Frequently Asked Questions

Is theft of online intellectual property and trade secrets a significant problem?

YES! It happens everyday and is more common than businesses would like to admit.

"In the twenty-first century software, music, and trade secret pirates operate through the Internet. Anything that can be digitized (reduced to a series of zeroes and ones) can be transmitted rapidly from one computer to another. There is no reduction of quality in second, third, or fourth generation copies. Pirated digital copies of copyrighted work transmitted over the Internet are known as "warez." Warez groups are responsible for illegally copying and distributing hundreds of millions of dollars of copyrighted material."

"Pirated trade secrets are sold to other companies or illegal groups. Trade secrets no longer have to be physically stolen from a company. Instead, corporate plans and secrets are downloaded by pirates onto a computer disc. The stolen information can be transmitted worldwide in minutes. Trade secret pirates find pathways into a companys computer systems and download the items to be copied. Companies keep almost everything in their computer files. Pirated copies are sold over the Internet to customers who provide their credit card numbers then download the copy."

Source: Cyber Crime - Intellectual Property Theft

Here are the facts. . .

• "Online theft of copyrighted material, intellectual property, trade secrets and other sensitive documents cost companies TENS OF BILLIONS of dollars each year."
• "In a recent Ernst & Young survey of North American companies, 54% of respondents admitted to financial losses related to information security over the past two years."
• "A recent survey from CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Surveys (http://gocsi.com) estimates that the average corporate financial loss for information theft is $2.7 million per incident."

Startling facts but true. . .

How is my intellectual property at risk?

With your unprotected (or poorly protected) digital document, a malicious individual can easily:

• Email an unlimited number of copies of your information to their friends, co-workers, associates or even your competition without your knowledge or approval.
  
  
• Edit your information in any manner they wish (including removing your name and or copyright notice) and then redistribute the material as their own.
  
  
• Sell your information and collect money from customers who believe they are buying from you.
  
  
• Post your software or E-book on thousands of Usenet groups. Once posted, it cannot be removed. Anyone can freely download your file.
  
  
• Mass distribute your material on File Sharing Sites like Pirate Bay, Torrentz, IsoHunt, Kickasstorrents, BT Junkie, etc... This is a small sampling of a huge number of file sharing sites where Internet users gather to share any file they choose with strangers. Tens of thousands of people grab illegal software and documents in this manner each DAY. Go to one of those sites and search for your files. If you are lucky you won't find them, but if you do, there's not much you can do to stop it.
  
  
• Ever heard about credit card fraud or identity theft? Someone can use a stolen credit card, download your product and you only hear about it when you get the chargeback notice! Your E-book is now in the hands of a credit card thief. What do you think will happen next?
  
  
• And what about fraudulant refund seekers who just purchase your product and ask for a refund in almost the same breath! You're stuck with refunding their money even though you know that they had no time to evaluate your product. When they bought your E-book they knew just what they were up to. And this hurts. . . plain and simple!

Doesn't copyright law protect me already? I'll sue whoever steals my intellectual property.

A copyright is the legal right of an author or publisher to exclusively print, publish, or distribute the work in public. The law says that you have automatic copyright protection as soon as your document is created. But actually, the law offers little protection online. Few local authorities are willing or able to pursue incidents of cybercrime. In the US, the FBI is actually the only organization that has the jurisdiction to deal with crime across local and international borders, but they do not have the resources to pursue even a small percentage.

There will always be some that don’t care about the law or your rights. They believe that once the file is on their computer, it’s theirs, and they will do with it as they please. If someone wants to steal or misuse your online documents, they will do it whether the material is copyrighted or not.

If you're thinking about legally pursuing these Internet thieves yourself, you'll need a mountain of cash and a lawyer in China … and another in the Czech Republic… and in Thailand, and. . . well, you get the picture! The Internet is global and sharing your documents takes only the click of a mouse. By the time you "get wind" of the misuse, the damage has already been done. . . Assuming that you can even find the person responsible, trying to fight copyright infringement in court can leave you with tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, wasted time and no guarantee that you'll win or get anything back.

Doesn't a standard PDF have security capability?

There are basic security features that can be set on a standard PDF. However, a standard PDF is vulnerable to file sharing, copying and print distillation, three major security loopholes. Also, access to a standard PDF cannot be revoked nor its permissions changed after the file is in the hands of the file user. This means that your document is vulnerable to every one of the attacks listed above. Learn more here.

Do I really need this much protection for my documents?

It depends on how important the information is to you or business. How much damage would you suffer if your intellectual property or trade secrets were available to the public freely? If your information is not too critical, then you don't need this system. However, if you need real protection and real-time control and tracking of your document usage, this system is needed.

Is this type of protection legal?

