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Simple Encription

I have a login page that uses will be accessing through a Pocket Windows 2003 PDA/Hand Scanner. I am wanting to make Badges that they can scan to authenticate them. Right now i have them assigned a username and password. I want to make a VERY simple encription so they cant easily get others ID and Pass out of these badges.

I want this to contain the username and password. This will be one barcode in a badge (3 of 9 barcode).

I was thinking something like this string here:

BadgeID = Username & "+" & Password

So the final string would look like this:

"kmorris+12345"

i just dont know how i can easily encript this on the badge.

I need to encript this, because they can (if they wanted to) open a notepad on the device, and scan another badge and get their information.

The only way i know how to do this, is get the ASC equvilent, and add like +5 to that...

Any better ideas?

jmelika

You might want to encrypt that data using something like this:
http://www.4guysfromrolla.com/webtech/010100-1.shtml

Good luck!
JM

kmorris1186

ASKER

I was able to play with that, but it outputs a lot of characters that are not Code 3 of 9 friendly. I need somthing that is just slightly encoded, and not readable by the average user. Here is what and example of the test data i used is:

á¶Qâ-“—EU£Œv

I am not even sure if this is going to display right on the browser.

Any ideas on simple encryption that is Code 3 of 9 friendly?

These are the only characters that it can support:

Its character set is composed of '0' to '9', 'A' to 'Z', SPACE, '*', '$', '/', '+', '-', '.', '%'
pulled from this page:
http://www.bokai.com/BarcodeActiveX/AllBarcodes.htm#code39

kmorris1186

ASKER

Well, i ended up using the ASC and HEX method as slight encryption.

Function EnCrypt(CryptText)
      ilegnth = Len(CryptText)
      For I = 1 to ilegnth
            EncChar = hex(asc(mid(CryptText, I, 1)))
            EncString = EncString & EncChar & ","
      Next
      If Right(EncString, 1) = "," then
            EncString = Mid(EncString, 1, Len(EncString) - 1)
      End If
      EnCrypt = EncString
End Function

The only thing i have agaisnt this, is the resulting badge would look like this:
6B,6D,6F,72,72,69,73,2B,6B,33,21,74,68,31,32,33
But in Barcode Form.

The hand scanner can only see 55 characters.

That is right borderline with the limit, at 47 chars.

I will leave this question open for a few days to see if i get any more responses.

jmelika - Thanks for the help, but it just didnt work out correctly. I may need that in the future though =)

jmelika

Not a problem. We're all here to learn from one another.

How about this idea:

old_string = BadgeID
for i = 0 to len(old_string)
new_String = new_String & Chr(Asc(Mid(old_string,i,1))+1)
next

The above code will change each character to the next character in the alphabet. It's not the greatest, but it does the job of hiding the real thing ;). You can of course get creative and change it to more than just the very next character; for example, make it three characters, or four :)

Good luck!
JM

kmorris1186

ASKER

Thanks! I have seen examples that do this (i actually remember doing this in my VB Step by Step book).

jmelika

Not really sure if that means it'll work for you :)

Here is a link of another encryption script that can be implemented. Let us know if it worked for you.
http://divbyzero.com/PHP/view-source.php?s=../ASP/encrypt/encrypt.asp

JM

kmorris1186

ASKER

Well, i have already ran into a problem. The scanner documentation SAYS it can read a barcode that is 55 chars long, but it doesnt appear that way... Plus, the size of the barcode is too long to fit nicely on a badge..

I may have to dump the encryption all together..

kmorris1186

ASKER

just one problem with the code you linked too... That isnt VBScript!

Looks like Javascript.

Can i call functions between 2 different languages?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

jmelika

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kmorris1186

ASKER

I havent thought of that. Each user in the DB does have their own user ID (primary Key, Increment from 1, int).

I could though that into a barcode (with some added junk in the barcode just so it will be a little longer then 2 chars).

jmelika

Unless the "junk" is static (UserID & 12345), you won't be able to decrypt the badge code. For example, you'd have to expect every barcode to end with 12345, and the badge is for the UserID with the numbers before the 12345.

I'd put a Barcode column in the database for each user and make it a random number added to the UserID. That way the badge barcode is stored in your database so you can read it and know whose badge it is. Makes sense?

JM

kmorris1186

ASKER

yeah, i gotcha. I will definetly have to implement this. Thanks!

kmorris1186

ASKER

I accepted your answer, because it was a better solution then what i was trying to do.

I wont be able to implement this until tomorrow though.

I have no doubt that it will work, so i accepted now.

Thanks man!

jmelika

Thank you and good luck!
JM