Illegal key generators. Beware of solutions that do not aggressively protect the license keys generated to authorize use of your software applications. This is one of the most common ways unauthorized users gain access to your software and share new, unauthorized yet fully functioning licenses for your applications.
6. Protection against cloning. Most available copy protection solutions offer little or no protection against hard drive cloning. With the plummeting cost of hardware and other media, the price of some software applications makes it viable for unauthorized users to copy an entire drive, simply to get your application. Ensure your solution protects against this threat.

To obtain a copy of Six Questions For Guaranteed Software Copy Protection, send your request to us by email at info@crypkey.com.

Maximize Your Support Options

To get the most from CrypKey technical support, see the following support page.

Renew Your Annual Subscriptions

We strongly recommend that you renew your CrypKey Annual Subscriptions to ensure access to the latest protection technology and password information. Renew your subscriptions for CrypKey product support.

This section is only available to CrypKey customers.

7. Talk To Us

Share Your Ideas

Let us know which topics you would like to see in upcoming issues of CrypKey News. If you would like to learn more about specific technical aspects of CrypKey products, please tell us. Send your requests and suggestions to us at info@crypkey.com.

Questions?

We want to help you. If you have any questions about product subscription(s) or renewals, please call us at 1 (403) 258-6274 or email sales@crypkey.com. You can also reach us online using the contact form.

Our Pledge To You

At CrypKey, we value our customers' right to privacy. We respect your privacy as our subscribers and will never make our mailing lists public.

We appreciate Graham Co's business. Thank-you for reading and have a great day!

Sincerely,
Team CrypKey