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A problem with Navigator's cache
At the risk of interrupting the `uns*bscr*be' messages, here's a little
problem with local caching:
Some of our users share PCs. Some servers on our internal Web hold
documents whose access requires authentication.
When a PC Navigator user attempts to access such a page, and
authenticates successfully, the document is retrieved and displayed, and
cached to their local disk. This user now switches the PC off, and
leaves. Another user switches the PC back on, and fires up Navigator.
She attempts to access the same document. Navigator pulls it back for
her from the cache, without authentication.
How might this be addressed?
(1) Set `Verify Document' to force reauthentication. However, in the
meantime the document has been sitting clear and visible on the local
disk for the second user to access directly.
(2) Get the users to configure Navigator to cache on a protected file
system. Here we'd be dependent on them all doing so. Not feasible.
(3) Have the server pre-expire the document. Here Navigator would
require re-authentication before retrieving the document again, but,
again, in the meantime it has still been sitting clear and visible on
the local disk for the second user to access directly.
(4) Turn the cache off. Not feasible. They'd turn it back on again.
Is there any way that the server can tell Navigator that it is not
allowed to cache a certain document at all?
Would SSL help? Does Navigator just secure document _transfer_, or, can
it also be persuaded to encrypt documents in the cache?
Grateful for any thoughts!
Thanks,
I.
--
Ian Dunkin <imd1707@ggr.co.uk>
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