Absolutely! File Secure Pro provides copyright protection and management. This "patent-pending" technology is protected under the US Copyright Code, Title 17, Section 1201, also called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The DMCA prohibits circumvention of access control technologies employed by copyright owners to protect their works. Specifically, section 1201 provides that:

"No person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title."

Under the DMCA, the US Government has made it illegal to attempt to circumvent any document security measure that attempts to control access and use of work protected under US Copyright Code. They have also made it illegal to create or sell technology that is designed to circumvent copyright protection systems and technology.

For more information, please click here. You can download the entire DMCA by clicking here.

Why would I choose File Secure Pro® over a cheaper protection system?

For what you receive, File Secure Pro® is actually the most moderately priced solution available. It is comparable in many ways to systems costing well over $12,000. Yes, there are systems cheaper than File Secure Pro however make sure you know what you are getting before you put your document security at risk.

We urge you to compare features. There is no system available today that provides the complete PDF protection, document distribution, payment system integration and overall database management that comes with File Secure Pro. We keep up with all the protection systems on the market and will send you a matrix tool (Excel) which allows you to compare multiple file protection services at one time. Just send us a note at info @ file-secure.com.

What type of files does File Secure Pro protect?

The system was designed primarily to protect PDF files, but it can encrypt and protect almost any file type, including software programs and compiled HTML ebooks. This allows you to distribute, monitor and control user access to those files. However, most of the advanced protection features are only available for PDF documents.

I'm using another file protection system that says they are 100% secure. Is this possible?

No system is 100% unbreakable, but the solution you use you must address these security issues to be considered "complete" protection. If it does not, forget it and find one that does.

What does this system cost?

File Secure Pro is a monthly system. There are no contracts or fees. You simply pay as you go and can cancel at any time. Click here for current pricing information.

Does this system secretly transmit sensitive information about my users or websites they visit?

No. File Secure Pro applications do not secretly monitor, transmit or store information about the websites they visit. It does not log their private usernames or passwords and does not relay any private information about their internet activity.

File Secure Pro is designed to monitor and control usage of it's protected documents. To do this, it must transmit minimal, non-sensitive data that pertains to the use, tracking and control of the secured file.

During registration, it also transmits some personal data. The personal data transmitted can consist of 1) the user's IP Address, and 2) information that they submit when registering the protected file.

For more information, please read our user privacy statement in SECTION 8 of our Terms of Service Agreement and/or SECTION 14 of our End User License Agreement.

Can you view or access our protected files?

No. Once you encrypt and upload a file it then requires a password to open. And we cannot get a password unless you give us one.

What Operating System does File Secure Pro require?

The File Secure Pro system is designed to work with Windows® XP/Vista/Win7.

Does File Secure Pro allow protection for MAC users?

File Secure Pro is designed for Windows. Therefore, running File Secure Pro on a Mac will require a Windows emulation package or a virtual PC software such as Microsoft's Virtual PC for Mac.

What is the cancellation process and charge? Are their any rules or fees involved?

File Secure Pro is a monthly service. There are no contracts, cancellation rules or hidden charges. You can cancel this service anytime. Upon cancellation you will be charged a final amount based on your unbilled usage. Note, that if you cancel within the first 30 days, you will not be billed this final usage amount. For more information, please read SECTION 6 of our Terms of Service Agreement.

Will my files still remain protected if I cancel your service?

Yes. When you cancel your account, your files will all be locked so that there is no unmonitored access. Before cancellation, it is recommended that you notify your users of this change and provide and alternate viewing method for your file. As a courtesy for large accounts in good standing, we can delay locking the user files for up to 30 days after cancellation if needed.

Does your service remove security from an existing PDF file?

No. File Secure Pro is compliant with Adobe's PDF Policy on maintaining the integrity of a protected document. File Secure Pro does not alter or remove any existing document usage or access protections settings for a master PDF file.

How robust is the File Secure Pro technical infrastructure?

For speed, security and availability, File Secure Pro data servers are supported by premium Tier-1 bandwidth providers, ensuring minimal latency and fast connections to all points of the global Internet. Our servers have direct connectivity with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Savvis and Level3. The power systems supporting the File Secure Pro servers feature extensive fault tolerance and resilience at every layer. Multiple emergency generators are waiting on standby, featuring over 24 hours of autonomous runtime before requiring refueling. Each generator is test run at least once a week to ensure they are ready in the event they are needed. The datacenter where the File Secure Pro servers reside are strictly limited to technical staff. Electronic security systems control data center access and are accompanied by a full compliment of motion detecting security cameras which monitor the entire facility. The datacenter is a fully managed facility, which means there are technicians on site 24 hours per day, allowing incident response times to be kept to a minimum.