Esri Mapping Center - Ask a Cartographer

Securing data in map packages

July 14 2011 | 4 comments
Categories: Map Data

I would like to create a map package that once distributed, users couldn't modify the underlying datasets, but may adjust symbology. I thought I saw a white paper or article on this issue recently but I can't remember if it was here on the Mapping Centre website or somewhere else within ESRI's websites.

Mapping Center Answer:

Packaging compressed file geodatabase data is the easiest way to do this though users can ultimately uncompress the data if they want to. You can compress vector file geodatabase feature classes and tables to a read-only format. A compressed dataset is read-only and therefore cannot be edited or modified in any way except for changing its name and modifying attribute indexes and metadata.

follow-up posted by Craig Poynter on Jul 21 2011 3:50PM

Hi,

Thank you for the response. Is it possible to password protect the compressed data so that feature classes can’t be exported or uncompressed without knowing a secure password. I would like to distribute map packages where end-users can’t modify the spatial data or make a copy, but could if they wished change symbology for their own purposes.

Nope - sorry posted by Aileen Buckley on Jul 21 2011 3:56PM

Nope -- not possible at thsi time -- sorry. You can use the ArcGIS Ideas page to submit this software enhancement request, if you want -- her eis the link to that page: http://ideas.arcgis.com/

Idea going up posted by Craig Poynter on Jul 21 2011 3:59PM

Hi Aileen,

I am adding the Idea very shortly. Thanks for your advice.

Glad to help -- sorry no solution right now posted by Aileen Buckley on Jul 21 2011 4:00PM

Glad you area also adding this to ArcGIS Ideas. Be sure to see if anyone else already suggested it and vote to support it if they have -- that will give it greater prominence!

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